ITV News follows refugees as they travel through Europe

For the next week we'll be following the vast tide of people sweeping out of the Middle East and across Europe. Logistically, it's an ambitious project, we plan to file a report every night for the ITV Evening News and News at Ten and there are vast distances to cover in between.

But by moving with these people, travelling alongside them, we hope to bring you a sense of the scale of what's happening and the reasons so many are making this extraordinary journey.

I've been struck already by sheer volume of all this. We saw hundreds land on the shores of Lesbos every hour, thousands every day. Those numbers have been coming for months and there's no sign of the influx slowing down.

We spoke to some of the new arrivals as soon as they made land, and we walked the roads of Greece with others.

Read more: New arrivals in the last week of the refugee crisis

Tonight, I'm writing from the Greek border with Macedonia. We'll follow the route from here, through Serbia, into Croatia and beyond.

It's hard to say where the week will take us, as we're moving alongside the story. But it's already becoming clear that we'll witness some extraordinary scenes along the way.

Everyone I've spoken to has a story to tell. They're desperate people, they wouldn't be making such a dangerous, expensive journey otherwise.

Many have sold everything they own in the hope that a better life lies at the end of this long road. Some will find what they're looking for no doubt, but others seem destined for crushing disappointment as European countires tighten their borders and restrict the numbers they're prepared to take in.

My eyes have been opened already, and we're only on day one. Hopefully we can bring you a real sense of what we're seeing and hearing as our week moves along with theirs.

Read more: Refugee crisis - what you need to know