More than 140 years after the original Orient Express first pulled into Constantinople, Italy’s most celebrated luxury train is preparing to retrace the historic passage. Travellers can expect Michelin-starred dining, 1960s-inspired interiors, and a starting price of €20,000 per person on the Rome-Istanbul route.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express is preparing to launch its inaugural Rome–Istanbul route on 22 October 2026, reintroducing one of the most iconic journeys in rail travel history. Drawing inspiration from the very first Orient Express service, which pulled into Constantinople in 1883, the itinerary has been marketed as the ultimate modern interpretation of “the most legendary voyage of all time.”
The new five-day, four-night one-way journey marks the first international route for Italy’s newest luxury train and reinterprets the historic rail passage as a slow travel experience, positioning the journey itself — rather than the destinations — as the core of the product.
The route
Departing from Rome’s Ostiense station in the evening, the train calls at Venice on the second day. There passengers arrive by private water taxi and may choose from curated excursions — among them a walk through Casanova’s Venice, a private boat tour of the lagoon and its islands, or an exclusive visit to the Orsoni Venezia 1888 glassworks, the last active mosaic furnace of its kind in the city. The train continues eastward to Budapest. In Hungary’s capital, curated experiences include a visit to the newly restored Saint Stephen’s Hall and a gourmet lunch in a historic restaurant.
On the fourth day, the train winds through the Carpathians and stops in Brașov, Romania, with its medieval streets and cobbled squares, followed by Sinaia — home to the Neo-Renaissance Peles Castle. A “Dracula Affair” excursion to Bran Castle is among the offered experiences. On the fifth and final day, the train arrives in Istanbul, a city of domes, minarets, and vibrant streets.
The Istanbul terminus carries its own literary associations. It was at the nearby Pera Palace Hotel that Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express. The historic Sirkeci station, the original Orient Express terminus , is currently undergoing restoration, with the possibility that it may be ready to receive passengers again by autumn.
Design and onboard experience
The train hosts only 62 passengers at a time, creating a more intimate atmosphere compared to larger rail services. Interiors were designed by Milan-based Dimorestudio and feature bold colours, vintage-inspired furniture, and luxurious materials drawn from 1960s Italian aesthetics. The 31 cabins include 18 suites, 12 deluxe cabins and the singular La Dolce Vita Suite.
Culinary direction is in the hands of Heinz Beck, the three-Michelin-starred chef whose flagship restaurant, La Pergola, is one of Rome’s most celebrated dining destinations. Beck’s menus draw on Mediterranean seasonal produce, served in a dedicated restaurant carriage with live piano and vocal performances in the bar carriage each evening. Menus evolve alongside the passing landscape, so that each dinner becomes another stage of the journey.
Tickets begin at €20,000 per person.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express revival
La Dolce Vita Orient Express has been operating Italian domestic and short international routes since 2023, when Arsenale introduced itineraries linking Rome with Sicily, the Dolomites and other destinations. The Rome to Istanbul route forms part of a wider renaissance for the Orient Express brand, which also includes the opening of Orient Express La Minerva in Rome in 2025, Orient Express Venezia in 2026, the forthcoming Orient Express Corinthian sailing yacht, and the return of the historic Orient Express train itself.
Bookings and further information are available at orient-express.com.
