Guests of this famous luxury train must follow two basic rules

Photographer and journalist Joey Hadden talks about modes of transportation, alternative lifestyles, and travel tips. She recently shared her impressions of travelling on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

The tourist noted that the trip was unlike any of her previous ones. The luxurious train of vintage Orient Express cars had certain rules, including a dress code. The transport also asks passengers to be careful about using phones and laptops. This was reported by businessinsider.nl.

"I recently took my first luxury overnight trip on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, a Belmond train created from historic Orient Express cars from the iconic service's nearly 100-year-old fleet. I knew it would be a decadent experience, but I didn't expect there to be any rules for guests. In the past, I have spent 160 hours by train and visited seven countries. And I've never heard of any requirements for clothing or technical etiquette," the correspondent notes.

However, before travelling on Belmond's luxury train, Joey received a document detailing a few rules to follow, including a formal dress code and no phones at the dining table.

"It made sense, considering the amount of money guests pay for a unique experience; my cabin for just one night on a train from Paris to Venice cost $9,000. Still, I had to make some changes to how I normally travel to comply with the rules. As a casual dresser, I had to adapt my typical athletic style to comply with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express dress code," she says.

According to the company's website, "You can never be overdressed on Venice Simplon-Orient-Express." During the day, "smart clothing" such as a jacket is required. At night, passengers are required to wear formal evening wear. Jeans are banned altogether.

"The document I received by email after booking the trip contained several other rules, including no sneakers, shorts, or T-shirts. The same document says that the dress code improves the atmosphere for all passengers," the traveller says.

This made packing a bit more complicated for the tourist. Her list included two pairs of black pants, a button-down shirt, a sweater vest, a cardigan, and a black jacket. "Since I'm not a fan of wearing dresses, I wore a suit to dinner. And since I couldn't wear sneakers, I wore a pair of black leather boots. Although these items of clothing were out of my comfort zone, I felt that the dress code added to the elegant atmosphere of the trip, especially at night when guests are dressed to the nines for dinner and cocktails," Joey Hadden said.

Another interesting rule concerned phones and other electronic devices. It was recommended that guests use phones and laptops in public areas discreetly.

"Since I was travelling on the train as a reporter, I had received permission from Belmond to take video and photos during the trip in advance. However, being the only passenger documenting every detail of the experience was strange in dining rooms full of people present without technology," the reporter says.

Venice's Simplon-Orient-Express has other standard rules, such as no pets and no smoking, but the dress code and technical restrictions surprisingly enhanced the luxury experience by creating a cohesive atmosphere on the train.