28hrs on World’s Most Luxurious Train: The Venice Simplon Orient Express

today i'm taking the world's most luxurious sleeper train the venice simplon orient express all the way across europe to venice i'll be staying in the best room on board and yes of course this includes free-flowing champagne my own dining and living space and the cherry on top of course an italian marble ensuite bathroom step back in time with me on this iconic 28 hour journey with dinner in paris waking up in the swiss alps and writing postcards whilst gliding through the italian lakes i'll give you a never-before-seen insight into exactly what it's like from the variety of bedrooms available the stunning restaurants and when night falls we'll enjoy cocktails in the lounge car to the sound of the baby grand piano our luxury train leaves from calais at 4 30 so in order to catch this i'll hop on the eurostar in london and after a short ride under the english channel i'm met by the belmont team in lille and transferred by road over to today's iconic train hello there and welcome back to the channel and to a very special event today where we're going to be riding on the orient express this is something i've dreamt about for many years and it's probably the epitome of luxurious travel so without any more to say let's get straight on board i also have a very special surprise in store for you [Music] can we just talk about how crazy this is this train is oh my goodness oh my god how is this a train [Music] struggling to process this bear in mind a lot of my experiences so far have involved the likes of amtrak this is in a very different league right okay i need to compose myself there is a rational reason for my unrestrained excitement here i booked and paid handsomely for the twin cabin not in my wildest dreams did i anticipate an upgrade of this magnitude bear in mind the grand suites retail north of 20 000 so something i'm not used to at all is that my bags were totally taken care of and they're currently up here waiting for me to unpack so of course i'm not traveling as light as i usually would because i have another companion coming along my lovely girlfriend millie say hello milly oh right well first of all we have a pre-departure drink verve cleco just here well is in there we also have some caviar so millie what's your thoughts on trying caviar [Music] given that we're in a sweet now this is the first of many champagne bottles were able to consume in fact it's bottomless throughout the journey this is complemented with fresh fruits and perhaps the best caviar i've ever had the pleasure of trying so it's caviar time this is the first on a train and in fact i think it's the very first time that i've had caviar on the ground well i can confirm i love it just as much on a train as i do on a plane so back to our journey the first segment will take us some 200 miles south to paris where we'll pick up the rest of the passengers currently there are only 11 on board this huge train where the staff definitely outnumber the guests i feel like it's that time of the video where we need to have a look around the suite because you've seen it in the background but let's have a proper look around all the features because it is utterly mind-blowing and i've just been informed of some of the costs of some of the things i mean even the mirror that i'm resting my hand on just here apparently that costs euros so i better not break it i'm in the istanbul grand suite designed and built by the finest artisanal craftsman in europe the double bed of course being the main attraction on a sleeper train but this wouldn't be out of place in a five-star hotel aside from the light controls the blue buttons dotted around the cabin of your butler who is on call 24 7. and as for the handcrafted wooden headboard i can't begin to imagine the amount of hours that this took to complete while your room is fully air-conditioned with controls by the suite entrance you can open the window for additional ventilation this also provides an excellent vantage point for some of the more scenic parts of the journey there's great storage too with two wardrobes to hang your jackets dresses and shirts naturally as the rest of the suite it's adorned in beautiful highly polished wood you also have a sofa which i'm told will convert to an additional bed should you be traveling with a very lucky child though this rarely happens i'm actually taking a quick glance at the breakfast menu now this is very punchy caviar lobster and truffle to name a few [Music] it's an ensuite bathroom because you know the orient express basically it is dinner time in 15 minutes so i need to change on the orient express of course as you've noticed already i need to be relatively formally dressed dinner needs to be even more so of course so um this isn't going to quite cut it well there we go um i have to say this is the most formal i've ever been on the channel so do bear with me but there is the request that you have to dress formally or else you have to eat your dinner in your room and whilst i do like my nasa hoodie we'll make do with a nasa badge and now for a quick word from today's video sponsor babble babble is my number one language app it uses award-winning tech with lessons designed by real language teachers scientifically proven to get you speaking in just three weeks gracias given the amount of travel unfortunate to do learning the local language is a must for me i use babel's short 10 minute interactive lessons daily to keep my language skills growing and what i love is that it's designed to prepare you for situations that you'll actually encounter in the real world learning practical conversations in your chosen language to use on your travels for example when i'm home in between trips i'm able to grab my daily lessons outside on my balcony with a cup of coffee for example esta estacion de trin of course practice does make perfect which is why i'll be continuing my daily lessons in preparation for my trip to south america babel can be used to learn a new language for work for travel or simply as a new hobby so do give babble a try and receive 65 off your subscription use my link down below to take you right to that discount thanks again babel for sponsoring today's video well this is the event isn't it walking all the way through the train thank you i'm going on a proper adventure this certainly beats walking's dinner on amtrak eh i can't say i'm track on here there are actually three restaurants on the train though as only 11 passengers are currently on board they've opened just one this evening the beautiful and elegantly designed coped as yours [Music] launched for the 2022 season we're among the first to try chef jean and burr's cunnery experience your dinner is included though the option to splurge for caviar is there if you wish as within a suite i'll continue my obligatory bottomless champagne drinking we're offered fresh parisian bread complemented by a saffron and orange butter to quote millie this is the best bread i've ever had as we wait for our food we continue our slow trundle into paris to start i have the lobster salad with avocado and burrata aside from being elegantly presented it was absolutely divine a delicate fusion of flavours leaving me wanting more but worry not we're just getting started [Music] next up is the beef wellington or arguably a more deconstructed version with buttery flaky pastry and the beef itself tender and succulent resting on a bed of mushroom it was phenomenal comfortably surpassing any dish i've ever had on a first class flight i actually feel that's quite insulting to even suggest that [Music] next up there's a choice of a cheese board or sorbet i opt for the latter feeling pretty full already and knowing dessert is just around the corner it's fresh and importantly light leaving me with a small amount of room for the finale [Music] and just like that we arrive into paris guard last this is where the remaining passengers will board taking guest numbers to around 30 in total and as if by q our dessert is here the tiramisu souffle coupled with a mascarpone ice cream the souffle is light fluffy but to me didn't have a huge level of flavour now it's time for the bill but as we're a sweet guest the additional drinks we enjoyed are taking care of [Music] right so dinner out of the way actually we've arrived in paris so we're here for 40 minutes it's nice to get off the train get a bit of fresh air but just getting used to seeing this train parked up against all of the sort of very modern trains it's it's like something out of a movie i mean realistically millie and i were just saying that we watched murder on the orient express recently which um i mean i hope doesn't happen the point is is just seeing how beautiful the train was in that movie and seeing it in the flesh here is just well just so surreal [Music] yeah we got a little bit confused there we've just got back on now we're going to head to the bar but for some reason we walk the opposite direction so yeah time to go over to uh get a drink and make sure millie doesn't get distracted by the the boutique just here [Music] there we go oh would you look at this it's all been turned down for bed so i've noticed one thing this gift now i assumed it would be chocolates however look what it is it's a pen i love it it's a great thing but i can't eat it before bed can i now it is finally time to get out of this formal wear and uh well let's be honest got a dressing gown to change into [Music] so the other thing that's pretty incredible and i guess makes sense given how much these sweets are is this dressing gown which is designed by dolce gabbana i can actually take with me home i mean that's a gift to remember isn't it i love it um anyway with that said now this is much more like it we'll have a proper full look around this bathroom in the morning of course in the morning i've also got to have a shower and you know how hilarious that usually is [Music] also just a side note a massive thanks to millie who's put up with all the filming today how's it been coming along on one of these trips amazing i mean it's been good apart from having to be well my camera girl anyway with that i'll catch you all in the morning [Music] the next day [Music] good morning i gotta say sleeping on the orange express certainly among the more comfier way to travel by braille [Music] it's time for breakfast and this is no ordinary affair eat whenever you want from frankly a huge selection of options we chose to take breakfast to 8 30 as this is when we start to head into the swiss alps i start with the lobster and avocado on toast which aside from being the most beautiful breakfast i've ever ordered tasted incredible to complement this i went with a fresh cappuccino as i move on to the next course naturally you guessed it poached eggs and caviar this really is the breakfast of champions complementing the outstanding alpine views playing out before our very eyes [Music] we're about to head up into the alps which i'm so excited about the views already have been unbelievable um i think they're about to get a whole lot better it's now time to finish off with another coffee they've made me a beautiful cappuccino so now i think it's time to go and drink coffee in bed whilst we go through the swiss house one of the best bits of advice i can give if you ever take this trip is to get up at a reasonable time besides paying an awful lot of money to be on this train you don't want to miss the scenery in the morning and like us you can just have a coffee in bed watching the world go by now it is time to have a shower now this is quite unique because most of the compartments on the train do not have a shower or access to one of course this actually does because it's the newer suites let's see what it's like the grand suite bathroom is unlike any on-boarder train in fact this makes my bathroom at home look pedestrian note the subtle turkish influences and a nod to the suite's name istanbul i just love the attention to detail everywhere you look even the mosaics on the floor which by the way is heated are absolutely stunning aside from the gradual rock of the train you could easily forget you're on one right the main event the shower with both golden rainfall and shower head attachments it's a special place to be unlike the caledonian express the shower provides a constant warm cleansing experience with great water pressure much like back at home shower done and feeling a million bucks let's get changed into my smart casual attire [Music] at this point i'm reminded my teams are far back home in england they'll be back next week everyone don't worry instead of the amenity kit you get in the twin compartment you get an entire draw in the suites complete with my favorite marvis toothpaste [Music] after another hour or so winding through the swiss countryside we're almost at the swiss italian border chiasso [Music] i'm sure it'll come at no surprise to you but it's yet again food time i'm helped down by our lovely cabin attendant antoinette [Music] hey thank you so we have decided to take the scenic route to lunch um of course we'd usually walk through the train let's walk outside now we're currently on the italian swiss border i think we're here for about 15 more minutes so it's a chance to stretch the legs some passengers have taken this as a chance for a smoke break because you can't smoke on the train neither of us do so we don't need to worry about that anyway we're gonna walk over and get some food you hungry very hungry i feel like we'll be doing this trip though i love it let's head straight to etual de nord i'm sure that's horribly pronounced so sorry another one of the three restaurants on board the train and given how busy it is this is what it looks like when it's empty right food time another solid menu today and no i'm not tempted with more caviar i think i've had my fill until next week there's more of the phenomenal parisian bread and saffron-infused butter which go down a treat with both million eye whilst we wait for our appetizers i've gone for the green asparagus it looks as all the other dishes do stunning and i thoroughly enjoyed it although i could only eat about half now i love asparagus but i felt there's a little too much of a good thing plus the blood orange was overpowering in my opinion as we depart chiasso we officially enter italy third and final country of this adventure now for my favorite dish of the trip the supreme poultry or well chicken with an albathera sauce infused with a 100 year old armagnac this dish alone has ruined chicken for me unbelievable scenes as we trundle ever further into italy it's not long before dessert arrives strawberries and vanilla vasherin i'm so pleased this was on the menu it's not something i'd ordinarily order and i'd certainly jump at having this option again the contrast of the creamy vanilla and sharp strawberry was simply sublime [Music] right so lunch all out of the way now i think millie and i are going to go and write some postcards because on the orient express they have a postal service more about that in just a second [Music] so millie and i have arrived back at the scene of the crime last night the bar car a pen okay i love that and then some nice postcards [Music] i think this is such a lovely and thoughtful touch belmont have thought of here it's becoming a forgotten tradition i feel so i'm glad we're able to take advantage of this unreal postal service next we're heading to the only restaurant we've not explored yet la oriental it's clearly inspired by the east but sadly not open to dining during our trip however they have set up a bunch of board games and i promised millie i'll teach her how to play chess well that doesn't look like chess milly i was going to teach i was going to teach millie some chess but that looks like checkers [Music] so i'm very happy to announce that i won three or three um millie is very upset you know poor loot i'm joking it was millie's first time playing so we'll give her a break anyway we've just arrived in verona let's quickly head down to the platform check it out and head back to our compartment because it's time for afternoon tea millie and i both couldn't remember this gentleman's name but he was by far our favorite in the restaurant car amazing personalized service well ellie have you been to verona before i have not well new place we have been advised strictly not to go any further away from the train because it will leave without us [Laughter] [Music] what's so nice about the orient express is every little detail is taken care of the room has been made up again it's just beautiful it really does never get old and i i know of course given the price point you do expect a certain level of attention to detail but it is impeccable with that yeah you've guessed it it's time for afternoon tea complete with brioche bun creme frash and my requested japanese green tea there's also jellied fruits and cookies well this is very civilized and i really don't want to burn myself you know when in restaurants they say something's hot don't touch it i want to touch it but apparently yeah that's super hot so i've got a little napkin oh this is chaos how am i going to do that this is an accident to happen [Music] post afternoon tea i think it's time to check out some of the other compartments namely the one i originally booked the twin room these are laid out as a sofa during the day but then bunk beds during the night there's no ensuite toilet instead just an in-room sink these are the far more authentic versions of the sleeper compartments on the original orient express and they're what travelling in the 20s and 30s would have been like the suites are only a modern addition for those wanting ensuite bathrooms and showers if you're wondering where you'd go to the bathroom when staying in a twin room these are located in each train car and shared between other sleeper passengers these are kept very clean and well stocked with lalique amenities throughout the trip but will you ask how did you and millie get that swanky upgrade well here's the thing i paid for this trip just like any other passenger no youtubers shortcuts discounts or indeed point redemptions instead i booked through my friend who runs a luxury travel agency theluxurytraveler.com you get what's called bellini benefits when booking through him which can result in space available upgrades in luxury hotels and in this case trains the link to his website is down below we've just arrived here at the mainland venice station however we're going to be going across the causeway actually into venice that you know [Music] well with that we have arrived in venice and this is the unfortunate end of this incredible journey across the continent of europe [Music] and there we have it welcome to venice what's an incredible journey that was thanks once again for watching and i'll catch you all again next week [Music]

Channel: Trek Trendy

Views: 6,979,863

Keywords: orient express, the orient express, belmond orient express, venice simplon orient express, venice simplon orient express grand suite, grand suite, sleeper train, overnight train

Id: uh56ESOVYdQ

Length: 23min 20sec (1400 seconds)

Published: Sun May 15 2022