Paris or Vienna to Prague / Prague to Vienna or Paris
Paris/Vienna ↔ Prague
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express journey between Paris or Vienna and Prague is one of the most evocative overnight rail experiences in Europe — a one-night passage through the very heart of the continent, linking the grand boulevards of western Europe with the fairy-tale spires of Bohemia. Departing Paris Gare d'Austerlitz in the late afternoon, the legendary Art Deco carriages roll east through France and into Germany as night falls, crossing into Austria in the small hours before the train calls briefly at Vienna Westbahnhof around midday. By the time the Bohemian countryside unfolds beyond your window, the golden medieval skyline of Prague is only hours away.
This is one of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express's most distinctly Central European routes — offered just a handful of times each year — and it is equally compelling in reverse. The Prague-to-Paris departure allows guests to savour the Czech Republic and Austria in daylight, pausing in Vienna before an elegant evening dinner propels them westward through the night to arrive in Paris the following morning. Whether outbound or return, travellers board 18 authentically restored Wagons-Lits carriages dating from the 1920s and 1930s, each one a living piece of railway history.
The itinerary suits those who wish to drink in two of Europe's most storied capital cities without haste — spending one sumptuous night aboard the train, surrounded by Lalique glass, lacquered marquetry, and the notes of a resident pianist drifting from Bar Car 3674. For enquiries and bookings, contact Palace Trains toll-free at 1-800-724-5120 or by email at travel@palacetours.com.
- ✦One night in an authentic Art Deco Wagons-Lits carriage dating from the 1920s–30s
- ✦Four-course dinner in one of three opulent restaurant cars designed by Chef Jean Imbert
- ✦Live piano in the legendary Bar Car 3674 until late into the night
- ✦Midday pause at Vienna Westbahnhof en route through Imperial Austria
- ✦Afternoon arrival into Prague amid the Bohemian countryside
- ✦Return direction offers full daytime views of Czech and Austrian landscapes
- ✦Choice of Historic Cabin, Suite, or named Grand Suite including the Prague Grand Suite
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Paris: Departure from Gare d'Austerlitz (Paris to Prague direction)
Guests board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express at Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at around 15:30–16:00, welcomed by their personal cabin steward who escorts them to their private compartment. As Paris slides behind you, there is time to settle in, unpack, and pour a first glass of champagne before joining fellow travellers in Bar Car 3674 — the social heart of the train, built in 1931 and restored to its original blue-and-gold Art Deco glory, complete with Lalique glass and a resident pianist at the baby grand. Pre-dinner cocktails — champagne, martinis, negronis — set the mood before the dining cars open. Dinner is a formal, four-course affair (smart attire or black tie required) served across one of three restaurant cars: Étoile du Nord (1926, with immaculate marquetry), Côte d'Azur (1929, Mediterranean blue with Rene Lalique carved glass panels), or L'Oriental (1927, golden Chinoiserie lacquerwork). Menus are designed in consultation with Chef Jean Imbert and feature seasonal French ingredients — think lobster with grilled vegetables and marigold flowers, or turbot in Champagne sauce with caviar — paired with the sommelier's wine selection. After dinner, the bar car stays lively until the last guest retires; a midnight brunch of champagne and lobster rolls is available for those who linger. The train crosses into Germany overnight, the countryside invisible in the darkness beyond the gently swaying curtains.
Day 2 — Austria, Vienna & Prague: Morning through Arrival
Guests wake to a continental breakfast served in their cabin — coffee, fresh pastries, and perhaps a window view of Austria's forested hills and broad river valleys drifting past. The train reaches Vienna Westbahnhof at approximately 12:30, pausing for around 30 minutes — enough time to step onto the platform and breathe the Imperial city's air before continuing northeast. As Austria gives way to the Czech Republic, a three-course lunch is served in the restaurant car; afternoon pastries are brought to cabins as the rolling, forested hills of the Bohemian Massif pass in a gentle procession of green. The train crosses the Czech border and descends through the Bohemian countryside before gliding into Praha hlavní nádraží (Prague Main Station) at approximately 18:45, delivering passengers into the golden heart of one of Europe's most intact medieval cities.
Day 1 — Prague: Departure (Prague to Paris direction)
The return journey departs Prague at approximately 09:00–09:15, allowing guests to board in the morning and enjoy the Czech Republic in daylight — the forested Bohemian hills and wide valleys unrolling at a leisurely pace. Pastries are served in cabins as the train heads south-west. The train arrives at Vienna Westbahnhof at around 14:15 and departs again by 14:45, a stop that affords a brief glimpse of the Austrian capital's grand architecture. A three-course lunch is served crossing into Austria; after Vienna, dinner follows — another formal, four-course affair in the restaurant cars as dusk settles and France draws nearer through the night.
Day 2 — Paris: Morning Arrival (Prague to Paris direction)
Continental breakfast is served in the cabin during the final hours of the journey. Guests may browse the onboard boutique before the train pulls into Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at approximately 10:05. Grand Suite passengers receive complimentary champagne throughout, a dedicated butler, and included hotel-to-station transfers on the outbound Paris departure.
Destinations & Highlights
Paris — City of Light, Gateway to the Orient
Paris Gare d'Austerlitz has served as the departure point for the Orient Express's eastward journeys since the train's earliest days, and boarding here still carries a frisson of old-world romance. Beyond the station, Paris offers the incomparable grandeur of the Seine embankments, the Musée d'Orsay's Impressionist masterpieces, the Gothic soaring of Notre-Dame (restored in 2024), and the Haussmann-era boulevards lined with cafés and couture. As the train's western terminus, Paris sets the tone for everything that follows.
Vienna — Imperial Splendour on the Danube
The Vienna Westbahnhof stop — a midday pause of around 30 minutes on the Paris-to-Prague leg — is a tantalising glimpse of one of Europe's great capitals. Vienna was for six centuries the seat of the Habsburg dynasty, and that heritage is written into every Ringstrasse palace, coffeehouse, and concert hall. The Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Vienna State Opera, Schönbrunn Palace, and the Naschmarkt are among the city's defining experiences, while the Viennese tradition of the Kaffeehaus — coffee, cake, newspapers — is a civilised institution unto itself. Those wishing to linger should plan a dedicated Vienna stay on either side of the train journey.
Prague — the City of a Hundred Spires
Prague is perhaps the best-preserved medieval capital in Central Europe, its Old Town (Staré Město) and Malá Strana largely untouched by the destruction that reshaped so many European cities in the 20th century. Charles Bridge, built in 1357, crosses the Vltava River to the Lesser Town, its baroque statuary — 30 saints lined along the balustrades — a UNESCO World Heritage treasure in miniature. The Old Town Square holds the medieval Astronomical Clock (Orloj), which has marked the hours since 1410 with a procession of the Twelve Apostles. Above it all, Prague Castle — the largest ancient castle complex in the world — crowns Hradčany Hill, enclosing St Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Palace, and gardens with sweeping views across the red-tiled rooftops below. Wenceslas Square, the city's grand commercial boulevard, connects Old Town to the New Town and is dominated by the National Museum. The Jewish Quarter (Josefov) contains six historic synagogues and Europe's oldest active Jewish cemetery. Whether arriving in the early evening by the Orient Express or departing from Prague Main Station on the return, the city rewards even a brief stay with extraordinary depth of history, architecture, and culture.