The legendary Orient Express train, which ceased operations in 2009, is preparing to be back on track with a new set of journeys in Italy in 2023. The Orient Express La Dolce Vita service will boast six trains travelling through several itineraries across 14 regions and beyond, including three international destinations from Rome to Paris, Istanbul, and Split. A stopover in Rome will feature the very first Orient Express Hotel, Minerva, scheduled to open in 2024.

The concept pays tribute to “La Dolce Vita,” a historical period of glamour, joie de vivre and artistic fervour in Italy during the 1960s.

Launched in 1883, the train (not to be confused with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express), will be reprised as a luxury rail tourism project between Arsenale S.p.A. in association with Orient Express of Accor Group.

With support from Accor, La Dolce Vita train’s official hospitality partner, the journey invites passengers to travel through more than 16,000 km of workable railway lines – 7,000 km of which are not electrified and are vestiges of Italy’s storied history.

The Orient Express La Dolce Vita also intends to offer an environmentally friendly adventure “where forgotten roads are explored, hidden treasures discovered and where architectural triumphs take centre stage.”

Designed by global architectural and design studio Dimorestudio, the Orient Express La Dolce Vita train will embody the Italian art and traditions of living with a more contemporary spirit of travel. The train’s sumptuous decor will adorn 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites, and one Honour Suite and restaurant, all celebrating the craftsmanship, design, and creativity of the 1960s and 1970s.

In collaboration with local and international chefs and sommeliers, travellers will experience 5-star service on board, featuring Italian wines and exclusive haute cuisine.

Most itineraries will start in Italy, featuring majestic mountains, bucolic countryside, or the beaches of southern Italy. In addition, three dedicated itineraries will take passengers through eight countries, linking Rome to Paris, Istanbul, and Split.

“It is thrilling to be bringing the refined nomadic spirit of Orient Express back to life for a new generation of travellers,” says Raffles and Orient Express, Accor CEO Stephen Alden. “The original train route was innovative in the way it paradoxically brought cultures together – the Occident with the Orient, history with modernity. As artisans of travel, we wish to revive this old-world, awe-inspiring ‘journey to elsewhere’ and reconcile certain paradoxes: a journey and a destination, astonishment and inspiration, movement, and contemplation…