The maiden voyage departed Rome's Ostiense station on April 4, 2025, on the Tastes of Tuscan Vineyards itinerary to Montalcino, marking the start of commercial operations for Italy's first luxury rail cruise. The project is a collaboration between Orient Express (Accor), Italian hospitality group Arsenale S.p.A., and Trenitalia Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato, with support from Fondazione FS and Treni Turistici Italiani.
The first of six planned trains is made up of 12 refurbished 1960s Z1 carriages, restored in Brindisi and Palermo workshops, carrying a maximum of 62 passengers. On board: 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites, one signature La Dolce Vita Suite, plus a restaurant car, bar car, and lounge. Interiors are by Milan-based Dimorestudio, Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci, inspired by Italian design masters including Gio Ponti, Gae Aulenti, Nanda Vigo, and Osvaldo Borsani.
Onboard dining is overseen by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck of Rome's La Pergola, with regionally inspired menus. Guests board from the dedicated La Dolce Vita Orient Express Lounge at Rome Ostiense station, designed by artist-architect Hugo Toro, under general manager Samy Ghachem, formerly of Sereno Hotels.
Eight itineraries, fourteen regions
The train offers eight all-inclusive Italian itineraries of one to three nights, departing from Rome and covering 14 regions and 131 cities, from Venice and Portofino to Sicily and the Abruzzo Italian Trans-Siberian route. A two-day, one-night Rome to Portofino to Venice itinerary is listed on the official site from 4,160 euros per passenger for an October 2026 departure; fares vary by itinerary and date, so re-check at booking time.
Rome to Istanbul, this October
The train's first international route, Rome to Istanbul, is scheduled to depart October 22, 2026: five days, four nights via Venice, Budapest, Brasov, Sinaia, and the Carpathians, 140 years after the original Orient Express first ran. Fares are reported to start from 20,000 euros per person including accommodation, dining, entertainment, and excursions. It is a new Italian-built train reviving the Orient Express brand, distinct from Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, and the Istanbul run has not yet operated.
Photography: © La Dolce Vita Orient Express
