I had a date recently with a very classy lady down at Folkestone.

Although getting on in years, she had a reputation for oozing style, for being extraodinarily good company and putting anyone who met her immediately at ease.

Her name was Vera, and I was advised that I should turn up smartly dressed for our tea-time assignation under the clock at the town's railway station.

When I saw her she took my breath away. Vera was wearing a beautiful cream and brown outfit and looked so radiant in the afternoon sun.

Every aspect of this elderly lady was sheer perfection . . . and there was not the merest hint of the damage caused to her by a direct hit from a German bomb in 1940!

You see Vera is a train carriage, but no ordinary one. Along with her 'sisters' Audrey, Gwen, Lucille and Zena she was part of the British Pullman train that was waiting at Folkestone Station to take me on the final leg of what had been a remarkable and memorable two-day journey across Europe.

You have probably all heard stories of the Orient Express, that famed train that whisked the wealthy and well connected between London, Venice and Istanbul in the twenties and thirties.

During this the hey-day of train travel, it provided an unrivalled service for style and luxury, enjoyed by the rich and famous.

But in 1977, with the growth of air travel and with the years catching up with the ageing rolling stock, the Orient Express operated by the national railways, ceased operation and the lovely old sleepers and the fabulously ornate dining cars were sold off and found themselves dotted around the world, some used as temporary homes, restaurants or even garden sheds.

It seemed that we had witnessed the Murder OF the Orient Express, rather than Agatha Christie's homicide on it, and many doubted whether the magnificent old train would ever get back on the rails again.

However, American businessman James B Sherwood couldn't bear to see the demise of the legendary express, and started tracking down the old carriages and, with no expense spared, restoring them to their former glory.

The three dining cars that had been stripped of most of their finery went into the workshops and, seat by seat, panel by panel, were rebuilt to exactly the same patterns. They were joined by a sumptuous bar car complete with grand piano and one by one the fabled Wagons Lits sleeper cars were given a similar makeover and added to the train.

In 1982, the Venice Simplon Orient Express began running again, and since then has expanded and gone from strength to strength.

It now operates from March to October using the most picturesque route through the Italian Dolomites and the Austrian and Swiss Alps. A short stop in Paris is followed by a Eurotunnel coach link and then the British Pullman completes the journey to London.

The train now also makes trips to Istanbul and there are plenty of other European itineraries to satisfy the wanderlust of the most demanding train traveller.

But the iconic Venice-London or London-Venice journey is still the one that fires the imagination and conjures up the majesty and mystique of this great train.

Standing on the platform at Venice railway station, it is hard to know which way to look. Behind you is the colour, bustle and sheer magnificence of the Grand Canal, gondoliers singing, water taxis vying for business and thousands of tourists scurrying like ants across the half-moon bridges.

While in front all is calm and decorum, with the Orient Express snaking elegantly along Platform 2, it's dark blue and gold livery gleaming, its attendants waiting at every carriage door dressed in crisp white uniforms.

You are already anticipating the lobster and Champagne as a very attentive attendant shows you to your carriage, plumps up the tapestry cushions and switches on the art deco table light, his face reflecting in the exquisite marquetry panels.

This is six star service on a six star train and it gets even better as the Orient Express slides gracefully along the causeway that joins the lagoon of Venice to the mainland and lunch is served.

It is difficult to describe the meals aboard this train. You tend to run out of superlatives by the time you have consumed lunch, tea in your compartment and dinner back in one of the three opulent dining cars. Listening to the accomplished pianist's rendition of the opening of La Traviata in the bar car set the scene perfectly.

The only problem with the Orient Express is knowing which way to turn. The temptation is to immerse yourself in the style and comfort of your compartment, but with each carriage decorated differently and even the loos worth an individual sight-seeing visit in themselves, you find yourself exploring all 17 coaches.

Such is the interest inside the train, don't forget that you are travelling through some of the most stunning scenery in Europe. I would often have to divert my attention from a Lalique glass panel or an inlaid wooden door, to focus on a snow-covered glacier, a craggy mountain or a picture-book Alpine village.

It goes without saying that a journey like this aboard such a train is not cheap. It never was and it certainly isn't now.

But somehow you wouldn't want it to be. The Orient Express is something special, and you have to pay the price for the privilege of sampling one of the world's great railway journeys, be it for a wedding anniversary, honeymoon, birthday or other special occasion.

Oh, I almost forgot, my date with Vera was the icing on the cake. She was the height of sophistication on the journey from Folkestone to Victoria, although she was very forward and did give me her phone number . . . . . .

FACTFILE:

VSOE (0845 077 2222 or www.orient-express.com ) operates 77 departures a year, predominantly between London to Venice and vice versa. Once a year the train embarks on an epic six day journey from Paris to Istanbul via Budapest and Bucharest. The most recent addition to the train’s annual departures is a journey to Krakow from Venice.

2008 prices: London / Venice or Venice / London costs from £1,475, Venice / London via Prague costs from £1,805 and Venice / London via Krakow is from £2,300 Prices are per person and based on two people sharing a double cabin.

The British Pullman, which undertakes the first or final leg of the journey, also operates numerous day trips to traditional English cities, including Bath, Canterbury, York, and Brighton. Prices range from £275 to £310 per person.