Orient Express: Luxury That Travels Through Time

From Agatha Christie and James Bond to Audrey Tautou and Chanel No. 5, the Orient Express has long been more than a luxury train; it has become part of popular culture and a symbol of a very special way of travelling.

It has been more than 90 years since Agatha Christie’s 'Murder on the Orient Express' was published, while director Sidney Lumet made the film of the same name in 1974. Albert Finney played the train’s most famous passenger, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

In 2017, Kenneth Branagh took on adapting the Queen of Crime’s work for the big screen, starring in the film alongside Johnny Depp. The Orient Express was also an intriguing backdrop in the 1963 film 'From Russia with Love': Sean Connery as James Bond boards the train in Istanbul, which at the time also passed through Yugoslavia, stopping in Belgrade and Zagreb.

Nearly four decades later, French actress Audrey Tautou travelled to Istanbul aboard the Orient Express in an advertisement for Chanel No. 5, arriving at the old railway station near the Pera Palace Hotel, where Agatha Christie also stayed while writing her most famous crime novel, whose story she set aboard the train. She was allegedly inspired by an event in 1929, when sleeping car 3309 was stranded in the snow for ten days.

'Trains are wonderful… To travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns and churches and rivers, in fact, to see life,' Agatha Christie wrote in her autobiography.

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express arrives in Monaco for the first time

The biggest news is the Paris – Monaco route. Belmond has announced that the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express will travel to the glamorous Principality for the first time: passengers board in Paris, spend the night aboard the train and step off in Monte Carlo. One night in a Historic Cabin starts from €4,870 per person for departures in 2027.

The Riviera can also be experienced en route to Italy, with journeys from Paris to Venice or Verona via Cannes and Monaco also on offer. For sailing and yachting enthusiasts, it is an opportunity to see the French Riviera from an entirely different perspective.

And while modern times and technological progress have brought many changes to the way we travel, travelling by train has retained its appeal. Rail journeys still offer a sense of adventure and a unique experience, especially aboard the elegant Orient Express.

Today, the iconic train connects more than 15 European cities. Among its best-known routes are Paris – Venice and Paris – Istanbul, alongside journeys that include Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Amsterdam, Brussels, Verona and Florence.

The historic carriages were restored by entrepreneur James Sherwood, who brought the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express back to the rails in 1982. Today, it is part of the Belmond collection. It should not be confused with La Dolce Vita Orient Express, a separate luxury train whose routes focus on Italy.

What is it like to travel on the Orient Express?

Depending on the route and departure date, one night in a luxuriously appointed Historic Cabin in 2027 starts from around €4,870 per person. The price includes all meals, sommelier-selected wines and a private steward whose mission is to give guests the royal treatment: while they dine in an elegant restaurant car, the steward transforms their daytime cabin into a comfortable bedroom.

If guests opt for the less intimate experience of breakfast in the restaurant rather than breakfast in bed, the steward will make up their cabin in the meantime and take care of any additional coffee, tea, or champagne, ensuring a comfortable journey as spectacular landscapes unfold outside the window.

From the winding mountain valleys of Austria and the rolling hills of Tuscany to the shimmering vineyards of eastern France, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express departs during the day and arrives at its destination the following day. At stops along the way, the train’s staff will often collect deliveries of fresh lobster from Brittany or lamb from the Mont-Saint-Michel area because, in keeping with its culinary philosophy, ingredients must be fresh and locally sourced.

Also on offer is an ultra-luxurious five-night journey between Istanbul and Paris, with stops in Bucharest and Budapest and a visit to Peleș Castle in Romania. Prices for 2027 departures start from around €20,940 per person.

The history of the Orient Express: From 1883 to today

The Orient Express has been a symbol of authentic luxury and decadence since its very first year.

The service was established in 1883 by Belgian businessman Georges Nagelmackers, who, inspired by rail travel in America, decided to create the most luxurious train in the world.

Its route connected Central and Eastern Europe, and for decades its carriages were the setting for fascinating stories and encounters. Its famous passengers included writer Leo Tolstoy, actress Marlene Dietrich, Lawrence of Arabia, kings and spies…

The magic of the Orient Express came to an end in 1977, but James Sherwood, then owner of the Cipriani hotel in Venice, decided to bring it back to the rails. He bought two original carriages at an auction in Monte Carlo, later tracked down others, and in 1982 the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express began travelling across Europe once again.

The famous sleeping cars 3309 and 3425 became Grand Suites. There are six Grand Suites in total, each named after one of the cities on the train’s routes. Today, the train offers 32 Historic Cabins, 16 Suites and six Grand Suites, as well as three restaurant cars and one bar car, where guests can enjoy a drink in the company of fellow travellers while listening to live music.

The ultimate highlight is L'Observatoire, an exclusive sleeping car designed by French artist JR and the first carriage on the train to be created by an artist. Conceived as an 'artwork in motion' and a 'studio on wheels', and inspired by astronomical observatories and Renaissance cabinets of curiosities, it reveals a wealth of handcrafted details, from a library to a secret tearoom. A new dimension of luxury on rails has arrived in the world of travel.