Onboard The Luxury Train Links Hungary And Iran

A train that takes you on the path of the world famous Orient Express — the early-20th-century trip that used to carry Europe’s aristocracy to Turkey.

High-class travelers with a taste of nostalgia are now able to indulge in the fantasies of this historical road after Hungarian Railways said it was launching a luxury Budapest-Tehran train service. This unique journey takes in destinations that are rarely experienced by the Western visitor which makes it all the more special.

The first “Golden Eagle – Danube Express” train, which comprises 13 lavishly-decorated wood-paneled 1950s carriages and berths for about 70 guests, is operated by Golden Eagle, a private travel agency that offers trip on luxury across Europe, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.

The new luxury train rides on existing railways, leaving from Budapest, heading east toward Turkish Kurdistan and dumping passengers in Iran. A ticket for the two-week trip costs about $14,000. The first train left on Oct. 15, the next one is scheduled for March next year.

“Iran has been opening up towards the west recently, so we thought the time was right to set this up,” said Marcella Beke, sales director of the “Nostalgia” branch of the Hungarian state-owned rail operator

The last Orient Express – which traditionally linked Paris and Istanbul – ran in 2009, with the luxury Venice Simplon – Orient Express continuing to run services between London and Venice.

If you ever wish a trip on the Orient Express, you’d better hurry up.

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