You don’t need us to tell you why Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient Express should be on everyone’s travel bucket list. But if you were looking for a final push to convince you that 2025 should be the year you hop onboard, this is it: the legendary train has launched a new route, whisking travellers from Paris through the romantic French countryside and onto the rolling hills and breathtaking lands of Tuscany.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond TrainMaureen M. Evans
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond TrainMaureen M. Evans
Belmond has long been hailed as the purveyor of true slow luxury, providing guests with a unique blend of history, glamour and wanderlust. For the latest route, travellers can choose between three types of accommodation. The Historic Cabins are cosy booths to perch on banquette seating and watch the world zoom by, before transforming into intimate bedrooms come nightfall, while the Suites are larger versions, with the same lacquered walls and Art Deco design, but with a double bed, ensuite bathroom, and more space. The Grand Suites are the creme de la creme of cabins – think decadent, luxurious rooms with marbled ensuites, giant windows, red velvet fabrics, free-flowing Champagne and a 24-hour butler service.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond TrainLudovic Balay
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond TrainPopp Thorpe
Guests will embark on the journey from Paris. The train sets off, weaving through the Parisian cityscape, before a breakfast of freshly baked pastries, tea and coffee is served. The day is spent admiring the postcard-perfect vistas from the cabin, and feasting on clever culinary creations by Chef Jean Imbert, whose menu for the journey was inspired by the regions the train travels through. In the evening, guests can head to the Bar Car ‘3674’ for a night spent sipping cocktails and listening to live piano music, before retiring to their cabins to fall asleep with the gentle rocking of the train.
Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel, TuscanyDaniele Ragazzini
Castello di Casole, a Belmond HotelDaniele Ragazzini
The next morning, views of the Italian countryside greet travellers, and breakfast is served in cabins. After a leisurely morning, guests will arrive at Siena, where a guided tour awaits to introduce them to the historic city in all its glory, including a visit to the 13th-century Palazzo Pannocchieschi d’Elci and the Palio di Siena horse race. Finishing the day on a high, the party will be transported to Castello di Casole, Belmond’s farm estate in the Tuscan countryside. Guests will spend two nights here, amidst a landscape of vineyards, olive groves and rolling hills as far as the eye can see. The following day, a host of activities from a traditional sagra-style lunch, a gathering of local artisans, wellness experiences at the spa and stargazing sessions will take place.
The new journey announcement comes after the success of the 2024 Portofino route, which will resume this summer, joining a roster of incredible legacy journeys offered by Belmond, including Istanbul to Paris, Lyon to Venice and Amsterdam to Verona.
Prices for Paris to Tuscany by a Legend of the Rails start from £9,350 per person based on two guests sharing a Historic Cabin on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and two nights in a Junior Suite at Castello di Casole. Buy tickets at belmond.com
