A guide to taking a train journey on the Venice Simplon Orient Express and the story of our own experiences. The original Orient Express train service ran from 1883 to 2009, and its name became associated with glamour, luxury, intrigue, and even murder! In its heyday, it was the most luxurious train in Europe and today this tradition lives on with Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE). The VSOE makes regular luxury train journeys across Europe, offering gourmet meals, private overnight cabins, and attentive staff within its wonderfully restored historical train carriages. The signature trip is the 36-hour luxury train journey from London to Venice which has to be one of the most elegant ways to arrive in Venice! We'll share all you need to know to decide if this trip is a good fit for you, from the historical background of the Orient Express to how to book the VSOE online, and we'll also share the full details of our own experience aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train.