Luxury train targets oligarchs of the east

In days gone by, the original Orient Express carried louche British and French aristocrats east to the Balkans and Istanbul in a journey infused with glamour and mystery.

But in a sign of the times, a new luxury transeurope train service launched this week is looking in the other direction for its wealthy patrons.

The joint venture between the Russian and French state railways hopes that oil oligarchs who need to get from Moscow to the Cote d'Azur but don't fancy flying, will opt for a luxury-class ticket on the 52-hour trip from the Russian capital to the Mediterranean port.

The service departs Moscow's Belarus Station on Thursdays at 4.17pm and arrives in Nice on Saturdays at 7.12pm. The return leg departs from Nice on Sunday evening and arrives in Moscow on Tuesday night.

And the price of a round trip for deluxe passengers with their own compartment? A snip at €2400 ($4400). Just about enough for your average Russian oil baron to keep up appearances.

- INDEPENDENT