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Paris is a midway point on the renowned Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train route. From the city, you can travel to Venice or London, or you can pause here as part of a longer journey that runs from the Italian lagoon city to the British capital. The trains pull into and depart from Paris’s Gare de l'Est train station. If you’re heading south to Venice, you’ll arrive at its Santa Lucia Train Station the following evening after an overnight stay on board. Your morning start north to London sees you cross the English Channel at Calais before catching the Belmond British Pullman for the last leg from Folkestone to London.
The train’s Art Deco decor is the result of a careful restoration that makes full play of polished wood and sumptuous upholstery. There are 83 cabins, each with a vanity unit and washbasin; the three suites have their own shower. Staying faithful to the train’s 1920s configuration, each carriage has a bathroom on either side. Every carriage also has a personal steward, who’s on hand to help you at any point during your time on board.
The three dining cabins serve lunch and dinner, and dressing for meals is positively encouraged. The Champagne Bar and Bar Car, with its resident pianist, round off the atmosphere of this bygone golden era of travel.
Start planning your tailor-made trip by contacting one of our France specialists
Each carriage holds nine twin cabins, which share a bathroom on either side. While the cabins aren’t large enough for shower facilities, they do have a washbasin and towels. Your cabin will also be fitted with a banquette and a table. The train’s Art Deco motif carries on through each cabin in details such as polished wood panels.
During dinner, your steward will convert the sofa into a bedroom with single bunk beds. Two interconnecting twin cabins can be turned into a cabin suite, twice the size of the standard cabins with a banquette on one side and single bunk beds on the other. The train’s three suites are the equivalent of three standard cabins and come with a private bathroom and shower. Wi-Fi is available throughout the train. Similar to a hotel room, you're provided with keys for your cabin.
Starting in Paris the train travels across Europe, stopping briefly at each country border until you reach the final destination of Venice. You may wish to travel in the other direction, journeying until Calais, and then across the English Channel where you’ll board the British Pullman until London.
Serving dishes cooked on the train by French chefs, the three dining carriages are laid out for two sittings for each meal (you're allotted a carriage for your seat each time). The set menu is included in your booking, though drinks cost extra.
There is an on-board boutique shop which is located close to the Bar Car 3674 where you can purchase Orient Express memorabilia.
One of the most celebrated and famous train journeys in the world, a trip on the Orient is like transporting back in time to the heyday of rail travel in the 1920s and 1930s.
Where possible, we like to offer a range of accommodation for each stop of your trip, chosen by our specialists as some of their favourite places to stay. To help you make the right choice, we give each property a rating based on its facilities and service, but we also look for hotels with distinct character or a location that can’t be bettered.
With a prime location just steps from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées, the Four Seasons Hotel George V has been a landmark Paris hotel since its opening in 1928. Historic grandeur, decadent design and impeccable service make it one of the city's finest.
Exuding a sense of old-world charm reminiscent of 17th-century Paris, Hôtel d'Aubusson is an elegant boutique hotel ideally located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, within close walking distance of some of Paris’s most notable sights.
With an ideal location in the lively left bank and close to many of the city's prime attractions, La Villa is a stylish, contemporary hotel with plenty of character. The chic, minimalist rooms are warm and inviting with a distinctive charm.
Well-located just off the Champs-Élysées, the Hôtel Lancaster is a great base to explore Paris from an intimate and welcoming setting. Rooms resemble stylish Parisian apartments with chandeliers and parquet floors, and the restaurant and bar are first-rate.
Simple yet charming, Hôtel Lorette is conveniently located close to some of Paris’s major sights and boasts bright contemporary rooms with traditional Parisian wrought-iron balconies.
Located in one of Paris's most famous bohemian districts, Hotel Montalembert is a historic five star hotel that exudes contemporary Parisian style. With sleek, designer interiors and exemplary service, it makes an ideal base for exploring the sights.
Ideally located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, within walking distance of the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre, Hotel Verneuil is a chic yet intimate hotel with great charm and personality as well as excellent service.
Le Bristol Paris is a renowned landmark hotel in the heart of the city. Once a private manor house, it has achieved the coveted ‘palace’ distinction, has four Michelin stars between its restaurants, excellent service and a quintessentially Parisian style and sophistication
One of the first hotels to receive the coveted ‘palace’ distinction Le Meurice, located in the heart of Paris, offers accessible luxury in an artistic setting. Inspired by previous guests such as Salvador Dalí, the hotel is home to an impressive collection of modern art.
Exuding an intimate yet elegant atmosphere, Le Pavillon de la Reine is set among the old-world grandeur of the Marais, one of Paris's most engaging districts. The property boasts an extremely tranquil setting as well as a chic spa.
With all the trappings of a luxury hotel yet the warmth of a stately family home, Le Saint offers accessible grandeur in the heart of Paris's most chic and artistic district.
Les Jardins du Marais is located within walking distance of the beautiful Places des Vosges and is surrounded by lively restaurants and boutiques, yet is still peaceful and quiet thanks to its long central courtyard and garden semi-enclosed within the walls of the hotel.
Welcoming guests since 1898, the Ritz Paris has long been the most prestigious address in the city. Its magnificent interiors, impeccable service standards and central location make it one of the city's very best hotels.
Terrass” Hotel expertly channels the artistic nature of the Montmartre district into its everyday design, offering contemporary luxury in one of Paris’s most thriving areas. It also boasts a first-rate rooftop restaurant and bar with commanding views over the city.
The following activities are designed to give you the most authentic experiences of the area where you’re staying. We work with local guides, who use their knowledge and often a resident’s eye to show you the main sights and more out-of-the-way attractions. Our specialists can also suggest outdoor pursuits and activities, such as cooking classes, that will introduce you to the traditions of the area’s inhabitants.
Aligre market tour with wine and cheese tasting
Explore a Paris food market like a local, chatting to the stall holders, learning about Parisian shopping habits and food provenance, and choosing fine cheeses for a paired wine-and-cheese tasting at the end of your tour.
Best of the Right Bank: Arc de Triomphe to the Marais
For an overview of the Paris landscape and its main sights, this fast-paced tour offers an introduction to the city's history and geography taking in the Eiffel Tower and Champs-Élysées as well as Notre-Dame, the Sacré-Coeur and the fashionable Marais.
Champagne discovery tour: vineyards, cellars & tastings
Learn about the secrets, traditions and strict rules behind the production of Champagne on a guided tour that offers the opportunity to meet local producers, visit vineyards and historic chalk pits, and sample some of these renowned sparkling wines.
Château de Versailles private tour
Explore the vast and extravagant palace of Louis XIV, the ‘Sun King’, on the outskirts of Paris. This lavish chateau is surrounded by seemingly endless formal gardens, while inside, no expense was spared in decorating its opulent rooms.
Claude Monet's house and gardens at Giverny
Monet's house and beloved gardens at Giverny, just north of Paris, offer a delightful insight into the Impressionist painter and his works. See his studio and home and wander through the gardens that so inspired his opus.
Macaron making class
Learn to make the classic French delicacy of macarons on a half-day course hosted by a professional chef. In a small group you're taught how to craft these much-loved treats with traditional techniques and classic fillings.
Paris’s islands on the Seine tour: Notre-Dame Cathedral & Sainte-Chapelle
Explore the very heart of medieval Paris on this guided tour, which takes you to the Gothic glories of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Sainte-Chapelle, and to a quiet residential island in the Seine River.
The Louvre and Musée d'Orsay
Learn about the history of the former royal palace of the Louvre before enjoying a guided tour of the museum's vast collection of art. Then cross the river to the Musée d'Orsay to browse Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterworks by Renoir, Gauguin and Van Gogh.
