Joe McConnell
Luxury travel aboard the Orient Express is on the rise, but expect this growth to be more about modern luxury and less about Agatha Christie and murder.
Accor’s Dolce Vita Orient Express, not to be confused with Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient Express, is now open for bookings for its first voyages scheduled for spring 2025. The official opening of the booking window follows a pre-sale in December 2022 that saw 400 cabins booked, so move fast before this luxury train leaves the station without you.
There’s been a natural head scratching about which Orient Express is the real Orient Express since Belmond, formerly known as Orient-Express Hotels, has been operating its own train for years. In addition, the two Orient Express businesses grew closer over the summer after Belmond parent company LVMH announced a new partnership with Accor on the future growth of Orient Express. Ahead of the partnership’s launch, Accor leaders touted their version of the historic luxury train line as one that would offer more elegant and spacious cabins and suites that flow along the tracks.
The accommodations may offer modern luxury on the trains, but La Dolce Vita Orient Express also pays homage to 1960s and 1970s Italy, so brush up on your Federico Fellini films and consider picking up some vintage Emilio Pucci before you board.
Related: Rail Renaissance: The Best New Trains to Ride in 2024
The trains will feature 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites, and one La Dolce Vita suite, all with en suite bathrooms. The La Dolce Vita Orient Express also has a restaurant, lounge, and bar, and plenty of bragging rights to show off to your friends who think a half-bottle of red wine aboard Amtrak’s Acela is the height of luxury train travel.
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“This endeavor embodies the essence of exquisite exploration, where sophistication meets adventure,” said Gilda Perez-Alvarado, the newly appointed CEO of the Orient Express brand, in a statement earlier this year. “As we embark on this journey together, we invite travelers to experience the pinnacle of elegance and excitement, immersed in the charm and splendor of Italy.”
The Italian train bookings come as Accor works toward opening its first two Orient Express hotels: Orient Express La Minerva in Rome and Orient Express Palazzo Dona Giovannelli in Venice. A luxury superyacht for the brand is expected to hit the seas in the coming years.
AGREEMENT
Where is Accor’s Orient Express going?
Depending on the season, travellers will have the opportunity to book nine different routes in Italy aboard the La Dolce Vita Orient Express:
- A two-night coast-to-coast itinerary from Rome to Venice to Portofino before returning to Rome
- A two-night triangular route from Rome to Venice and then to Siena before returning to the Eternal City
- A two-night itinerary between Rome, Palena and Matera
- An overnight Italian wine-inspired journey between Rome and Montalcino (with return trip to Rome)
- An overnight wine and truffle inspired journey from Rome to Nizza Monferrato (with return trip to Rome)
- An overnight trip in southern Italy from Rome to Maratea and then to Palermo
- A one night coastal route from Palermo to Maratea and then to Rome
- A two night trip all in Sicily from Palermo to Agrigento and Taormina before returning to Palermo
- A three-night journey from Palermo to Agrigento and then on to Taormina before returning to Palermo with time for travellers to get out and explore; the train then heads to Messina for a ferry crossing to the Italian mainland before continuing on to Maratea and Rome
Once on board, guests will be treated to Italian wine and gourmet cuisine. Additionally, the La Dolce Vita lounge at Roma Ostiense train station will be available for travelers to unwind before their decadent train experience.
Fares for a one-night itinerary start at 3,500 euros (about $3,852) per person in a deluxe stateroom and 4,700 euros (about $5,172) per person in a suite. It doesn’t look like the terms “Agatha Christie” or “Hercule Poirot” are coupon codes to use for those hefty nightly fares.
A spokesperson for the brand told TPG this week that while upcoming Orient Express hotels in Italy will participate in the Accor Live Limitless loyalty program, La Dolce Vita Orient Express will not.
Where to book
Travelers can book their trips by visiting the La Dolce Vita Orient Express website. U.S. and Canadian travelers can also book by phone by calling 833-661-3080.
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