Luxurious train journeys: two tourist companies compete to revive the historic Eastern Express

In 2024, luxury trains will travel on high-speed lines. As travelers abandon airplanes and opt for slower travel, the idea of an old-fashioned, cinematic rail journey has never been more appealing.

There is no train more glamorous than the legendary Orient Express. While Belmond, owned by LVMH, has been operating the original Art Deco train cars since 1982, the French hotel group Accor is joining the competition with its own revival, scheduled to debut in 2024, just in time for the Paris Olympics, according to Thrillist.

A train bridging East and West

Conceived by Belgian businessman Georges Nagelmakers in 1882, the Orient Express, Europe's first transcontinental express train, ran for over 80 years with the romantic mission of connecting East and West. The Orient Express' mahogany bars, velvet-draped parlors, and five-star restaurants attracted famous passengers such as Lawrence of Arabia, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, actress Marlene Dietrich, and Leo Tolstoy. Writers Graham Greene and Agatha Christie immortalized this journey in literature, and the train has since appeared in various James Bond and Murder on the Orient Express film adaptations.

Reviving a legend with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

In 1982, American shipping manager James Sherwood revived the train, which had ceased operations in 1977. He spent over $30 million tracking down the original cars scattered across Europe to create the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express, now owned by Belmond (historically, France's national railroad service, SNCF, owned the Orient Express and eventually allowed Belmond to use the four-part moniker Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express).

Since 1982, the train has transported more than half a million affluent passengers through London, Paris, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest, offering glittering perks like complimentary champagne and 24-hour cabin stewards.

The train comprises 18 original cars from the 1920s and 30s. "Almost a century ago, the best designers of the day, including Proulx and Lalique, were commissioned to design the cars that make up our train today," says Gary Franklin, Belmond's vice president of trains and cruises. "References to these designers and their Art Deco style can be found in the new suites, debuting in 2023, and were crafted by artisans who are proud custodians of these age-old crafts." The cost of a cabin on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express starts at approximately $22,000 per passenger.

Reviving nostalgia with the Istanbul Orient Express

But another revival from the golden age emerged on the scene, claiming ownership of the Orient-Express name by outright purchase. Around the same time that Sherwood was seeking out old cars, Swiss tour operator Albert Glatt acquired his own, which later became known as the Nostalgia-Istanbul Orient Express, running from Zurich to Istanbul. This is the same train that Michael Jackson used on his Dangerous tour in 1992. Despite the train's success, it suspended service a few years later and disappeared.

In 2015, industrial researcher Arthur Mettetal was conducting an inventory of Orient Express cars for SNCF around the world and stumbled upon a YouTube video of a familiar train in motion posted by an anonymous user. Using Google Maps, he traced its remains to Warsaw, Poland: "It was indeed the Nostalgia-Istanbul-East Express." Accor acquired the train in 2018, bringing in architect Maxime D'Anjac, who has worked on design projects for luxury houses such as Daume and Hermès.

Like Belmond, Accor will pay homage to the Art Deco style of the original Orient Express: plush green cabins, mirrored ceilings, and panels featuring Suzanne Lalique's famous glassware. Reflecting Belmond's impressive portfolio of hotels, trains, and cruises, the company is launching several luxury properties under the Orient Express banner in 2024 - La Minerva in Rome and Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice.

La Dolce Vita: two-day routes through 14 different regions of Italy

Although the Accor Orient Express train will not enter service until 2025, the first cars will be on display just in time for the Paris Olympics. And to further attract attention, the company is launching La Dolce Vita later this year, featuring six trains in 1960s Italian design. The concept will offer one- and two-day routes through 14 different regions of Italy, as well as three international destinations, including Paris, Istanbul, and Split.

"Following the resurgence of luxury rail travel's appeal, often in a more environmentally friendly way, we see more and more companies looking to enter the sector, which further proves that demand is high," says Franklin.

Perhaps in an effort to keep up with the competition, Belmond has recently expanded its offerings. "Last December, we took mountain lovers and skiers from Paris to the French Alps for the first time," Franklin says. "The train traveled from Paris through some of France's most pristine countryside to the Alpine railway stations of Albertville, Moutiers, and Bourg St. Maurice, where guests could choose where to disembark."

Traveling from Paris to Portofino

The company also boasts an all-new Paris to Portofino journey that will launch in June, as well as the second rotation of the historic five-day journey between Paris and Istanbul, typically offered once a year. Franklin notes that Americans, in particular, are showing interest in Belmond's international offerings. "The U.S. market is growing significantly, from 16% of total business in 2023 to 20% in 2024," he says. - "None of our guests book our train by accident."

Luxury locomotives will continue to thrive

Luxury trains are thriving beyond the famous Paris-Istanbul route. The renowned Swiss railway Hornegat has recently introduced an exclusive "nostalgic chic" experience where passengers can enjoy a gourmet four-course lunch while ascending the Matterhorn mountain. Railbookers offers the ultimate luxury train travel experience with its "Around the World by Luxury Train" journey, covering four continents and 13 countries, which commences this August. This year, Belmond is also relaunching a train that previously traversed Malaysia after a five-year hiatus. The Rocky Mountaineer continues to lead the way in North America, providing panoramic views of Canada and the American West from its glass-domed cars.

And such luxury locomotives will continue to thrive beyond 2024. UAE rail operator Etihad Rail and Italian hotel company Arsenale (the same company that collaborated on Accor's Orient Express) have announced a partnership to develop a high-end, all-terrain train that will operate from Fujairah to Abu Dhabi's Liwa Desert.

"We have transcended the era of fast, frequent travel and guilt-free consumption," says Franklin. "The concept of luxury travel has evolved to align with purposeful, sustainable, and immersive experiences."