Luxury travel, hotel, cruise and train operator Orient-Express is scheduling its first ever crossing of the Friendship Bridge connecting Thailand with Laos aboard the legendary Eastern & Oriental Express (E&O) in February 2010.

Previously it was only able to go as far as Nong Khai with onward travel via road. The Friendship Bridge which opened in March 2009 now allows E&O passengers to chug straight into the heart of beautiful and mysterious Laos.

The unique four day-three night journey entitled 'Voyage to Vientiane', will depart on February 23 and start and end in Bangkok.

The thrilling adventure winds through north-east Thailand overnight, and the first morning stops at the ravishing Angkor-style temple of Phimai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important Khmer monuments in Thailand.

After lunch, the elegant E&O journey continues to the picturesque Khao Yai valley, visiting a local vineyard and tasting "New Latitude Wines".

The E&O crosses the mighty Mekong River into Laos, over the Friendship Bridge, the following morning, for a full day's tour of Vientiane including lunch at the historic Settha Palace Hotel. Capital of Laos, Vientiane is a city of contrasts where French colonial architecture sits alongside gilded Asian temples.

In late afternoon, the E&O returns to Thailand across the Friendship Bridge, allowing guests a chance to exchange stories of the day’s discoveries over a final dinner and overnight journey back to Bangkok.

Prices for this delightful journey start at US$1,950 -- or US$2,670 for a State Cabin and US$3,780 for a Presidential Suite. As with all E&O adventures, the 'Voyage to Vientiane', is priced per person, based on sharing accommodation, and includes all table d'hôte meals on board, with complimentary tea and coffee in your compartment, and sightseeing tours.

Measuring a quarter of a mile in length, the air-conditioned gleaming green and cream carriages of the E&O evoke the great age of luxury train travel and offer a world of opulence and fine craftsmanship.

With comfortable and elegant compartments, delicious all-inclusive cuisine and superb service, the atmosphere onboard the E&OE harks back one hundred years to a 'Colonial' age of rattan chairs on the veranda, linen suits, and tea dances coupled with the adventure of a journey.

Further information and full itineraries, can be seen at: http://www.orient-express.com/web/eoe/eoe_a2a_home.jsp