Hi, my honey and I are thinking about doing a five day trip on the Orient Express that originates in Europe. Has anyone done any of these routes? If so, how was it????? <BR> <BR>Expensive but is it worth it???

Fodors <BR> <BR>If you're thinking of the luxury train, the VSOE Orient Express, I don't think it has a five day trip. Most trips are two days, though Paris to Istanbul in August this year and Istanbul to Venice to Paris in 2002 will be six days. Detail is on http://www.orient-expresstrains.com/...oe/index.html/. <BR> <BR>But then you ask about pople who have "done any of these routes". The main route the luxury train takes is London, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Transylvania, Bucharest, Istanbul. I have done all of these routes, several times since 1957, and can gladly advise you on what to book and what to see if you'll confirm that that's what you have in mind. Can you tell me if so, and say whether you seek two-berth sleeping compartments to yourselves, whether your taste lies with old cities, mountains, classical music, good dining, or what, whether you speak any languages beyond English, and whether you've toured by rail sleepers or in west Europe and the Balkans before ? Also, what passports you hold. The journey would take about a week, though I could cut it to five days, and would cost about 900 US dollars. You would book it by credit card with a rail travel agency in London. <BR> <BR>The luxury train is comfortable, elegant, expensive, and used by rich people whose conversation I found limited. The first class sleeper journey along the route is comfortable if you sleep well on trains, interesting, beautiful, with good meals, unexpected moments, and interesting conversations with civilised central Europeans that you had not planned to meet. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Oh, Ben -- now I'm thinking about changing our next year's London/Paris trip to a first class sleeper train excursion such as you've described. When I was about 22 I saw an old movie with Marlene Dietrich and decided that I had to do it sometime. Took me thirty years but maybe this is it! Could we (two of us) go from London to Istanbul over the course of 2 weeks, stopping in Paris, Munich, and Budapest? US Passports, limited French and German (but boundless patience and good humor).

Dear Ms Woodward, <BR> <BR>Certainly you could. London to Paris by Eurostar, Paris to Munich overnight, Munich to Budapest overnight, and then Budapest to Istanbul in 36 hours, with a change of train in Bucharest. Use French in Paris and English elsewhere. I don't think you need a Bulgarian visa these days, and the Turks sell their visa at the frontier. I'm afraid the atmosphere is more business travel than Marlene Deitrich, but at the hotel in Istanbul that was destination of many thirties travellers each room is named after a film star or statesman who once stayed in it, and after people like Agatha Christie. <BR> <BR>I failed to say that that was 900 dollars per head. You'd pay more to cover 4-star hotel costs -- unless you opt like me for 2-star. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR>