Long Way Home (2025)

Last updated
Long Way Home
Long Way Home series art.jpg
The series art from AppleTV+
Created by Ewan McGregor
Charley Boorman
David Alexanian
Russ Malkin
Starring Ewan McGregor
Charley Boorman
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes10
Production
Cinematography Claudio von Planta
Jimmy Simak
Running time36-45 minutes (per episode)
Original release
Network Apple TV+
Release9 May (2025-05-09) –
4 July 2025 (2025-07-04)
Related
Long Way Round
Race to Dakar
Long Way Down
By Any Means
Long Way Up

Long Way Home is a 2025 10-episode Apple Original series documenting the 63-day journey from the United Kingdom across Scandinavia and Eastern and Central Europe made by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on refurbished vintage motorcycles. The series aired on Fridays on Apple TV+ beginning 09 May 2025. This is the fourth journey the two have made for television, beginning with Long Way Round (2004) which was followed by Long Way Down (2007) and Long Way Up (2020). [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Premise

Trip details

The riders started at Ewan McGregor's home in Perthshire, Scotland and returned to Charley Boorman's home in Suffolk, England. [4] From the United Kingdom, they rode across Europe for a cumulative distance of about 10,000 miles (16,100 km). [2] [4] The trip included about 17 countries. [5]

Their route included a trip across the English Channel to Denmark and then across the North Sea to Scandinavia. [1] [4] [6]

Motorcycles

Apple describes their motorcycles as "cranky old bikes." [7] McGregor rode a 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado 850 police bike; Boorman rode a BMW R75/5 with a kickstarter. [4] [8] As with the Long Way Up , the support team drove all-electric Rivians. [2] [9] [10]

Episodes

Contents below are adapted from Apple TV+. [1]

EpisodeOriginal airdateSynopsis
19 May 2025Ewan and Charley makes plans to go through Europe on their fourth filmed trip. They celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first show, with producers David Alexanian and Russ Malkin in Manchester. They prepare their motorcycles and work out their route. They are given a musical sendoff by McGregor's school pipe band, and ride onto the ferry for Amsterdam.
29 May 2025Ewan and Charley cross the English Channel on a ferry, and tour the Netherlands and Germany, including a visit to Charley's mother's hometown. They then head to the Danish islands.
316 May 2025Ewan's bike falls out from underneath him in Denmark, but they continue to Sweden where a Swedish biker club helps them keep going. They visit UNICEF's distribution center, in their roles as UNICEF ambassadors.
423 May 2025The friends visit Norway, riding through the snow covered fjords and seeing castles. They enjoy Viking churches and ancient rock formations.
530 May 2025Ewan and Charley fly to Svalbard to see the damage from climate change. They learn about renewable energy, and reindeer deaths attributed to the changing climate.
66 June 2025Ewan and Charley leave Norway for Sweden, where they set up camp in a bug infested forest. They continue touring Sweden's forests. Ewan's bike starts to backfire, and he tries to fix it. They visit a drag racing strip. After one more night of camping, they head into Finland to visit the Lapland forest. They stay in a tree house, and later enjoy some water sports and musical instruments in the forest.
713 June 2025Ewan and Charley continue through rainy Finland, visiting the Silent Art installation and trying their hand at logrolling. They visit the Russian border, and camp on an island in Lake Saimaa. The continue to Helsinki, where they cook a meal for their families. They board the ferry to Tallinn, Estonia. The episode ends with Ewan's motorcycle continuing to backfire, requiring service.
820 June 2025Still in Estonia, Ewan's bike requires service after breaking down. They take the bike to a service shop, where an electrical problem is fixed after several attempts. They then head to the sparsely populated island of Kihnu, to visit a woman's colony and enjoy several meals with the residents. They board the return ferry and drive to Latvia. They visit a bodsled track along the way, and continue along through Riga to Lithuania. They visit a Motoball club along the way. They take a detour to look for amber along the beach, and finish their day with a stay at a Lithuanian castle and a hot air balloon ride.
927 June 2025Ewan and Charley leave Lithuania and head into Poland. They visit Bialystock, and take a walking tour. They then head to Warsaw and separate for solo walking tours. They then visit a local UNICEF family center, supporting Ukrainian refugees displaced by the Russian Ukraine war. They continue to Krakow and visit a castle along the way. They explore Krakow the next day, and get tattoos. They play some vintage pinball machines, and head for the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland the next day. They are welcomes at a Polish home by costumed locals, who teach them shepherd culture. The next day, they ride into Slovakia and revisit Bojnice Castle, with fellow show creators Dave and Russ.
104 July 2025In the season finale, the boys visit Vienna, Austria, where they stop in at a local coffee shop for coffee and pastries. They ride into the Austrian Alps for the premier of a new opera. They then drive into Switzerland, and go paragliding. They visit an artist's castle in the mountains, and visit cameraman Claudio Von Planta's house. They play a round of Hornussen "farmer's golf" and leave Switzerland. They drive through France to the port of Calais, stopping in Reims along the way to visit the cathedral. They return to England on the Chunnel train, and reunite with their families at Charley's English home. The next day, Ewan returns to his home in Scotland.

Reception

The Guardian gave the series three out of five stars, calling the series a bit slow and with too many episodes, but that it was ultimately entrancing watching the co-stars, calling it perfectly pleasant. [4] The series was also noted for the leads' easygoing charm and personal rapport. [11] Pop culture website Decider also recommended the program, noting the scenic shots and relationship between the two leads. [9] Benji Wilson for The Daily Telegraph gave the program two out of five stars, writing that “Ewan and Charley’s boys’ tour is certainly fun; mostly makes you want to get off your sofa and get out there, which is probably not what the programme makers wanted. But there’s always a slight sense that we’re the ones being taken for a ride.” [12] The program was also nominated in 2025 as one of the best travel/adventure shows in the 7th Critics Choice Association Real TV category, losing to eventual winner Conan O'Brien Must Go . [13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Long Way Home Episodes and Images". Apple TV+ . Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ewan McGregor Is Back on His Motorcycle for His Latest Adventure Series". OutsideOnline. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  3. ↑ "Long Way Home: release date, locations, what happens, episode guide, interviews and everything you need to know". WhatToWatch. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Long Way Home review - Ewan McGregor's latest motorbike adventure is mesmerizing slow TV". The Guardian . 9 May 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  5. ↑ Beauget-Uhl, Maelle. "Ewan McGregor And Charley Boorman On 'The Long Way Home', Friendship And Unexpected Detours".
  6. ↑ "Official Trailer for 'Long Way Home' Series Following Ewan McGregor". FirstShowing. 9 April 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  7. ↑ Hall, Zac (8 May 2025). "The best travel show on Apple TV+ just made its triumphant returns". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman Hit the Road on Vintage Motorcycles in 'Long Way Home'". Car and Driver. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Long Way Home' on Apple TV+, A Docuseries Where Ewan McGregor And Charley Boorman Get Back In Their Motorbike Saddles". Decider. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "Ewan and Charley's 'Long Way Home' Trailer & Launch Date Released". AdvPulse. 9 April 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  11. ↑ Moore, Roger (May 9, 2025). "Series Review: Ewan and Charley are Back in the (Motorcycle) Saddle for the "Long Way Home"".
  12. ↑ Wilson, Benji (May 8, 2025). "Long Way Home, review: what Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman need to do is have more rows". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  13. ↑ "AwardsWatch - 7th Critics Choice Real TV Awards Winners: 'The Traitors,' 'Love on the Spectrum,' 'Dancing with the Stars'". May 29, 2025.

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