120hrs on Orient Express Luxury Sleeper Train | Paris - Istanbul

today I'm taking the world's most luxurious sleeper train for 125 hours across an entire continent this is the famous Orient Express step back in time with me on this iconic Journey from Paris all the way to Istanbul I'll show you a never-before-seen insight as we travel through eight countries in what's also the world's most expensive train ticket from the various accommodation on board Michelin star dining in the three restaurants and of course the entertainment in the bar car with that let's pick up our story in Paris bonjour and welcome to Paris we've just been collected from our hotel and are on route to Garda last where our journey will begin guard the last is paris's fifth busiest station though it's significant to us being the historic starting point of the very first Istanbul bounds orange Express journey in 1889. we dropped off at one of the station's side entrances and warmly welcomed by the trained staff whilst our bags are taken ahead of us to our Sleeper Car well hello there and welcome back to the channel where we're about to get on board at the orions express I'm super excited about this and it's something that's been a long time in the making so without any more to say let's go and get on board it seems surreal being in a busy City Center station and walking down a red carpet checking this out with promptly on the platform and within no time at all we're issued our tickets all the way to Istanbul by point of comparison here's an original ticket for the route back in 1898. with tickets in hand and anticipation building We join in with the celebration on the platform as more passengers arrive Millie and I are excited to see some familiar faces from when we took this trip last year shall we go and get on board then [Music] we've been assigned Carriage a which like almost all the train dates back from the 1920s and it really is like stepping back in time well welcome on board we've arrived in our cabin and of course formally introducing the lovely Millie back to the channel I'm back you are back indeed your catchphrase is back in the building so anyway with that we're just about to self I think so uh before we show you all around let's get settled in and have a glass of champagne I think foreign forward signaling the start of one of the world's most iconic Journeys I guess this also begs the question what's our route well given the scale of our Paris to Istanbul itinerary over the next five days let's focus on the first segment our initial 24 hours will see us travel South East through France into Switzerland and Lichtenstein passing through the Alps and arriving into San Anton Austria tomorrow morning to follow our route along visually we're presented with these beautiful itinerary cards which I'll share with you at the beginning of each day of our trip so now we're off let's take a look around the cabin let's we're in a vintage LX series Sleeper Car which features 10 compartments we've been assigned room number seven Belmont calls these historic compartments and they're authentic to what you'd have traveled in back in the 1920s and 30s by day a private lounge with a comfy bunket sofa for two and by night these convert to an upper and lower bed I'll of course show you these in detail this evening in terms of storage our large bags are placed at the end of The Carriage accessible whenever we like whereas our carry-on can be placed in the overhead luggage racks whilst there's a fan these are fully air conditioned and can be individually adjusted here this train does run in winter months and in turn actually has the original coal-fired heating which George or cabin attendant demonstrates for us here though it's still summer so I think we'll give the heat a mess for now in terms of bathroom facilities this is where it gets interesting an enclosed wash basin with hot and cold water is in your cabin whilst there's a separate toilet further down the carriage back in the 1920s you'd have used a chamber pot in your room at least we won't be using one of bows [Music] and in a surprise parallel to my flight reviews there's even a Dior amenity kit which I guess makes sense as Belmont is owned by lvmh as we glide through the French Countryside I make it time for afternoon tea this is served in room and consists of light pastries and charcuterie it's also a chance for the obligatory caffeine hit as we have quite the eventful evening to prepare for [Music] you may be wondering what the other rooms are like on board well further down the train you'll find the opulent Grand Suites of which there are just three per Carriage each are named after the Train's various destinations let's take a look inside Istanbul of which Millie and I traveled in last year to Venice this dining space which naturally offers up caviar and free-flowing champagne from a dedicated Butler 24 7. in addition there's a sofa and the most comfortable double bed with intricate wooden paneling and the finest Market tree oh when you also get an ensuite bathroom with heated floors and an Italian marble shower sadly for this trip with prices north of 140 000 it's well beyond anything I can fathom [Music] so as we Glide ever closer towards Switzerland yes that's our next country that we're going to be going through it's actually time that we prepare for dinner now dinner on board the Orient Express is a very formal Affair and my usual attire of a NASA hoodie is not going to cut it obviously you'd think maybe this might but no it is a full dinner jacket but I can prepared so let's get changed into something a little more formal that we've very rarely seen on this channel oh foreign [Music] there are three restaurant cars on board each uniquely themed for our first dinner we've been assigned to the Oriental dating from 1927 and built in Birmingham La Oriental features Chinese style lacquered wall panels it's a beautiful cut and a fitting venue for the start of our journey East [Music] at the menu then all have been created by Michelin star Chef Jean Amber [Music] there's also a separate caviar menu which is chargeable unfortunately I think we'll leave that for now in terms of drink well thankfully it's all included though I'll add it didn't used to be in previous years I just have to sample their free-flowing Renault Rose champagne we're initially served in a moose Bouche of Ravioli and Parmesan sauce which is spectacular all whilst the world rushes past outside our current location is Strasbourg on the French German border around 250 miles from Switzerland back inside our appetizer has arrived Lobster in summer vinaigrette mixed vegetables and marigold flowers an event was served beef per TVA with foie gras herb salad and Groton dolphin War I find this most similar to the British Beef Wellington and whilst it's super tasty I would say the beef is a little tough on waiter Peter insisted I add the Venice simplon Orient Express pin next to my NASA badge I feel it's a worthy companion on my lapel foreign so back from a lovely first evening here on the Orient Express and we're back to our lovely room it's been made up ready for sleep it looks so comfy doesn't it however we have our first predicament we do it's bunk beds who's getting the top who's getting the bottom of course being a gentleman I've got to offer the opportunity for Millie to decide which bed she wants I think I'm gonna go with the bottom bunk please no problem at all that leaves me in the top let's hope I don't fall out rather than me waiting on our beds are these beautiful kimonos ones that will fall in my suitcase for sure whilst I'm not convinced it's my color it's certainly a comfy changer from the other ways mandated smart dress code on board now I actually think the top bunk is a win here don't tell Milly it's super comfortable and by far the best sleeper trained bed I've ever experienced Nigel [Music] well good morning from Austria join our Slumber we've passed through the rest of France Switzerland and Lichtenstein I am however a little confused as why we have a prolonged stop here in San Anton I guess we'll have to head to breakfast and find out shortly is served back in La Oriental though we've been given free reign to sit where we please [Music] the menu is rather unconventional and is normally intended to be a lighter Affair served in your cabin but for the first morning they offer this in the restaurants let's kick off with a strong caffeine hit in form of a cappuccino and get stuck in this avocado and grapefruit caviar and scrambled eggs with crispy bacon I find a rather disjointed Affair but still in all very tasty foreign [Music] Anton we're here in Austria have you been to Austria before Millie I have have you when did you go I went skiing with school well I don't think we're gonna do any skiing today but we have got an unscheduled stop here because there's been a landslide and I don't mean to get dramatic and hark back to the original story of the Orient Express but you probably couldn't even make this up there has literally been a landslide further down the track so we're stuck here for a few hours whilst that's cleared now this is where the flexibility and professionalism of the trained staff is tested to the Limit 90 passengers stranded because of a landslide for five hours what exactly do you do well first of all the location is certainly on our side just look how beautiful this town is so at the 11th Hour the staff organized a brief Excursion into town for us complete with lunch at the cutest Alpine Lodge it's impressive to me when you think how the phone call must have gone this morning hey we need to book 90 people in for lunch please apparently the only issue the lodge had was the amount of weight staff available but of course our train has an entire team of waiters to take care of that we're informed the landslide has been cleared so it's full steam ahead to get back on board and on with our journey just in the nick of time too as the weather seems to have turned [Music] now we're very much back on the Move where are we heading next we'll continue East for the next 500 Miles passing Vienna and into Hungary arriving into Budapest tomorrow morning as we wind through the Austrian Alps we served a light afternoon tea with well not quite DC but Coke Zero will do it's nice to be back on the move again albeit rather behind schedule and just before we head for dinner and continue on our journey to Istanbul I recently found out every month I'm being charged for an additional Amazon subscription well today's video sponsor rocket money is here to help rocket money is an all-in-one Finance platform that helps you save more and spend less this personal finance app allows you to manage subscriptions lower bills build a custom budget and grow your savings all in one place I'm using rocket money to set up smart savings but choosing the amount and the frequency rocket money will automatically deposit savings into a smart savings account which you 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beautiful and intricate Market tree throughout let's settle into our table to the rear of the carriage time to have a proper look at tonight's menu naturally I must have another glass of the delicious Runar Rose as we talk into some of the freshly baked bread to start with served chicken egg green pea and carrot juice soup which is really good outside our window the world continues to Glide by as we pass through Austria just south of Salzburg the main course we both opt for the duck confi which you may have not seen on the menu basically if you don't fancy something you can choose from a variety of Alternatives by inquiring with your waiter to close with served strawberries and raspberries fresh cream with an almond-laced biscuit with dinner out of the way we really must check out the famous barcar 3674 this is the True Heart of the train glowing with style and glamor it's the perfect place for an after dinner drink or five along with some live music from our fantastic resident Pianist on the baby grand piano should we take a glance at the extensive cocktail menu as mentioned yesterday evening all alcohol is included aside from a few top shelf bottles of champagne though with so much quality booze included I'd not be tempted to push the boat out further [Music] now I think we really must turn in we have quite the busy one tomorrow Budapest beckons thank you [Music] well good morning and welcome to the historic and Majestic Budapest due to the landslide it means we've arrived 15 hours behind schedule ordinarily with no Landslide impacting our timings would have stayed overnight here enjoyed an evening river cruise and dined in the Museum of Fine Arts perhaps rather selfishly an additional night on board the world's most luxurious train was actually an added perk for me but I'm aware many were looking forward to their time in Budapest [Music] well it's a very good morning and a welcome to Budapest Hungary we've finally arrived and we've just been presented with our hotel Key now we're not going to be staying here of course but it's somewhere we can go and freshen up take a shower have some breakfast and relax a little bit before we continue on on our Incredible Journey [Music] it's all but a short transfer from Budapest station over to the iconic Four Seasons Hotel this Art Nouveau storm hotel is a destination in itself though with no time to sleep in one of the dreamy High thread count beds there's just enough time to gaze out over the Danube and head for a well-needed shower in what seems like no time at all we'll whisk back on board our coach for the short transfer over to the railway station [Music] we have quite the welcome committee to greet us back to the train complete with local violinists [Music] foreign this lovely train but also in the cool because it's pretty hot outside anyway let's get back in the cabin hello Millie oh hey you've gone ahead you're settling in nice and cold enjoying the air con yeah it is good isn't it what what do we have here though we've got a treat and a treat we have another ice cold bottle of grunard Rose all ready for our departure oh [Music] give our journey have in store for us we'll be heading 500 miles Southeast over the border into Romania arriving into the capital Bucharest tomorrow afternoon with all this excitement and runard drinking I think it's time we head to lunch let's walk down the train to Le tualatinore and see what's on offer this afternoon [Music] we'll kick things off with some freshly baked bread and a lovely ice cold DC as the Hungarian Countryside rolls along outside our window I'm ecstatic to find my favorite Caprese salad is offered as a starter a refreshing Italian staple for Maine was served guinea fowl mushroom rigatoni with a Parmesan sauce and to those of you that haven't tried it before it's similar to chicken just came here to close off a fabulous lunch we're presented with roasted cherries and pistachio ice cream wow I couldn't eat lunch like this every day that's for sure and as if by Clockwork we reached the Romanian border [Music] well I'm very happy to welcome you to Romania we've just crossed the border there's a few formalities that need to be sorted out and yes they somewhat confusingly despite both Hungary and Romania being in the EU there is still passport control formalities here this is because Romania is not part of the Schengen Zone the first country in fact that we've entered on this trip that is not thankfully this means as passengers on the Orient Express we don't need to do much as our stewards manage our passports on our behalf I elect to spend the time stretching my legs along the platform in an effort to walk off some of this fine food back on the move again I think it's time we check out the onboard Boutique located towards the front of the train this also means saying hello to an old friend Massimo who we met on our previous trip a lovely and extremely knowledgeable man who has some incredible stories to tell from the past 20 years he's worked on board we actually have some onboard credit to spend thanks to booking with my friend Jarvis so simply had to indulge in a few gifts [Music] with the sun setting over the Romanian Countryside it's time again for our dinner arrangements we're turning back in La Oriental tonight we've been trying to get into the last remaining restaurant car coked as year but it's been incredibly popular hopefully tomorrow unfortunately there's been an ongoing issue with the AC this afternoon meaning it's rather warm it's actually why you won't see me in my dinner jacket and just a shirt this evening [Music] right what should we have tonight then it all looks very tasty to me [Music] we'll start with a traditional Romanian plum-based Spirit suica which is sweet juicy and pretty strong next we'll move on to gnt's with our dinner [Music] to start with served scampi ravioli bisque and green vegetables which is both delicate and delicious the main the veal chop is served with a chanterelle sauce to more rural areas the train Garners more attention remember this route is only run once a year so it's quite the occasion when it passes next we'll serve to palette cleanser of raspberry sorbet many opt for a cheese course next but we have greater things on our agenda the chocolate souffle tart with vanilla ice cream talk about my favorite dessert spectacular [Music] dinner out of the way it's time to head to the bar car for cocktails and live music I'm not alone when I say this this is the best Carriage on board smiles and laughter all around like clockwork gets Singapore Sling and Bailey's time for million eye as we sit back and enjoy entertainment from a talented Romanian singer foreign it's at this point the bar staff invite me over for a cocktail lesson let's make a margarita first start tequila Triple Sec lime juice now to shake over ice and finally to strain and serve [Music] well good morning from the Romanian mountains today will feature two stops in both Sanaya and the capital city of Bucharest time for a brief in-room caffeine hit as we roll into Sanaya station is a town and mountain resort in prahova country and is named after the monastery bill in 1695. [Music] as I mentioned last night the further east we go the more attention the train gets and we've drawn quite the crowd of locals anyhow time for our morning Excursion well a very good morning from an unexpected bus ride we're in Sanaya am I seeing that right yes and we'll have to go and have a look at a castle this town is famous for the king's summer residence a Neo Renaissance Palace built in 1873. pele's Castle it's actually most relevant to our journey as the first passengers on the Orient Express were personally invited by Ken Carroll to visit the castle to Mark its completion the tradition of stopping here has continued to this day yeah next we're shuttled back to the station to report the train I love the routine at each platform where the staff are there to warmly welcome you back on board [Music] it's not long before we depart Bound for Bucharest I also make it lunchtime so we'll head back to our regular haunt of La Oriental and settle down at one of the tables [Music] all right [Music] to begin with served half cooked red prawn tomato water herbs and summer flowers the main were offered sea bass but as explained earlier you can substitute a dish with your preferred meat Millie goes for a steak whereas I have to try the duck confi again it's just so tender and delicious [Music] to close we have the tart to tan which is essentially caramelized apples in pastry with vanilla ice cream [Music] in what seems like no time at all we're crawling into Bucharest Garden or [Music] welcome to Bucharest we have arrived the capital city of Romania now we're here I think just overnight isn't it so we need to go and find our accommodation we're not sleeping on the train tonight which is a first and most importantly we're going to be able to get a shower yeah and another ensuite bathroom anyway let's go find our guide and get our transfer over to the hotel we'll take a motor coach the short distance across town to our hotel the Intercontinental Anthony Palace right on Revolution Square the palace is quite the Historic Landmark opened in 1914 and designed in an art nouveau style it's likely where many would have stayed pre or post to taking the Orient Express back in the 1920s so again it's pretty special to follow in these fabled footsteps we'll be here just for the night which will be quite the change to sleeping on a bunk bed going at 70 miles an hour this evening Beaumont have booked out the famous Romanian restaurants Karu kabere from beer to traditional foods dancing and music it's fair to say that we may have got a little carried away with the swaker [Music] well good morning and it's welcome back to a garden or station here in Bucharest where we're about to reboard the Orient Express [Music] with warmly greeted back at the platform by staff on a local musician before heading back on board Carriage a [Music] within a few minutes we're off Bound for yet another country today we'll see us head Southeast and into Bulgaria traveling all the way to the coastline of the Black Sea and in turn to Varna arriving in time for Sundowners on the beach [Music] first up let's head to the bar car as whilst it's brilliant in the evening it's equally as Divine during the day with its plush blue seating intricate Market tree and floral displays it's the perfect setting to unwind whilst listening to The Gentle keystrokes of the grand piano with the countryside gliding past outside most importantly for mid-morning of course it's the espresso machine which will put to good use right away [Music] with morning leading into early afternoon we're invited to take lunch in tualatinore don't worry the final restaurant we yet to try is coming up later tonight [Music] unfortunately the AC issue we experienced yesterday is still persisting throughout the train I guess arguably we're getting a more authentic original experience right what Delights do we have to tickle our fancy this lunchtime then it seems to be rather Seafood focused and whilst Lobster does certainly appeal to me Sebring Tatar does not naturally there's an alternative because well it's the Orient Express darling here's the vegetarian menu for reference this is available at every meal time being previously vegetarian believe it or not I really value flexibility on dietary requirements when nearing the border with Bulgaria and interestingly what constitutes the border between the two countries is the river Danube will be needing to pass over the Friendship Bridge otherwise known as the Danube Bridge opened in 1954 and spanning over 7 000 foot in length it was certainly quite the engineering achievement back in the 1950s [Music] now in Bulgaria we'll pick our lunch back up with my appetizer of tomatoes and condiments a beautiful and inventive take that's for sure for Maine we certainly don't want to miss out on the American style Lobster which is cut to perfection and just like that we arrive into the Border checkpoint station of Bruce where our passports will once again be checked well I'm very happy to welcome you to Bulgaria and now we have to sort out the various passport formalities it's not going to be like what we have in Turkey tomorrow and more on that when we cross that border [Music] we're cleared to depart so it's onwards to the Black Sea for us [Music] I realize you haven't really seen the washroom facilities which may be of interest as it's not exactly conventional for a sleeper train in line with the authenticity of the 1920s you simply wouldn't have had one so these are positioned to the rear of each carriage unfortunately our AC problem gets worse to the point where the Bulgarian locomotive has to be replaced this means we're in for quite the delay while sitting here in the heat personally it's all part of the adventure for me but I know many on board were quite upset as this also cuts down the time in Varna quite significantly thankfully a new locomotive is finally deployed and we're back on our way to the Black Sea sadly our dreams of a Sundown on the beach are quite out of the question with the sun starting to dip below the horizon we honestly weren't expecting such a welcome committee though Untold our arrival has even made national news what a truly lovely reception well good evening and welcome to Varna Bulgaria we have finally arrived on the Black Sea we're getting a quick transfer just down so we can apparently dip our toes in the Black Sea itself but as you can see from around me we've got quite the welcome party here at Varna station foreign ER is quite out of the way as a more direct route would have been due south to the Turkish border this is because originally the Orient Express would travel only as far as Varna and the remaining section to the then Constantinople would have been by steamer taking a further 14 hours though this changed in 1889 when the railway was completed all the way down to Istanbul worry not no steamers for us today and we'll be back on board after dipping our toes in the Black Sea [Music] back at Varna railway station it's time to Embark upon our final sector and perhaps the most significant over the next 18 hours or so we'll make the final push to Istanbul now because of the earlier delays we're currently heading to dinner at 11 PM but we're excited as it's finally time to try out the most popular restaurants coked azure located near the front of the train it's not hard to see why this is so popular it's absolutely stunning from the royal blue Fabrics intricate detailing and Renee Lily glass [Music] we resigned a table for two by the window first order of business is of course a glass of Lauren Perrier Rose champagne let's take a look at tonight's menu then it seems to be rather Seafood focused again but by now we know what to do here [Music] to start I indulge in the caviar as an amuse Bouche I mean it's not quite the 600 Euro variety but it's a decent taster can you tell by the movement the train is really going at a fair Pace I guess it's a rush now to the Bulgarian Turkish border for Daybreak so for Maine we've opted for a stake rather than the turbot cooked medium rare for me and rare for Millie [Music] drawing close to half past midnight we served our dessert Grand Marnier ice souffle it's at this point our fabulous entertainment begins [Music] [Music] got them [Music] [Laughter] [Music] truly special evening but my word I'm ready for bed now at 2am [Music] we awake just as we cross through the Bulgarian Turkish Border in my semi-sleepy state it truly feels like a dream that we finally made it to Turkey we're a long way from Paris now [Music] well I'm very happy to welcome you officially to Turkey to just waiting for our lovely Steward George to come and escort us over to possible control so all of that out whilst we enjoy some local entertainment [Music] officially stamped out of our last country it's time to reboot the train our larger bags will be sent ahead by road to our hotels in Istanbul [Music] [Music] so it's time for a final meal service in the LA Oriental restaurant naturally it's a Turkish theme this afternoon with even the staff dressed in traditional attire foreign the menu is extensive and I'm told the days prior to our trip the head chef traveled to Istanbul to arrange delivery of fresh ingredients which we just picked up at the border we'll start with the Mesa assortment from stuffed Vine leaves baby stewed aubergine and ottoman style spiced tomato for Maine let's tuck into the Apple stuffed with minced lamb sultanas raisins nuts and rice so good [Music] finally and I'm sure you'll guess this one baklava served with fresh watermelon juice with lunch out of the way we have one last important task to hand let's head to the bar car [Music] after some all-important photos with the incredible bar staff foreign it's time to write some postcards I bet you didn't know the Venice simple on Orient Express have their own Postal Service of sorts I hope my grand will like her little souvenir from our journey Millie will now post these in the on train post box which should arrive back in the UK sometime in the next few weeks now we mentioned it earlier but we need to talk about the all-important cost this is the most expensive journey of my life though there's a plot twist a few months ago I stumped up 42 000 pounds for the last historic compartment on the train remember as always this is self-funded but easily the most I've ever invested into a video so I've just received a letter from Belmont a week after returning apologizing profusely for the delays domest excursions and AC issues they've offered a full refund in cash or an increased future credit to be used on Belmont hotels and trains now that really is quite something and certainly goes the extra mile with that we pull slowly into Istanbul and indeed version of our epic adventure [Music] hello we have arrived in Istanbul after a magical trip it's been absolutely unbelievable and to think that we've come all the way from Paris well again it's going to take a long time to process but certainly one of the most incredible trips of our entire lives so with that thank you so much for watching and we'll catch you all again next time bye [Music]

Channel: Trek Trendy

Views: 3,177,329

Keywords: luxury sleeper train, sleeper train, orient express, the orient express, venice simplon orient express

Id: gSxqZC6mApw

Length: 36min 29sec (2189 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 24 2023