The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a living legend: vintage sleeping cars and dining cars, lovingly restored by master craftspeople, linking Paris with Venice, Verona, Florence, Vienna, Budapest, Prague and, once a year, Istanbul. Dress for dinner, linger by the piano and wake to the Alps.
The classic overnight run from the City of Light to the City of Water, with Swiss mountain views over breakfast and a gentle glide across the lagoon.
A longer, southern routing of the classic run to Venice, with the train passing through Florence or Rome before it crosses the lagoon in the evening.
One night aboard the train from Paris, then two nights at Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca, with a Michelin-starred dinner and a taste of Venetian craft.
The flagship route in reverse: a morning departure from Venice, the Dolomites over lunch, a glamorous dinner and a celebration breakfast before Paris.
An early start from Venice on a southern routing via Rome or Florence, with dramatic mountain scenery, Jean Imbert's cuisine and a midnight brunch.
An overnight glide from Paris to the city of Romeo and Juliet, with Swiss lakes and the Gotthard route over breakfast and lunch.
Afternoon tea through the Italian countryside, a four-course dinner and a cabin turned cosy bedroom, arriving in Paris Gare de l'Est around midday.
An evening departure from Paris and a lazy morning of Italian scenery, arriving in the Renaissance city of Florence in the early afternoon.
A night aboard from Paris, then two nights at Villa San Michele, a former monastery in the hills of Fiesole above Florence.
Swap Florence's artistic streets for the romance of Paris, beginning with a champagne and caviar welcome in your cabin.
Down through France and Italy to Pompeii, then two nights at Caruso in Ravello high above the Amalfi Coast.
South through Dijon, Lyon and Avignon, along the Riviera past Cannes and Nice, then two nights at Splendido above Portofino's harbour.
An afternoon departure from Paris, a night of fine dining and piano, then Alpine peaks and Hungarian countryside on the way to Budapest.
A morning departure from the Pearl of the Danube, a day of lunch, pastries and piano, and a leisurely breakfast before Paris Gare de l'Est.
An early-evening start from Paris, dinner in a hand-restored restaurant car, and a lazy brunch among Alpine scenery before Vienna.
Leave the musical city in the afternoon for pastries, a four-course dinner by French chefs and piano in the Bar Car, arriving in Paris next morning.
From Paris across Austria's forested hills into the Czech Republic, with Jean Imbert's dinner and a goûter before Prague.
An afternoon departure from Paris, dinner and the baby grand in the Bar Car, then pastries and an Alpine brunch before Vienna.
Pastries on boarding in Vienna, a four-course dinner by French chefs, a nightcap in the Bar Car and a celebration breakfast before Paris.
Champagne as you leave Brussels, an evening of fine dining and piano, then Swiss mountains over breakfast on the way to Verona.
From Amsterdam's canals to Venice's lagoon, with lunch through Belgium, the Gotthard route at breakfast and an evening arrival at Santa Lucia.
A late-afternoon start in Brussels, Jean Imbert's dinner and piano by night, then Swiss mountains and an evening glide into Venice.
From Amsterdam's canals to Verona's piazzas, with lunch through Belgium, the Gotthard lakes at breakfast and an afternoon arrival in Italy.
The legendary route across Europe to Istanbul, with nights in Budapest and Bucharest, a Danube dinner cruise and a visit to Peleș Castle.
From Istanbul's bazaars to the lights of Paris, with nights in Bucharest and Budapest, Peleș Castle, a Danube cruise and a champagne-house stop.
Historic Cabins share restrooms at the end of each carriage; Suites, Grand Suites and L'Observatoire have private bathrooms.
The social heart of the train is Bar Car 3674, an Art Nouveau-style lounge of mahogany, etched mirrors and brass, where a resident pianist plays the baby grand and classically trained barmen shake fresh cocktails. On many evenings a midnight brunch keeps the party going.
Every carriage has a past. One Grand Suite, Sleeping Car 3309, was marooned in a snowdrift for ten days, the incident that inspired Agatha Christie's most famous novel; another sleeping car carried King Carol out of Romania. A personal steward looks after your cabin day and night, and Wi-Fi reaches every cabin, though signal can drop in rural areas.
Dinner is the highlight of every journey, served in three restored vintage restaurant cars: Côte d'Azur with its celebrated Art Deco glass panels, Étoile du Nord with its storied marquetry, and L'Oriental with black lacquer panels. Menus by chef Jean Imbert use seasonal ingredients gathered along the route and are cooked in the compact onboard kitchen.
Expect a four-course dinner with sommelier-selected wines, a French breakfast served in your cabin, and on most routes a three-course lunch and a French goûter. Formal evening attire is requested at dinner and many guests wear black tie; smart daywear suits the rest of the day, and jeans are not worn at any time.
There are four styles. Historic Cabins have banquette seating by day and twin berths by night, with shared restrooms at the end of the carriage. Suites and the six Grand Suites have private marble bathrooms, and L'Observatoire is an entire private carriage conceived with the artist JR.
No. Historic Cabins have a washbasin, with shared restrooms at the end of each sleeping car. Suites, Grand Suites and L'Observatoire all have private en-suite bathrooms.
A four-course dinner with sommelier-selected wines, a French breakfast and, on most routes, a three-course lunch, often with a French goûter or afternoon pastries. A personal steward looks after your cabin throughout.
Formal evening attire is requested at dinner, and many guests choose black tie. Smart daywear is fine during the day, for example a jacket and tie or equivalent at lunch, but jeans are not worn at any time.
Most journeys are one night on board: you board in the afternoon or evening, dine, and wake to the mountains with breakfast in your cabin. The three-night packages add two nights at a hotel in Venice, Florence, Portofino or on the Amalfi Coast, and the Paris to Istanbul journeys mix three nights on board with hotel nights in Budapest and Bucharest.
The classic route links Paris and Venice in both directions, with variations via Florence or Rome. There are also overnight journeys between Paris and Verona, Florence, Budapest, Vienna and Prague, from Brussels and Amsterdam to Venice or Verona, and the six-day journeys between Paris and Istanbul.
For the iconic experience, choose Paris to Venice or Venice to Paris. If you would like to stay on afterwards, the three-night hotel packages are an easy way to combine the train with a memorable stay, while Paris to Istanbul is the ultimate grand tour. Live dates and fares are shown on this page, and our reservations team can help on (866) 484-7882.
Space is limited, so each guest may bring one piece of hand luggage, one overnight bag or suit carrier for the cabin, and one suitcase that travels in the baggage car and is not accessible until arrival. There is no laundry service on board.
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