Paris to Istanbul
This is the original Orient Express. The route that launched the legend in 1883, connecting Paris to Constantinople and linking Western Europe to the edge of Asia. Today it runs twice a year, over five nights and six days, through Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. It is the most ambitious journey the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express makes.
The Paris to Istanbul journey is unlike anything else on the VSOE calendar. It is not simply an overnight train journey between two cities; it is an expedition through the heart of a continent, with two nights in hotels along the way, guided excursions, a river cruise on the Danube, a visit to a fairytale Romanian castle, and a stop on the Black Sea coast before the final run across the plains of Thrace into Istanbul. Three nights are spent on board the train and two in hotels in Budapest and Bucharest. The whole journey takes six days.
It also departs from a different Paris station to most VSOE journeys. While the Paris to Venice and Paris to Budapest routes leave from Gare d'Austerlitz, the Istanbul service departs from Paris Gare de l'Est, which is more fitting given the history: the original Orient Express left from Gare de l'Est on its inaugural run on 4 October 1883. A complimentary transfer from your Paris accommodation is included.
The VSOE carriages at Paris Gare de l'Est platform in the late morning
Day by Day
Paris Gare de l'Est
The train departs Paris Gare de l'Est at 11:00. A complimentary transfer from your Paris accommodation brings you to the station in good time to board. Find your cabin, meet your steward and settle in as the train moves through the eastern suburbs of Paris and out into the French countryside. Lunch is served in the restaurant car as France passes outside the window.
The afternoon moves through eastern France and into Germany. Dinner is served in the evening as the train travels east, the four-course seasonal menu by Chef Jean Imbert accompanied by the sommelier's wine selection. After dinner, Bar Car 3674 is where the night continues, the pianist playing as the train crosses Germany in the darkness.
Lunch and dinner on board included. Overnight on the VSOE.
Budapest
Breakfast is served in your cabin as the train crosses Austria and into Hungary. A three-course lunch is served in the restaurant car as the train approaches Budapest through the Hungarian plain. The train arrives in Budapest in the afternoon, where local guides meet you on the platform and transfer you by coach to your hotel.
The evening begins with a cocktail reception followed by dinner on the Danube. A private cruise along the river at night, with the illuminated Chain Bridge, the Royal Palace and the Parliament building reflected in the water, is one of the enduring memories of this journey.
Breakfast and lunch on board. Cocktail reception and dinner on the Danube included. Overnight in Budapest hotel.
Budapest and Back on Board
The morning is given over to a guided tour of Budapest. The city rewards exploration: the castle district on the Buda side, the neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament building on the Pest bank, and the thermal baths are among the highlights. The Parliament building, opened in 1902, was inspired by the Houses of Parliament in London and is one of the finest buildings in Central Europe.
Lunch in Budapest is at a local restaurant, a good opportunity to try Hungarian cooking properly before rejoining the train in the afternoon. The VSOE continues south and east towards Romania, and dinner is served in the restaurant car as the train travels towards the Romanian border.
Breakfast at hotel. Guided Budapest tour, Danube cruise and local lunch included. Dinner on board. Overnight on the VSOE.
Budapest panorama including the iconic Parliament building.
Peles Castle and Bucharest
Breakfast is served in your cabin as the train enters Romania. The scenery changes dramatically as the train climbs towards the Carpathian Mountains, the most spectacular section of the whole route. A brunch is served in the dining cars as the train approaches the mountain town of Sinaia.
At Sinaia, passengers disembark for a visit to Peles Castle. Built between 1873 and 1914 as the summer residence of King Carol I of Romania, Peles is a Neo-Renaissance palace of extraordinary elaboration, set against forested mountain slopes. The first passengers on the Orient Express were personally invited to visit by King Carol in October 1883. Its 160 rooms contain original collections of armour, stained glass, Flemish tapestries and carved wood ceilings. Comfortable shoes are recommended for the visit.
Passengers rejoin the train for the short journey to Bucharest, where local guides meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Dinner with musical entertainment is at a private venue.
Breakfast and brunch on board. Peles Castle visit and guided Bucharest tour included. Dinner at private venue included. Overnight in Bucharest hotel.
Peles Castle in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania
Bulgaria and the Black Sea
Rejoin the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Bucharest for the final on-board stretch of the journey. The train crosses the Danube and enters Bulgaria. Lunch is served in the restaurant car as the train heads south and east towards the Black Sea coast.
In the afternoon, the train makes a stop at Varna on the Black Sea coast, where passengers alight for an aperitif at a private estate. Varna has a particular significance to this journey: it was at Varna that passengers on the original 1883 Orient Express disembarked to continue to Istanbul by boat, as the rail line through Bulgaria and Turkey did not yet exist. Today the train continues all the way.
After Varna the train heads south across the ancient Thracian Plain as evening approaches. The final dinner on board is a celebration. The pianist plays. The Bar Car stays lively. The train is approaching Turkey.
Breakfast at hotel. Lunch and dinner on board. Black Sea stop at Varna included. Overnight on the VSOE.
The Black Sea coast at Varna, Bulgaria, in late afternoon light
Into Istanbul
Breakfast is served in your cabin as the train crosses into Turkey. The landscape outside is unmistakably different now: the domes and minarets of Turkish towns visible in the distance, the light changing as the train approaches the Bosphorus. A lunch of Turkish-inspired dishes is served in the dining cars as the journey draws towards its conclusion.
The train arrives in Istanbul at approximately 17:30. A shared transfer takes you to a city centre hotel. After six days and over 3,000 kilometres of Europe, the journey is complete. Istanbul is waiting.
Breakfast and Turkish-themed lunch on board included. Shared transfer to Istanbul city centre hotel included.
The Istanbul skyline as seen from across the Bosphorus
What Is Included
Complimentary Transfer
Transfer from your Paris accommodation to Gare de l'Est before departure.
Three Nights on Board
Cabin accommodation on the VSOE for three nights. Personal steward service throughout your time on the train.
Two Hotel Nights
One night in Budapest and one night in Bucharest in selected hotels. Both include private dinners with entertainment.
All Meals on Board
Lunch, four-course dinner with wines, and cabin breakfast each day you are on the train.
Budapest Excursions
Guided city tour, Danube cruise, cocktail reception and private dinner in Budapest.
Peles Castle Visit
Guided visit to Peles Castle at Sinaia, the Neo-Renaissance summer palace of King Carol I of Romania.
Bucharest Excursions
Guided city tour and private dinner with musical entertainment in Bucharest.
Varna Stop
An afternoon stop on the Black Sea coast at Varna, with an aperitif at a private estate.
Istanbul Transfer
Shared transfer from Istanbul station to a city centre hotel on arrival.
All Transfers
All transfers between stations and hotels throughout the journey.
Departure Dates and Fares
2026
2027
This journey runs twice a year only and sells out well in advance. Please enquire early to avoid disappointment.
2026 Fares: Paris to Istanbul
| Cabin Type | Includes | 2026 Price (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| Historic Twin Cabin | 5 nights inc. hotels | from £18,050 |
| Suite | 5 nights inc. hotels | from £39,150 |
| Grand Suite | 5 nights inc. hotels | from £63,000 |
All fares are per person based on two sharing. 2027 fares are priced in euros. Grand Suite guests receive complimentary champagne in their cabin and complimentary drinks in the Bar Car. Private transfers in Paris and Istanbul are included for Grand Suite guests. See the full fare table.
Istanbul to Paris
Leave Istanbul in the early afternoon and arrive in Paris six days later, having crossed Turkey, Bulgaria and the Black Sea coast, spent a night in Bucharest, visited Peles Castle in the Carpathians, cruised the Danube in Budapest and spent two nights on the most celebrated train in the world. The route in reverse is just as extraordinary as the forward journey.
The Istanbul to Paris journey follows the same route in reverse, with the same excursions and hotel nights but experienced in a different sequence. Boarding in Istanbul gives the journey a different emotional character to the Paris departure: you begin in Asia and travel west towards Europe, the world broadening as the days pass. The Thracian Plain at night, the Bulgarian Black Sea coast at Varna, the Carpathian Mountains around Peles Castle, the Danube in Budapest, the Austrian Alps, and finally France. Paris arrives at approximately 16:30 on day six.
The Istanbul to Paris journey departs from Istanbul Halkalı station at 14:30.
A last glimpse of Istanbul before you depart
Day by Day
Istanbul to Bulgaria
The train departs Istanbul Halkalı at 14:30. The first hours cross the European part of Turkey and into Bulgaria, the ancient Thracian Plain giving way to the Bulgarian hinterland as evening approaches. Dinner is served in the restaurant car. After dinner the Bar Car is open, the pianist plays, and the train crosses Bulgaria in the darkness.
Dinner on board included. Overnight on the VSOE.
Varna and Bucharest
Breakfast is served in your cabin as the train travels towards the Black Sea coast. In the mid-morning the train makes a stop at Varna, where passengers alight for a visit to a private estate overlooking the sea. Varna was the final rail destination of the original 1883 Orient Express; from here, the first passengers continued to Istanbul by boat. The station at Varna connects the train route to one of the great chapters in railway history.
After Varna the train turns north towards Romania. Lunch is served in the restaurant car as the train crosses the Danube into Romania and heads towards Bucharest. On arrival, local guides transfer you to your hotel. Dinner with musical entertainment is at a private venue.
Breakfast on board. Varna visit included. Lunch on board. Dinner in Bucharest included. Overnight in Bucharest hotel.
Peles Castle and Back on Board
Rejoin the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in the morning. A brunch is served in the dining cars as the train climbs into the Carpathian Mountains towards Sinaia. At Sinaia, passengers disembark for a guided visit to Peles Castle, the extraordinary Neo-Renaissance summer palace of King Carol I, set against forested mountain slopes. Its 160 rooms are among the most elaborately decorated royal interiors in Europe.
After Peles Castle, passengers rejoin the train for the journey towards Hungary, and dinner is served in the restaurant car as the train travels north-west towards Budapest.
Breakfast at hotel. Brunch on board. Peles Castle visit included. Dinner on board. Overnight on the VSOE.
Budapest
Breakfast is served in your cabin as the train enters Hungary. The train arrives in Budapest in the morning. After a short orientation tour of the city by coach, a panoramic cruise along the Danube takes in Budapest's extraordinary riverfront: the neo-Gothic Parliament building, the castle district across the water, and the great bridges that link Buda and Pest. Lunch follows after the cruise.
The afternoon is free to explore the city independently. In the evening, dinner is served at a private venue.
Breakfast on board. Budapest city tour, Danube cruise and lunch included. Dinner at private venue included. Overnight in Budapest hotel.
Hungary to France
Rejoin the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Budapest in the late morning. A leisurely lunch is served in the restaurant car as the train crosses Hungary and into Austria, the plains giving way to Alpine scenery as the afternoon progresses. By evening the train is in Switzerland and then France.
The last dinner on board is a celebration. The pianist plays in Bar Car 3674 and the train moves through France overnight.
Breakfast at hotel. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight on the VSOE.
Paris
Breakfast is served in your cabin as the train travels through the champagne country of northern France. In the early morning the train makes a brief stop, an opportunity to stretch your legs, before rejoining for a farewell lunch in the dining car. The train arrives at Paris Gare de l'Est at approximately 16:30.
Breakfast and farewell lunch on board included.
2026 Departure Dates and Fares
2026
2027
2026 Fares: Istanbul to Paris
| Cabin Type | Includes | 2026 Price (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| Historic Twin Cabin | 5 nights inc. hotels | from £17,500 |
| Suite | 5 nights inc. hotels | from £38,000 |
| Grand Suite | 5 nights inc. hotels | from £58,000 |
All fares are per person based on two sharing. 2027 fares are priced in euros. Grand Suite guests receive complimentary champagne in their cabin and complimentary drinks in the Bar Car. See the full fare table.