We left Victoria station (London) at 11.30 on the Thursday and before we had left we had a glass of champers in our hands and had ordered the wine for lunch! These were the only complementary alcoholic drinks on the trip. All food was included.
Our train to the coast was made up of period first-class British Pullman coaches and the high armchairs we sat in at our table were definitely very comfortable. Lunch was 3 mouth watering gourmet courses leaving us full and happy when we got down to the coast where we got into luxury coaches to cross the channel on the shuttle.
We got onto the Continental train (aka The Venice-Simplon Orient Express train) in Calais. Our steward showed to our compartment which was set up for day use – a comfy upholstered seat the width of the compartment and a small fold-away table. There was a small quarter circle washing area that was hidden by marquetry doors but the toilets were at the end of the carriages.
We were then visited by the Maitre d’Hotel to take our dinner sitting time (3 sittings as there were more people on the train than could be seated at one go in the 3 dining cars). We then started getting dressed up for dinner. Black tie for him, long black dress 4” heels and fake pearls for me. Dinner was gorgeous – the starter celery and ricotta cannelloni virtually melted in my mouth it was so well prepared and I don’t even like celery! Cue more wine.
We were sitting 2 for dinner and went to the bar car after our meal whilst others were still having coffee so we could get seats. The bar car had a baby grand piano in it and a pianist playing Simon & Garfunkel tunes. Perfect. We supped cocktails and talked to other couples nearby for a few hours until we needed our beds.
We got back to the compartment and it was set up for night use – 2 bunk beds made from seat and back of the seat with mattresses on (stashed under the seat during the day). There was an upholstered ladder leading to the top bunk and some upholstered strips connecting the top bunk to the ceiling to stop anyone falling over the edge. We were provided with a complementary robe and slippers to get us to the toilet in the night and were asked what time we would like breakfast in the morning – in our compartment.
We woke on our wedding anniversary to find the flat land of France from the previous day had turned into Alps covered with snow and the dreary day before had become a bright day with unbroken blue sky. We had a lateish breakfast after the compartment was set up for day use again.
Shortly we received another visit from the Maitre d’Hotel to take our lunch sitting time. Again we opted for the middle one to leave enough time for our breakfast to settle and to leave enough time for our lunch to settle before we had afternoon tea.
We stared out of the window, watching as we came down from the alps into Italy. We had books with us but I didn’t feel the desire to read my way through this trip. The scenery was especially lovely on day 2.
We sat in the compartment after shopping in their boutique. No I didn’t buy the £2.5k bracelet or the £550 table lamp but did get some lovely and more reasonably priced souvenirs.
Lunch was lovely and we were in the same dining car at the same time as two of the couples we talked to in the bar the previous night. Then something really lovely happened – they sent the wine waiter over with some champagne for us so we could toast our anniversary properly. What a lovely gesture. After lunch we all went to the bar car and started where we left off the previous evening. We also had fun people-watching as other diners moved through the bar car on their way to or from lunch.
Late afternoon we received afternoon tea in our compartment – a choice of teas and a selection of cakes. We didn’t need much more when we got to Venice!
30 hours (and 5 meals, a few bottles of wine, some glasses of champagne and cocktails) after we left London we were in Venice. It took us less than 2 hours to fly back.
The biggest shame was that some people didn’t make the effort. They weren’t particularly dressed up for day time and some gents wore the same grey or brown day suit not black tie as requested.
We overheard another traveller complaining to his steward that if we didn’t stop for so long at some stations (we needed to take on more gas and food) or border crossings then we could have got to Venice 7 hours earlier. WHY??? This was a trip to savour at length not to rush.
