Bucket List / Experience Goals
Ride The Orient Express
Still to do
Black tie, polished brass and 1920s carriages rolling through the Alps overnight on the way to Venice.
The adventure
The journey begins in London on the British Pullman, with brunch and a glass of champagne as the Kent countryside slides by. Across the Channel, the deep blue and gold carriages of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express are waiting, each one restored from the golden age of rail travel, with marquetry panels, art deco glass and a steward assigned to your cabin.
Evening is the main event. Passengers dress for dinner, often in black tie, and dine on several courses in carriages like the Côte d'Azur, lined with glass panels by René Lalique, before drinks and a pianist in the bar car. Your cabin is turned into a bed while you eat, and you fall asleep to the rhythm of the rails. You wake to breakfast as the train climbs through the Alps, then roll across the lagoon into Venice by early evening.
Why it’s epic
- Carriages dating from the 1920s and 1930s, many with their own history of royalty, war and film.
- The Côte d'Azur dining car, decorated with original glass panels by René Lalique.
- A route through the Alps by daylight, ending with the arrival across the lagoon into Venice.
- Grand Suites with private bathrooms, each themed on a European city, for the ultimate version.
What it is
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a restored luxury train.
How to do it
Book through Belmond for routes such as London to Venice.
Top tip
Dress up for dinner.
Need to know
- The season usually runs from March to November, and popular dates sell out well in advance.
- Standard historic cabins share washrooms at the end of the carriage; only the suites have private bathrooms.
- There's a strict dress code in the evening, so pack formal wear; jeans and trainers aren't allowed.
- Once a year a longer journey runs from Paris to Istanbul, recreating the original route.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £5,000 or more per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 1 to 2 nights
- Best time to go
- March to November
- Fly into
- VCE airport
Fares include fine dining and a night on board, and even the standard cabins cost several thousand pounds per person.
Make it happen
Some of these are affiliate links: if you book through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More about this.
Why it’s on my list
The Orient Express was a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. Although the original Orient Express was simply a normal international railway service, the name became synonymous with intrigue and luxury travel. The Orient Express was a showcase of luxury and comfort at a time when travelling was still rough and dangerous.
The two city names most prominently associated with the Orient Express are Paris and Constantinople (Istanbul), the original endpoints of the timetabled service. Throughout the years the route changed, Istanbul was dropped in favour of Bucharest, then Budapest and then Vienna.
On 14 December 2009, the Orient Express ceased to operate and the route disappeared from European railway timetables, reportedly a victim of high-speed trains and cut-rate airlines.
In its place is, The Venice-Simplon Orient Express (VSOE) train which is a private luxury train service from London to Venice and other European cities. Fares on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express are high as the service is intended not as an ordinary rail service, but as a leisure event with five-star dining included.
The train was established in 1982 by James Sherwood of Kentucky, USA. In 1977 he had bought two original carriages at an auction when the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits withdrew from the Orient Express service, passing the service on to the national railways of France, Germany, and Austria. Over the next few years, Sherwood spent a total of US$16 million purchasing 35 sleeper, restaurant and Pullman carriages. On 25 May 1982, the first London–Venice run was made.
Comments