Choosing between popular winter destinations and tempting warm spots to present to you as opportunities for an invigorating escape, we decided on a quite interesting offer that you will be able to enjoy very soon. A new version of the Orient Express train is coming to Italy in 2023. The Orient Express "La Dolce Vita" will carry passengers through 14 Italian regions, as well as Istanbul, Paris and Croatia.
Few names in traveling are as inspiring as the Orient Express. The rail service from Paris to Istanbul, which ushered in a new era of transcontinental high-end train travel, has captured our collective imagination for more than a century. Next year, passengers will have a new opportunity to experience the reputation of the iconic train for adventure and glamorous style, when the new version of the Orient Express will debut in Italy. Called the Orient Express "La Dolce Vita", the project will launch six different trains in 14 Italian regions, three international routes and more than 10,000 miles of railways. The trips are expected to last from one to three days, with travel reservations for 2023 opening in June 2022.
It has been 45 years since the original Orient Express was halted due to a drop in passengers, although similar trains following slightly different routes have emerged over the years, including Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express service, part of a completely separate route which runs from London to Paris and Venice.
Partnering for the relaunch of the project are the French group Accor, which acquired a 50% stake in the brand in 2017. The remaining 50% is under SNCF Group, the French state railway company and the Italian
real estate investment firm Arsenale, with the support of Italy’s main train operator Trenitalia and Fondazione FS Italiane, which manages the country’s historic tracks and trains.
“We are bringing back a luxury icon, but giving it an all-Italian twist,” says Paolo Barletta, CEO of Arsenale. Orient Express “La Dolce Vita” will offer trips to some of the lesser known parts of Italy, while still stopping in Rome, Florence and Milan, providing the high level of service it has always been known for. The idea is to allow passengers to get off the train and explore places other than popular tourist destinations in the country - a real "dolce vita" experience.
In addition to Italy, the revived train service will run to three international destinations from Rome: Istanbul, Paris and the Croatian port of Split. This intercultural spirit of the Orient Express is what makes it really special, as the trip will be much more than just a form of transportation. Along the way there will be various opportunities for excursions and experiences. You will be able to go truffle hunting in Piedmont in the morning, then to the Milan Opera House in the evening, and the next day visit a small village in the province of Sicily.
Just like during the golden age of train travel, modern travelers arriving in Rome will also be able to stay in a specially designed luxury hotel for the Orient Express. Minerva is set to open in 2024. The historic property—a 17th-century Baroque palace near the Pantheon—will be the first of a collection of Orient Express hotels.
The design of the new emblematic train is an update of the legendary icon. The rail line redefined luxury travel, and came to represent so much more than just a train. When the original Orient Express train debuted in 1883, its carriages were among the most luxurious of the time with features like intricate wood paneling, leather armchairs, and silk sheets. On board, passengers were treated to eight-course meals served on crisp white tablecloths and the finest dinnerware, as they were whisked away to different destinations in Europe from Budapest and Munich to Venice and Paris.
Dimorestudio is a Milan-based design company entrusted with the interior and livery of Orient Express La Dolce Vita. The new locomotive will strive for the same refined style without trying to copy it. The interior will draw inspiration from the golden age of Italian design - the 50s, 60s and 70s of the last century - and will combine retro notes with more modern aesthetics. Every aspect of it will be a balance between the historical and the contemporary.
The interior design includes various luxury textures and floorings, contemporary works of art, brass accents and multi-layered design details. The six separate trains will differ slightly from each other, but each will include 12 luxury cabins, 18 suites, one Honor suite and a restaurant with local and foreign chefs and sommelier. The menus will follow the class of the five-star restaurant of the original Orient Express, with an emphasis on Italian ingredients and dishes. This will be a completely new train that will stay true to its original look to enchant, inspire and make you feel like you are in a luxurious boutique hotel and not in a train car.
The return of the Orient Express is part of a major trend that is currently gaining momentum in Italy - the revival of historic trains and railways from Trenitalia and Fondazione FS - steam, diesel or electric locomotives from different eras that inspire travelers on routes such as : Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Tuscany and Abruzzo, through less visited places.
This can also be seen as part of the overall shift in Europe towards "slow" travel. As we collectively rethink the way we look at the world and the impact we have, train travel will become increasingly popular.
For those who want to enjoy the returning legend, reservations for travel with Orient Express La Dolce Vita in 2023 will be open in June 2022.