The Orient Express was a long distance luxury touring train traveling across Europe as far as London to Istanbul. It was the most luxurious way to travel Europe in the late 1800's

Type: Private, service provided by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (International Sleeping Car Company) Founded in 1872 by Georges Nagelmackers in Belgium

Fleet Size: The original train consisted of 7 American Imported Pullman Railcars. 1 Baggage Car, 1 Sleeping Car with 16 Beds, 1 Sleeping Car with 14 Beds, 1 Dining Car, 2 more sleeping cars with 14 beds and baggage car at the rear.

Routes: The Orient Express route changed many times, The farthest western terminus has consistently been London. From London the train proceeds to Paris, France where the route had 3 different points to choose from. Proceeding south took the train into Switzerland and Italy on route to Istanbul, Sometimes from Paris the train would proceed straight to Zurich, Switzerland then to Vienna, Austria then to either Istanbul or Athens. The most stable route however was from Paris to Munich then Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest then finally Istanbul.

Manufacturer and Powerplant: Georges Nagelmackers, the son of a banker, traveled to the United States when he was 23. While on a train he was impressed by the American Pullman railcars and ordered a luxury train set to be imported to Europe. The train set did not feature its own locomotive. The National Railways of each (major) country along the route took charge of the train at the end of each leg. The British leg featured British/American Pullman cars different from the set used on the mainland.

Fare Collection: Tickets for this ultra-luxury service always since the trains inception sell out the year before the train begins the journey. Tickets were only available at the major train stations along the route. The 2015 Orient Express rates are currently, $9,270 for a double cabin and $17,840 for a cabin suite. Tickets come in a fancy envelope simply holding one of these envelopes in public during the 1920's was a way to "Flex" ones wealth as only the wealthy could afford to ride on the Express.

Livery: The original train featured blue and gold trimmed Pullman railcars featuring the company name and coat of arms. Sometimes various railways along the route would substitute the train set with their own rail cars for various reasons. During WWI and WWII the route was temporarily interrupted as the Germans closed the border along the route as well as any other country under its influence. The Germans attempted to carry out their own version of the service but was not successful. The British Pullman cars are brown in color and each car features its own name.

Innovations: Originally started by a wealthy "playboy" (of his era) the train started as an experiment to see if a train could complete a 2000 km journey and return around the same time the next day. The service operated for 126 years before ending in 2009. After such a legendary pedigree many companies operate today using the same name claiming to be the original Wagons-Lits. Georges Nagelmackers envisioned a touring train that was accompanied by hotels along the route which his company also owned. This service was only for the elite and featured things that in the 1920s were considered luxury. No other trains provided meals, beds and even a toilet. The only thing missing were full showers which the train never had. Service was impacted by the changing landscape of Europe several times WWI, WWII and the Rise and Fall of the Iron Curtain (communism) and still emerged as a desirable service. The Orient Express was about the Journey and not the destination.

VSOE (Venice Simplon Orient Express) is the spiritual successor to the original service provided by the Wagons-Lits company although VSOE claims to be the original it isn't.