the Orient Express
 

Has anyone ever taken the Orient Express from London To Venice?<BR>What pros or cons relating to the experience<BR>Would you recommend

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A dozen years ago or more I took it from London to Boulogne. It seemed to me the main class of traveller was New England rich. For these opening hours there was limited conversation over lunch in the restaurant car and in the reserved lounge on the boat. Perhaps they grew chattier after Paris.<BR><BR>The cars are superb, the service was attentive, and the food was good. My natural class on European trains is second class three-berth sleeper. If I were to blue a lot of money for the pleasure of travel I should book myself a single sleeper with en suite shower and bath on the hotel train from Paris to Madrid or on the Excelsior coaches of the night train from Paris to Venice. Or perhaps the Royal Hungarian train around central Europe. <BR><BR>Please write if I can help further.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR>

I didn't go very far on the Orient Express, just from Edinburgh - Inverness return as a work-type freebie from a company I was doing business with at the time, but it was beautiful! I took my father, as he has a real engineering interest in old trains, and we got to go up and see some of the workings too. The food was lovely - not wonderful, but good; the seating areas quite sumptuous, and the whole atmosphere rather old-fashioned. It was certainly an experience, but, as I didn't pay for it, I've really no way of knowing if it is REALLY worth it!<BR><BR>Probably not of much help .... :-)<BR>Jenny

we've booked the VSOE to celebrate my husband's 50th, starting London, Paris, Venice, ending Rome. 3 days and 2 nights. can't wait.