Welcome aboard the luxury train Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

An icon of art-deco design and an eternal symbol of luxury, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a true classic of luxury train travel. Travel on board this European rail legend and enjoy an unforgettable adventure.

A quintessential icon of luxury train travel, this train has for many decades captured the hearts and imaginations of its lucky travelers. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is simply the most famous and luxurious luxury train in the world: polished wood finishes, upholstery with the finest fabrics, sumptuous and antique decoration… This wonder of sophisticated travel will make you appreciate several of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe while enjoying an atmosphere of opulence and elegance without equal that will transport you from the first moment aboard the Golden Age of train travel.

Authenticity is one of the protagonists of this luxury train. The Venice Simplon- Orient-Express is made up of several luxurious cabin cars from the 1920s and 1930s, together with 3 restaurant cars that offer you an exquisite culinary experience and invite you to be dazzled by their luxurious finishes: stained glass windows with Lalique crystals from the French Riviera, cutlery and glassware from the finest and most exclusive brands, delicious dishes that will delight your palate. The wagon-bar sparkles with its golden details and offers you to enjoy a glass of fine champagne while the pianist gives that charming touch to the atmosphere with its elegant and happy melodies.

A butler in the most elegant royal blue and gold uniform greets you with a white gloved hand and welcomes you on board with a discreet and sincere smile. Step into your luxurious cabin finished in polished cherry wood and adorned with art-deco accents, relax and enjoy the start of a journey into the golden age of train travel.

What is the history of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express?

The original Orient-Express was inaugurated on October 4, 1883 and characters such as Tolstoy, Lawrence of Arabia, the spy Mata Hari Trotsky, Marlene Dietrich traveled in its luxurious carriages... Many films based on the fabulous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express have even been produced as "The Spy Who Loved Me" in 1963 starring Sean Connery. And more recently, in 2017, inspired by the 1934 Agatha Christie novel, "Murder on the Orient Express" with Penelope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kenneth Branagh.

It was 1977 at an auction in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, where the founder of Belmond, Mr. James B Sherwood, bought two vintage train cars.

Sherwood was passionate about luxury and sophisticated travel. He searched everywhere for railway relics and disused wagons in private gardens,** museums and railway stations**. The wagons of famous vintage trains such as Le Train Bleu and the Rome Express deserved a spectacular return to service, but they needed a very high level of craftsmanship and engineering expertise to be restored and adapted to modern standards of quality and safety. Fortunately, he found a group of experienced craftsmen and mechanics who carried out the task of painstakingly restoring the wagons to their former glory from bygone days.

After nearly 5 years of meticulous restoration, the iconic midnight blue wagons were finally operational for 1982, ready to welcome their lucky travelers in incomparable luxury on a journey between Venice and London.

What journeys does the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express propose?

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express covers the route between London and Venice, this route being one of the most famous, as well as the route from Paris to Venice. Feast your eyes on the beautiful landscapes of Europe: lush rolling meadows and majestic mountains, beautiful villages. This impressive journey can be done in either direction or round trip. Delve into local culture with stops in Budapest and Bucharest. Reach the ends of Europe on an authentic adventure of more than six days taking the route from Paris to Istanbul, a city divided between Europe and Asia.

Paris - Berlin is the newest trip in the catalog, an exciting adventure connecting two of the most vibrant cultural centers in Europe.

Venice, Paris, London, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Istanbul ... They are just some of the legendary cities the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express visits.