A new luxury rail journey is shaping up for 2027: La Dolce Vita Orient Express has released its upcoming itineraries, headlined by a two-night, three-day round trip linking Rome, the Ligurian coast, Venice and Florence. The first departure is set for May, with fares from £7,897 per person.
The route starts in Rome and heads north through Tuscany, with the countryside doing the entertaining from the window. Day one includes a Michelin-starred lunch curated by chef Heinz Beck, built around Italian flavours. The train stops at Santa Margherita Ligure, from where a private transfer takes guests to Portofino — the glamorous resort town has no station of its own — for a few hours of free exploration before everyone is brought back on board for dinner in the restaurant car and live music in the bar.
Day two opens with the train rolling into Venice Santa Lucia. Guests can wander the city solo or pick a curated experience, such as a tour of the Scala Contarini del Bovolo, the spiral-staircase tower hidden in the backstreets near the Rialto. After another evening of onboard dining, the final day brings the train to Florence for more independent sightseeing or a guided private walk, before the journey swings back south through central Italy to Rome.
It is not the only new option for 2027. The company has also announced an Italian Wine Route through Bolgheri and Verona, a Truffle Route covering Alba and Piedmont, and a Rome-to-Venice trip via the Bolgheri vineyards. Themed departures return too: The Carnival Party ties a February Rome-Venice journey to Carnevale festivities, while The Italian Swing sends golfers around courses across the country over four days in April.
The train itself dates to 2025, when Accor's La Dolce Vita service began running Italian journeys that nod to the original Orient Express of 1883 — a name now shared by two separate operators, the other being Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Onboard there are 31 cabins: 18 suites, 12 deluxe cabins and the eponymous La Dolce Vita Suite. Deluxe rooms have a fold-out double sofa bed, marble-clad en suite and minibar; suites add a separate bed and sofa. Every cabin has a call button that summons a steward for room service — think olives, cheese platters and breadsticks, plus proper restaurant meals.
For travellers who have always fancied slow, glamorous rail travel but found the classic Paris-Istanbul routes eye-wateringly long, this is a tidy entry point: a long weekend rather than a fortnight, with three of Italy's big-hitting cities plus the Portofino coastline folded in. Book early if the May departure appeals — luxury sleeper trains of this calibre tend to sell out well in advance — and check the wine and truffle routes if food is the real draw. (Source: The Independent Travel)
