What an amazing experience, after 23 years in the travel business, I thought I would be hard to please.

I travelled to Venice with Easyjet accompanied by my husband who is 6’4” and realized just how small the low cost flight seats can be, it made me realise why I recommend British Airways to all my clients. On arrival in Venice, the fourth time this year, I was greeted by our lovely Kirker representative and escorted to our water taxi transfer across the lagoon, an experience that brings a smile to my face every time.

I stayed at the Hotel Centurion Palace, an impressive palazzo nestled between the Salute Church and the Peggy Guggenheim museum. The hotel is a marvellous palazzo, recently renovated and furnished in an elegant modern style. I had a room overlooking San Marco and the Grand Canal, what a view! On this trip I also visited the Venice countryside, and spent a night in one of the noble villas along the Brenta Canal, the Villa Franceschi. The villa is run by the Dal Corso family and is famous for its gastronomic restaurant, the Ristorante Margherita, very popular with the discerning Venetians. The menu is seasonal and the wine list impressive, it’s only 20 minutes’ drive from Venice airport and great place to visit if you are looking for something a bit different.

We saved the best until last, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a ‘must do’ in anyone’s wish list for a special occasion or just as a big treat. The train is a museum on wheels, all the original Art Deco features lovingly restored to the highest quality. The level of service on the train is unequalled anywhere, your every need is attended to seamlessly. I packed a large tome in my overnight bag for the train thinking I would have plenty of time to read; the scenery through Verona to Innsbruck is so breathtakingly beautiful I didn’t even turn a page.

We spent most of our time taking photographs, chatting to other happy guests and getting ready for one gourmet experience after the next. In the three meals during our trip we managed to try out all three restaurant cars, all very different and beautifully restored. My husband at last was able to enjoy the wonderful armchair seats in the restaurant cars and was surprised at how comfortable and surprisingly roomy the sleeper beds were.

Waking up in rainy Paris and being treated to breakfast in bed felt like I was still living a dream, I felt truly spoilt. The Paris to London final leg of the journey was a great way to unwind and get used to the idea that soon we would be getting back to normal life.