Go, Go, Go!

1. LIVING THE DREAM: THE VENICE SIMPLON-ORIENT-EXPRESS

Belmond (belmond.com), the company which runs the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, offers a range of experiences. The Paris-Istanbul journey runs August 24-29, returning August 31-September 5. Fares, including accommodation in Budapest and Bucharest and three nights on the train start from £13 986 for two adults sharing outbound. The regular journey from London to Venice runs from March to November. Fares from £2 129 per person based on two sharing.

2. BACK(PACKING) ON THE RAILS

Budget airlines and cheap bus tickets have changed travel in Europe but the Eurail Pass is still a must-have for anyone looking to travel the continent on a budget. The main benefit of the pass, which comes in three versions, is unlimited daily train travel, which means you can use trains as hotels on wheels and save on accommodation. The Eurail Global pass covers 26 participating countries, the select pass covers two, three or four neighbouring countries and a single-country pass covers travel in one country only. Buy Eurail passes at raileurope-world.com or direct from eurail.com. Make life easier by using the app eurailgroup.org/promos/railplanner_app.

3. MURDER, SHE RODE

There was a real murder on the Orient Express. Maria Farcasanu was pushed from the train a year after Agatha Christie’s novel was published. In 1950 Simon Karpe — who may have been a spy — disappeared from the train. That inspired parts of Ian Fleming’s From Russia with Love. Source: filmsane.com.