Belmond has announced new routes aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express ahead of the 2021 season. Five new boarding points include Rome, Florence, Geneva, Brussels and Amsterdam. On board the train’s 17 restored Art Deco carriages, guests will be whisked along one-night journeys from Florence and Rome, passing the Italian lakes and Swiss mountains, before arriving in Paris. They can also wind through the Brenner Pass as the train crosses from Geneva to Venice or take off on a grand tour of three European Capital cities—Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam—during a Venice-to-Amsterdam itinerary.
Combining the new route from Florence with Belmond’s sister properties Belmond Villa San Michele (with a focal point being the façade designed by Michelangelo) and the Tuscan countryside retreat Belmond Castello di Casole, travelers will journey from the Tuscan Renaissance city to the City of the Lights. The total trip includes a night in each hotel, plus one night onboard the train. For an extended stay, a six-night offer, including one night onboard and five nights at Belmond Castello di Casole or Belmond Villa San Michele, is also available. The offer includes transfers to and from the train stations, daily breakfast at the hotels and all drinks and table d’hote meals on Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Two departures from Florence are scheduled during the 2021 season on May 26 and July 14.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express will also debut three new Grand Suites this season, bringing the total to six. Sitting in the train’s oldest carriage, built in 1926, the new suites—Vienna, Prague and Budapest—will each have private bathrooms with showers, double beds and a living area with underfloor heating. Wimberly Interiors, who oversaw the initial three Grand Suites, created each cabin to reflect the spirit of each city that the suites are named after while staying true to the original 1920s Art Deco design. Additional amenities include a personal 24-hour cabin steward, free-flowing champagne, in-suite dining and private transfers to and from the train. Guests will also have the opportunity to book a private charter of one of the Grand Suites carriages (consisting of three Grand Suites) for ultimate privacy.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express travels through Europe from March to November, including an annual journey to Istanbul.
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