The New Orient Express is Here: We Show You Everything

We now have a date for what architect Maxime d'Angeac envisioned to become a reality. In 2024, the new cars of the legendary Orient Express will be ready, and a year later, they will again cover their most iconic route, connecting Paris to Istanbul.

From VIAJAR Magazine, we have already given you some highlights of the most glamorous train journey in the world, and now, we will delve into its interior to reveal this new reinterpretation of luxury that recreates the atmosphere of an exceptional train (transmitting the same spirit), but in a 21st-century version.

This new adventure of one of the trains that has deeply embedded itself in popular imagination (because it's impossible to talk about the Orient Express without thinking of Agatha Christie's novel) starts with the discovery at a Polish train station of some abandoned cars that, although in a dilapidated state, hinted at the grandeur of what they once were. A total of 17 cars, renamed Nostalgie Istanbul Orient Express, will again cover a route that was active from 1919 to 1977.

Now it's time to explore its interior with the Parisian design studio Maxime d'Angeac, which has been tasked with redesigning cars that will stay true to the golden age of train travel, with nods to the 1920s but equipped with all the comforts that this new century has brought.

We begin this journey through every corner of the new Nostalgie Istanbul Orient Express in the sleeper cars. There are a total of 12 cars where rest is guaranteed. They are rolling suites that by day become airy spaces and when night falls, transform into cozy areas perfect for falling into the arms of Morpheus.

The corners of each piece of furniture are rounded, the walls are covered with wood and leather, and the headboards are embroidered with mother-of-pearl, wood, and bronze. Lighting also plays a fundamental role, as the lights and shadows reflecting on the walls create an almost mystical ambiance. A bathroom and a dressing room complete the layout of these luxury suites to ensure the experience is highly satisfying.

The five remaining cars consist of three lounges, a restaurant, and the observation car. Now we move to the restaurant, which recaptures the luxury of the Roaring Twenties. Noble materials and walls that recreate stone partitions welcome a traveler ready to be seduced by a unique and refined atmosphere. The nods to the past are more than evident, and the spirit of the decorator of the Simplon Orient Express, Suzanne Lalique-Haviland, remains present.

The ceiling features a large rectangular mirror seemingly supported by arches that blend the grace of sinuous Art Deco forms with the robustness of wood. Comfortable leather armchairs and lamps, which reinterpret those from 1919, complete the space, making this car an authentic rolling palace.

Now we move on to another of the cars, the bar, where one can enjoy a drink while watching the sunset on the horizon. It features large light domes inspired by Second Empire style and a grand glass bar. Each table has a clock indicating dinner time and green velvet armchairs that invite you to spend long hours there.

Everything we see so far are renders, but it's just a matter of being patient to enjoy the real Nostalgie Istanbul Orient Express. Surely, on this train, reality will exceed the original idea.