How much does it cost?

From £5,075 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $6,855 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

What happens on the free days in Florence and Venice?

You have complete freedom. The itinerary suggests walking the historic streets, visiting galleries and museums, or sitting in cafes. Optional paid excursions (Chianti bike tours, gondola rides, cooking classes, etc.) are available.

What is included on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express?

One night in a private historic cabin or suite, a three-course lunch, a four-course dinner with sommelier-paired wines, French breakfast in your cabin or in the restaurant car, and access to the bar car with a resident pianist.

Where do I stay and what is the standard?

Four nights in 4-star hotels: two in Florence (Hotel Rapallo or Santa Maria Novella) and two in Venice (Hotel American Dinesen, Monaco & Grand Canal, or Hotel Baglioni Luna, a 5-star property). All rooms are on a bed and breakfast basis.

How do I get to Florence at the start?

Great Rail Journeys offers a flight from London or an optional two-day train route via Paris, Lyon, and Milan at no extra cost. You choose the method; the itinerary does not lock one in.

Is this an escorted tour?

No, it is independent. You arrange your own transfers and activities in Florence and Venice. Paid excursions and private guides are available as add-ons.

Great Rail Journeys · Luxury rail tour

Venice Simplon Orient Express, Florence & Venice

Florence and Venice with return on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Great Rail Journeys' 6-day independent package combines two of Italy's greatest cities with a return journey aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, one of the world's most storied luxury trains. You begin with two nights in Florence, where Renaissance art and architecture fill the streets and museums. A high-speed train then carries you through the vineyards of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna to Venice for two more nights exploring the canals and historic backstreets at your own pace. On Day 5, you board the legendary VSOE for an overnight passage to Paris: your private cabin becomes your refuge, three-course lunch and four-course dinner with wine pairings are served in the regal restaurant cars, and a pianist accompanies cocktails in the bar. Breakfast is served in your cabin or at your seat before you disembark in Paris and take Eurostar back to London. This trip suits luxury-seeking couples, repeat rail travellers drawn to historic trains, and history lovers who want unhurried time in two Italian cultural capitals without a guided tour schedule.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen £280 since 4 Jul, to £5,075.

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 package is independent, not escorted; days in Florence and Venice are free to explore on your own, with optional paid excursions.
The outbound route to Florence is flexible: you can fly or take a two-day train journey via Paris and Lyon at no extra cost; the itinerary does not specify which you will take.
Hotels in Venice are offered from two options (4-star or 5-star) and two property names per tier; your final hotel depends on availability and tier chosen.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Florence
Florence
Flight from London to Florence (regional flights available), with a transfer to your chosen hotel to relax.
Day 2overnight: Florence
Florence
A free day in Florence to walk its streets, visit a gallery or museum, or sip a coffee in a historic café, or book an optional excursion at a supplement.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3railovernight: Venice
Florence to Venice
High-speed train through Tuscany and the Emilia-Romagna wine region to Venice, just over two hours, with an optional transfer or a walk to your chosen hotel.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4overnight: Venice
Venice
A free day in Venice to stroll the historic streets, sit at a pavement café or wander over the old bridges, or book an optional excursion at a supplement.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5railovernight: Aboard the Venice Simplon Orient Express
The Venice Simplon Orient Express
A free morning in Venice before boarding the restored 1920s carriages of the Venice Simplon Orient Express. Enjoy a three-course lunch and a sumptuous four-course dinner in the restaurant cars, paired with wines by the sommelier, followed by cocktails and a pianist in the bar car.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6rail
Arrive in Paris
A French breakfast in your cabin, or smoked salmon and caviar in a restaurant car, before disembarking in Paris and taking the Eurostar back to London St Pancras.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 3High-speed train ride through picturesque Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna wine region, arriving in Venice in just over two hours.
Day 5Dinner aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: a four-course meal with sommelier-paired wines served in a regal restaurant car, watching Italian landscapes pass your window.
Day 6French breakfast served in your cabin or smoked salmon and caviar in the restaurant car as you approach Paris.

Included

4 nights hotel accommodation (Bed and Breakfast) in 4-star hotels
1 night on the Venice Simplon Orient Express
First Class Rail in Italy
Eurostar Plus Class between London and Paris
Flight from London to Florence

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £5,075 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $6,855 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
What happens on the free days in Florence and Venice?: You have complete freedom. The itinerary suggests walking the historic streets, visiting galleries and museums, or sitting in cafes. Optional paid excursions (Chianti bike tours, gondola rides, cooking classes, etc.) are available.
What is included on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express?: One night in a private historic cabin or suite, a three-course lunch, a four-course dinner with sommelier-paired wines, French breakfast in your cabin or in the restaurant car, and access to the bar car with a resident pianist.
Where do I stay and what is the standard?: Four nights in 4-star hotels: two in Florence (Hotel Rapallo or Santa Maria Novella) and two in Venice (Hotel American Dinesen, Monaco & Grand Canal, or Hotel Baglioni Luna, a 5-star property). All rooms are on a bed and breakfast basis.
How do I get to Florence at the start?: Great Rail Journeys offers a flight from London or an optional two-day train route via Paris, Lyon, and Milan at no extra cost. You choose the method; the itinerary does not lock one in.
Is this an escorted tour?: No, it is independent. You arrange your own transfers and activities in Florence and Venice. Paid excursions and private guides are available as add-ons.