{"id":84162,"date":"2023-11-14T21:21:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T21:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/happylifestyleinc.com\/?p=84162"},"modified":"2023-11-14T21:21:18","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T21:21:18","slug":"inside-the-venice-simplon-orient-express-with-glossy-vintage-cabins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happylifestyleinc.com\/travel\/inside-the-venice-simplon-orient-express-with-glossy-vintage-cabins\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with glossy, vintage cabins"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>The grand 24-hour ride from Florence to Paris on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is&#8230; a ticket to railway&#8217;s golden age<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Angelina Villa-Clarke boards the service at\u00a0Florence\u2019s Campo di Marte station<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Fellow passengers board the midnight blue carriages &#8216;in their finery&#8217;, she writes<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span>READ MORE:\u00a0A weekend in Philadelphia, the city of revolution, Rocky and Renoir<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Amid the irritable commuters and day-trippers at Florence\u2019s Campo di Marte railway station, our heels and polished brogues click-clack conspicuously along the concourse. Overdressed?<\/p>\n<p>Yes, we most certainly are.<\/p>\n<p>Most trains are a means of getting from A to B, but the fabled Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is different. We are about to embark on a 24-hour trip paying homage to travel\u2019s golden age.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It is one of several new Grand Tour routes criss-crossing Europe \u2014 through\u00a0Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. There\u2019s a frisson of excitement as the shiny midnight-blue carriages pull in. Fellow passengers, also in their finery, take a flurry of snaps. Cases are taken by porters in smart uniforms. And we\u2019re soon whisked to our vintage 1920s cabins.<\/p>\n<p>The interiors are impressive: plush carpet, glossy walnut cabinets. Smart seats fold into beds. Cupboards hide compact ceramic basins. There is ornate floral marquetry by Art Deco master Ren\u00e9 Prou, and engraved glass panels by Ren\u00e9 Lalique. It\u2019s a cut above the 8.30am from Basingstoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/09\/12\/77604411-12724349-image-a-55_1699534608858.jpg\" height=\"444\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Most trains are a means of getting from A to B, but the fabled Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is different, writes Angelina. She stays in an incredible vintage room (above)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/09\/15\/77604415-12724349-Most_trains_are_a_means_of_getting_from_A_to_B_but_the_fabled_Ve-m-93_1699544574581.jpg\" height=\"427\" width=\"306\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/09\/15\/77610097-12724349-Angelina_describes_her_fellow_passengers_also_in_their_finery_ta-a-95_1699544601907.jpg\" height=\"427\" width=\"306\"><\/p>\n<p>Angelina notes that her fellow passengers, &#8216;also in their finery&#8217;, take &#8216;a flurry of snaps&#8217; as they board the train. &#8216;Cases are taken by porters in smart uniforms. And we\u2019re soon whisked to our vintage 1920s cabins,&#8217; she adds<\/p>\n<p>And Belmond has launched even more luxurious Grand Suites \u2014 spread across a whole carriage with lavish beds, marble en-suite showers and private dining.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s something nostalgic (and indulgent) about riding the rails in such style, yet this form of travel seems thoroughly modern \u2014 perfect for those who wish to travel sustainably, and slowly.<\/p>\n<p>Lunch is served as the train winds towards northern Italy, passing sun-baked towns and tomato fields. There are three dining cars, each with 1920s motifs: Etoile du Nord (with wood-panelling and Art Deco-style carpet); C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur (featuring Lalique glass panels); and L\u2019Oriental (with its Asian-inspired decoration).<\/p>\n<p>Menus from head chef Jean Imbert focus on seasonal ingredients, inspired by landscapes the train passes through. Clear tomato soup dotted with herbs and summer flowers is followed by sea bass in a shellfish sauce. Roasted cherry and pistachio ice cream as we snake through Emilia-Romagna.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/09\/15\/77610103-12724349-The_rail_journey_part_of_which_can_be_seen_here_is_one_of_severa-a-38_1699545496569.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The rail journey, part of which can be seen here, is one of several new Grand Tour routes criss-crossing Europe \u2014 through Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/09\/15\/77605083-12724349-image-m-103_1699545034069.jpg\" height=\"371\" width=\"306\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/09\/15\/77605077-12724349-Menus_focus_on_seasonal_ingredients_inspired_by_landscapes_the_t-m-105_1699545044991.jpg\" height=\"371\" width=\"306\"><\/p>\n<p>There are three dining cars, each with 1920s motifs: Etoile du Nord (with wood-panelling and Art Deco-style carpet); C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur (featuring Lalique glass panels); and L\u2019Oriental (with its Asian-inspired decoration).\u00a0Menus focus on seasonal ingredients, inspired by landscapes the train passes through<\/p>\n<p>You soon get used to the clickety clack of the tracks mingling with the tinkling of crystal and china. At any time, it seems, a porter might knock to offer a glass of fizz. Outside, vistas shift from cypress trees to shining lakes.<\/p>\n<p>Then, before you know it, a voice announces dinner. There\u2019s an Agatha Christie feel about the evening: women in floor-length, sequin dresses, men in tuxedos. Sitting on green velvet chairs in the Etoile du Nord dining car, we expect to see Poirot any minute.<\/p>\n<p>White-gloved waiters serve chilled champagne and delicate amuse-bouches. Tables are laden with feasts of sea bream tartare, lobster and Bellini peach melba.<\/p>\n<p>By nightfall, we reach Switzerland and the Alps, and as the train heads to the Gotthard Pass, it\u2019s time for us to move to the bar car \u20183674\u2019 for a nightcap. It\u2019s wonderfully glamorous, with much bonhomie as guests sip Martinis while a pianist plays a baby grand.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m rocked to sleep by the motion of the train as it rolls through rural France, Paris waiting down the line. Mais, oui!\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>TRAVEL FACTS<\/h3>\n<p>One-night trips from Florence to Paris from \u00a33,210 pp in a \u2018Historic Cabin\u2019 with all meals (and wine with dinner), plus Eurostar transfers to London (belmond.com).<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/travel\/article-12724349\/The-grand-24-hour-ride-Florence-Paris-Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express-ticket-railways-golden-age.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The grand 24-hour ride from Florence to Paris on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is&#8230; a ticket to railway&#8217;s golden age Angelina<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84161,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[688],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Inside the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with glossy, vintage cabins - happy LifeStyle inc<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/happylifestyleinc.com\/travel\/inside-the-venice-simplon-orient-express-with-glossy-vintage-cabins\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inside the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with glossy, vintage cabins - happy LifeStyle inc\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The grand 24-hour ride from Florence to Paris on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is&#8230; 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