VENICE-SIMPLON ORIENT EXPRESS
Opulence on rails
It is undeniably the train that has most marked the history of travel. A crazy project initiated at the end of the 19th century by a visionary from Liège who, for the first time, wanted to banish the drudgery of travel in favor of "an experience thought out for the passengers".
The Orient-Express was the first luxury train to cross borders and connect the great capitals of the Old Continent. As early as 1883, it was possible to travel from Paris to Constantinople (now Istanbul) without changing trains. The Orient had never been so accessible to a Westerner. A new form of travel that will revolutionize the European railroads. Until then, it was necessary to change trains at each border, making any long-distance journey exhausting and particularly constraining. An upheaval that will change the world forever and that we owe to Georges Nagelmackers.
A Belgian story
With his engineering degree in hand, young Georges decided to travel to the United States after his studies, as most sons of good families did at the time. Don't they say that travel is the best way to learn? And the least we can say is that the young man from Liège returned home with a head full of ideas.
In 1867, on the other side of the Atlantic, at the height of his 24 years of age, our man travelled from West to East by train, and noticed that at night, the benches of the wagons were converted into bunks. It must be said that the distances are such that sitting for more than twenty hours is a punishment. In Europe, short distances did not yet require this type of arrangement, as the various railroad companies were barely able to cross borders.
Back home, Nagelmackers immediately set to work and designed the first car equipped with beds in accordance with Old World customs and tastes. In addition, he compartmentalizes it and creates cabins, which he equips with washbasins, mirrors and "the usual conveniences". Initially coupled with the very first international express trains, Nagelmackers planned to launch his cars in the four corners of Europe and beyond. However, it would take more than fifteen years to develop the project, because at the time, each country was compartmentalized within its borders with rail networks that sometimes had diametrically opposed technical standards.
Georges Nagelmackers succeeded in 1883. On June 5, the Orient Express train left the Gare de l'Est with great fanfare in the direction of Constantinople, passing through Budapest, Belgrade and Sofia. This luxurious convoy quickly adopted the mythical name of Orient-Express.
Reversal of fortune
The life of this palace on rails, and more broadly of the company that oversees it (the CIWL, for Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, founded by Nagelmackers in 1872), will be strewn with many pitfalls, starting with the First World War. As early as 1914, the conflict interrupted the circulation of the Orient-Express. It lost many sleeping cars and dining cars, which were destroyed, lost or requisitioned. Back on the rails in 1919, with new metal cars (no longer made of wood), ever more opulent and comfortable, the Orient-Express enjoyed a prosperous period during the Roaring Twenties. The setting for Albert Dunn's marquetry and René Lalique's glass creations was then in its golden age.
But this new momentum was interrupted from 1939 until 1946. Nagelmackers' CIWL emerged groggy from the Second World War. Finally, in 1977, the boom in the air transport market precipitated the end of this jewel of the European railroads. Shortly afterwards, several wagons were sold at auction, which meant that this exceptional heritage was dispersed to the four corners of Europe and beyond.
James B. Sherwood, the messiah
Without the American businessman James B. Sherwood, this legendary train would never have been put back on track. Sherwood quickly understood the importance of saving and perpetuating this piece of European history. As early as 1977, he started looking for disused cars and had them restored according to the rules of the art until he succeeded in building a complete train set combining sleeping cars and dining cars. Five years later, he launched the Venice-Simplon Orient Express and proposed a "new" travel experience that was nothing less than the reproduction of the way Agatha Christie, Marlene Dietrich and Lawrence of Arabia travelled.
The experience
The fleet of vintage cars that Belmond (a British hotel group now owned by LVMH) has at its disposal today includes seventeen examples that have been found here and there and come from express trains that have disappeared, such as the Blue Train, the Rome Express, the Northern Star and the Danube Express. You are greeted by stewards wearing blue and gold uniforms and white gloves who, after a word of welcome, take you to your cabin where your luggage has already been placed. In addition to the sleeping cars and three dining cars, the train also has a bar car with cozy armchairs and a piano. The decor is honored by tuxedos and evening gowns, just like in the Belle Époque. Jeans and sneakers would be an insult to the thousands of hours that went into the restoration of this sumptuous setting.
Entering one of the train's dining cars is like stepping back in time a century, in an environment that only the great and the good could frequent. The interior decoration is very meticulous, highlighting the superb marquetry of Albert Dunn or his French competitor René Prou. The wall panels display motifs inspired by Mother Nature that perfectly match the atmosphere of this legendary train. The most exclusive and rare materials are used here, such as mahogany burl, violet wood and rosewood.
Different types of cabins are offered: singles, twins or connecting to form a suite. The colorful velvet bench disappears after dinner in favor of a comfortable bunk with immaculate sheets. It is far from the king size of a five star hotel but without this narrow mattress, the experience would certainly not be the same. After breakfast, back in the cabin with a breathtaking view of the Alps, the Dolomites, the Danube or the Rhine Valley. The afternoon is enhanced by an afternoon tea served in a special china cabinet which only adds to the magic of the moment.
The routes
In the beginning, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express only ran from London to Venice and back, via Calais, Paris and Switzerland or Austria. Over the years, new routes have been added to the offer. For example, it is possible to travel from Paris to Istanbul, a six-day trip with two nights in palaces in Budapest and Bucharest, and recently to Berlin, following part of the meandering Rhine River. Passengers who have opted for a Paris-Istanbul trip will be able to relive an authentic border control between Europe and Turkey, just as travelers experienced when they jumped from one country to another at the beginning of the 20th century. Passing through customs and stamping your passport, nothing is missing!
Serving gourmets
Regardless of the itinerary chosen and the number of nights, the culinary experience offered has nothing to envy the best restaurants in the world, despite the modest size of the kitchen. The chef, who collaborates with the best Parisian suppliers but also with a few selected market gardeners along the route, proposes a refined cuisine, superbly staged by his team in a tableware haloed by the VSOE monogram reproduced in gold letters on each piece of the service. The bar remains open until the last guest has left. The cocktails elaborated by Walter Nisi can be sipped until the end of the night, accompanied by Petrossian caviar specialties. For those who prefer bubbles, the Côte d'Azur restaurant car has a champagne bar where the sparkling crystal of the flutes rubs shoulders with the countless plays of light created by the stained glass windows of René Lalique.
Three new Grand Suites
Four years ago, the Venice-Simplon Orient Express received three new Grand Suites that allow this legendary train to further enhance the level of comfort offered to passengers. In addition to a large bedroom with a double bed and a living room, these suites also have a bathroom with a shower and a sink. Opulent, they are inspired by Paris, Venice and Istanbul in the Belle Époque, with a profusion of rare woodwork, fine leatherwork, silky fabrics and ironwork skilfully combined by the London firm Wimberly Interiors. But the adventure doesn't end there, because a suite means personalized service. In addition to a dedicated steward, the offer also includes a private limousine transfer to and from the train, unlimited champagne and in-cabin meal service. The icing on the cake: each guest receives an exclusive Art Deco inspired bathrobe.
Pierre-Benoît Sepulchre
