A landmark moment in railway history, October 1883 saw the launch of the original Orient Express. Leaving from Paris, it steamed through the Alps, Budapest and Bucharest to Constantinople.

Packed with grandees and unheard of luxuries such as soap by the washbasins, reports swiftly came back of its exquisite food, excellent wine and impeccable service.

This legendary train continued to carry kings, celebrities and shady characters between great European cities up until its 1920s heyday. Many of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express's current carriages date from this era. After World War II other forms of transport nudged it into decline. Its last service as a regular passenger train was in May 1977.

But then, a new era dawned… Read more >