Meetup Social Group

The Orient Express...you have heard it many times. The romance, the mystery, the adventure! Of course with the opulence too!

The original Orient Express is but a memory and our journey will mirror elements of the original route, crossing Europe from Paris to Istanbul.

This trip brings back the romance and adventure of train travel, along with the mystery of new cities and countries in a special way - adding value and removing inflated expense of excessive opulence by replacing it with service and contemporary refinement.

We retrace the route of the original Orient Express, using modern Night Trains, High Speed Day Trains, as well as some short hop flights.

Our route takes us to:
Paris - - - Venice - - - Vienna - - - Prague - - - Budapest - - - Istanbul

Included:

• Train transportation between 4 cities.
• 2 nights on an actual night train with sleeping compartment
• Air transportation Paris / Venice and Budapest / Istanbul
• 11 nights in First Class hotels with best central locations
• Breakfast every day
• Some lunches/dinners
• All transfers to/from hotels, train stations or airports
• Guided tours in each city
• Entrances to many museums.
• even a wine tasting along the way.
• and more...

We travel as a group, and also have the flexibility of hop-on, hop-off tours and museum passes with "skip the line" so you enjoy a complete independence. It is all included in the price!
You are free to do your own thing, cater to your special interests, visit other sights and locations in the cities, while still being guided and helped with all the arrangements. A balance of independence when you want it and being included in all group activities when you prefer it.

The idea is: come alone, meet new like-minded people and make lifelong memories . . . without being stuck with the "one size fits all" tour formula.

Here is a basic thumbnail:

PARIS - 3 nights
· Evening fight to Venice
VENICE - 1 night
· Night Train to Vienna
VIENNA - 1 night
· Evening train to Prague
PRAGUE - 2 nights
· Night Train to Budapest
BUDAPEST - 1 night
· Late evening flight to Istanbul
ISTANBUL - 3 nights.
· Sleeper Cabins on the trains and First Class hotels in each city w/ very central locations.

What was The Orient Express?
It was long-distance passenger train service that began in 1883 with the original endpoints being Paris to Istanbul. The original name became synonymous with intrigue and was a showcase of luxury with comfort at a time when traveling was still rough and dangerous.

In Istanbul the Pera Palace Hotel, built in 1892, was the accommodations at the terminus. And we are staying in it!

The original Orient Express ceased operation in 1977 and we are not using the original old train. It no longer exists.

EVERY aspect of this trip is epic.

• Visit picturesque and storied cities.
• Enjoy trains and experience the enchantment of the rails.
• In the end you will have visited 6 countries: France, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey!

The tour starts in Paris on May 29 and ends in Istanbul on June 11.
$5490 total cost per person, double occupancy.
$7090 total cost for solo occupancy.

Overseas travel takes a lot of planning in advance. Flights, Time-off, dog sitters . . . Here are our Featured International/Overseas Events so you have the time to get things planned to be able to join.

Join our Meetup group on this exciting tour of beautiful Croatia - a country blessed with both, transparent sapphire waters and glamourous old towns. A blissful vacation to a country full of beauty and history with an awesome group of active and fun people! Create lifelong friendships on our tours! Come alone, leave with friends!

From north to south, we will start with Croatia's charming capital, Zagreb. Visit the amazing Plitvice Lakes National Park, with its cascading waterfalls. Explore the former Roman citadel of Split with Diocletian's famous palace. Marvel at the UNESCO World Heritage city of Dubrovnik, boasting the largest and best preserved city walls in Europe. Check out the filming locations of Game of Thrones. Relax on Croatia's stunning Dalmatian coast, overlooking the crystal blue Adriatic Sea. Spend a couple of days on the sun drenched island of Hvar. Be our own boat crew for a day, while sailing to the famous Blue cave and 5 more islands.