By Bosphorus News Life Desk
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express will arrive in Istanbul on September 30 after a five-night journey from Paris aboard restored Art Deco carriages dating to the interwar years.
Türkiye's Transport and Infrastructure Ministry said the train will enter the country at 8 a.m. and reach Bakırköy Station at 5:40 p.m. Passengers will disembark there before the empty train moves to Halkalı at 7:10 p.m., where it will remain for two nights.
It will return to Bakırköy for the return journey and depart for Paris at noon on October 2. The train is scheduled to leave Türkiye through Kapıkule at 10:05 p.m.
Belmond, which operates the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, lists the same schedule. The train left Paris at 11:20 a.m. on September 25 and is due in Istanbul five days later.
The return journey reaches Paris on October 7.
Five Nights Between Paris and Istanbul
The Istanbul itinerary is among the longest journeys on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express schedule.
The luxury train crosses Central and southeastern Europe on its way between Paris and Istanbul.
Belmond lists the 2026 Istanbul-Paris journey from £19,900 per passenger in a Historic Cabin, subject to availability.
The current Venice Simplon-Orient-Express dates to 1982, when entrepreneur James Sherwood returned a collection of restored historic carriages to service. The original Orient Express began running in 1883.
The fleet includes Art Deco cars built between 1926 and 1949, with individual carriages having served on routes including the Orient Express, Simplon-Orient-Express, Rome Express and Le Train Bleu.
Sleeping Car 3309 also has a direct link to Istanbul.
Built in Belgium in 1926, the carriage joined the Orient Express two years later. In February 1929, it became trapped in snow about 60 miles from Istanbul and remained stranded for 10 days.
Belmond cites the incident among the events that inspired Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. The restored carriage remains part of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express fleet.
More Special Trains Due in Istanbul
The September 30 arrival will be the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express' second visit to Türkiye this year. Its first 2026 journey entered the country on May 30 and departed on June 1.
Other privately operated European rail tours are also scheduled to reach Istanbul this autumn.
The Transport Ministry said Hungary-based MÁV Passenger Transport Co. has planned six special train services to Istanbul in 2026 from Venice, Paris and Rome.
A train from Venice arrived on September 23. Services from Paris are scheduled for October 10-12 and October 24-25, followed by a Rome-Istanbul journey between October 26 and 31.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express leaves Bakırköy for Paris at noon on October 2.
Sources: Türkiye's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Belmond, Bosphorus News review and reporting.