Reinventing the legend
of the Orient Express

Preserve tradition /
Dare to dream

For 140 years, Orient Express has continued to reinvent its history. A historical, cultural, artistic and literary heritage that is always in motion and guided by a single principle: the art of travel as a way of life.

The Orient-Express is above all a way to get closer. As progress rolls forward on wheels, the Earth seems to shrink.
Georges Boyer, 1883

The king of trains

From kings and queens to philosophers and writers, divas and femmes fatales, journalists and politicians, spies and assassins, geniuses and thinkers, the one-of-a-kind travelers of the Orient Express have made it legendary. Whether real life or fictional heroes, famous or anonymous, these travelers spanning all nationalities and all ages all have always shared a common love of travel. Then and now, Orient Express has the same vision of the future: a desire to bring together a diverse group of incredible people in the heart of the world’s most beautiful cities.

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A bridge between worlds

In 1883, Georges Nagelmackers made his dream a reality when he launched the Orient-Express. This daring entrepreneur created the first luxury train linking Paris to Istanbul via Munich, Vienna, Sofia, Bucharest. This meeting of East and West completely redefined the world of travel. Tomorrow, Orient Express will once again cross borders and push boundaries with the opening of its first hotels. A new adventure, but the same ambition since the start: to open the world up to new cultures and new territories.

The women in the corridors seemed more beautiful, the men more daring. The miracle was inside, in this sealed, varnished and upholstered box car.
Joseph Kessel, 1932

Talented designers

From Art Deco legends to the finest marquetry craftsmen and treasured goldsmiths, from outstanding perfumers to beautiful trunk makers and couturiers, Orient Express is indelibly marked by the work of talented artisans. Together, they created a unique art de vivre. An art of living that cultivated beautiful gestures, revealed a unique savoir-faire and blended tradition, innovation and limitless creativity visible through rare objects and exclusive collections. This eternal quest for elegance and the experience of a true journey inside of a train continues today.

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A factory of dreams

Orient Express has luxury running through its veins. This grand history was born in 1883 with the launch of the first trains complete with richly decorated cabins, absolute comfort and high-end gastronomy on board. Expanding the frontiers of traditional luxury, at the end of the 19th century, the legendary train company also launched hotels stamped with the seal of high-end travel then went even further to propose services in Rolls Royce cars to accompany its travelers in major cities across the world.  Orient Express is always dreaming bigger and bigger and transcending the limits of the imagination.

A universal icon

For more than a century, writers, poets, artists and filmmakers have brought the legend of the Orient Express to life. From Agatha Christie’s legendary stories to Sarah Moon’s black and white photographs to Guillaume Apollinaire’s poems, the Orient Express has fascinated people all over the world through the ages. This has crossed the globe through exhibitions and events, from the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris to Once Upon a Time on the Orient Express in 2020 in Asia. A cultural icon, Orient-Express has become a universal star.

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