The Beauty of Luxury Train Travel

According to The Society of International Railway Travelers, The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE), is the world’s most authentic luxury train. Made famous in the Agatha Christie story, the train still runs on the legendary route between Paris and Istanbul. Many other itineraries are also available, featuring European gems such as Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Paris.

The train’s mystique is such that its image is constantly in demand to portray elegance, beauty, sophistication and romance.

For the first time ever, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has added fully en-suite cabins. IRT luxury travel advisor Rachel Hardy was the only agent from the Western Hemisphere to be invited to the grand unveiling of the Grand Suites in March 2018.

Three Grand Suites are available on every departure. These include a private bathroom with rain shower, washbasin, and toilet, living area with space for private dining, and a sofa which can be converted into an additional small bed. Additional amenities include preferential seating and guaranteed dining time for meals, caviar upon arrival, free-flowing champagne, private transfers to/from train stations, and complimentary designer art deco bathrobes. A complimentary alternative “a la carte” menu also is available during lunch or dinner for Grand Suite guests.

To make traveling more easier, BT reveals that Passengers can now buy train tickets through Amazon.

According to BT, Rail passengers can now buy train tickets by talking to a voice-activated virtual assistant.

Virgin Trains has become the first travel company to sell tickets through Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices, such as the Amazon Echo.

Passengers who own a device can purchase advance single tickets on the west and east coast routes by saying “Alexa, open Virgin Trains”.

They are taken through the booking process and e-tickets are sent by email.

Giulio Montemagno, director of Amazon Pay EU, said: “Customers can now search, select and buy train tickets entirely through voice.

“This is a first-of-a-kind service that will make it easier than ever to find and book the ticket you want, even when you’re busy doing something else.

Previously customers could use the technology to receive train information only.

Virgin Trains is marking the development by offering free first class upgrades to passengers named Alexa travelling on its west coast routes between May 3 and June 15.

The company’s chief information officer John Sullivan said it was “leading the way in digital innovation”.

He said: “From finding train times online, to arriving at your destination, we want to make every journey with Virgin Trains amazing.

“Our collaboration with Amazon is a great example of this commitment to putting the customer first.”