The Vintage Train Renaissance Is Here — And It’s Fabulous

The romance of pan-European train travel is nothing new. But a few high-profile redesigns in Italy have captured the imaginations of the globetrotting glitterati. Vintage slow trains are now the most elegant way to travel through Italy.

La Dolce Vita. The phrase conjures many things, not least the iconic black and white images of vintage convertible cars, shiny black sunglasses, glamorous starlets and hustling cads named Marcello — all unforgettably captured in Federico Fellini’s iconic Italian film evoking a special time and place.

The years from 1958 to 1963 were known as Italy’s ‘economic miracle,’ an era characterized by vibrant artistic expression (the films! the fashion!) and industrial innovation (the cars! the typewriters!). At that time, the country enjoyed practically full employment, and investment reached 27% of GDP. It was very short, but very sweet. And state railways became a vehicle to valorise it.

Even now, it’s impossible to look at Italy’s throwback trains in a non-cinematic way. The new class of slow trains is ushering in a (relatively) sustainable travel revival, cosseting passengers in sumptuous cabins, celebrating 1960s décor and the Italian design legends of that time, like Gio Ponti, Giulio Minoletti and Gae Aulenti.

La Dolce Vita Orient Express just announced its opening dates at the Duco travel summit in Milan in March, complete with an unveiling of a mock cabin of the long-awaited train designed by Milanese masters Dimore studio. The project is a joint venture of French hotel giant Accor and real-estate investment company Arsenale. This being Italy, they also had to obtain support from the non-profit Fondazione FS Italiane and Trenitalia, a subsidiary of Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato, Italy’s state-owned railway holding company.

The result is an inspired mash-up of high-end hospitality, design, mobility and travel. And it’s already going gangbusters. Since pre-sales opened in December 2022, 400 cabins have been booked. Offering nine separate multi-night journeys, including such glamorous locales as Venice, Portofino, Siena, and Sicily, the train comprises 12 deluxe cabins and 18 suites, with prices starting at $3,800 per person for a deluxe cabin and at $5,100 per person for a suite. Itineraries are available to book starting in April.

Notably, Accor’s swanky new train comes years after the hotel company Belmond, acquired by LVMH in 2019, unveiled its Venice Simplon Orient Express (VSOE) service from London to Venice. With its own resident bar car pianist and East-meets-West soirées, the Venice Simplon has been the talk of travel town since it launched in 2021.

Beginning in June, Belmond is offering a new coastal journey from Paris to the Italian Riviera with the last stop in Portofino. Not to be outdone, the menus on board are curated by celebrity chef Jean Imbert (you know, the guy who took over for Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenée in Paris). Imbert is actually slated to be on board this train and prepare a tasting menu for guests in La Terrazza restaurant at the Splendido, a Belmond Hotel. Aperitivo, anyone?

All Aboard the Arlecchino

The Arlecchino, or ‘harlequin,’ refers to the comic character from early the commedia dell’arte Italian theater, now reborn as a made-in-Italy, mid century time capsule shaped like a bullet in red, green and white. Originally designed by architect Gio Ponti, its service debuted in 1960 for the Rome Olympics. The idea was to help shuttle international visitors in style, just as Italy felt the heat of the world’s spotlight.

Something over-the-top was needed, so a novel idea formed: why not put the driver on the roof? It was a great engineering and design challenge at the time, but it worked, and today the Arlecchino’s driver still sits in an aerodynamic cabin on the roof allowing the front and rear of the train to become panoramic viewing galleries for passengers. In 2016, the non-profit Fondazione FS Italiane began the years-long work of restoring the train, and updating it with 21st century comforts like wifi and modern electricity. It is now available for private charters.

On a recent trip from Rome to Perugia, Bernabò Bocca, President of Sina Hotels and President of Federalberghi, the Italian national hotelier association, extolled the virtues of slow train travel: “This is a very important anniversary. We’re celebrating 150 years of history for Sina Bernini Bristol (Rome) and 140 years for Sina Brufani (Perugia). So we organized an historical train between these two destinations, which is really a wonderful way to experience the countryside of Italy. When tourists come to Italy they look for something typical Italian, and this is typical Italian.”

The Next Stop

For the first time in a very long time, these glamorous time capsules will cover more ground. Since 2013, the Fondazione FS Italiane has been working to recover 700 kilometers of disused tracks, and has successfully reclaimed 12 routes across the country. This means more options for cost-conscious daytrippers. For instance, in June, another scenic slow train is about to run from Milano Centrale station to Monterosso, the largest town in the Cinque Terre region. The ride lasts approximately three hours. Just think, in the morning, you’re immersed in the caffeinated bustle of Milan, and by afternoon, you can be hiking the famous trails of Cinque Terre — for the ticket price of $32. Sure, you may not be served fine cuisine or sleep on Frette linens, but you’re also more likely to be riding with Italian locals.

If you’re wondering why this is happening now, it really comes down to basic supply and demand. The heritage train revival goes well beyond pride-of-Italy government funding. When Belmond / LVMH saw revenues start to soar in 2021, the industry took note. Private equity firms also played a significant role post-pandemic, when buying of distressed assets (European hotels and resorts) peaked in the first quarter of 2021, according to S&P Global. Now, amid the post-pandemic travel boom, leading luxury hotel groups are fiercely competing to drive traffic to their owned properties. If the train model works, it’s full steam ahead!

It’s no coincidence that the train revival has its roots in Italy. There’s really nothing like La Dolce Vita. She is beautiful, and her mythology continues to enchant us in a kind of trance, on a slow train fantasy we know won’t last forever.