Paris to Venice
and Back

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

Timetable

Departure Dates

The Paris to Venice route runs throughout the season, from March to December. These are the remaining 2026 departures and the full 2027 programme.

Dates marked sold out may still have a waiting list. For every route and date, see our VSOE Timetables page.

Fares: Paris to Venice

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.