Sure, the flight time from Istanbul to Paris may be less than four hours, but the thought of a six-day adventure winding through the continent seems like the ultimate excursion.
“Is there a European adventure that populates bucket lists more than the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express? Sure, the flight time from Istanbul to Paris may be less than four hours, but the thought of a six-day adventure winding through the continent seems like the ultimate excursion. Istanbul is one of my favourite cities, a bicontinental metropolis where cultures collide at every turn, blazing spices and sparkling jewels littering the wonderfully chaotic bazaars. From here, the vintage carriages trundle through varied landscapes, passing through Romanian valleys before stopping off in The Jewel on the Danube, Budapest – a European city I’ve yet to discover. After evenings dancing around the piano and sumptuous fine dining, it’d be criminal not to walk off the indulgence around the City of Light before heading home across the channel – particularly as all eyes are on Paris in 2024 for the Olympic Games.”