The reinvention of a legend from the golden age of railways generates excitement. The new train could start running in 2026.
Immortalized by the detective novel writer Agatha Christiehe Orient Express has crystallized in the public imagination as a trainof glamor and legendary mystery. So, with a luxurious new beginning on the horizon, it’s worth clearing up a couple of things.
In reality, the Orient Express has passed through many versions throughout its 140 years of history. The original was not an individual train, but a regular service that ran several routes from 1883, mainly Paris to Istanbul.
Several operators came to use the name (and still do) for trips crossing Europe. But if travel has always been on your bucket list, maybe it’s worth waiting a little longer.
Operated by the Orient Express brand, of the Accor Hospitality group, in 2026 an impressive ‘remake’ of the original trains.
The famous French architect Maxime d’Angeac is redesigning 17 wagons from the 20s and 30sformerly known as “Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express”. The latest sketches capture in all its splendor the first golden age of the railway.
What will the new Orient Express be like?
Whatever your berth on the Orient Express, you will become familiar with its elegant hallwaysdescribed by the brand as “places of travel, encounters and surprises” that offer “a theatrical decoration“.
Los interiors by D’Angeac are full of surprises and are rich in literary influences. Her personal library contains works by Ernest Hemingway, biographies of art collector Peggy Guggenheim, the philosophy of Walter Benjamin, and (most importantly) a collection of Agatha Christie novels.
In other words, he’s the right man for the job. As this makes clear beautiful bar car.
The artfully arranged green scallop chairs and banquettes offer intimate spaces to chat or take stylish cocktails. Through large windows, you can see the landscapes of Europe.
The dining car boasts the same glamour, with a classic art deco look inspired by the trains themselves. There are self-referential touches in the mirrored ceilingcrossed by a series of arches, and on the glass wall behind which you can see the “kitchen brigade” working.
And luxury sleeper train wouldn’t be complete without a luxurious place to rest your head, and the new Orient Express suites are the stuff of dreams, partitioned with precious woods and leather walls.
During the day, a sofa and a divan They invite you to rest, relax and read. When it’s time for “the big transformation” at night, a 2 x 1.40 meter bed awaits you.
The headboards are covered by wooden embroidery with mother-of-pearl and bronze beads, along with shelves adorned with travel souvenirs and reading material. Clad in marble, the private bathrooms are hidden behind sliding doors.
And if you can afford even more luxury, there is the ‘presidential suite‘: a space of 55 square meters that takes up an entire car of the old Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient Express, with its own private entrance.
When will the new Orient Express open?
Initially scheduled for 2025, Maxime d’Angeac’s Orient Express will launch at the end of 2026. Still not all details have been revealed of the trip, such as where exactly you will go and at what price.
Meanwhile, the Orient Express La Dolce Vita of the brand can now be booked online, with trips starting in April 2025 that will take travelers to the most important destinations in Italia.
