Well first of all you pick a concept that fits with the times. Once we have your concept you can then develop your character sheet (use http://www.invisiblecastle.com to roll the best of three, stats can be swapped around), draw up a history, figure out your inventory (both in your compartment and the baggage car - folk might break in to take a look), as well as three goals your character wants to achieve during the journey. If you don't want to play out the whole thing but would like to dip your toes you could pick an early getting off point in France or Germany.
Find a criminal, unearth secrets for the gossip pages of your society column, get other people to help you come up with the ending of your novel, read your occult texts in public, spy on the other guests, seduce someone, win a bet, make new friends, party hard, set up an arms deal, smuggle someone over the border, escape Paris on a forged passport, make business contacts, steal yourself some new jewellery, sell a nonexistent bridge or fake artefacts, find a husband for yourself (or your daughter), locate a relic, smuggle relics, convince people of the perils of Nazis or socialism or the Zionist conspiracy, recruit for your new cult, poison or kidnap someone.
If you want to take a look at what the game will be like then feel free to mosey on down to the Last Express category in the Other Eras & Settings major category and read through the various threads. Later on you'll be restricted to the threads you've already been in but for now you can read through it to get an idea of what the game will be like.
Every Friday I update the game by fifteen minutes, using a bit of Hollywood-style condensed time to keep things cracking. Since allegiances are being formed and broken at all times, it doesn't really matter how long the game has been going in terms of getting onboard. There's always something going on aboard the train.
Daily to every other day, ideally. If you need to take a break, let me know. We can always move your character out of the scene, if necessary, even if they are mid-conversation with people by having them need to go to the loo or send them to their compartment if you'll be away for a month.
Absolutely. The list of passengers sits here while the staff lists is over here. Yes, I know that some of the uniforms aren't historically accurate for the Orient Express but I went with what I could find. You can find the compartment and timetableover here if you're curious about what stops will be being passed. Your characters have the choice of Single Cabins or Double Cabins (fits two in bunk beds). The cabins come in First Class or Second Class. The cabins all share a washroom between them so feel free to collect between you all a group of four to come aboard and claim two compartments that share a washroom.
Hope to see you aboard!