To speak of the Orient Express in Istanbul is to speak of luxury, but also of literature and tourism. This railway line was one of the most exclusive since its launch, and even today, its traces can still be found in the Turkish city. These traces may perhaps become a reality again in the coming years if projects to resume this evocative train journey are confirmed. Here we tell you more about all of this.
Orient Express: A Brief History
The Orient Express was an iconic train since it began operating in 1883, although it wasn’t until 1889 when it reached Istanbul, at Sirkeci station (Sirkeci Garı in Turkish). It had its starting point in Paris and received this name because its route traversed all of Eastern Europe: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Bucharest, and then Istanbul.
It was an extremely luxurious train that transported wealthy tourists in search of a different journey and experience. The company that operated the route was Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, and it had a duration of 2 days and 20 hours, although new routes and branches emerged that also transported travelers to other cities like Athens. It consisted of about 56 beds, a dining car, and many other amenities.
Its peak moment came in the interwar period, especially in the 1930s, but the outbreak of World War II and the division of the European continent with the Iron Curtain led to a decline from which it never recovered: the last train between Paris and Istanbul ran in 1977.
Undoubtedly, its fame was contributed to by the famous novel by Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express, published in 1934. As was usual for the writer, the novelist had to travel to Istanbul to research for her work and stayed at the Pera Palace hotel, where a room is still preserved with period photographs and furniture, as it is believed she wrote the work (or at least part of it) in that room.
For other travelers, visiting the Sirkeci station is another tourist attraction in itself, as it was built as the terminal station of the line. Moreover, its main pavilion still maintains its old style, characteristic of 1872, in an eclectic orientalizing style.
The Orient Express, in the Present and Future
Currently, the Orient Express brand is used by different companies to market train journeys and luxury experiences that do not exactly correspond to what that train was. However, the French group Accor has taken up the idea of bringing this train and this route back to life, for which it has purchased vintage trains that are being restored and redesigned by important architects, thus giving the carriages a vintage air that doesn’t renounce contemporary luxury.
At the moment, it’s not clear what the final route of the “new” Orient Express will be and what the launch date will be, but many travelers have already shown interest in experiencing this new tourist experience, especially among lovers of iconic transportation circuits, such as cruise travelers.
If you are also among them and would like to arrive in Istanbul in this captivating way, you can contact us: our agency, specialized in tailor-made luxury travel, can take over from the Orient Express in this Turkish city and organize the rest of the trip from arrival at the final destination, with guided tours of this city and circuits through the rest of the country. For now, it’s all daydreams, but if they become reality, you’ll find us on the platform to give you the service you deserve.
