Adventure on the Orient Express

Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Venice (1 Nov 2026)

Arrive in Venice and be greeted in style. A private luxury water taxi, complete with a chilled glass of bubbles, sweeps you across the lagoon to your hotel. Check into the Albergo San Marco, a centrally located hotel just moments from St. Mark’s Square.

The evening is yours to settle into Venetian life—perhaps a group dinner or a magical sail aboard the Jolly Roger galleon under the stars.

Day 2 – The Magic of Venice (2 Nov 2026)

The day is yours to explore Venice at leisure. Stroll the winding alleys, sip an espresso overlooking the Basilica, or glide along canals in a gondola. For those who wish, Claire & Andrea will reveal the city’s hidden gems and stories that only locals know.

A day of discovery, romance, and pure Venetian charm.

Day 3 – The Orient Express Awaits (3 Nov 2026)

A private transfer takes you to Santa Lucia Station, where the gleaming carriages of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) await.

Group transfer by Belmond to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express at SLucia Station Estimated departure: Venice, 11:00 – arrival: Paris, 11:20

Overnight in Historic Twin Cabins 

From the moment you step aboard, you are transported to the 1920s golden age of travel. Your Historic Twin Cabin becomes your retreat, complete with polished wood, fine fabrics, and a steward at your service.

The evening begins with cocktails in the Bar Car, where the pianist sets the mood. Then, dress to impress—black tie and evening gowns—optional as you dine on a seasonal 4-course dinner paired with fine wines, served in the exquisite Art Deco restaurant cars.

After dinner, linger in the Bar Car with champagne, conversation, and music before retiring. While you dream, your steward transforms your cabin into a cosy twin-bedded sanctuary with crisp damask sheets and vintage charm.

Day 4 – Arrival in Paris (4 Nov 2026)

Awake to fresh croissants, coffee, and fruit, served in your cabin as Europe glides past your window. Enjoy a three-course lunch before arriving at Paris Austerlitz late morning approx. 11.30am. Your private group transfer takes you directly to Charles de Gaulle Airport for your evening flight home—your heart still on board the world’s most famous train.

We have reserved the category Historic Twin Cabins. 

HISTORIC CABIN CATEGORY 

Take in Europe from the romantic setting it deserves with your historic twin cabin. Banquette seating offers the perfect vantage point to watch the landscape by day, while convertible sleeping berths with soft, luxurious bedding, transform the cabin into an intimate retreat by night. 

• Daytime seating converts to 1 upper and 1 lower bed at night (you decide which you have when you are there with your cabin share)
• Each cabin has a washbasin with hot and cold water.
• Shared restrooms are located at the end of each sleeper carriage.
• Important Historic Cabins do not have a toilet in keeping with the historical cabins from the 1920s.

Please do look at the accommodation pictures of the cabin when set to sleeping arrangements -

https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/venice-simplon-orient-express/accommodation

Please Note that all Historic Cabins on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express are converted to sleeping berths (an upper and a lower) by your attentive cabin steward. Each cabin retains its original 1920s washbasin cabinet with hot and cold water and Do Not include ensuite toilet, this is to preserve the authenticity of the train's original 1920s design. Shared restrooms are located at the end of each sleeper carriage.

Accommodation in Venice - Hotel Albergo San Marco

https://www.hotelsanmarcovenice.com/

Provisional flight information

Once we have reached minimum numbers to confirm this experience we will contact everyone to advise the flight options available to fit with transfers.

Deposit - This holiday is being promoted with a zero deposit until minimum numbers to secure the booking on the train are reached. Once we are able to confirm the trip a non-refundable £1500 deposit will be requested. Balance is due 02 August 2026.

Passport validity

For UK passport holders your passport must be:

• Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.

EU Entry/Exit System (EES)

The new Entry/Exit System (EES) will start operations on 12 October 2025. The Entry/Exit System (EES) will be deployed gradually across the external borders of the 29 European countries over a period of 6 months. These European countries will introduce the different elements of the EES in phases, including the collection of biometric data, such as facial image and fingerprints. This means that travellers’ biometric data (facial image and fingerprints) might not be collected at every border crossing point right away, and their personal information may not be registered in the system. Passports will continue to be stamped as usual. 

This progressive implementation will last until 9 April 2026. From 10 April 2026, the EES will be fully operational at all external border crossing points of the European countries using the system.

Further information on the EES can be found on the following link - https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees/ltr

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System)

Starting in end 2026 UK citizens are required to have a travel authorisation to enter 30 European countries for a short stay. ETIAS travel authorisation is linked to a traveller’s passport. It is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you need to get a new ETIAS travel authorisation.

With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, you can enter the territory of these European countries as often as you want for short-term stays - normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. However, it does not guarantee entry. When you arrive, a border guard will ask to see your passport and other documents and verify that you meet the entry conditions.

NB - There is no official date for the ETIAS currently confirmed but when it is introduced it will be your responsibility to ensure that you have arranged this. We will update everyone when the ETIAS is required with information on how to apply for this online.

Travel Insurance

Please ensure that you have adequate personal travel insurance to suit your requirements in place before you travel. 

 Global Health Insurance Card

A UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the European Union (EU).

UK-issued European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) are still valid and offer the same cover as GHICs in the EU.

Once your EHIC has expired, you’ll be able to replace it with a GHIC.

NB – A GHIC/EHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance!

The latest FCO travel guidance for Italy & France

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france

Please note: documentation is sent no earlier than 1 week before train departure . Luggage labels and joining instructions regarding the transfer to the train is delivered to the hotel reception the night before the train departs. Lunch and dinner take place in 2 sittings – we will of course request a group preference sitting for all of us at Spice Escapes but it is not guaranteed.