The legendary route from Paris to Istanbul, which has a special place in popular culture thanks to Agatha Christie, is set for a redesigned, luxury train, complete with bedrooms, lounges, restaurants, and theatrical corridors.
Starting in 1883, the Orient Express has not always been a direct line, but was once a number of shorter journeys that connected the City of Lights to the Queen of Cities, stopping at cities like Munich, Vienna, Bucharest, and Budapest on the way. Over the years, however, the route also started being serviced by one train, which quickly became synonymous with the moniker “Orient Express”.
The brand name obviously stuck and, now 17 carriages from the train, which date to the 1920s and 1930s and were formerly known as the “Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express”, are being redesigned into a luxury sleeper train by Maxime d’Angeac, a French architect and Agatha Christie-lover.
Expected to be in operation by 2026, the redesigned train feels like something out of a Kenneth-Branagh Poirot movie, with heavy Art Deco influences that set the scene for a magical and luxurious journey across Europe.
There are lounges with green scallop armchairs where guests can enjoy cocktails, champagne, and a chat; a dining room with motifs reminiscent of illustrator Suzanne Lalique’s work; and corridors veneered in wood that reflects light. Perhaps one of the most wonderful things about the train are the bedrooms, which easily fit a 2-by-1.4m double bed.
So far, the company behind the project, which is part of the Accor Hospitality group, has not announced the prices for the train. Even so, considering the level of detail that has gone into the new Orient Express, it’s safe to say that it won’t be cheap.
