The Train

When the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express embarked on its first voyage, a new era of travel was born. It was an iconic moment in time, inspiring artists, socialites and actors alike. Throughout the twentieth century, our train has held a distinguished role in the art of continental travel. With grand interiors and flowing champagne, we pioneered the most magnificent mode of transport to tour Europe and her finest cities.

With a history for hosting famed parties and intriguing guests, among them spies, authors, ambassadors and royalty, our journeys have developed a reputation for memorable connections made over fine dining and late night toasts. Then and now, guests are surrounded by unrivalled furnishings, marquetry design and legendary artefacts – each with a story of their own.

Step inside L’Observatoire carriage, your own private world aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Conceived with world-acclaimed artist JR, this apartment in motion unfolds across an entire carriage, creating a sanctuary where light, space and atmosphere shift in harmony with your journey. Settle into cocooning lounges and personalised rituals shaped to your desires, from breakfast in bed to vinyl-scored evenings.

Experience the golden age of travel with our collection of spacious suites, each hand-restored by celebrated craftspeople from around the continent. Revel with free-flowing champagne in your own private living quarters, resplendent with a plush double bed, ornate fittings, and a private marbled bathroom. Sleeping Car 3309, now a Grand Suite, was marooned in a snowdrift for 10 days in 1929, (the incident that inspired Agatha Christie’s most famous novel, Murder on the Orient Express).

Our suites boast all the beauty of our historic cabins, but with the added benefit of an en-suite bathroom. Choose between either double or twin beds, as well as a daytime configuration to relax in. These lavish suites take design cues from the stunning nature our train passes through forests, mountains, countryside and lakes.

Take in Europe from your own cosy historic cabin and admire the continent’s ever-changing landscape from your window. Each authentic carriage has its own dynamic story and panels at the end of each car reveal all. Sleeping Car 3425 is famously associated with King Carol, who escaped Romania with his mistress aboard the train in 1940. Sleeping Car 3544’s varied fortunes ranged from carrying the rich and famous on Le Train Bleu to being used as a wartime brothel.

Famed for its stunning René Lalique glass, the Côte d’Azur dining car was built in 1929 and was for many years a staple of winter journeys between Paris and Calais. By 1961, the carriage found itself in a reserve pool and was stored at the Wagons-Lits works at Villeneuve, until being rescued and restored by Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in 1981.

The Étoile du Nord dining car was built in 1926 and showcases some of the most storied marquetry in the continental rake. It ran with the Étoile du Nord service from Paris, before joining the Lusitania Express from Lisbon to Madrid, finishing service in the 1970s. Now restored to its former glory, the Étoile du Nord is one of our star carriages.

Built in Birmingham in 1927, the L'Oriental dining car ran a luxurious service between Paris and Amsterdam for many years before joining the famed Lusitania Express. When purchased for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the car was restored and refitted with black lacquer panels befitting its legendary status.

Considered the social heart of our train, Bar Car ‘3674’ is where bon viveurs meet over cocktails and the twinkling ivories of our resident pianist. By night, expect convivial encounters and a Midnight Brunch that winds long into the night. Transformed and designed by Gerard Gallet from a dining car, the Bar Car is decorated in an Art Nouveau style with mahogany bar, etched mirrors and brass accessories.

Legendary dining cars would be worth little without a kitchen of world-renowned chefs, adept at producing the finest dining at 100mph. Though compact, our kitchen is a marvel of modern engineering, rivalled only by the chefs at its helm.

The on-board boutique offers a range of exclusively designed gifts. Items can be taken directly from the on-board shop or mailed directly to your home address.