Discovery Trains Portrait: Laure

What has been your most memorable train journey?

My very first train journey was a legendary one: I took the Trans-Siberian Railway. I was 19 years old, had just finished high school, and this journey across Russia was my partner’s lifelong dream - so I followed him. We didn’t have much money, so we bought a nonstop ticket from Moscow to Vladivostok: one full week on board, crossing seven time zones without a break.

When we finally arrived, we were in for a shock - hotel prices were far higher than we expected. Luckily, we had shared our compartment with a mother and her daughter who were heading home. They ended up hosting us for an entire week. It’s a deeply moving memory that has stayed with me ever since.

By train on the island of Java © Discovery Trains

Did that trip to Vladivostok have an impact on your professional life?

More than an impact — it was decisive, twice over. It was on that train that I learned my very first words of Russian. And later on, I was hired by a French travel agency specializing in trips to post-Soviet countries. I had originally planned to become a journalist, but instead I found myself running a travel agency focused on Russia. That’s also where I met Yulia Santalova, who would later become my business partner. Together, we created a website entirely dedicated to Trans-Siberian journeys. 

How did you then become the head of a train-focused travel agency?

During the COVID pandemic, our activity came to a complete standstill. We spent that time rethinking what could come next, knowing we couldn’t rely on the very narrow niche of travel to Russia anymore. Since we had developed deep expertise in Russian rail travel, we started asking ourselves: why not apply that know-how to rail journeys all over the world?

At the time, only one French agency seemed to be exploring that idea: Discovery Trains. I called its founder, Simon Stone, who was then the company’s only employee. He told me he was about to shut the agency down - he was ready to retire, and the project was going to disappear. Together with Yulia and other partners, we made him an offer to take over the agency.

On board the Trans-Siberian Railway at 19 © Discovery Trains

Did Discovery Trains get a fresh start?

We went back to basics and rebuilt everything from the ground up. We redesigned the website, and as soon as travel became possible again, we began with a major train journey through Switzerland. From there, we traveled across Europe and beyond to revisit and rebuild all the itineraries originally created by Simon. At first, it felt almost like a passion project.

But in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. It was a profound shock for Yulia and me. That’s when we truly realized that the Discovery Trains project was going to take on its full meaning.

Exploring Switzerland by train with Yulia in front of the Matterhorn © Discovery Trains

Did you go on other memorable train journeys after that?

The most striking one of all was a train journey in India. I traveled across Rajasthan and all the way to the sacred city of Varanasi by train. I experienced several types of trains along the way - some very similar to our high-speed trains, as well as comfortable overnight sleepers.

I also took a popular regional train, where I met a large family traveling together. We really connected. At one stop, monkeys climbed into our compartment - it was completely surreal! That Indian experience later became one of our itineraries. It’s now called North India by Comfortable Train.

Meeting locals on a regional train in India © Discovery Trains

Have you personally experienced luxury trains?

I can honestly say that I know luxury trains very well — I’ve studied their routes and their history in depth. I’ve visited several of them, including the Maharajas’ Express. But so far, I’ve only traveled on one: the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

Yulia and I took it from Venice to Paris, and it was truly an extraordinary experience. Everything on board was beautiful and refined, and the staff were incredibly attentive. I genuinely felt like I was living the life of a modern-day princess.

Laure and Yulia on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express © Discovery Trains

I also had the chance to travel aboard Thailand’s new premium train, the Blue Jasmine. It is an original journey, far from mass tourism, and includes two nights on board a former Japanese sleeper train, subtly reimagined with Thai silks by Jim Thompson. I especially loved watching the rails and the landscape unfold from the open balcony of the panoramic carriage.

On the balcony of the Blue Jasmine © Discovery Trains

Which train routes are you considering today?

At Discovery Trains, the idea is simple: we try to experience as many trains as possible ourselves. It’s the only way to talk about them with real insight and credibility. The whole team travels and tests routes, and I do the same.

Over the years, I’ve taken the Nightjet to Austria, the Caledonian Sleeper in the UK, the Shinkansen in Japan, and even a train on the island of Java.

Today, I’d love to explore Germany by regular train. I’ve heard that the landscapes and castles along some of the routes are remarkable, and it’s a rail network I don’t yet know well.

Looking further ahead, I’d also love to experience the luxury SJourney train  in Vietnam. It looks very impressive.

Laure in front of Vienna’s main train station, Austria © Discovery Trains