The Orient Express Is Resuming Its Legendary Journeys From Paris—and It’s More Glamorous Than Ever

The original train is coming back to life in 2024, replete with Art Deco details and opulent suites.

BY MARIANNA CERINI for CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER

Over the past two years, trains have become the transport of choice for a growing number of travelers, both in the U.S and Europe, thanks to improved services and connections, an emphasis on the environment, and new investments in high-speed rail lines (the E.U. is aiming to double high-speed rail use by 2030 and triple current levels by 2050).

It’s no surprise, then, that a number of train projects and formats are being developed to meet demand, and take the scenic route to a whole new level. The latest? The relaunch of the original Orient Express. The train that forever changed luxury travel almost 140 years ago—it debuted on October 4, 1883—is being brought back to life by French hospitality group Accor, which uses the Orient Express name under license from SNCF, France’s national train service.

Starting in 2024 and just in time for the Paris Olympics, the railroad icon will gear up to resume service from the French capital to the rest of the continent, reviving the same lavish journeys of its heyday. While details and itineraries have yet to be confirmed, it’s likely that some of the routes will end in Istanbul, just as it was for the first Orient Express. 

The refurbished train is going to be “a dream on wheels,” according to Guillaume de Saint Lager, vice president of the Orient Express. “We are reimagining the Orient Express to create something timeless,” says Saint Lager. “The idea is to present a fantasy: a train that could have been made today or 100 years ago—with the addition of all the contemporary comforts, of course.”

Seventeen cars—12 sleeping cars, one restaurant, three lounges, and one caboose—will form the ‘new’ convoy. All of them date back to the 1920s and '30s and used to form what was known as the Nostalgie-Istanbul Orient-Express (the train took different names depending on its routes).

The story of how the original train cars were rediscovered is as fascinating as the train’s glamorous past.  In 2015, industrial history researcher Arthur Mettetal embarked on a worldwide quest to inventory what was left of the Orient Express for SNCF. The luxury train company had shut down in 1977, but different iterations of the Orient Express had been briefly resurrected in the 1980s, only to disappear almost completely by the following decade (save for the Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express rail service, part of a completely separate venture). In the intervening years, many of the trains had gone off the grid.

During the course of his survey, Mattatel came across an anonymously posted YouTube video of a train that resembled the Nostalgie-Istanbul. He began analyzing the clip for clues as to where the convoy might be and, after using a combination of Google Maps and 3D tools, located it on the border between Belarus and Poland.

A few months later, Mettetal traveled to Warsaw with Saint Lager, as well as a translator and a photographer. From there, they headed to the forsaken steppe Mettetal had pinned on his map, where the cars lay unattended. They had been there for about 10 years.

“We were expecting them to be in terrible condition, but inside they were surprisingly well-preserved,” recounts Saint Lager. “Some of them still had the original Lalique glass panels that were so emblematic of the Orient Express. We also found Morrison and Nelson marquetry,” which are intricate wood carvings with inlays of precious materials like gold or ebony. “The Art Deco details were just incredibly vibrant,” Saint Lager says. Following two years of negotiation between Accor and the owner of the Nostalgie-Istanbul, the train was eventually escorted back to France.

The expert team is using archival information to restore the train cars to their former Art Deco splendor. Xavier Antoinet

For its restoration, Saint Lager and his team reached out to Paris-based architect Maxime D’Angeac. The brief: to come up with a fantasy Art Deco style that would evoke the past yet hold a contemporary appeal. Also, to turn a century-old train with 10 compartments and one toilet per car into a suites-only luxury hotel on wheels (each suite with its own opulent bathroom).

“From the get-go, we knew we wanted this to be a thoroughly French project,” says Saint Lager. “So hiring a French creative was almost a given. We needed someone that would understand the myth, the legend, and the cultural legacy of the train to render it anew, without imposing their vision.”

D’Angeac can’t reveal much about his designs for the carriages—the first renderings are expected to be released in October—but he agrees on the importance of respecting the original spirit of the Orient Express while transforming it into something different, to cater modern-day travelers. “The Orient Express is a train beyond time and fashion,” he says, noting that he’s drawing inspiration from key designers from the Art Deco era, like René Prou. “What I am setting out to do is create a mythical, ephemeral atmosphere from a dream that evaporated a long time ago. The question that I keep asking myself is: what would René Prou ​​and his team have done in the 21st century?”

Naturally, the train’s historical archives are proving a treasure trove of inspiration. “We’ve had access to sketches and prints of the fabrics, marquetry details, drawings, and original plans,” says the architect. “Following the steps of our predecessors is essential to usher in the new Orient Express.”

The elements that were found in the cars back in Poland—woodwork, ornamental details, engraved wall motifs, and those evocative Lalique panels—are also being restored and will feature throughout the train.

As for the rest of the furnishings and objects that will be used in the Nostalgie-Istanbul, Saint Lager says they will spotlight French craftsmanship. “From the products to the amenities and the textiles in the rooms, the train will be a true celebration of France’s artisanal excellence,” he says.

The only other insight he can reveal, for now, it’s a plan for a ‘Winter Garden’ in one of the carriages. “It will be completely extravagant,” he says. “Just like the journeys we’ll offer on the train.”

Tickets will go on sale in 2023—but if you can’t wait, there’s always the Orient Express La Dolce Vita (another project by Accor) slated to hit the tracks soon.

Rendering of a suite onboard The Orient Express La Dolce Vita - Dimorestudio