Italy’s first luxury train, La Dolce Vita Orient Express, will commence its covetable journeys in Spring of 2025, with bookings now open at orient-express.com. The new all-inclusive train journey provides eight exclusive round-trip “Made in Italy” itineraries departing from Rome, highlighting sought-after destinations like Venice, Matera, Tuscany, Piedmont, Portofino, Abruzzo and Sicily. On-board, guests will enjoy dishes created by acclaimed three-Michelin starred Chef Heinz Beck, who will oversee cuisine onboard the rail journeys.
Guided by newly-appointed General Manager Samy Ghachem, formerly the managing director at Sereno Hotels and Frosch, marks a partnership between Italian luxury hospitality group Arsenale S.p.A., Orient Express, and Trenitalia-Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato, Fondazione DFS and Treni Turistici Italian TTI.
“It is a privilege to join La Dolce Vita Orient Express at this key period in the revival of the iconic Orient Express brand and the launch of Italy’s first foray into luxury rail hospitality,” stated Ghachem. “La Dolce Vita Orient Express is set to offer an inimitable take on luxury rail travel, reigniting a bygone era through a contemporary lens, Italian style.”
A High-Designed Journey Through Time
Design concept by Dimorestudio, the train’s aesthetic has been masterfully curated to communicate the art of Italian living, with a sumptuous interior that celebrates the timeless craftsmanship of the 1960s and 1970s “La Dolce Vita” period. On-board, guests will enjoy an intimate travel experience with 12 carriages that host no more than 62 passengers. The train will boast 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites and one La Dolce Vita Suite, all of which combine romance, style, the art of immersive encounters and relaxation, supported by a cruising model for round-trip experiences.
Embarking on Eight Exclusive Itineraries
Aligning the train’s beauty with the country’s natural splendor, the trips cover over 9,941 miles of track, including nearly 4,350 miles of non-electrified railway, spread over 14 regions and 131 cities across Italy.
As part of the experience, guests can enjoy thoughtfully-curated and memorable excursions, along with full-board accommodation. Taking in the breadth of the country, the eight itineraries provide journeys into the heart of nature, through its lakes, forests, sumptuous coasts and Alpine mountains, and an immersion into the center of cities that are international hubs of art and culture, from Venice and Rome.
The itineraries also offer access to once remote destinations, such as Matera in Basilicata, the third oldest city in the world, with its ancient architecture, caves and stunning natural beauty, and Palena, a beautiful mountainous village in Abruzzo with medieval architecture, scenic views and rich cultural heritage. A remarkable itinerary also includes the world’s first passenger rail ferry, accessing the island of Sicily, where the train will decouple at Calabria and load onto a ferry, for the experience to resume on water before being reassembled and continuing the tracks in Messina. Beloved and favorite destinations like Tuscany, Portofino and Piedmont are additionally highlighted.
The train journeys will include access to the newly established La Dolce Vita Orient Express Executive Lounge at Roma Ostiense for a comfortable and seamless travel experience.
A Michelin-starred Culinary Journey-Within-A-Journey
Announced in collaboration with Beck & Maltese Consulting, renowned three Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck will oversee the cuisine onboard the rail cruises. Guests will have the pleasure of experiencing curated menus by this world-renowned chef with a deep connection to Italy. With the ambition of its cuisine to become a recognized part of UNESCO heritage, the train will offer regional and thematic routes, celebrating the culinary diversity of each region traversed during every journey.
Curated in partnership with Vinitaly, one of the world’s largest and most significant international wine and spirits expeditions, wines onboard will showcase a breadth of viticulture from the well-known labels to rare and undiscovered wineries, always synonymous with quality and the uniqueness typical of Italy. During the train adventures, guests can go on a spirited Italian journey through six Vinitaly-selected wine companies that represent north, south and central Italy. This ties into the wider brand goal of fostering associations with local Italian life and celebrating authentic symbols of Italian excellence. This is just one of many exciting brand collaborations to be announced with the purpose of highlighting the very best from each region that the “Made in Italy” itineraries will visit.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express Honors Italian Design with a Modern Approach
La Dolce Vita Orient Express train marries the golden age of Italian design with a more contemporary spirit of travel. The project takes inspiration from masters of Italian design, including Carlo Scarpa, Gio Ponti, and Ignazio Gardella through to the great artists of the Spatialism movement that put space and time at the center of its compositions, such as Lucio Fontana, Agostino Bonalumi, and Enrico Castellani. The design project was conceived to embody a flawless and understated balance between the historic and contemporary, while still maintaining its authenticity. The spaces are thoughtfully designed, and always well-curated and subtle details complement each other graciously.
The launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express precedes the anticipated openings of the first two Orient Express hotels: Orient Express La Minerva in Rome; followed by Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice. More information to be announced later in 2024.
