A New Golden Age of Train Travel: Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Unveils New Suites

It's hard to imagine a more romantic (and nostalgic) way to travel than by train—with the countryside whizzing by as you sip tea (or Champagne) and dream about the next stop on your journey. Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express recently unveiled eight gorgeous new suites that invite you to live out your travel fantasies of a bygone era without sacrificing creature comforts. Paying homage to the golden age of train travel, the suites have been masterfully restored by craftsmen in France in classic Art Deco style, but with the added benefit of an en-suite bathroom and a newly configured daytime layout—no cramped carriages here. Suites draw design inspiration from the various landscapes the train traverses: mountains, lakes and forests.

Somehow, Belmond’s train manages a seemingly impossible feat: maintaining a sense of place while moving between cities at 100 miles per hour. Also new to the train is chef Jean Imbert. Since winning France’s Top Chef in 2012, Imbert has taken over the kitchens at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris and Dior, across the avenue. Now, he’s re-envisioning the Simplon-Orient-Express’s dining experience and menu, and the three dining cars have recently been given a face-lift. Like the new suites, they honor the train’s Art Deco history, and each of the restaurants captures a different essence of classic train travel. So often in travel, the experience is about the destination, and how you get from point A to point B is an afterthought (or a pain point). On the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the journey is the experience. And now, the journey is more luxurious than ever.Contact Indagare or your Trip Designer to learn more about traveling aboard Belmond Venice Simplon-Orient-Express as well as other luxury overnight trains.