Orient-Express Luxury Trains History In A Nutshell

In 1883 a Belgian company, Compagnie Internationale des Wagon-Lits (CIWL), launched a train called the Orient-Express, which travelled between Paris and Vienna. It was luxurious by the period standards for rail, but not quite what we think of today. It was eventually extended to Istanbul, though the route required ferries in addition to rail.

In 1919 the opening of the Simplon Tunnel made an all-rail trip more direct, and the route from Calais, on the French side of the English Channel, to Paris, then Milan, Venice, Belgrade and Sofia en route to Istanbul became standardized. So, while the first route was Paris to Vienna, the first real Turkish route was Calais to Istanbul. Known as the Simplon-Orient Express, this was its first Golden Age, when fancy new cars were introduced throughout the 1920s and 1930s and the name became synonymous with top tier luxury. The carriages were outfitted with the famous art deco logos, gorgeous wood paneling, stunning design detail and stellar cuisine. This was the train that the famous novel Murder on the Orient Express was set on, with the fictional action in 1935.

As rail travel faded, CIWL struggled and while a route called the Orient Express remained in service for many decades, the classic luxury carriages, built in the 1920s and 1930s, were sold off and many were eventually purchased by travel entrepreneur and hotelier James Sherwood, who had purchased the iconic Hotel Cipriani in Venice in 1976. He refurbished the carriages and relaunched his luxury train, the Venice Simplon-Orient Express, in 1982. This was the train I rode from Venice to Istanbul.

This is where it gets confusing. Sherwood expanded into other trains and luxury hotels worldwide under the Orient-Express brand, including some extremely famous names, such as the Copacabana Palace in Brazil’s Rio, Reid’s Palace in Madeira, the Mount Nelson in Cape Town and many others. Meanwhile, the brand name Orient-Express had become the property of the French railroad company SCNF, which licensed it to Sherwood’s business. But when that was over, in 2014, what had been Orient-Express Hotels rebranded as Belmond, which is now owned by luxury giant LVMH.

SCNF in turn licensed the brand to hotel giant Accor, which located a set of 17 luxury rail carriages from the 1920s and 1930s, undertook a painstaking renovation by acclaimed French architect Maxime d’Angeac, and relaunched a new luxury travel company called Orient-Express and a train called La Dolce Vita Orient Express in Italy. That train, however, is not these 17 carriages, but rather an homage to Italian rail style of the 1960s. The older cars will hit the rails again in 2027 as L’Orient-Express.

Confused yet? It gets better.

Today’s Luxury Trains And Routes

While Belmond shed the Orient-Express Hotel name, its most famous train is still called the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express, using those same cars Sherwood acquired emblazoned with the famed CIWL art deco crests, and like cruises that move around and run different itineraries, has one night or longer trips all over Europe, especially through Italy and France (Paris to Venice is a staple) but also Brussels, Amsterdam, Innsbruck, Prague, Vienna and Budapest.

And yes, at least once annually, this year in October, it recreates the not quite “original” route from Paris to Istanbul (and Istanbul to Paris), a, epic 5-night journey in either direction.

Belmond also operates several other trains worldwide, including the ultra-luxe Royal Scotsman (Scotland); British Pullman (UK); Brittanic Explorer (UK), Hiram Bingham and Andean Explorer (Peru), and the Eastern & Oriental Express in Southeast Asia, along with nearly 30 luxury hotels, French river cruises and African safari lodges.

The new Accor-run Orient Express also operates ships and hotels in addition to luxury trains and currently has its first lodging properties in Rome and Venice. Meanwhile, La Dolce Vita Orient Express recreates yet another 5-night “mythic route”—a good description—from Rome to Istanbul (and Istanbul to Rome). This train is more Italy focused, and shorter trips include 1-night Venice to Rome, 2-nights Sicily to Rome, a circular 5-day “Grand Tour of Italy,” and various combinations of Rome, Venice, Portofino, Naples, and Tuscany. It even has a very cool looking 4-day 3-night golf voyage through Italy that includes Ryder Cup venue Marco Simone in Rome and one of my absolute favorite resorts in the world, the golf club at the stunning Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, which I’ve written about here at Forbes. Sister train L’Orient-Express will add additional routes and destinations in 2027.

So, the bottom line is that while these companies and trains all glorify a rich history traced back in spirit to 1883, none of them are the original company, the original trains cars, or the original route.

They do, however, offer a fantastic luxury travel experience, with excellent culinary programs, white glove service, decadent lodging and if you appreciate design, all of these trains are over the top. The cities aren’t so bad either, and whether you visit Rome, Venice, Paris or Vienna, it’s hard to go wrong, but to do one of the 5-night trips, whether it’s Paris to Istanbul or Rome to Istanbul or whatever surprises L’Orient-Express has coming next year, those are Bucket List journeys when you talk about luxury trains, and we might just be in a new Golden Age of Rail.

All aboard!