Venice Simplon Orient Express

[leomartin125]

Hi,

A quick question regarding the VSOE services within the UK.

I notice a trip on the VSOE can be booked all the way through from London to Venice, however only from Paris to Venice will you actually be on the world-renown train. Instead they plonk you on a Eurostar from London to Paris. Does anyone know why the VSOE set doesn't venture into the UK? The coaches were built by Met-Cam in Brirmingham, but are they a different loading gauge? Or is the issue perhaps with the channel tunnel?


Many thanks in advance!

 

[Jan Mayen]

I imagine the carriages don't meet the safty regs for the Channel Tunnel.
I believe when VSOE started, you got the British Pullman train to Folkestone Harbour, then ferry across to Boulogne maritime, where the actual VSOE would be waiting. See the first part of Around The World In Eighty Days with Michael Palin for reference.

 

[StephenHunter]

The set was hauled through empty in 2017 for the premiere of Murder on the Orient Express. It's rather wooden, which precludes it from Tunnel use.

The Type Fs on the Night Ferry had painted steel walls for fire reasons too.

 

[NER1621]

Yes, as above. Until recently you took the VSOE British Pullman to/from Folkestone, coach through the Tunnel and then the actual VSOE to/from Calais-Venice.

We did the trip Venice to London for my significant birthday a couple of years ago, and Brexit passport controls at the Chunnel killed the fun of the trip (yes I know, first world problems). The unpredictability of transit time through the Tunnel because of the passport processing meant that the British leg of the trip can’t be at Folkestone when the coach arrives, so there’s a lot of hanging around in the waiting room until the train turns up, which rather kills the atmosphere, despite the best efforts of the VSOE staff - who were superb throughout.

My wife and I agreed that, if we ever did it again (!) we’d disembark and stay in Paris overnight and get the Eurostar back the next day to retain more of the atmosphere of international train travel. However, not very long after it turned out that VSOE agreed with us and so they’ve cut back the journey to Paris-Venice.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Hi,

A quick question regarding the VSOE services within the UK.

I notice a trip on the VSOE can be booked all the way through from London to Venice, however only from Paris to Venice will you actually be on the world-renown train. Instead they plonk you on a Eurostar from London to Paris. Does anyone know why the VSOE set doesn't venture into the UK? The coaches were built by Met-Cam in Brirmingham, but are they a different loading gauge? Or is the issue perhaps with the channel tunnel?


Many thanks in advance!

The VSOE vehicles used on the Continent are built to Continental loading gauge, and were not built in the UK. The ones used in the UK were British-built Pullman cars (rather than from the Wagons Lits Company) and did not include any sleeping cars.

Note that the original Orient Express did not run in the UK, although you could use the "Golden Arrow/Fleche d'Or" Pullman service (train/boat
/train), or the Night Ferry service, to connect with it in Paris.

The "world-renowned train" in fact had several incarnations over its nearly 100-year history. Not only was the rolling stock regularly updated, but the route taken varied over time - the original route from Paris to Constantinople went via Vienna, and the later route via Venice had to wait for the opening of the Simplon Tunnel - and changes in the political situation in 1914 forcing a diversion further south to avoid the French rolling stock being requistioned by the Germans. Indeed, for many years between the Wars there were several different Orient Express services running by different routes.
And, of course, as the journey took three days and ran several times a week, at any given time there were usually two or three "Orient Expresses" - for example one just leaving Paris, another somewhere in the Balkans heading east, and another in Italy heading west.

 

[Bobby1]

I am just back from a Venice to Paris trip. I asked all sorts of questions and the steward and train manager (30 years service) were very knowledgeable. They said that the train basically has a timetable that works between Venice and Paris, and only twice per year it does the Istanbul trip. They tried tying up with the Belmont British Pullman but it was too tight a schedule and basically like most other things Brexit f..... it up, so they gave up.

 

[SixtyPlus]

I am just back from a Venice to Paris trip. I asked all sorts of questions and the steward and train manager (30 years service) were very knowledgeable. They said that the train basically has a timetable that works between Venice and Paris, and only twice per year it does the Istanbul trip. They tried tying up with the Belmont British Pullman but it was too tight a schedule and basically like most other things Brexit f..... it up, so they gave up.

Hi, I am interested to hear from anyone who recently did the Paris -Rome Orient Express. The webpage is ambigious in that it suggests both an 11AM and a 5PM departure from Paris. 11AM is a lunch-dinner overnight -breakfast sequence, the later departure is dinner only. Clearly 2 quite different products.
I phoned Belmond but the answer was unsatisfactory " departure times are only finalised the weeks prior to travel". I booking a trip for early 2026. Thanks!

 

[Backroom_boy]

Note that the original Orient Express did not run in the UK, although you could use the "Golden Arrow/Fleche d'Or" Pullman service (train/boat
/train), or the Night Ferry service, to connect with it in Paris

My pipedream would be for Eurostar to relaunch "Golden Arrow / Fletcher d'or" as a once/twice weekly first class only service in a fettled up set of coaches, proper meal and make it a bit of an occasion. Could get a slice of the VSOE premium travel market

 

[Jan Mayen]

My pipedream would be for Eurostar to relaunch "Golden Arrow / Fletcher d'or" as a once/twice weekly first class only service in a fettled up set of coaches, proper meal and make it a bit of an occasion. Could get a slice of the VSOE premium travel market

Maybe even connect with VSOE

 

[nwales58]

My pipedream would be for Eurostar to relaunch "Golden Arrow / Fletcher d'or" as a once/twice weekly first class only service in a fettled up set of coaches, proper meal …

Or 15 times a day in one coach costing no more than 350 (about half the price of a Belmond day out).

Hang on, that already exists - Eurostar Premier. Walk up, book on the spot 20 mins before departure even.