London · Paris · Lausanne · Venice · Vienna · Budapest · Istanbul
The Orient Express began its life on 4 October 1883, when Belgian entrepreneur Georges Nagelmackers launched his Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits service between Paris and Giurgiu, Romania. Within a decade the route had extended all the way to Istanbul — then still Constantinople — and an enduring myth was born.
The train carried diplomats, royalty, spies, and novelists across a continent that was simultaneously building itself and tearing itself apart. Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express in a Damascus hotel after being stranded by floods on the line. Ernest Hemingway rode it. Mata Hari was arrested boarding it in 1917.
The modern Venice Simplon–Orient-Express was assembled from the 1970s onwards by American businessman James Sherwood, who began buying and restoring original Wagons-Lits carriages — many dating to the 1920s and 1930s — from railway yards across Europe. The restored service launched in 1982 under the Belmond banner (now part of LVMH), and each carriage has since been individually decorated in authentic Art Deco style by artisans working with the original marquetry, lacquerwork, and Lalique glass panels.
Today's VSOE comprises 17 carriages, including sleeping cars, restaurant cars, the Piano Bar, and a Pullman day car. Each sleeping carriage has its own name and individual personality. Travelling on it is not merely a train journey — it is one of the most complete luxury experiences in the world.
Interactive Route
Click any station marker for details about that stop.
The Journey
Classic London–Venice routing (2 nights)
Day 1 · Morning
Boarding begins at Platform 2 of London Victoria, where the British Pullman — the VSOE's UK partner train — awaits in gleaming umber and cream livery. Champagne is poured before the wheels even turn. The Pullman carries passengers to Folkestone, where they transfer to the Eurotunnel.
Day 1 · Afternoon
The main VSOE formation boards in Paris. Your cabin steward introduces himself and shows you the fold-down washbasin, the embroidered linen, and the precise mechanics of converting your compartment from day to night mode. Dinner in the restaurant car is a three-course affair with a wine list to match.
Day 1 · Night
The train climbs through Lausanne and into the Alps as night falls. If you stay awake long enough, the mountains are lit occasionally by moonlight — snow-capped in spring and autumn. Most passengers sleep to the rhythm of the tracks and wake to find the world has changed around them.
Day 2 · Morning
Breakfast is served as the train passes through the Austrian Tyrol. Innsbruck's old town briefly comes into view — all Baroque facades and the white wall of the Nordkette behind it — before the train continues east toward Italy.
Day 2 · Afternoon
The train crosses the Ponte della Libertà causeway over the Venetian lagoon — one of the great theatrical arrivals in European rail travel. Santa Lucia station sits directly on the Grand Canal; the hotel transfer begins immediately, by water taxi. Luggage is whisked away with the precision of a stage crew.
Accommodation
All fares are per person, fully inclusive of meals and drinks
The classic overnight experience
London–Venice, 2 nights. Varies by route and season.
More space, more light, more ceremony
London–Venice, 2 nights. Limited availability.
The pinnacle of the Orient Express
London–Venice, 2 nights. Extremely limited — book months in advance.
— Martin Buber, philosopher and frequent rail traveller
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