Orient Express La Dolce Vita Prepares to Wow Luxury Train World
Want to be first in line to enjoy the world’s newest luxury train?
We can help. The Society of International Railway Travelers just secured a limited number of luxury cabins for what will probably be a late fall 2024 inaugural voyage of the Orient Express La Dolce Vita.
Contact us ASAP to get on our first-notice list for bookings. We’ll need your full name, address and phone number. As soon as we have dates and pricing — we hope by the end of January 2023 — we’ll let you know.
La Dolce Vita is using carriages from TrenItalia from the 1980s to build their groovy dream train — with two rakes to start. The brand-new sumptuous interiors will celebrate the creativity of the 20th century Italian design masters with a focus on the retro 60s. Here’s a video.
Initially, they will offer seven different itineraries within Italy — from “the wonders of the Alps to the paradisiacal beaches of the south, from the beauty of Venice to Rome or Palermo,” the company says. Journeys will be one or two nights, with Rome as “home base.”
Several sound especially intriguing: Rome to Venice and Portofino on the Amalfi Coast, and Rome to Palermo, Sicily — crossing to the island on the train ferry.
Some journeys will be based around remarkable experiences, such as a truffle experience in Nizza Monferrato, the “pearl of the Piedmont;” a private experience at the 3rd-century Greek theater in Taormina, followed by a visit to a vineyard on Mt. Etna; performances at La Scala; and dining in a palace in Venice.
Click here to read through the itinerary details.
Later, more routes — including international destinations — and additional rakes are scheduled to be added.
The train will feature 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites, a bar car and a restaurant car boasting some of Italy’s best chefs and sommeliers. The maximum number of passengers will eventually be 62 — but the first year or two of journeys will accommodate only 48.
Each accommodation will be fully en-suite with private shower, sink and toilet. One cabin will be handicap accessible. The cost is expected to start around 2,000 Euro per person, per night.
Orient Express La Dolce Vita is owned by Accor, based in France. It is Europe’s largest hospitality company and the sixth largest in the world. And now they are moving into the luxury train neighborhood. The company also hopes to open ten Orient Express Hotels by 2030. The first two will be Orient Express La Minerva in Rome and Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice. Both are designed to accommodate passengers on La Dolce Vita trains.
“With the support of Accor,” the company says, “the official hospitality partner of this project, and thanks to a partnership with the Italian State Railways and others, the Orient Express La Dolce Vita will invite passengers to travel along more than 16,000 kilometers of railway lines, reminding them of the country’s historical treasures.”
Lastly, if you’re confused, you are in good company. Orient Express La Dolce Vita is one of several luxury trains with the “Orient Express” name. Stay tuned for a future blog post detailing the moniker and various trains.
Remember to provide your information — name, phone number, and mailing address — to get on our first-notice list. Contact us here.
