Luxury Train Travel – The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
It may surprise some people to know that the Orient Express is not merely a fictional train made famous by Agatha Christie. This luxury train travels some of the most majestic routes of Europe, and can be booked by anyone wishing to experience the adventure of a lifetime.
Even before the journey begins, the train’s departure points are as glamourous as the Orient Express itself. Whether you choose to start your journey from London, Paris, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Budapest or Istanbul, the mood is instantly set as soon as you set foot onto the platform.
As you come face to face with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express for the first time your experience will be a memory that will stay with you forever. This luxury train is so much more impressive in person and guaranteed to leave you lost for words. Each carriage has been painstakingly restored to give the grandeur impression of an original art deco era, and the result is exquisite.
This richness on the outside extends to the inside décor as you immediately experience luxury at its finest when you climb aboard this train. Each compartment is private, complete with all the essentials such as hot and cold water and a washbasin. What is more, throughout the journey, your compartment is fully serviced and converted from a day to night cabin whilst you concentrate on the more pressing matters such as views and food!
Throughout the duration of your journey, your every need and whim is catered for through your dedicated cabin steward. Their number one priority is you; the customer, and they work tirelessly to ensure you have everything that you need to make your journey as pleasant and relaxing as possible. As a guest of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, you never need to lift a finger.
With air conditioning now throughout the train, you are guaranteed a relaxing night’s sleep, leaving you fresh and ready for a day of taking in the magnificent sights the journey offers. The opportunity to experience the Orient Express at its fullest is entirely dictated by your own personal needs. Some travellers like to remain in their compartment throughout the journey, taking in the passing landscape undisturbed. Whilst some prefer to mingle with other passengers and leave their compartment doors open, not only to marvel at the world passing them by, but also to chat to those that pass by.
Whilst breakfast and afternoon tea is served directly to you inside your cabin, brunch, lunch and dinner are experienced in the fully serviced restaurant cars. However, it is dinner on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which is the one occasion that every passenger proudly comes together to take part in. This is a dining experience unlike any other! The evening begins with the dress code; nothing is too extravagant on board this luxury train. In fact, the more glitz and glamour, the better the event!
With the first stop of the evening a drink in the Bar Car, the pinnacle of socialisation on the train, there is the chance to try some of the most delicious cocktails ever created (and yes, there is even one named after Agatha’s most famous book!) By soaking up the delightful atmosphere in this carriage, friendships and companionship are formed as fellow travellers let their hair down and marvel in the beauty of the occasion.
Dinner itself is a momentous event, with a choice of three dining cars. Each car has the perfect ambience for fine dining and every item used enhances the dining experience. From the crystals and linen to the sheer lighting, all finer details are attended to. With the senses already full to bursting, there is still the food to be tasted and it is here that the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express exceeds itself. Attentive Italian waiters serve food made by the finest French chefs, with only the freshest ingredients used in each dish. Once you’ve dined Orient Express style, dining out will never quite be the same again.
However, it is the destination that most travellers come to experience on the Orient Express. Although there is a choice of journeys that can be tailored to your needs, there is no denying that the train passes through some of the best sights in the world. At the heart of this journey is Europe, however now, alongside the traditional London, Paris and Venice cities, there is also the opportunity to experience Prague, Berlin and Budapest.
A journey on board theVenice Simplon-Orient-Express is, without a doubt, the trip of a lifetime which must be experienced to be believed.