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Great Rail Journeys · Independent luxury rail journey

Classic Venice Simplon Orient Express, Paris to Venice

Luxury sleeper train from London to Venice via Paris and the Alps

Illustration of Classic Venice Simplon Orient Express, Paris to Venice

This 5-day independent journey operated by Great Rail Journeys takes you from London to Venice aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, one of the world's most celebrated luxury trains. You depart London by Eurostar to Paris, where you board the legendary 1920s-era train and settle into a Historic Cabin for a single night of pure indulgence. During your overnight passage from Paris toward Venice, you enjoy a four-course dinner and three-course lunch with sommelier-paired wines in the restored restaurant cars, while a live pianist plays in the bar car. On day 2, you awaken to breakfast in your cabin or the dining car and watch the Alpine scenery unfold before arriving in Venice, where a boat transfer takes you to a 4-star hotel. The remainder of your stay, days 3 and 4, is free to explore Venice at your own pace: walk the bridges, photograph gondolas, visit museums, and sip Italian coffee in historic cafes. You return to London by flight on day 5, or upgrade to a two-day rail journey homeward at extra cost.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen £200 since 4 Jul, to £5,195.

£5,195£4,9954 Jul12 Sep

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

  • The return to London on day 5 is by flight; the two-day rail return via Milan, Montreux, and Paris is available but costs extra.
  • Three hotel options are listed (Hotel American Dinesen, Monaco & Grand Canal, and Hotel Baglioni Luna), but the evidence does not confirm which one you will receive or how selection works.
  • Optional excursions in Venice, London hotels, and flight upgrades are available at additional cost; the from-price covers only the train, Eurostar, boat transfers, three hotel nights, and flights back to the UK.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

    The Venice Simplon Orient Express

    Your journey begins when you take the Eurostar from St Pancras Station in London, all the way to Paris. When you arrive in Paris, make your way across the city to join the Venice Simplon Orient Express train. Relax in your luxury cabin and watch the stunning scenery float by your window, and enjoy a four course dinner in one of the restored 1920s restaurant cars. Get to know your fellow passengers while a live pianist adds to the chic atmosphere in the bar car, and settle into your cosy cabin for your first night aboard this luxury train.

    Meals: Dinner

  2. Day 2overnight: Venice

    Arriving in Venice

    As the lull of locomotion gently wakes you, start your morning with pastries and coffee in your cabin, or take your seat in one of the restaurant cars for smoked salmon and eggs, and maybe a morning bellini. Take a leisurely three course lunch in one of the restaurant cars, complete with wine paired by your sommelier. As you canter through the Alps, relax with a coffee in your cabin before arriving in Venice, where you'll transfer to your hotel. Choose between 4* or 5* hotels on a B&B basis.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  3. Day 3overnight: Venice

    Venice

    Enjoy a free day in Venice today, and get to know the city a little better. Walk over some of the city's ornate and historic bridges, and have your camera ready for some unique shots of the gondolas on the canals. Look up as you walk around the squares and view the gothic architecture, and visit a museum or two. Alternatively, choose one of our optional excursions bookable at a supplement.

    Meals: Breakfast

  4. Day 4overnight: Venice

    Free day in Venice

    Enjoy a second free day in Venice and delve a little deeper into Venice life. Enjoy an Italian coffee in one of the city's historic cafes or sip an Aperol spritz in one of its bars. Shop for souvenirs and zip around by water taxi, or simply sit in one of the city's squares and watch the world go by. Alternatively, choose one of our optional excursions which are bookable at a supplement.

    Meals: Breakfast

  5. Day 5

    Getting to London

    Your journey comes to its end today, but there's still a little of Venice left to see. You'll be transferred by boat to Marco Polo Airport, enjoying the waterways one last time, for your flight back to the UK.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1Board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Paris; enjoy a four-course dinner in a restored 1920s restaurant car while a live pianist plays in the bar car, then settle into your Historic Cabin for the night.
  • Day 2Wake to pastries and coffee in your cabin or a full breakfast in the restaurant car, then enjoy a three-course lunch with sommelier-paired wine as the train travels through the Alps before arriving in Venice by boat.
  • Day 3Explore Venice at leisure, walking over the city's historic bridges, photographing gondolas on the canals, and admiring gothic architecture, or book an optional excursion to Murano and Burano.

Included

  • Accommodation: 1 night onboard the Venice Simplon Orient Express in a Historic Cabin (fully inclusive); 3 nights in 4 star hotel accommodation (Bed and Breakfast)
  • Transportation: Plus Class Eurostar between London and Paris; boat transfer to your chosen hotel in Venice on arrival
  • Flights: Flight from Venice to London

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?
From £5,195 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $7,017 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is this trip escorted or independent?
Great Rail Journeys describes this as an independent tour. You travel on your own pace, with two full free days in Venice to explore at leisure or book optional excursions.
What is included in the cabin and meals?
Your Historic Cabin aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express includes a four-course dinner and three-course lunch with sommelier-paired wine, plus breakfast in your cabin or the restaurant car. Your three nights in Venice are bed and breakfast only in a 4-star hotel.
What happens on arrival in Venice?
You are transferred from the train to your hotel by boat on day 2, then have days 3 and 4 free to explore Venice or book optional excursions at a supplement (such as a gondola ride, cooking class, or excursion to nearby islands).
What is the single supplement?
The evidence does not state a single supplement price.

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