Veuve Clicquot has created three of the most decadent journeys you can imagine on Belmond trains. Solaire Journeys (a name inspired by the signature sunny yellow color of Veuve Clicquot labels) follow the sun across three continents, from east to west, accompanied by some of the finest champagne and culinary delights in the world.

Unique and rare Champagnes are paired with food under the supervision of Jean Imbert (of the Michelin-starred Plaza Athénée) for the ultimate tasting journeys. Two of the voyages have already begun (the Eastern & Oriental from Singapore and the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express from Paris), but this fall you can join the third, Champagne-soaked excursion aboard the Andean Explorer from Machu Picchu, Peru.

The first trip in 1883

The first journey of the most famous long-distance train in the world, Express d’Orient, was from Paris to Vienna on June 5, 1883. The Belgian company Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits operated the service until 2009 with various routes and extensions throughout Europe. The service quickly became a symbol of luxury and intrigue in rail travel, even more so after Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot travelled on the Simplon Orient Express from Istanbul in her 1934 novel. Murder on the Orient Express.

In 1919, the classic midnight blue carriages of the first Simplon-Orient-Express train, still seen today, were introduced when it first connected Paris to Istanbul via Milan and Venice. This route, which created a new path through the Alps, passed through the Simplon Tunnel, an engineering marvel that, at almost 20 kilometers, was the longest railway tunnel in the world until the Daishimizu Tunnel opened in Japan in 1982.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

If, like most people, you have a trip on the ‘Orient-Express’ at the top of your bucket list, you can today take the legendary Paris to Istanbul journey on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE), owned by Belmond. The five-day, seven-country Istanbul route is offered twice a year from £17,500 per passenger. If this is beyond your budget, there are shorter, cheaper routes across Europe each year, including Vienna to Paris (1-night journey) from £4,275 per passenger.

Made up of restored carriages from the 1920s and 1930s, the VSOE train is every bit as opulent and sumptuous as you’d imagine, transporting you back to a more elegant age of travel. Interiors feature plush upholstered seats, polished wood paneling and ornate fixtures. The blue dining car, 4141, built in 1929, was decorated in the “Côte d’Azur” style by René Lalique. The French designer’s Art Deco glass panels featuring bacchanalian virgins can still be seen on both mahogany sides of the car. Monsieur Lalique was also responsible for the design of some of the chairs and the tulip lamps throughout the train.

As the longest passenger train in Europe, the VSOE has 17 carriages, including 11 sleeping cars with 6 grand suites, 8 suites and 40 cabins, 3 restaurant cars, 1 bar car and 2 staff cars. The sleeping cars offer three accommodation categories: grand suites, suites and historic cabins. And from 2025, the even more opulent private car “L’Observatoire” will be added.

Overnight from Vienna to Paris

A one-day trip between Vienna and Paris via Budapest or Prague is a regularly scheduled itinerary and will give you the desired experience on your bucket list. Last month, Veuve Clicquot’s special Solaire trip went from Vienna via Reims, allowing guests to visit the famous UNESCO-listed city. Colored pencils (Chalk Cellar), where “la grande dame de la Champagne”, Madame Clicquot, created the world’s first known vintage champagne and the first rosé champagne blend in 1810.

The lunch in the cellars of Veuve Clicquot was a virtuoso four-person performance by chefs Jean Imbert and Mory Sacko (of the Michelin-starred Mosuke restaurant in Paris), who recreated the same dish in a completely different way for each course.

With a black tie you can never be overdressed on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a must. Before boarding the train in Vienna, guests were treated to a tour of the private Palais Liechtenstein’s art collection (including an entire room of rare paintings by Reubens) and dinner with award-winning Austrian chef Andreas Döllerer. The tasting menu was served with rare Veuve Clicquot vintages in magnum bottles: Cave Privée 1998, Cave Privée Rosé 1998, Cave Privée 1985 and Cave Privée Rosé 1985, all selected by Veuve Clicquot’s cellar master Didier Mariotti, who will also be on the Solaire Andes journey in Peru.

Accommodation

Even the boarding cabins on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express are luxurious, with rich woodwork and comfortable seats that convert into beds with fine linens. The next category up are suites, with sofas that convert into double beds and private bathrooms with beautiful tiles, small showers and air conditioning. The pinnacle of luxury is the Grand Suites, which offer a surprising amount of space for a train, including a separate living and dining area.

Food and Drink

You’ll be spoilt for choice between three equally gorgeous dining cars. L’Oriental (built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company in 1927) features an exotic oriental design with lacquered panels, plush seats and intricate marquetry. Etoile du Nord (built 1926) has a more contemporary style, while my favourite in blue velvet, the Côte d’Azur (1929) has the aforementioned Lalique glass panels.

“Being part of the history of the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a childhood dream come true. I truly feel the stars have aligned to give me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I look forward to sharing my deep passion for the train with our guests through food this season and in the years to come,” says Jean Imbert, Executive Chef of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Chef Imbert selects ingredients from local farmers and producers: from breakfast, served to guests in their own cabin, to lunch, afternoon tea, canapés during the aperitivo hour in bar car 3674, the social hub of the train, and dinner. Aside from the excellent ingredients, the chef and his team also deserve great praise for preparing Michelin-level food in the train’s tiny kitchen.

The journey and the experience

When not relaxing in their own cabin and enjoying the beautiful scenery, passengers can enjoy the pleasant atmosphere of the opulent bar car before or after their meal. Veuve Clicquot Solaire voyages feature copious amounts of champagne, as well as singers, musicians and cabaret artists gathered around a grand piano, believe it or not. How the burlesque dancers manage to look graceful with their high kicks between the narrow aisles is the truly unsolvable mystery.

All aboard the Andean Explorer

The last Veuve Clicquot Solaire trip in October this year will take you to Peru and will begin with the first night in Cusco at the Palacio Nazarenas. A city tour and a champagne dinner in the gilded chapel of the sister hotel Monasterio will round off the first part of the trip.

On the second day, travel on the Hiram Bingham, a Belmond train, to the famous Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. A Peruvian lunch and later dinner with rare Veuve Clicquot vintages are served with onboard entertainment. After a second night in Cusco, board the Andean Explorer and settle into your cabin to admire the views, including the stunning La Raya mountain range. Another highlight of the trip is a sunrise experience on Lake Titicaca before taking a traditional boat ride to the Uros Islands, extraordinary man-made islands made of carefully woven reeds. The next day, the 8,000-year-old Sumbay Caves and the stunning scenery of Lake Lagunillas are sure to leave a lasting impression before the train disembarks in Arequipa.

Practical information

The next departure of the Venice Simplon Orient-Express from Paris to Istanbul is on August 23, 2024, with prices starting at £17,500 per passenger.

The next Veuve Clicquot Solaire trip will take place from October 21 to 26, 2024. From Cusco to Arequipa and Machu Picchu on the Hiram Bingham, a Belmond Train and the Andean Explorer, a Belmond Train, it costs from $15,000 per person.

This story was originally published on forbes.com. and all numbers are in USD.

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