Paris to Venice
The train departs Paris in the late afternoon and arrives in Venice the following afternoon, having crossed France and the Swiss Alps overnight. It is one of the great journeys in the world, and the overnight crossing of the Alps is one of the things that makes it so.
The Paris to Venice route is the flagship journey of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. It runs throughout the season from March to December, two to four times a month, and has been doing so since the train was restored to service in 1982. Everything that makes the VSOE exceptional is here: the 1920s carriages, the Art Deco restaurant cars, the Bar Car with its resident pianist, the personal steward service, the four-course dinner: all of it is present on this journey. The fact that it all takes place while the train is moving through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in Europe makes it something else entirely.
On the platform at Paris Gare d'Austerlitz, the dark blue VSOE carriages waiting for departure in the late afternoon light
Departure and the First Evening
The train departs Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 16:00. Porters handle the luggage, your steward shows you to your cabin, and you have a little time to settle in before the first call for dinner. The dining cars open at different seatings through the evening; your assigned time will be confirmed at boarding. The menu, created by Chef Jean Imbert, changes with the seasons and the availability of produce along the route. The four-course table d'hote dinner is accompanied by the sommelier's selection of wines, and the quality of the cooking, produced in a kitchen the size of a large wardrobe, is remarkable.
After dinner, the Bar Car is the place to be. Bar Car 3674 is the social heart of the train: a 1920s lounge in dark wood and gold-lit glass, where the resident pianist plays and the bartenders pour what are, in the circumstances, excellent cocktails. At midnight, a brunch is laid on in the Bar Car for those who are still awake: champagne, lobster rolls and a truffled club sandwich. The train does not need to hurry.
The Cabin and the Alpine Crossing
While you are at dinner, your steward converts the cabin from its daytime lounge configuration into a sleeping compartment with crisp white linen, a feather duvet and properly made-up berths. The overnight crossing of the Swiss Alps on the Gotthard route takes place while most passengers are asleep. The train passes through mountain tunnels, alongside glacial lakes and through valleys of pine forest in the dark. For those who are awake in the early hours, the views from the window are extraordinary in the moonlight.
Breakfast is served in your cabin by your steward at whatever time suits you: coffee, pastries and bread. The morning scenery, as the train descends from the Alps into the Italian plains, is the kind that makes people put down what they are doing and simply look out of the window.
Swiss Alps viewed through a VSOE cabin window, mountain scenery passing in morning light
The Second Day and Arrival in Venice
A three-course lunch is served in the restaurant cars around midday as the train passes through northern Italy. The afternoon is for reading, exploring the carriages, browsing the boutique for gifts and mementos, or simply watching the Italian countryside through the window. In the late afternoon the train crosses the Venetian Lagoon on its approach to the city, the water on both sides, the domes and campaniles of Venice visible on the horizon and coming closer. It is one of the finest approaches to any city in the world, and being on a train as it happens makes it unlike anything else in travel.
The train arrives at Venice Santa Lucia station at approximately 17:30. Transfers to your accommodation in the city are included in the fare.
The approach across the Venetian Lagoon, view from the train with Venice's skyline in the distance
What Is Included
Complimentary Transfers
Transfer from your Paris accommodation to Gare d'Austerlitz before departure, and from Venice Santa Lucia to your accommodation on arrival.
Cabin Accommodation
One night on board in your chosen cabin: Historic Twin, Suite or Grand Suite. Personal steward service throughout.
Four-Course Dinner
Seasonal table d'hote menu by Chef Jean Imbert, served in the restaurant cars with the sommelier's selection of wines.
Midnight Brunch
Champagne, lobster rolls and more, served in Bar Car 3674 from midnight for those who wish to continue the evening.
Breakfast in Your Cabin
A French breakfast served by your steward at whatever time suits you, as the train descends from the Alps into Italy.
Three-Course Lunch
A leisurely lunch in the restaurant car as the train passes through northern Italy on the second day.
Timetable
2026 Departure Dates
The Paris to Venice route runs throughout the season. The dates below are publicly available departures for 2026.
June
- Sun 7
- Mon 15
- Thu 25
- Mon 29
July
- Thu 9
- Thu 16
August
- Mon 17
- Sat 22
- Sat 29
September
- Fri 4
October
- Thu 8
- Tue 20
- Sat 31
November
- Thu 19
- Sat 28
December
- Sun 20
For full 2026 and 2027 departure dates including additional routes, see our VSOE Timetables page.
2026 Fares: Paris to Venice
| Cabin Type | 2026 Price (GBP) | Per Person Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Historic Twin Cabin | from £4,275 | Two sharing |
| Suite | from £9,660 | Two sharing |
| Grand Suite | from £13,530 | Two sharing |
All fares are per person, one way, and include all meals and transfers at both ends of the journey. Fares may vary depending on season and availability. See the full fare table for all routes and years.
Venice to Paris
Departing Venice at 11:00 and arriving in Paris the following morning, the Venice to Paris journey offers something the other direction cannot: you are awake for the Alpine crossing. The mountains, seen from your cabin window or the Bar Car in the late afternoon, are the highlight of the journey.
The Venice to Paris route is the return leg of the most celebrated overnight journey in the world. The train departs Venice Santa Lucia station at 11:00, which means the first hours are spent in the Italian Dolomites and the Arlberg Pass in the Alps, while passengers are fully awake and able to appreciate what is happening outside the window. After Innsbruck the scenery moderates, dinner is served, the Bar Car comes to life, and the train pushes on through the night into France, arriving in Paris Gare d'Austerlitz the following morning.
Venice Santa Lucia station platform, the VSOE carriages at rest in morning light before departure
Departure and the Italian Dolomites
The train departs Venice Santa Lucia and heads north through the Veneto, entering the Dolomites in the early afternoon. A three-course lunch is served in the restaurant cars through this first section of the journey: the combination of excellent food and mountain scenery visible through the dining car windows is hard to improve on. After the Dolomites, the route passes through the Brenner Pass at the Austrian border and on through Innsbruck, where passengers who are not in the dining cars will be watching from their cabin windows.
Afternoon tea is served in your cabin. After Innsbruck the route follows the spectacular Arlberg Pass through the Austrian Alps before descending into Switzerland and then France as evening approaches.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express passes through the Brenner pass, Austria
Dinner and the Bar Car
Dinner in the restaurant cars follows the same format as on the Paris to Venice journey: a four-course seasonal menu by Chef Jean Imbert, served at your assigned sitting with the sommelier's selection of wines. After dinner, Bar Car 3674 is where the rest of the evening happens. The pianist plays, the cocktails are good, and the train moves through the darkness of France with the lights of occasional villages passing in the distance. The Bar Car tends to stay lively into the small hours on this direction of the journey too.
Arrival in Paris
Breakfast is served in your cabin by your steward as the train passes through the French countryside in the morning. The train arrives at Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at approximately 13:00. A transfer from the station is not included in the Venice to Paris fare, but Paris is easily reached from Gare d'Austerlitz by taxi, Metro or Uber. Passengers continuing to London by Eurostar transfer to Gare du Nord, approximately 30 to 40 minutes by taxi.
What Is Included
Complimentary Transfer
Transfer from your Venice accommodation to Venice Santa Lucia station before departure.
Cabin Accommodation
One night on board in your chosen cabin: Historic Twin, Suite or Grand Suite. Personal steward service throughout.
Three-Course Lunch
Served in the restaurant cars during the first afternoon, as the train passes through the Italian Dolomites.
Afternoon Tea
Served in your cabin in the afternoon as the train approaches and crosses the Austrian Alps.
Four-Course Dinner
Seasonal table d'hote menu by Chef Jean Imbert, with the sommelier's selection of wines.
Breakfast in Your Cabin
A French breakfast served by your steward the following morning before arrival in Paris.
Timetable
2026 Departure Dates
Venice to Paris departures run throughout the season. The dates below are publicly available departures for 2026.
June
- Sat 13
- Thu 18
- Tue 23
- Sat 27
July
- Sat 4
- Tue 14
- Tue 28
August
- Sat 15
- Thu 20
- Thu 27
September
- Wed 2
- Tue 8
- Wed 23
October
- Mon 12
- Sun 18
- Thu 22
- Thu 29
November
- Tue 3
- Tue 10
- Tue 17
- Thu 26
December
- Sat 12
For full 2026 and 2027 departure dates, see our VSOE Timetables page.
2026 Fares: Venice to Paris
| Cabin Type | 2026 Price (GBP) | Per Person Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Historic Twin Cabin | from £3,885 | Two sharing |
| Suite | from £8,785 | Two sharing |
| Grand Suite | from £12,300 | Two sharing |
All fares are per person, one way, and include all meals and a transfer from your Venice accommodation to the station. Fares may vary depending on season and availability. 2027 fares are priced in euros. See the full fare table for all routes and years.