The Orient Express is reborn, but in Italian sauce: departure in 2023
It will be called Orient Express La Dolce Vita, a new chapter in the history of the world's most famous train, revamped with [...]
It will be called Orient Express La Dolce Vita, a new chapter in the history of the world's most famous train, revamped with a focus on Italy.
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It is the ultimate train ride, and it is about to return. After service was discontinued in 1977, The Orient Express will return in 2023 in a new version, which will pay special attention to Italy. In fact, the new train will affect 14 regions of our country and three international routes, covering more than 10,000 miles of rail routes.
A project created at the urging of French hotel giant Accor and Italian real estate investment group Arsenale, with the collaboration of Trenitalia and Fondazione FS Italiane. "We are reviving An icon of luxury, but with an all-Italian touch - explains Paolo Barletta, CEO of Arsenale - The Orient Express La Dolce Vita will offer a window into some of the lesser-known corners of our country, as well as stops in Rome, Florence and Milan."
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What the new Orient Express La Dolce Vita will look like
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The end of the original Orient Express was due to the proliferation of international air flights. They had made a long rail route like that useless. Accor and Arsenal's new project aims to Renew this idea by turning it into a real tourist experience. From Italy it will lead to major destinations such as Paris, Istanbul and Split.
The Boot will be at the center of it all, occupying much of the journey and taking train passengers around the Peninsula. And also time to visit the places where he will stay. Stephen Alden, CEO of Raffles and Orient Express, describes it thus, "You can go truffle hunting in Piedmont in the morning, and then to the theater in Milan in the evening, therefore to visit a small town in the Sicilian countryside the next day."
However, part of the Orient Express La Dolce Vita project are also the luxury hotel in which travelers will be able to stop and stay in some cities. The first will be the Minerva, a historic 5-star hotel in central Rome, a stone's throw from the Pantheon, which is scheduled to reopen in 2024.
In charge of the train's interior, which is essential to restore the correct idea of style and refinement of the classic Orient Express, but transported to our times, was the Milan-based studio Dimorestudio. "We don't want to create a replica. È our personal interpretation of the train" co-founder Emiliano Salci said. "The interiors will be influenced by the golden age of Italian design, the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, combining retro touches with a more modern aesthetic."
Each of the six trains that are part of the Orient Express La Dolce Vita project will consist of 12 Deluxe cabins, 18 suites, an Honor Suite and a restaurant with top chefs and sommeliers, which will serve menus inspired by those on the classic train but focused on Italian cuisine and ingredients. In addition, there will also be a lounge bar and an area dedicated to traveler entertainment.
Trips on the new Orient Express will last from one to three days, and reservations will be open from June 2022. Instead, the routes will go into operation during 2023.
