Italy’s Orient Express La Dolce Vita Train Debuts In 2024

The launch of new luxury trains shows no sign of slowing down, thanks to an obsession with slow travel, an appetite for nostalgia, and a taste for lavish interiors that harken back to the golden days of rail travel. Nothing epitomizes that better than the unveiling of the Orient Express La Dolce Vita later this year, a new “vintage-style” train that will travel around Italy on one—and two-night journeys.

The train is a partnership between the French hotel group Accor and the Italian luxury hospitality group Arsenale S.P.A., with a railway partnership with Trenitalia—Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato—and the Fondazione FS Italiane. Note that this Orient Express is a different company than the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which is owned by Belmond, part of LVMH, and runs from London to Venice.

The design inspiration is La Dolce Vita, “The Sweet Life,” the name of the Italian décor, art, and architecture of the 1960s, made famous by Federico Fellini’s film of the same name. Dimorestudio, an architecture and design studio founded by Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran, was inspired by 20th-century Italian design masters such as Giò Ponti, Nanda Vigo, Gae Aulenti, and Osvaldo Borsani.

The 11-carriage train will carry just 62 guests. There are 12 deluxe wood-lined cabins, 18 master suites, and one “La Dolce Vita” suite. They will all feature double beds, a sofa, armchairs, and a private bathroom. All cabins will have room service available. The restaurant car will offer lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea. The Bar Car will feature live music, an aperitivo and antipasti buffet, after-dinner cocktails, and Italian wines.

The itineraries have been designed to create exclusive travel experiences ranging north and south, giving glimpses of the Alps and the southern coastline. Most departures will leave from Rome, and journeys can include cities such as Milan, Florence, and Venice, as well as the island of Sicily, via the only passenger rail ferry in the world.

Rome is the departure point for many of these rail trips. A new Orient Express La Dolce Vita Lounge will open at Rome Ostiense station to welcome passengers and provide refreshments. Fully staffed, it’s where passengers check in, check bags, and indicate travel preferences. The Lounge is where you will pick up boarding passes, cabin numbers, and baggage tags. After a day sightseeing in Rome, it’s good to know that there will be changing rooms with showers available before the journey begins.

Two-night journeys include Rome, Venice, and Portofino; Rome, Venice, and Siena; The Italian Transsiberian, Matera, and Palena; Palermo, Agrigento & Taormina: Sicly Through its Myths; and Rome & Nizza Monferrato: En Route to Truffles and Wine. Single-night journeys include Rome & Montalcino: En Route to Fine Wines and Rome, Maratea & Palermo: The Wonders of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The itineraries have been created in tandem with Orient Express’ first hotels, which will also debut in 2024: the Orient Express La Minerva in Rome and the Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice.

In 2025, La Dolce Vita is expected to add international routes to Paris, Istanbul, and Split on Croatia’s Adriatic Coast.

Reservations are currently open for booking. Fares start at $2,700 per person per night in a deluxe cabin and $4,000 per person per night in a suite. They include accommodation, the table d’hôte, selected wine and spirits, mineral water, soft drinks, tea and coffee, onboard entertainment, excursions, and all applicable taxes. Some premium wines and spirits and some à la carte dishes are subject to an extra charge. Visit Orient Express La Dolce Vita for more information.