When the modern globe-trotters evoke the golden age of travel, they’re usually referring to the sophisticated jet-setters of the 1950s and ’60s. And yet even that model of luxuriantly civilized air transport pales in comparison to the extravagant trains of the Orient Express during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Operated today by Belmond (and not to be confused with the Accor-managed Orient Express brand), the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a study in opulence from the moment uniformed porters greet you at the station entrance to escort you to your gold-trimmed carriage.
With access to three dining rooms and a bar car, you needn’t worry about being confined to your suite—though once you’re ensconced, it’s remarkably easy to spend hours marveling over the details in the captivating space. Each Grand Suite is named for cities along the route—Istanbul, Venice, Budapest—and showcase beautifully inlaid panels, delicate marquetry work, Venetian-style lanterns, and myriad hidden compartments. Large picture windows next to the king-size bed and dining table provide views of towering mountains, rivers, and quaint villages as you sip Champagne and nibble on blini topped with Beluga caviar. Even the two closets are small wonders (no easy feat on a train), with lovely curved doors and enough room for shoes and three hangers, which is all you need for your eveningwear and a smart change of clothes or two. The ample marble shower boasts elegant brass fittings, and, somehow, there’s a surfeit of power outlets and USB chargers nestled within this paragon of old-world luxury.
Onboard menus are designed by chef Jean Imbert, who recently earned a Michelin star at the Plaza Athénée in Paris. Lunch and dinner are served in spacious dining rooms outfitted with plush velvet, crisp white tablecloths, fine porcelain, and Italian silver. For a limited number of Solaire Journeys, which travel east-to-west following the sun, Belmond has partnered with Veuve Clicquot to offer luxurious, Champagne-focused rail expeditions with gala dinners (both prior to embarkation and on board) paired with exquisite prestige cuvées courtesy of Veuve’s cellar master Didier Mariotti or director of winemaking operations Pierre Casenave. Breathtaking landscapes are another feature of the journey, with a focus—as the name suggests—on epic sunrises (the Champagne house’s sunshine-yellow label was an inspiration).
The first of this year’s Solaire Journeys rolled from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur via the Eastern & Oriental Express, while the year’s final voyage—from Cusco, Peru, to Arequipa and Machu Picchu—will take place in October aboard two Belmond trains: the Hiram Bingham and the Andean Explorer. In July, we traveled from Vienna to Reims on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (a nod to the fact that Madame Clicquot’s first exported bottles were delivered to Venice) for an over-the-top exercise in hospitality that included a pre-trip stay at Vienna’s Hotel Imperial, a former palace that properly sets the stage for the pampering ahead.
The opening-night dinner in the Lichtenstein Palace, followed by a carriage ride around the ancient city the next morning, conjures a level of royal treatment that carries over seamlessly as soon as you set foot on the train. Vintage Veuve Clicquot and La Grande Dame flow freely the entire trip, particularly during the multicourse lunch prepared by Imbert and chef Mory Sacko during a stop at the Champagne house’s limestone crayères in Reims, ending only when you finally pull into the station in Paris three days later. In between, there’s nighttime entertainment in the bar car featuring piano and burlesque dancers, in-suite breakfasts of caviar-topped omelet—served with more vintage Veuve, naturally—and, the closing surprise, a live DJ set paired with Champagne and sliders during the final 90 minutes of your adventure. Disembarking from such a lavish fantasy world was a difficult step down, indeed.
