For the first time, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is journeying from Paris to Monaco. On 10 May 2027, the world’s most celebrated luxury train will depart Paris for the Principality, tracing the spectacular coastline of the French Riviera. Along the way, it will pass Cannes and Nice before arriving in Monaco, the same location that played a big role in the train’s resurrection many years ago.
Princess Grace onboard before Auction
In 1976, Sotheby’s held an auction in Monaco, and among the lots was a collection of original 1920s Orient Express carriages. The morning of the auction, the five carriages had made their journey between Nice and Monaco, with Princess Grace onboard. She enjoyed brunch in the restaurant car, before the historic coaches were presented to prospective bidders.
The first two carriages were bought by the King of Morocco. James Blair Sherwood, an American who had his eye on the carriages, bought the next two for $104,000. Sherwood, an American who became interested in the shipping business during his time in the US Navy and built a transportation empire over four decades, was very interested in railways.
Finding the Lost Carriages
Over the next five years, Sherwood scoured Europe in search of more lost carriages from the original train. About 20 additional coaches were eventually tracked down, scattered across railway sidings in Spain, Paris, Ostend and Carnforth. Years of neglect had taken their toll on the intricate wooden train cars and Sherwood ultimately invested about $20 million in finding, restoring and assembling a team to bring the carriages back to life.
Sherwood’s dream finally became reality on 25 May 1982, when the restored train took its inaugural journey. After a red-carpet ceremony complete with Champagne and a 25-piece band in London, esteemed guests, including Liza Minnelli, crossed the English Channel by ferry before boarding the newly restored Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
Now, more than fifty years after that fateful Monte Carlo auction, the story is coming full circle. The train will be travelling to Monaco once a year. Fares start at €4,870 per person, when two travellers share one cabin. The Grand Suite, the most luxurious category, can cost as much as €14,780 per person.
