By Richard J. · Last reviewed April 2026
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The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express takes approximately 16 hours from Paris to Venice. The best trips built around it take five to ten days. The VSOE works best as the hinge of a broader European journey — Paris before, Italy after — rather than as a standalone overnight. This guide presents five complete itineraries at different lengths and budgets, each using the train as the centrepiece and building outward into the cities and regions that make the full trip extraordinary.
5
Complete itineraries in this guide
5–10
Nights — range across all itineraries
£9k
From — total for two, classic 5-night trip
Autumn
Best season — vineyard colour, Alpine snow, fewer crowds
Itinerary 1: The Classic — Paris + VSOE + Venice (5 nights)
The foundation. Two nights in Paris, the overnight train, two nights in Venice. This is the structure that most first-time VSOE passengers choose and the one that gives proper weight to both cities and the journey between them.
Day by day — 5 nights
- Day 1 — Arrive Paris Eurostar from London or private charter via JetLuxe. Check into a Plum Guide apartment in the Marais. Evening walk along the Seine. Dinner in the 3rd arrondissement.
- Day 2 — Paris Musée d'Orsay or Louvre in the morning. Lunch in Saint-Germain. Afternoon at leisure. This is the day to see what you came to Paris for — without rush, without compromise.
- Day 3 — Paris → VSOE Morning free. Final Parisian lunch. Return to apartment to change for the evening (formal dress code for dinner). Walk or taxi to Gare de l'Est. Champagne reception. Board. Depart early evening. Dinner in the restaurant car crossing Burgundy.
- Day 4 — Arrive Venice Wake in the Alps. Breakfast in your compartment. Arrive Venice Santa Lucia late morning. Water taxi to a Plum Guide canal-front apartment in San Polo. Afternoon exploring on foot. Dinner in Dorsoduro.
- Day 5 — Venice Doge's Palace and San Marco early morning. Peggy Guggenheim Collection or Accademia in the afternoon. Evening passeggiata along the Zattere. Final dinner at a canal-side table.
- Day 6 — Depart Venice Morning in the Rialto Market. Depart via Marco Polo Airport or continue to the next Italian destination.
Total cost for two (Historic Cabin): approximately £9,000–£10,500 including VSOE, Eurostar, two nights Paris, two nights Venice, water taxis, and incidentals. Suite: approximately £12,500–£14,000. See our full VSOE price breakdown for detailed costing.
Itinerary 2: Venice + Lake Como (7 nights)
The classic itinerary extended northward. After two nights in Venice, a three-hour transfer to Lake Como adds two of the most architecturally beautiful settings in Italy to the same trip. The transition from Venice's canals to Como's lake — both defined by water, both extraordinary — creates a journey with a natural narrative arc.
Day by day — 7 nights
- Days 1–4 — As per Itinerary 1 (Paris, VSOE, Venice arrival).
- Day 5 — Venice → Lake Como Morning in Venice. Private transfer or first-class train to Milan (2.5 hours), then car to Bellagio, Varenna, or Cernobbio (1 hour). Check into a Plum Guide lakeside property. Evening on the terrace with the lake below.
- Day 6 — Lake Como Morning boat trip to Villa Balbianello and Tremezzina. Lunch at a lakeside restaurant in Varenna. Afternoon at the villa or exploring Bellagio on foot.
- Day 7 — Lake Como Second full day. Visit Villa Carlotta gardens. Hike the Greenway del Lago. Or simply inhabit the terrace — Como rewards stillness as much as exploration.
- Day 8 — Depart Transfer to Milan Malpensa (1 hour) for the flight home, or continue onward.
Total cost for two (Historic Cabin): approximately £11,500–£14,500 including VSOE, Paris, Venice, Lake Como accommodation, and transfers. For the full Lake Como accommodation guide, see our Lake Como luxury stays article.
Itinerary 3: Venice + Amalfi Coast (9 nights)
The longest standard itinerary — and the one that delivers the fullest Italian immersion. Venice for the art and architecture, the Amalfi Coast for the sea and the cliffs. The transfer between them is the only structural challenge: Venice to Naples by high-speed train takes approximately five hours, followed by a car to Positano, Ravello, or Praiano.
Day by day — 9 nights
- Days 1–5 — As per Itinerary 1 (Paris, VSOE, two nights Venice).
- Day 6 — Venice → Amalfi Coast High-speed train Venice to Naples (approximately 5 hours, first class). Private transfer from Naples to Ravello, Positano, or Praiano (1 hour). Check into a Plum Guide villa on the Amalfi Coast. Evening on the terrace with the sea below.
- Days 7–9 — Amalfi Coast Three full days. Ravello's gardens and concerts, Positano on foot, a boat trip to Capri, seafood lunch in Praiano, the Path of the Gods hike. The pace changes entirely — from Venetian canals to Mediterranean cliffs.
- Day 10 — Depart Transfer to Naples airport (1 hour) for the flight home.
Total cost for two (Historic Cabin): approximately £13,500–£18,000 including VSOE, Paris, Venice, Amalfi Coast accommodation, train, and transfers. For the full Amalfi accommodation guide, see our Amalfi Coast stays article.
Itinerary 4: Paris to Istanbul — The Full Journey (9 nights)
This is not an extension of the Paris–Venice run. It is a fundamentally different experience — five nights on the train crossing six countries, with hotel stops in Venice, Budapest or Sofia, arriving in Istanbul. The Paris–Istanbul is the journey that made the Orient Express famous in the 1880s and the one that most closely delivers the experience the name evokes. It operates on a handful of dates per season and books out months in advance.
Day by day — 9 nights
- Day 1 — Arrive Paris JetLuxe charter or Eurostar. Plum Guide Marais apartment. Evening in Paris.
- Day 2 — Paris → VSOE departs Paris day. Board at Gare de l'Est in the evening. The five-night journey begins.
- Days 3–6 — On the train Through Switzerland, Austria, Venice (overnight stop), Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria. Hotel night in Sofia or Plovdiv. The landscape shifts from Alpine to Balkan. The bar car at midnight crossing the Hungarian plain. The morning light over the Bulgarian countryside. This is the journey — not a route between two cities but a traversal of a continent.
- Day 7 — Arrive Istanbul Morning arrival into Sirkeci station. Transfer to the old city. Check into a hotel or Plum Guide apartment in Sultanahmet. Afternoon at the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
- Days 8–9 — Istanbul Two full days. The Grand Bazaar, the Bosphorus by boat, the Topkapi Palace, dinner in Karaköy or Beyoğlu. Istanbul earns every hour you give it.
- Day 10 — Depart Istanbul Fly home or continue.
Total cost for two (Historic Cabin): approximately £38,000–£42,000 including VSOE Paris–Istanbul, Paris accommodation, two nights Istanbul, and transfers. Grand Suite: approximately £128,000–£135,000. This is the apex of luxury train travel — and priced accordingly. An Airalo eSIM for Europe and Turkey covers every country the train crosses from a single plan. SafetyWing travel insurance is essential for a multi-country journey of this complexity.
Itinerary 5: VSOE + Tuscany Villa (8 nights)
The VSOE as the opening act of a Tuscan villa holiday. Venice for two nights, then a drive south through the Italian countryside to a villa in Chianti or Val d'Orcia. The train delivers the sense of occasion; the villa delivers the immersion.
Day by day — 8 nights
- Days 1–4 — As per Itinerary 1 (Paris, VSOE, Venice arrival).
- Day 5 — Venice → Tuscany Morning in Venice. Hire car from Piazzale Roma or private transfer south. The drive through Emilia-Romagna and into Tuscany takes approximately three hours — through the Apennines, past Bologna, descending into the Chianti hills. Arrive at a Plum Guide Tuscan villa in time for a late lunch on the terrace.
- Days 6–8 — Tuscany Three full villa days. Wine tasting in Chianti, the Val d'Orcia by car, Siena or San Gimignano on foot, a cooking class, the Saturnia hot springs. The pace changes entirely — from the formality of the VSOE to the barefoot informality of a Tuscan pool terrace.
- Day 9 — Depart Drive to Florence (45 minutes from Chianti) or Pisa airport. Fly home.
Total cost for two (Historic Cabin): approximately £12,000–£16,000 including VSOE, Paris, Venice, Tuscany villa (3 nights), car hire, and incidentals. For the full Tuscany guide, see our Tuscany villa holiday article and the companion Florence stays guide.
Which Itinerary to Choose
Match the trip to the time available
- 5 nights — Paris + VSOE + Venice The foundation. Tight but complete. Best for first-time VSOE passengers who want the train as the centrepiece.
- 7 nights — Add Lake Como The most elegant extension. Two water-defined cities plus an Alpine lake. The natural pairing.
- 8 nights — Add a Tuscany villa The immersion extension. Best for food and wine lovers, families, groups who want the countryside after the cities.
- 9 nights — Add the Amalfi Coast The sea extension. Best for guests who want beach and cliff alongside the architecture and the train.
- 9–10 nights — Paris to Istanbul A different category entirely. This is not a holiday component — it is the trip of a lifetime.
Every itinerary in this guide uses Plum Guide apartments for the city stays — individually vetted properties in Paris, Venice, Lake Como, and Tuscany that match the quality of the VSOE journey itself.
Browse VSOE Trip Accommodation — Plum Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you do the Orient Express and Italy in one week?
Yes — and this is the most popular structure. Two nights in Paris, the overnight VSOE to Venice, two or three nights in Venice, then onward to Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast, or Tuscany for the remainder of the week. A seven-night trip provides enough time for both the train journey and a meaningful Italian stay without either feeling rushed. The key is to book the onward Italian accommodation before the VSOE departure — the best properties in Venice, Como, and the Amalfi Coast book months ahead for peak season.
What is the best itinerary around the Orient Express?
The classic is two nights in Paris, the overnight VSOE Paris to Venice, then two nights in Venice — a five-night trip that gives proper weight to both cities and the train journey between them. For travellers with more time, extending from Venice to Lake Como (two nights) or the Amalfi Coast (three nights) creates a seven to ten-night Italian journey that uses the VSOE as the centrepiece rather than the entirety. The Paris to Istanbul five-night journey is a different category — it is the trip of a lifetime rather than a holiday component.
How many days do you need for a complete VSOE trip?
A minimum of five nights for the classic Paris–Venice experience: one or two nights in Paris before boarding, the overnight train, and two nights in Venice after arrival. Seven nights allows an Italian extension — Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast, or Tuscany. Ten nights accommodates a more relaxed pace with three nights in Venice and a longer onward stay. The Paris to Istanbul journey requires a minimum of seven nights (five on the train plus a night each side) and is best with nine to ten.
Can you combine the Orient Express with Lake Como?
This is one of the strongest combinations in European luxury travel. The VSOE arrives in Venice late morning; Lake Como is approximately three hours north by car or train. The standard structure is two nights in Venice after the VSOE, then a private transfer or first-class train to Como for two or three nights at Bellagio, Varenna, or Cernobbio. The transition from Venice's canals to Como's lake — both architecturally extraordinary, both defined by water — creates a journey with a natural narrative arc.
What does a complete Orient Express trip cost?
A complete Paris–Venice trip for two people — including the VSOE in a Historic Cabin, one night in Paris, two nights in Venice, the Eurostar, and water taxis — costs approximately £9,000 to £10,500. In a Suite, approximately £12,500 to £14,000. In a Grand Suite, approximately £18,500 to £21,000. Adding an Italian extension (two nights in Lake Como or three nights on the Amalfi Coast) adds approximately £1,500 to £4,000 depending on accommodation choices. These are total costs for two people across the full trip.