Orient Express Is Taking Bookings for Its Retro-Inspired Italian Line

Don’t look now, but we might be living through a renaissance of specialized train travel. Whether you’re looking to take in the evocative landscapes of New Mexico or make your way across Canada, odds are good that there’s a way to do so via train and in style. Perhaps the apex of this is Orient Express’s new La Dolce Vita line, which offers travelers a way to see Italy as it is while crossing the country in meticulously-designed interiors which hearken back to the aesthetics of a bygone decade.

Travelers have a number of itineraties to choose from, including stops in destinations like Rome, Venice, Tuscany, Portofino and Sicily. In announcing the debut of the program, general manager Samy Ghachem — who brings his experience with Sereno Hotels to the forefront here — dubbed it “Italy’s first foray into luxury rail hospitality.”

The design firm Dimorestudio worked on creating the distinctive look of the train’s cabins, which evoke 1960s Italy. Dimorestudio has plenty of experience blending past and present, including the firm’s showcase at Milan Design Week 2017. They aren’t the only experts working on the project; the food selection is in the hands of Heinz Beck, co-founder of The Order of the Knights of Italian Cuisine and a Michelin-starred chef.

Orient Express "La Dolce Vita" lounge — The “La Dolce Vita” lounge.

Orient Express

One of the key elements of the Orient Express La Dolce Vita experience is a sense of exclusivity. The announcement of these itineraries notes that the trains will carry a maximum of 62 passengers, with 18 suites and 12 deluxe cabins along with what’s being called the La Dolce Vita Suite.

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This is Orient Express’s first train line through Italy, but it also heralds further investment there. The company has plans to open two hotels in the country: Orient Express La Minerva and Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, in Rome and Venice, respectively. Earlier this year, Travel Weekly reported that the former was set to open by year’s end.