The New Providers Of Orient Express Trips

The Orient Express trips have been once provided by the so-called long distance passenger train that was originally under the wing of Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. The train had been labeled with luxury and convenience mainly due to the fact that it provided sleeping coaches and a gourmet restaurant to all the more satiate the needs of the distinguished and powerful individuals who boarded it.

Distinguishing the New Providers

Well, the original train is no longer in operation but thankfully someone saved it and bought the railcars during an auction sometime in the year 1977. His name is no other than James Sherwood, an American-British. It may not have stuck to the original route that served Paris to Istanbul as the authentic end points but new routes have been taken by the new version of the Orient Express.

These days, the Venice-Simplon Orient Express or VSOE runs from one of the end points, that is, London towards several other European destinations like Krakow, Rome, and Istanbul. What has been retained is of course the luxury which is a trademark of the Orient Express. As people would claim it, riding this new Orient Express train is more like boarding a luxury cruise rather than enjoying a typical train ride. After all, people are likely to experience the kind or quality of journey it provides rather than get to their destinations on time. On the average, the train tickets cost more or less 1,200 Euro per person.

Apparently, there is yet another privately operated train that capitalizes on the name of this world-renowned train. That is, the Nostalgic Orient Express. The trains used are the LX-class cars which run on an irregular timetable from Zurich bound for Istanbul and then towards Athens.

The Difference between the New Providers

While some of the private company Orient Express trip providers have managed to keep up to the authentic train's standards, many of them have not restored the once beautifully crafted luxury railcars of the 1920's up to the 1950's. Some of them have diverted away from the original routes due to the other railways that have been opened. At some point, many of today's new Orient Express trains are no longer like the same old railcars.

However, some of them have pooled many elegant LX-class railcars which they address as the original Wagons-Lits material. In truth, the authentic train mostly used the Z-class and S-class sleeping class because they were deemed utilitarian at that time. But of course, some of the parts of the train were composed of the LX-class cars to serve the royalties and aristocrats of the time in a much better way.

Nevertheless, you can still get a feel of the Orient Express trips provided that you know which ones to call authentic. The Venice-Simplon Orient Express or VSOE is hence considered to be an overnight train that can make your European visit much more romantic and enjoyable. So, be sure to try it and never fail to be enthralled by almost the same luxurious ride that the original train had once provided.