The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express - everything you need to know

1  The train itself — 1920s carriages, restored and in service

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is composed of original carriages from the 1920s and 1930s, tracked down and painstakingly restored by James Sherwood in the late 1970s. Over US$16 million was spent assembling 35 sleeper, restaurant and Pullman carriages; the first London to Venice run took place on 25 May 1982. The carriages have been in continuous service since, and Belmond — which now owns the train — has continued to restore and refine them.
Each carriage carries a brass plaque detailing its construction date and history. The effect, as you board, is of stepping into a very specific period: wood panelling, marquetry, brass fittings, vintage globe lamps and the particular smell of old upholstery and polished metal that no reproduction can replicate. This is not a theme park version of the 1920s. These are the actual carriages, which is what gives the experience its specific weight.
The train runs with separate sets of rolling stock in the UK and on the Continent. From London, passengers travel on the Belmond British Pullman to Folkestone, cross to Calais via Eurotunnel, and board the continental Venice Simplon-Orient-Express at Calais — or join the train in Paris if travelling independently. All carriages and public areas are air-conditioned. WiFi is available, though signal is naturally variable in Alpine tunnels. Continental power sockets are two-pin (230V); a 115V socket is also provided for shavers.

2  Accommodation on board — four categories to choose from

There are four types of accommodation on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, ranging from the original historic cabins to an extraordinary artist-designed carriage that is in a category of its own. Choosing the right one is probably the most important decision in planning a Venice Simplon-Orient-Express journey.

Historic Cabins

The Historic Cabin — formerly known as the Twin Cabin — is the original and most affordable accommodation on the train. Each cabin is a private compartment with a large window, banquette seating and a fold-out table by day. Your steward converts it to sleeping configuration while you are at dinner: an upper and a lower berth, with crisp white linen. A washbasin with hot and cold water is concealed in a cabinet; toiletries and robes are provided. The lavatory is shared, at the end of each carriage. Historic Cabins do not have a private en-suite bathroom or a shower.

What the Historic Cabin does have is the authentic experience of travelling in an original Orient Express compartment, in the precise form it was intended. Many of our clients who have done the journey more than once return to a Historic Cabin by choice. For an overnight journey, they are comfortable and entirely sufficient.

Suites (Double and Twin)

The Suites were introduced in 2023, bridging the gap between the Historic Cabins and the Grand Suites. Inspired by the landscapes the train passes through and by Art Deco designers including Lalique and Dufrêne, each Suite offers significantly more space than a Historic Cabin, with a private en-suite bathroom — including shower, washbasin with Murano glass sink, and toilet — and Art Deco interiors of genuine quality.

Like the Historic Cabins, Suites convert from a daytime lounge configuration to sleeping at night. They are available in double and twin configurations. The addition of an en-suite bathroom is the decisive upgrade for many clients: the shared facilities in the Historic Carriage are perfectly adequate, but for a longer journey, or for those who simply prefer private bathroom access, the Suites resolve this with considerable elegance.

Grand Suites

The six Grand Suites are in a different register entirely. First introduced in 2018 and named after the cities the train visits — Paris, Venice, Istanbul, Vienna, Prague and Budapest — each Grand Suite comprises a double or queen-sized bedroom, a separate living area with room for private dining, a sofa that converts to an additional bed if required, and a full en-suite bathroom with heated floors, marble fittings and a coloured glass sink. Three large windows flood the suite with natural light; complimentary champagne flows throughout the journey; a personal butler service is included.

The Grand Suites carry their own distinct interiors. The Paris suite is light and architectural, drawing on Haussmann grandeur and hints of haute couture. Venice is wrapped in delicate silks, Baroque furniture and Murano glass. Istanbul is richly Ottoman — bespoke details, intricate patterns, an atmosphere of deliberate exoticism. Vienna is classical and gilded; Prague uses gold and maroon to evoke the Gothic-Baroque drama of the Czech capital; Budapest combines Ottoman and Gothic influences with silk embroidery. Each is booked by name; Grand Suites are split across two carriages.

The Grand Suites are the accommodation of choice for anniversaries, significant birthdays and honeymoons. They are also the accommodation that sells out furthest in advance — particularly for the Paris to Venice direction.

L'Observatoire — the artist-designed carriage

The most extraordinary accommodation on any train in Europe. L'Observatoire is an entire carriage designed by the French artist and photographer JR — the first artist ever commissioned to design a Venice Simplon-Orient-Express carriage — which joined the train in 2025. Drawing on JR's childhood fascination with trains, his own Paris studio, astronomical observatories and Renaissance cabinets of curiosity, the carriage is an artwork in motion.

The spaces within L'Observatoire include a bedroom with a standalone bathtub, a library stocked with books from the French publisher Gallimard, a record player and vinyl collection, a secret tearoom with a fireplace, and an oculus through which to watch the night sky as the train moves through the Alps. Intricately crafted marquetry spans the carriage. Hidden compartments and concealed details reward careful attention. JR's own words: "I wanted to create so many hidden details and layers that can help inspire a sense of wonder — there's so much in this carriage that will be impossible to explore in a single trip."

L'Observatoire is bookable in its entirety. Prices and availability should be confirmed directly through Expressions Holidays.

3  Dining — three Art Deco restaurant cars and a legendary bar

Food and drink on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express are a defining part of the experience, and the standard is high. Menus are devised by French chef Jean Imbert, whose seasonal approach draws on artisan producers along the route; on the Paris to Venice journey, dishes might include lobster, turbot in champagne sauce, river fish with chanterelle and, for those who choose it, a caviar supplement.
There are three dining cars, each with its own character and a distinct historical identity. The Étoile du Nord is highly sought after, with immaculate marquetry and an atmosphere that embodies the pre-war golden age of the train. The Côte d'Azur car is defined by René Lalique's carved glass and crystal panels in Mediterranean blue — tulip-shaped lamps and a bacchanalian energy that makes the room feel like a celebration. The L'Oriental car is gilded, with Chinoiserie lacquer panels depicting fauna and flora, a golden warmth that is no consolation prize for those who did not secure the Étoile du Nord.
Guests are allocated sittings in one of the three cars, with preference given to Suite and Grand Suite guests. On an overnight Paris to Venice journey, dinner is the formal meal: four courses, paired wines, served at candlelit tables as the train passes through Burgundy and enters Switzerland. Breakfast is brought to your cabin — French pastries, coffee, preserves — as the Alps give way to the Italian lakes and the first light falls on the Lombard plain. On longer journeys, a three-course brunch or lunch is also served.
Bar Car 3674 is the social heart of the train. The resident pianist plays from early evening; the bar staff mix cocktails that have been served in this carriage for decades. After dinner, guests gather here in their evening clothes — it is the one place on the train where the whole company is assembled — and the atmosphere, which might sound contrived in description, is in practice one of the more unexpected pleasures of the journey. A midnight brunch is available for those who prefer not to retire.

4  The dress code — and why it matters

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express operates a strict dress code and enforces it. During the day, smart attire is required: trousers and a shirt for men, smart dresses or co-ordinates for women. Jeans, t-shirts, shorts and trainers are not permitted at any time on board.
For dinner, the expectation is formal. Men should wear a suit and tie at minimum; black tie is actively encouraged and the majority of guests choose it. Women wear cocktail dresses or evening gowns. The dress code is not nostalgic posturing — it is one of the mechanisms that creates the atmosphere in the dining cars and the bar, and guests who comply with it invariably find that the evening feels entirely different from any other dinner they have had.
We advise clients to think of the packing for a Venice Simplon-Orient-Express journey as a specific project. Luggage space in the Historic Cabins and Suites is limited; overhead racks and hooks are provided but a suitcase will not open flat in a cabin. We always recommend one piece of hand luggage per person with a change of daytime clothes, all formal wear, and essentials, rather than a full-sized case. The train staff are experienced at helping.

5  The Paris to Venice journey — the classic overnight route

The Paris to Venice route is the route that established the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in the imagination, and it remains the one we book most frequently. The train departs Paris in the early afternoon. The first hours pass through the Île-de-France and Burgundy — good country for a pre-dinner glass of champagne in the corridor, watching the landscape settle into the golden light of a French afternoon. Dinner is served as the train enters Switzerland; the Alps arrive in the dark, experienced as tunnel darkness and altitude and the particular sensation of the train working through mountain gradients at night.
Morning brings the Italian lakes — Como and then Garda — in light that is different from anything seen in France or Switzerland: softer, more luminous, the water carrying a particular blue. The train slows for Verona and then turns towards Venice across the Po plain. Pastries are served as the city comes into view — the domes and campanili of Venice appearing, improbably, over flat marshland — and the train terminates at Santa Lucia station, where a water taxi meets passengers arriving with Expressions Holidays and transfers them directly to their hotel.
The Paris to Venice journey is approximately 24 hours in total. It can be combined with the Eurostar from London for a London to Venice experience that covers the distance from St Pancras to the Grand Canal without an aircraft. We arrange this frequently for clients who prefer train travel or who want the journey itself to be part of the holiday.
The Paris to Venice direction crosses Switzerland via the Gotthard Pass; the Venice to Paris direction returns via the Arlberg Pass through Austria. Both offer spectacular Alpine scenery — the routes are sufficiently different that clients who make the return journey discover a distinct experience in each direction.

6  Beyond Paris and Venice — other journeys worth considering

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express operates across a wide range of European routes, and we can sell any of them. The Paris to Venice overnight is the most popular, but several of the alternatives are equally compelling — and in some cases, for the right client, more so.
Paris to Vienna or Budapest adds a night to the journey and brings the train through Innsbruck and the Inn valley before arriving in one of the great Central European capitals. Budapest in particular rewards the combination: the city is among the most architecturally dramatic in Europe, and arriving by Orient Express carriage feels exactly appropriate.
Paris to Prague follows the train into the Czech Republic, arriving in one of the most remarkably preserved medieval cities in Europe. The combination of a Venice Simplon-Orient-Express night and two or three days in Prague is a straightforward and very satisfying package.
Paris to Istanbul is the signature long journey — six days in total, five nights including hotel stays in cities along the route, with three nights spent on the train itself. The route retraces the original 1883 Orient Express path through Budapest, Sinaia, Bucharest and Varna before reaching the Bosphorus. This is a once-in-a-lifetime journey for many of our clients, and it sells out many months ahead. Early booking is essential.
Amsterdam, Brussels, Florence, Rome, Verona, Cannes and Innsbruck are all also served as departure or terminus points on selected dates. The full route and departure schedule for 2026 and 2027 is on the Belmond website; we recommend consulting us on which departures have best availability for your preferred dates.

Planning a Venice Simplon-Orient-Express journey with Expressions Holidays

Here is a link to our Venice Simplon-Orient-Express holiday.
We book the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express as a standalone rail journey or as part of a complete tailor-made holiday — with Eurostar connections from London, luxury hotel stays in Venice, Paris, Vienna, Prague or Budapest, private transfers and any other elements required. Our consultants know the train well and can advise on cabin choice, route selection and the best combination of dates and hotels for your specific brief.
To begin planning, call us on 01392 441245 Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm, or email info@expressionsholidays.co.uk.