The Most Luxurious Train in Europe Goes from London to Venice

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is the most famous train of the prestigious Belmond brand. It travels on the route London-Paris-Milan-Venice.

The train's route is picturesque in itself, through the French plains, full of vineyards, the Swiss and Austrian mountains and a whole series of charming corners of northern Italy

For some time now, the VSOE has been offering several routes each year in addition to its basic route to Budapest, Istanbul, and Bucharest, among others, but the one from London to Venice is considered the most iconic

This train is not a typical means of transportation. You buy tickets for it like for an exclusive trip, which is an attraction in itself, no matter where the train takes you

The VSOE has 12 sleeping cars, and the most luxurious ones are more like hotel suites than couchettes.

The three most expensive suites have their own theme reflecting the soul of the cities they are named after: Paris, Istanbul and Venice

The interiors are a mix of styles, but with a strong influence from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Victorian era blends neatly with Art Nouveau

Many of the furnishings are original, mostly from the early 20th century, some of which are worth a small fortune in themselves

And so are the carriages, meticulously restored relics from the various luxury trains that ran during the railroad's heyday.

Surprisingly, the train, though styled for the early part of the last century, did not embark on its first run until May 25, 1982.

The VSOE, despite its name, has nothing in common with the Orient Express known from detective stories and tales from the beginning of the century. Except, of course, that it refers to its glory days and to its legend

Tickets, of course, are not cheap and depending on the route and the standard of room start at about 2,500 pounds per person