The Orient Express La Dolce Vita Journal

La Dolce Vita offers eight distinct journeys, most running two nights: the flagship Rome – Venice – Portofino – Rome, Rome – Venice – Siena – Rome (Venice and Tuscany), Rome – Matera – Palena – Rome (Eternal Stones of Matera), and Palermo – Taormina – Maratea – Rome along the Tyrrhenian Coast. Shorter escapes include the one-night Tastes of Tuscan Vineyards to Montalcino, the day-trip Truffle Route to Nizza Monferrato, and Sicily-focused loops between Catania, Palermo and Taormina. Our team at Palace Trains can match the right route to your dates — call 1-800-724-5120 or email travel@palacetours.com.

The single La Dolce Vita Suite is the train's flagship accommodation — its most spacious and lavishly appointed cabin, conceived as the pinnacle of Dimorestudio's design vision. Because there is only one on board, it's a natural choice for anniversaries, proposals or milestone celebrations where privacy and exclusivity matter most. Availability is extremely limited given there's just one per departure, so we recommend enquiring with Palace Trains as early as possible at 1-800-724-5120.

Because La Dolce Vita carries only 62 guests and runs a limited number of departures per itinerary each season, popular routes and the Presidential Suite can sell out well ahead of travel — booking several months in advance is wise, especially for peak spring and autumn dates. Palace Trains tracks live availability across all eight itineraries and cabin categories. Call us toll-free at 1-800-724-5120 or email travel@palacetours.com and we'll confirm current dates and pricing for you.

La Dolce Vita is a brand-new boutique train launched by Orient Express (part of Accor) in partnership with Arsenale S.p.A., Trenitalia and Fondazione FS Italiane — it is an entirely Italian creation, distinct from the Paris-to-Venice Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Rather than one fixed transcontinental route, La Dolce Vita runs a rotating slate of itineraries entirely within Italy, covering 14 regions and more than 16,000 km of track, including 7,000 km of historic non-electrified lines rarely used by modern trains. Its 12 carriages carry just 62 guests, making it far more intimate than most classic luxury trains.

Milanese studio Dimorestudio conceived every interior, drawing on the glamour and artistic energy of 1960s Italian cinema and design. Expect sumptuous jewel-toned fabrics, smoked-mirror walls, lacquered burnt-sienna ceilings and warm brass finishes throughout the cabins, restaurant car and Bar Car. It's less a period recreation than a stylised homage — bold, tactile and unmistakably Italian rather than the more Edwardian look of other heritage trains.

This flagship two-night circuit links three of Italy's most contrasting faces: imperial Rome, watery Venice and the pastel cliffside glamour of Portofino on the Ligurian coast. Guests disembark for curated excursions at each stop — think Venetian palazzo visits and a stroll along Portofino's harbour — before returning to the train for dinner and overnight travel through the countryside. It's designed as a leisurely, unhurried tour rather than a race between cities, so the train itself becomes as much a destination as the stops.

Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, its UNESCO-listed Sassi cave dwellings carved directly into limestone ravines. The Eternal Stones of Matera itinerary (Rome – Matera – Palena – Rome) gives guests time on the ground to explore this extraordinary townscape, a place largely inaccessible to typical rail travel and rarely paired with a luxury train experience. It reflects La Dolce Vita's broader mission of reaching lesser-seen corners of Italy via historic, non-electrified rail lines.

This day-trip itinerary runs from Rome to Nizza Monferrato in Piedmont's Monferrato hills, a heartland for white truffles, Barbera and Barolo wine country. It suits food-and-wine-minded travellers who want a taste of La Dolce Vita's excursions and cuisine without committing to an overnight journey. Seasonal availability is tied to the autumn truffle harvest, so ask Palace Trains about timing when you enquire.

Twelve carriages — nine for passengers, three for staff — accommodate a maximum of 62 guests, split across Deluxe Cabins, Suite Cabins and a single Presidential Suite. The 12 Deluxe Cabins (7 m²) have carpeted floors, wood-slat ceilings and a double bed that converts to a daytime sofa. The 18 Suite Cabins (11 m²) are larger master-bedroom-style rooms in orange, terracotta and purple tones with brass detailing, available in double or twin configuration, each with sofa, table and two armchairs.

Yes — every cabin category, from Deluxe through to the Presidential Suite, includes a private en-suite bathroom. Deluxe Cabin guests also enjoy 24-hour room service featuring a curated selection of Italian savouries, so there's no need to visit the restaurant car for a light bite outside meal service. It's a nice touch for guests who prefer to dine privately or arrive tired after a long excursion.

La Dolce Vita serves award-winning Italian cuisine in its restaurant car, with menus built around the regional specialities of whichever territory the train is passing through — think Tuscan and Sicilian ingredients, seasonal produce and regional wine pairings sourced from the very vineyards guests may visit on excursions. The Bar Car, set beneath a bright lacquered ceiling, is built around aperitivo culture — Negronis, Aperol and small Italian bites before dinner. It's a genuinely Italian dining experience rather than a generic fine-dining format transplanted onto rails.

Yes — the Bar Car is purpose-built for it, with a striking lacquered ceiling and a design language pulled straight from 1960s Italian glamour. Guests gather here before dinner for classic aperitivo rituals: Negronis, spritz, and small bites, mirroring the ritual as it's practised in Rome, Venice or Milan rather than a Western-style hotel bar. It's one of the most talked-about social moments of the journey.

Each itinerary is paired with tailored off-train excursions at its destinations — from Matera's cave-dwelling old town to Portofino's harbour and Sicily's coastal towns. On the Tastes of Tuscan Vineyards route (Rome – Montalcino – Rome), guests explore the vineyards around Montalcino, home to Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy's most prestigious reds. Specific excursion inclusions vary by itinerary and season, so Palace Trains can confirm exact details for your chosen departure.

The two trains share the Orient Express name but little else in practice: the VSOE runs a classic transcontinental route centred on Paris, Venice and London using restored 1920s carriages, while La Dolce Vita is a purpose-built modern train confined entirely to Italy with contemporary Dimorestudio interiors rather than restored antiques. If your priority is a deep dive into Italy's regions and cuisine in a smaller, more intimate setting, La Dolce Vita is the better fit; if you want the storied Paris–Venice pedigree, the VSOE is the classic choice. Palace Trains can help you weigh both against your travel dates and budget.

Fares on La Dolce Vita are built around an all-inclusive model typical of luxury sleeper trains: your cabin, all onboard dining including the regionally inspired restaurant-car menus, and the curated off-train excursions tied to your itinerary. Exact inclusions can vary slightly by route and cabin category, and we never want to quote a figure that might be out of date, so Palace Trains will confirm the current per-person rate and full inclusions for your specific departure and cabin choice.

La Dolce Vita's design — intimate cabins, communal dining and a sociable Bar Car — genuinely suits solo travellers as well as couples, since meals and aperitivo hour naturally bring the 62 guests together in a way larger trains don't. That said, the twin-configuration Suite Cabins can also work well for friends travelling together. Let Palace Trains know if you're travelling solo and we'll advise on cabin options and any single-occupancy considerations.

Evenings on La Dolce Vita lean toward smart, elegant dressing in keeping with the 1960s glamour theme — think cocktail dresses, tailored jackets and polished separates rather than jeans and trainers at dinner. Daytime excursions call for comfortable walking shoes, since stops like Matera's cave district or Montalcino's vineyards involve uneven, historic terrain. Cabins are compact, so pack efficiently; Palace Trains can share more detailed packing guidance once your itinerary is confirmed.

Because La Dolce Vita uses a mix of modern and historic, sometimes non-electrified Italian rail lines and stations, accessibility can vary by route and stop, and not every historic station or excursion site is fully step-free. If you or a travelling companion has mobility requirements, tell Palace Trains when you enquire so we can check specifics for your chosen itinerary and cabin before you book.

This is a boutique, adult-leaning experience built around intimate dining, aperitivo culture and refined design rather than family activities or connecting cabins, so it tends to suit couples, small groups of friends and multigenerational travellers seeking a quieter, more sophisticated pace. Families with older teenagers who enjoy history, architecture and Italian cuisine may still find it rewarding. Ask Palace Trains about which itineraries and cabin configurations work best if you're considering it for a family celebration.

Because several routes run along historic, non-electrified lines through rural and mountainous parts of Italy, connectivity can be intermittent in places, even though onboard wifi is generally available. Many guests find this part of the appeal — a genuine step back from constant connectivity while still being reachable at stations and major towns. If staying reachable is essential, let Palace Trains know so we can advise on the specific itinerary's connectivity profile.

As with most luxury sleeper trains, discretionary tipping for cabin stewards, dining and bar staff is customary and appreciated, though not rigidly prescribed — many guests tip per day of service. Luggage is handled by onboard staff between the train and station platforms, so you won't need to manage heavy cases yourself during transfers. Palace Trains can brief you on typical tipping practice when you book.

Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) are generally the most rewarding windows, offering mild weather for excursions in Tuscany, Sicily and Piedmont, plus, on the Truffle Route, alignment with the autumn white truffle harvest around Nizza Monferrato. Summer brings warmer, brighter coastal scenery on routes like the Tyrrhenian Coast itinerary but can be hotter for walking excursions in cities like Matera. Palace Trains can help match season to itinerary based on what you most want to see.

Simply tell us which itinerary interests you — whether it's the flagship Rome–Venice–Portofino circuit, a Sicilian loop, or the one-night Montalcino escape — along with your preferred travel window and cabin category, and our specialists will check live availability and guide you through booking. As the go-to source for luxury rail travel, Palace Trains handles the reservation process end-to-end. Reach us toll-free at 1-800-724-5120 or by email at travel@palacetours.com to get started.

If your goal is pure speed, a car or flight will always be faster; but La Dolce Vita isn't selling transport, it's selling the journey itself — waking up to a new region outside your window, dining on regionally inspired cuisine as the countryside passes, and reaching towns like Matera or Portofino without the logistics of driving and parking. For travellers who value design, gastronomy and a slower, more immersive way to see Italy's regions in one trip, it delivers something a rental car simply can't. We're happy to talk through whether it fits your travel style before you commit.