Thursday Drive: Experience the Orient Express

If you've ever wondered what a trip would be like aboard
the luxurious train that Agatha Christie made famous in
Murder On The Orient Express, here's your chance to find out.


Inside the Venice Simplon Orient Express before passengers board:



Venice to London on the Venice Simplon Orient Express through
the eyes of Blue Peter's "steward" and his "V.I.P. passenger".



Now the journey by real passengers, an elderly couple chosen
by the BBC's "50 Things To Do Before You Die" program:



The following is in French, but the clips and music need no translation:



And a short clip (in German) mentioning Sir James Sherwood's
role in "rescuing" the Orient Express from extinction:



Not to burst the bubble, but the Orient Express has never been extinct. There have always been regularly scheduled trains designated "Orient Express". Currently the only one running daily is a EuroNight train from Paris to Vienna, operated by the Austrian government.

Sir James Sherwood did salvage several carriages that had been used on the "everyday" OE trains. He then spent millions outfitting them in the style Christie fans expect of a train named "the Orient Express".

Historically authentic or not, I would not turn down a trip on Sherwood's Orient Express. The trip from Venice to London only takes a bit over 24 hours, but what a fabulous 24 hours!


If you'd like to book a trip-of-a-lifetime, here's the link to the
official website of the Venice Simplon Orient Express

Day trips within the UK are also available.

Wishing you a great weekend!