The Holiday

Winter is when Venice belongs to the Venetians again. The crowds thin out, a soft mist drifts across the lagoon in the morning and you can stand in the Accademia or the Doge's Palace with room to breathe. Spend two nights in a fifteenth century palazzo, then board the most famous train in the world for the journey home.

This short break pairs the city and the train in the most natural order. You fly out to Venice, where a representative meets you at the airport and a private water taxi carries you across the lagoon to the Nani Mocenigo Palace in Dorsoduro, a couple of minutes' walk from the Accademia. After two nights in Venice you take a water taxi to Santa Lucia station, where a bottle of chilled Champagne is waiting in your cabin on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

The train leaves at around eleven in the morning and heads north through the Veneto, the Dolomites and the Austrian Alps, with lunch, afternoon tea and a four-course dinner along the way. After dinner the evening carries on in the Bar Car to the sound of the piano. You wake to breakfast in your cabin as the train crosses France, arrive in Paris around lunchtime and travel home to London St Pancras by Eurostar Premier.

Winter special offers:
Winter in Venice  Three night holiday from £3,698 per person on 3, 10 and 26 November, saving £1,200 per person.
Stay longer on 10 November  Four nights from £3,869 per person with three nights at the 4★ Superior American Dinesen, or five nights from £3,979 per person at the 4★ Superior Ca' Dei Conti, with four nights for the price of three.
Suite upgrade  Upgrade from a Historic Twin to a Suite Twin or Suite Double from £3,580 per person.
4 for 3  Travelling with friends? Four passengers for the price of three, from £11,094 for the group of four, saving around £8,000 in total. See our 4 for 3 offer.
The Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal in Venice
Venice
A Historic Twin Cabin on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Your Cabin
Alpine scenery from the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Alpine Scenery

Day by Day

1 Day One

London to Venice

Fly from London to Venice Marco Polo Airport, where a representative meets you on arrival. Your private water taxi then whisks you across the lagoon and into the city, which is quite the way to arrive. Check in at the Nani Mocenigo Palace and spend the rest of the day finding your feet. Dorsoduro is one of the most pleasant parts of Venice to wander, with the Zattere waterfront and its views across to the Giudecca only a few minutes away.

Overnight at the Nani Mocenigo Palace, Venice.

2 Day Two

Venice in Winter

A full day to enjoy the city at its most atmospheric. Your holiday includes entrance tickets to one of three great collections: the Doge's Palace, seat of the Venetian Republic for nearly a thousand years; the Gallerie dell'Accademia, home to Bellini, Titian and Tintoretto and almost on your hotel's doorstep; or the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, her modern art gathered in a palazzo on the Grand Canal.

In winter the museums, galleries and churches are noticeably quieter, so this is the season to linger in the Frari or step inside the Basilica of San Marco without the summer queues. Unique Venice guide notes and a concierge service are included to help with restaurant reservations and private guides.

Bed and breakfast at the Nani Mocenigo Palace.

3 Day Three

Aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

After breakfast a private water taxi takes you along the canals to Santa Lucia station, where the blue and gold carriages of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express are waiting. Your steward shows you to your cabin, and a bottle of chilled Champagne is there to greet you. The train departs at around 11:00.

Lunch is served in one of the restored 1920s restaurant cars as the train heads north through the Veneto and into the Dolomites. Afternoon tea arrives in your cabin as the mountains close in around Innsbruck and the Austrian Alps. In the evening, dress for dinner, take an aperitif in the Bar Car and then settle in for a four-course dinner with selected wines. The pianist plays on into the night as the train carries you westwards.

Lunch, afternoon tea and dinner with selected wines. Overnight on board.

4 Day Four

Paris and Home

Wake to a continental breakfast served in your cabin as the French countryside slips past the window. The train arrives in Paris around 13:00, and a private transfer takes you across the city to the Gare du Nord for your Eurostar Premier service to London St Pancras, with a meal served at your seat.

Breakfast on board, private transfer in Paris and Eurostar Premier to London.

The Hotel

The garden courtyard and Gothic facade of the Nani Mocenigo Palace in Dorsoduro, Venice
The Garden Courtyard
A bedroom at the Nani Mocenigo Palace with Venetian terrazzo floor and antique furniture
A Palazzo Bedroom

Nani Mocenigo Palace 4★ Deluxe, Dorsoduro

The Nani Mocenigo Palace occupies a restored fifteenth century Venetian Gothic palazzo on the Fondamenta Nani in Dorsoduro, the quieter, artistic quarter on the southern side of the Grand Canal. Original frescoes and antique furnishings sit alongside comfortable modern rooms, and the hotel has something rare in Venice: a hidden garden courtyard, where the G Lounge and Garden Bar serves aperitivo in the evening.

The location is ideal for this holiday. The Gallerie dell'Accademia is about two minutes on foot, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the great white dome of Santa Maria della Salute are a short stroll away, and the Accademia bridge takes you across the Grand Canal towards Piazza San Marco. Rooms have air conditioning, a minibar, tea and coffee making facilities and a private bathroom.

Prefer a different hotel? If you would like to stay elsewhere, including some of the grander five-star properties on our Venice Hotels page, or add extra nights, please call us on 0333 405 0192. Most hotels can be arranged and the price adjusted to suit.

Departure Dates Winter 2026

The holiday is available on the following Venice Simplon-Orient-Express departures from Venice to Paris.

Fly to Venice Board VSOE Arrive London Nights
Sunday 1 November Tuesday 3 November Wednesday 4 November 2 nights in Venice3 nights total
Sunday 8 November Tuesday 10 November Wednesday 11 November 2 nights in Venice3 nights total
Tuesday 24 November Thursday 26 November Friday 27 November 2 nights in Venice3 nights total
Thursday 10 December Saturday 12 December Sunday 13 December 2 nights in Venice3 nights total

Winter 2026 Prices

Per Person, Two Sharing

OfferAccommodationFrom
Winter in Venice Historic Twin Cabin and 4★ Deluxe Nani Mocenigo Palace £3,698 pp
Suite upgrade Suite Twin or Suite Double on the VSOE £3,580 pp
4 for 3 Four passengers for the price of three £11,094 per group of 4

The £1,200 saving applies to the 3, 10 and 26 November departures. On 12 December the holiday costs from £4,980 per person. The 4 for 3 offer saves around £8,000 for a group of four. All prices are subject to availability at the time of booking.

What Is Included

Venice tourist tax: Venice charges a local tourist tax, paid directly to the hotel on check-out. For a four-star hotel this is €4.50 per person per night.

Spring 2027: Four Nights in Venice

For 2027 we also offer a longer version of this holiday, with four nights in Venice at the 4★ Ca' Dei Conti in Castello, three minutes' walk from Piazza San Marco, before the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express to Paris and Eurostar Premier home. British Airways flights from London Heathrow are included.

Fly to Venice Board VSOE Arrive London Nights
Monday 15 March Friday 19 March Saturday 20 March 4 nights in Venice5 nights total
Monday 12 April Friday 16 April Saturday 17 April 4 nights in Venice5 nights total
Wednesday 21 April Sunday 25 April Monday 26 April 4 nights in Venice5 nights total
Tuesday 11 May Saturday 15 May Sunday 16 May 4 nights in Venice5 nights total
Sunday 20 June Thursday 24 June Friday 25 June 4 nights in Venice5 nights total
HotelDatesFrom (pp)
4★ Ca' Dei Conti March 2027 £5,479
4★ Ca' Dei Conti April, May & June 2027 £5,798

Based on two adults sharing a Historic Twin Cabin on the VSOE and a twin or double room at the hotel. Non-refundable deposit £900 per person.

Questions and Answers

The winter 2026 holiday costs from £3,698 per person based on two sharing a Historic Twin Cabin, a saving of £1,200 per person on the 3, 10 and 26 November departures. The price includes flights to Venice, two nights at the Nani Mocenigo Palace, one night on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with all meals, and Eurostar Premier from Paris to London.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express leaves Venice for Paris on Tuesday 3 November, Tuesday 10 November, Thursday 26 November and Saturday 12 December 2026. You fly to Venice two days before each departure.
Yes. When four people travel together, the holiday is priced for three, from £11,094 for the group of four. That is a saving of around £8,000 in total.
Yes. You can upgrade from a Historic Twin Cabin to a Suite Twin or Suite Double, which has its own private marble bathroom, from £3,580 per person. See our accommodation guide for more on the cabins.
Yes. Venice charges a local tourist tax which is paid directly to the hotel when you check out. For a four-star hotel it is €4.50 per person per night.
Please note: The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express route is subject to change without prior notice due to railway engineering works or other operational requirements. Flights and hotels are on request and cannot be confirmed until a deposit has been received. All flights and hotels are subject to availability at the time of booking.
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