There are cheaper ways to get from Paris to Venice. There are faster ones, too. This is precisely the point. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is still very much alive in 2026: a seasonal series of luxury journeys rather than a railway service you use because you need to get somewhere. The numbers are almost wonderfully absurd. A classic Paris–Venice journey in 2026 starts at about £4,275 per person in a Historic Cabin. Longer itineraries can run to nearly £20,000 per person. The train is not a permanent scheduled service either; it operates as a seasonal series of luxury journeys, moving between Paris, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Florence, Rome, Portofino and, on longer trips, Istanbul. The classic Paris–Venice journey leaves in the afternoon and arrives the following afternoon, taking roughly one night.