05/07/2022
Travel with Internet Tours, Inc.!
MEETUP ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS 5.0
It’s time for our signature trip again! I am fluttering with excitement, as I head out to Europe to lead our 5th group, retracing the route of the glamorous Orient Express train!
The Orient Express was started in the 1880's and although it was normal International railway service the name became synonymous with intrigue and luxury rail travel. Sadly it doesn’t exist anymore. Over the years it took different routes with the main one being from Paris to Istanbul. Route changed due to wars or contracts for rail use and it became shorter and shorter. By 2000's it went only from Paris to Strasbourg and it last operated in 2007.
Our trip brings back the romance and adventure of train travel, along with the mystery of new cities and countries. We are recreating the experience using modern trains and conveniences We start in Paris, travel by trains to Venice, Vienna, Prague, Budapest and then a short flight to Istanbul. In Istanbul we even stay at the landmark Pera Palace Hotel, which was the last destination stop of the Orient Express travelers.
This combination of countries is offers the best taste of Europe! Moving west to east gives the traveler a unique perspective to compare the geographical and historical differences and similarities between the different parts of the continent. Sample Western and Central Europe, compare with some of the former communist bloc countries and end up in the farthest eastern part of the continent with its Asian and Muslim influence!
We are doing this in 2 weeks, taking 2 night trains and for the rest of the 12 nights staying in first class hotels in the center of each city. Location is the key for a a true experience like this, because we are exploring the cities like locals. This is not your standard touristy stuff where you travel by a big bus with 40 people, stuck on a “one size fits all” type of tour. We take public transportation, walk the quaint European streets, eat at small authentic joints, mingle with the locals and try to speak their language. We have an organized sightseeing tour in each city, use skip the line museum passes, go to antique markets and visit a whole bunch of quirky and unusual places not known by the regular tourist!
This time I decided to write a little bit every day (time permitting) and try to describe our journey. Maybe some travel advice or an unusual idea which people can find useful for their future trip to Europe. We’ll see how this thing goes…
Internet Tours, Inc. is a travel agency, located in Los Angeles, California. We are a private retailer, providing travel and tourism related services to the public, such as airline tickets, car rentals, cruises, hotels, rail tickets, package tours and travel insurance.In recent years we were able...
