Europe’s legendary trains still fire the imagination, and some of them still run. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express by Belmond links Paris to Venice from about £3,885 per person. Too dear? The real good news: you can retrace the mythic route on regular trains, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Budapest and on to Istanbul, for a fraction of the price. That route crosses up to six countries, including Turkey outside the EU, so one eSIM for the whole continent keeps the ticket app and the offline guides within reach all the way.
The name Orient-Express conjures a mahogany dining car, an Agatha Christie murder and a run from Paris to Istanbul. The reality of 2026 is twofold: there is a luxury train that carries the myth, and there is a clever way to follow the same route without selling a kidney.
Here are both options, with the real figures, and my take on what is worth it.
The real Orient-Express today
The train that keeps the legend alive is the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, run by Belmond. Its carriages are genuine 1920s Art Deco cars, restored with marquetry, brass and white linen.
In 2026 it no longer departs straight from London Victoria. From the United Kingdom you reach Paris or Brussels by Eurostar, then board the main train. The itineraries link Paris to Venice, and less often to Vienna, Prague, Budapest or Istanbul.
The price matches the object: from about £3,885 to £4,275 per person for a Historic Cabin between Paris and Venice, the gourmet dinner included. Suites start near £8,785, and the Grand Suite tops £12,000. It is a one-off experience, an event, not a means of transport.
Retracing the line without the luxury price
Here is the trick the luxury guides stay quiet about. The historic Orient-Express route is served, section by section, by everyday regular trains. You can retrace it yourself, at your own pace, with an Interrail pass and a few reservations.
A route that works over roughly a week:
- Paris to Strasbourg by TGV, then Strasbourg to Munich.
- Munich to Vienna on a comfortable Railjet.
- Vienna to Budapest, under 3 hours.
- Budapest to Bucharest by night train, handy for swallowing the distance.
- Bucharest to Istanbul via the seasonal night train and a connection in Bulgaria.
My take: do it over several days, with stops in Vienna and Budapest. The magic is not in the carriage, it is in the slow crossing of central Europe all the way to the Bosphorus. And the total budget stays below the price of a single night in a Historic Cabin. A single Interrail Global Pass, a couchette or two and a handful of high-speed reservations usually cover the whole run, and you still choose where to break the journey.
One concrete planning point: the final leg to Istanbul depends on a seasonal night train that does not run all year, and the connection in Bulgaria is often made at night. Check the running dates several weeks ahead, and keep a day of slack in Sofia or Bucharest to absorb a delay without missing the next leg.
The other mythic trains of Europe
The Orient-Express is not alone. Several legendary trains still run, often for a few days of upmarket touring.
- Al Andalus (Spain): a rolling palace touring Andalusia, Seville, Cordoba and Granada, in 1920s carriages.
- El Transcantabrico: the north coast of Spain, from the Basque Country to Galicia, on the narrow gauge.
- British Pullman (Belmond): day excursions from London, in the cars that once fed into the Orient-Express.
- Royal Scotsman: the Scottish Highlands in grand-luxury form, over several nights.
- Golden Eagle Danube Express: from central Europe to the Balkans and beyond.
Luxury or budget: the comparison
| Criterion | Legendary train (Belmond) | Route on regular trains |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative price | From ≈ £3,885 / person | Interrail pass + reservations, far less |
| Duration | 1 to 2 nights, fixed dates | Your own pace, 5 to 7 days |
| Experience | Art Deco cars, gourmet dinner | City stops, full freedom |
| Best for | A special occasion, an event trip | Curious travellers, controlled budget |
- The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express books months ahead: dates and cabins sell out fast.
- For the budget route, an Interrail pass covers the bulk; add the main-line and night-train reservations.
- In eastern Europe, timetables shift often: check every connection the day before.
- Istanbul is outside the European Union: sort out your mobile connection before you arrive.
Planning a legendary itinerary
A long run along the Orient-Express route takes a little organising. Tickets are bought on several national apps, timetables change, and the stations of central Europe and the Balkans sometimes show everything in the local alphabet.
Download the guides to the stopover cities, the station maps and your tickets in advance. Keep an offline version of every reservation: between two connections, wifi is a lottery. Budget a realistic number of nights too, since the sleeper legs east of Budapest run on fixed days and a missed connection can cost you a full day.
The ticket app and the guides, even offline
On an itinerary that crosses up to six countries, everything rests on your phone: each operator’s ticket app, the live timetables, the translation at the window, the city guides.
The snag is that you change network at every border. Between Paris and Istanbul you pass through France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, then Turkey. Juggling one SIM card per country would be absurd.
A eSIM for Europe follows you the whole way on a single card. You check your tickets and your guides in every country, with nothing to change at the border.
One detail is decisive here: Turkey is outside EU roaming, as are the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the western Balkans. On the Orient-Express route, your EU plan therefore stops partway. A travel eSIM covering the whole continent keeps your connection going all the way to the Bosphorus.
Orange is the service used by more than 300 million customers: 200+ destinations covered, round-the-clock human support 24/7 and 100 percent refunded if you never use your eSIM.
Ready to retrace the Orient-Express, connected from Paris to Istanbul?
