Page 114 - Roma Best Place N.4

Climb aboard to step back in time, reliving the charm of the
Roaring Twenties when the Simplon Orient was home to royal-
ty, nobles, diplomats and wealthy bourgeois. The twin of the
Orient Express, in operation since 1883, the Simplon Orient
began its travels in 1906 thanks to the London-Calais-Pa-
ris-Lausanne-Milan connection through the new Simplon
tunnel, with terminus in Venice. The night express train that
became a legend boasts a special place in the collective imagi-
nation, thanks to the famous novel by Agatha Christie. Today
the Belmond Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with its elegant
convoys, 17 carriages - which are the original ones from the
1920s, finely restored and treated in detail - crosses Europe
more than 30 weeks a year between March and November. Su-
mptuously decorated with original 1920s inlays by René Prou
and glass panels by René Lalique, it is a true artwork on rails.
Synonymous with a slow journey in the wagons covered in silk
and velvets, the shiny woods, the retro-elegant upholstery, the
original crystal chandeliers to relive all the charm of the golden
age of travel. The classic route runs between London and Veni-
ce, crossing France and Switzerland. Alternatively, it is possible
to limit the itinerary to Paris-London or Venice-Paris, or disco-
ver the other destinations covered by the Venice Simplon-O-
rient-Express, including Budapest, Istanbul, Prague, Vienna
and Stockholm. Last April the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
inaugurated the season with the Rome-Florence-Paris section,
reopened after ten years, and a parterre of exceptional guests.

112