Set your sights on wanderlust aboard Italy’s first luxury train, the La Dolce Vita Orient Express, where every stop from Venice to Sicily is a story waiting to unfold.
By Archana Aithal Rose
Few images in cinema capture the romance of rail travel quite like the long, snowbound journeys in Doctor Zhivago—where trains become floating worlds of their own, carrying passengers through vast landscapes and suspended moments of life. For more than a century, the legendary Orient Express promised a similar kind of escape, transforming travel across Europe into an elegant ritual of velvet lounges, fine dining, and lingering conversation. Now the myth returns in a new form with the La Dolce Vita Orient Express, a revival that leans into Italian glamour, cinematic nostalgia, and the quiet luxury of slowing down, with itineraries that thread through Venice, Tuscany, and Sicily.
Designed by Milan’s Dimorestudio, the train channels the optimism of 1960s Italian design with jewel-toned velvet seating, polished walnut paneling, mirrored accents, and softly lit corridors. The 31 cabins—including 18 suites and 12 deluxe cabins—blend midcentury style with plush comfort, creating intimate spaces that feel more like private salons than compartments. Three-Michelin-star chef Heinz Beck oversees the culinary program, with menus inspired by the regions the train traverses and mornings beginning with a Grand Tour of Italy breakfast of Sicilian brioche, fresh juices, artisanal jams, and strong Italian coffee. By evening, the train shifts mood in what the crew calls The Great Transformation: lights dim, a pianist fills the bar car with music, and the sommelier pours signature cocktails and Italian wines as the countryside drifts past the windows.
