Travel on an original Orient Express train should be possible from 2027 onwards.

Attention Orient Express fans! From 2027, an original Orient Express train will once again run on the Paris–Istanbul route, competing with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express .

Currently, the Orient Express brand, owned by the Accor hotel group, is having the train, consisting of 17 original carriages from the 1920s and 1930s, restored inFrance under the direction of architect Maxime d'Angeac. The journey was originally scheduled to begin in 2024, but those responsible were apparently unable to meet this deadline.

The website states that the restored Orient Express is scheduled to begin service in mid-2026, but after an inquiry from the travel reporter, the start date was corrected to 2027. The company declined to provide further details at this time, stating that they would release more information in the coming months.

There are several providers offering trips on the supposedly authentic Orient Express. These are different operators, offering different routes and concepts. But they generally have one thing in common: restored carriages from the genuine Orient Express.

Belmond has been offering Orient Express journeys since 1982, having purchased and restored historic carriages for this purpose in the 1970s. In 1982, these carriages were put into service as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) between London and Venice – with one additional journey a year extending to Istanbul. Various trips on this train can still be booked today.

The aforementioned company Accor has been offering trips on the so-called "La Dolce Vita Orient Express" since 2024. As the name suggests, it travels exclusively through Italy. However, the carriages are not original, but rather replicas built in the style of the 1960s. We've written down what you can expect on these journeys here .

Now Accor wants to compete with the real Orient Express and has been restoring original carriages for years. The vision: to combine tradition with the modern amenities of the 21st century. The train should not only be a means of transport, but also function as a destination in itself.

Plans include a bar with green design highlights, an elegantly furnished dining car with a private lounge, several suites, and a presidential suite. The latter occupies an entire carriage.

The first results are currently on display at an Art Deco exhibition in Paris. According to the company, the first elements of the new train are exhibited there and can be viewed until April 26, 2026. In addition to the replica Orient Express traveling through Italy, the company has also opened an Orient Express hotel in Rome, with another in Venice scheduled to open in spring 2026.

At the same time, the world's largest sailing yacht, the " Orient Express Corinthian ," is currently being completed at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard and is scheduled to set sail in 2026. Orient Express is therefore no longer just a train, but an entire brand.

The Orient Express luxury train is considered the king of trains. On June 5, 1883, the luxury train, originally consisting only of sleeping and dining cars, departed from the Gare de Paris towards Istanbul, which was then still called Constantinople. At that time, the destination was not yet directly accessible by rail, and ferry and ship connections had to be used along the way. This changed in the summer of 1889, and the Orient Express then traveled through, among other places, southern Germany.

The Orient Express was never just a train, but a name for a system of luxury trains connecting various destinations from Paris to the Mediterranean, as well as Central and Southeastern Europe. Over the decades, it evolved into a new standard for luxury long-distance travel and an icon of international long-distance rail travel.

Of course, books and films, including Agatha Christie's 1934 crime novel "Murder on the Orient Express," also contributed to its cult status. Back then, only wealthy travelers could afford it, and that hasn't changed to this day. On December 14, 2009, the last original Orient Express ran between Strasbourg and Vienna, and after 126 years, an era came to an end, one that is now being gradually revived.

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