You board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, and you’re on your way to another world, one in which you can imagine just about anything you wish. You’re completely removed from whatever your day-to-day life is like. Whether you’re typically immersed in the workaday world or some other life, this will be a departure unlike any other, literally and figuratively. This luxury train featuring antique rail cars meticulously restored and modernized is really two journeys. One is the train itself; the other, the destinations you choose. In addition, some journeys include one or more nights on the train as well as overnights in luxury properties.

 

 

Life Aboard a World on Wheels
The train itself is an opportunity to escape to a world on wheels where three dining cars — Etoile du Nord, Cote d’Azur, and L’Oriental — await you, as well as a bar car known as the center of activity or the “heart of the train,” where you can enjoy cocktails to the sounds of a resident pianist. Built in 1929, the Cote d’Azur previously journeyed between Paris and Calais. Decorated by Rene Lalique in the Cote d’Azur style, it refers to the Azure Coast and the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea along the French Riviera.

 

 

Boarding in Rome: A Personal Passage Into Elegance
For me, boarding the train in Rome meant luxury and escape at the same time. A steward named Olivier, dressed in a royal blue uniform with gold trim and buttons, a matching blue hat and white gloves, carried my well-traveled bag onto the train and showed me to my cabin. The words elegant and exotic come to mind as I nestled into a mahogany compartment, free to shed any parts of my life and immerse myself in the excitement of the moment.

 

 

A World Apart in Your Private Cabin
Here, you slip into another world, another time, another place where you can be anyone you want to be: the best of yourself. Your mind drifts, sifts, searches its inner recesses as the train leaves the station. You burrow into your cabin, a place where nothing and nobody can disturb your solitude. This is a way to forget the past, concentrate on the present, and marvel at life’s beauty.

 

 

Reflections Along the Rails
As the wheels of the train turn fast and it builds momentum en route to Florence, your mind begins to unravel the past. Your life unwinds like a film on a reel, taking you into corners of both light and darkness. Ultimately, I disembark the train in Venice with a visit to the Hotel Cipriani.

 

 

Walking Through History on Board
Exploring the physical world of the train, I walked through the vintage rail cars that speak of a different time when life was less complicated and, indeed, safer in many ways. Each car is reminiscent of the renowned Express d’Orient, later called the Orient Express, which journeyed from Paris to Bucharest beginning in 1883.

 

 

The Legendary Origins of the Orient Express
By 1889, when rail linked Paris to Istanbul, the train continued into Turkey, completing the fabled route. The Venice-Simplon Orient-Express is a successor to the original and is comprised of rail cars from the 1920s to 1940s, bought by American businessman James B. Sherwood. He purchased his first two at a Sotheby’s auction in Monaco, then searched out and acquired other vintage rail cars throughout Europe, launching the Venice-Simplon Orient-Express in 1982.

 

 

Art Deco Details and Iconic Rail Cars
Lalique and mahogany panels adorn Pullman Car 4141, built in La Rochelle, France, in 1929. Black lacquer panels with a leopard motif decorate another dining car dating to approximately 1928. Tiger-Lily marquetry embellishes a sleeping car.

 

 

Choosing the Right Journey
The best way to decide which journey is right for your clients is to consider where they’ve already been, whether they prefer to return there via the train, or choose entirely different destinations.

 

 

Cultural Highlights Along the Way
Highlights of my journey included a visit to the Colosseum in Rome, Michelangelo’s statue of Moses carved in 1513 and located in the small church of San Pietro in Vincoli, the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence—home to Michelangelo’s David—and a tour in Venice by Save Venice Inc., an American nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice.

 

 

Routes Across Europe and Beyond
Altogether there are 42 routes. Paris to Istanbul is a five-night journey, and there are many one-night journeys between cities, as well as longer itineraries such as Paris to Venice in three nights. One is the classic route from Paris to Venice, with travelers departing Paris just before dinner and journeying overnight. Other routes include Paris to Rome or Paris to Florence, overnight on the train, or Venice to Paris via Rome or Florence.

 

 

Balancing Nights on Board and On Land
With so many destinations, it’s worth considering how many nights you prefer to spend on your journey, and how many of those nights you wish to spend on the train. One example is a journey from Paris to Portofino along Italy’s Ligurian Coast, scheduled for Oct. 15–18, 2026. The three-night trip includes one night on the train and two nights at Hotel Splendido in Portofino. Travelers board in Paris and journey through Dijon, Lyon, and Avignon toward the French Riviera, continuing past Cannes and Nice before crossing into Italy. The train travels through Genoa before arriving in Portofino, a picturesque fishing village known for its pastel-colored harbor and luxury yachts. Pricing begins at GBP 9,550 per person, double occupancy, for an Historic Cabin, with the Grand Suite priced at GBP 23,700.

 

 

Additional Signature Journeys
Another option is Paris to Florence, scheduled for Sept. 19–22, 2026, traveling through France and Italy. It includes one night aboard the train and two nights at the Villa San Michele hotel in Florence. Pricing starts at GBP 7,400 per person, double occupancy, for an Historic Cabin; GBP 13,400 for a Suite; and GBP 18,640 for a Grand Suite.

 

A third journey is Paris to Istanbul, including three nights aboard the train and overnights in both Budapest and Bucharest. The train travels through France and Germany on the first night, winds through Austria into Hungary for an overnight stay in Budapest, then continues into Romania with a coach journey to Peles Castle. After an overnight in Bucharest, the train heads south across the Danube into Bulgaria, stopping at the seaside resort of Varna on the Black Sea before the final arrival in Istanbul. The May 25–30, 2026 departure is priced at GBP 18,050 per person, double occupancy, for an Historic Cabin, while the Sept. 25–30, 2026 departure begins at GBP 19,900. Suites and Grand Suites are available at higher price points. All rates are based on dynamic pricing and subject to change.

 

For more information visit: www.belmond.com/trains/europe/venice-simplon-orient-express/