Orient Express Route: Countries & Cities on the Legendary Journey

The **Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE)** — the modern luxury incarnation — travels a **core route** through **7 countries**:

1. France: **Paris** (Gare de l'Est) — departure.
2. Italy: **Verona** → **Venice** (Santa Lucia) — iconic arrival.
3. Slovenia: **Ljubljana** — brief stop.
4. Croatia: **Zagreb** → **Opatija** → **Rijeka** — Adriatic coast.
5. Romania: **Bucharest** — overnight.
6. Turkey: **Istanbul** (Sirkeci) — historic terminus.

Notes

• London is **not on the main VSOE route** — passengers connect via Eurostar to Paris. Some special charters originate London (Victoria) → Folkestone → shuttle → Calais → Paris → join VSOE.
• Historic "Orient Express" (1883–2009) had multiple variants: **Simplon Orient Express** (via Milan, Venice, Belgrade, Sofia), **Arlberg Orient Express** (via Zurich, Innsbruck, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest).
• Current VSOE runs **March–November**, 2–6 nights, £3,000–£15,000+ pp. Book 12–18 months ahead.

The romance is real: **Art Deco carriages, white-glove service, black-tie dinners, rolling European landscapes.**