Luxury train tours in Italy

Italy, the land of luxury trains?

When someone mentions a luxury train, images immediately come to mind: the glamorous Orient Express gliding from Paris to Venice, gleaming dining cars polished to a copper shine, velvet-lined cabins, and black-tie dinners. And yet, Italy did not invent the luxury train. The story begins elsewhere, in Belgium and France, with Georges Nagelmackers and the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits in the 1870s. But Italy captured the imagination of luxury rail travel like no other country. Today, luxury train travel in Italy embodies refinement on rails more than anywhere else. How did Italy become the contemporary reference for luxury train journeys?

The myth of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

If the historical “homeland” of the luxury train is France, it is in Italy that one of its most emblematic routes reaches its peak. In 1919, the opening of the Simplon Tunnel made it possible to launch the Simplon-Orient-Express, a luxury Paris–Venice train that continued on to Trieste and Istanbul. Venice soon became the ultimate prestige destination, a symbol of romance and refinement.

Today, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) is undoubtedly the best-known luxury train in the world. Operated by Belmond since 1982, it uses historic carriages from the 1920s and 1930s, meticulously restored to their original splendor.

Why is the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express so iconic? Four key reasons

The resurrection of a myth

• The VSOE brought a legendary train back to life at a time when almost all prestige rail services had disappeared. In the 1970s, the original Orient-Express gradually ceased operations. In 1982, businessman James Sherwood acquired and restored historic 1920s–30s carriages, recreating the experience and relaunching the VSOE. Since then, the train has carefully preserved its Belle Époque atmosphere. Lalique glass panels, precious wood marquetry, and mahogany compartments create a timeless setting that revives the glamour of rail’s golden age.

A Paris–Venice luxury train

• The Paris–Venice journey itself fuels the legend. Few pairings are as romantic as Paris and Venice. Crossing the Alps over two days and one night, the train links two cities that each embody romance, charm, and luxury in their own way.

The magic of the name “Orient-Express”

• Not every luxury train can claim the name Orient Express. It is synonymous with mystery, glamour, and long-distance journeys. The label alone sparks dreams, shaped by literature—most notably Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie—and cinema.

The prestigious Grand Suites

• Finally, the introduction of the Grand Suites has further elevated its status. These ultra-luxurious private cabins feature en-suite marble bathrooms, king-size beds, and champagne service. Prices exceed €20,000 for a single night, yet they are often booked years in advance.

But since 2025, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express no longer holds a monopoly on luxury train travel in Italy. The arrival of La Dolce Vita may well reshape the landscape.

The renewal of luxury rail travel: Orient Express La Dolce Vita

Scheduled to launch in 2025, Orient Express La Dolce Vita is the result of a partnership between Accor and Trenitalia. Once again, the name “Orient Express” serves as a seal of prestige—but this time, the experience is designed to explore 14 Italian regions with six trains, from Rome to Venice, via Tuscany, Sicily, and Puglia.

A break from the Belle Époque legacy

• Unlike the VSOE, which cultivates a 1920s atmosphere, La Dolce Vita draws on a different nostalgia: the 1960s, the golden age of Italian cinema and dolce vita glamour. Designed by Milan-based Dimorestudio, the interiors reference Cinecittà and Riviera palaces. Precious woods, polished brass, velvet, and geometric lines create an ambiance that is retro, elegant, and resolutely modern.

Sensory luxury: gastronomy as a manifesto

• Gastronomy has always been central to luxury trains, but with La Dolce Vita it becomes a defining statement. The project enlisted Heinz Beck, a three-Michelin-star chef and major figure in international haute cuisine. This is a first in rail travel: never before has a luxury train placed a three-star Michelin chef at the heart of its identity.

Each dinner is conceived as an exceptional experience worthy of a Roman palace: haute couture menus, elevated Italian products, wines selected from the regions crossed, and gourmet stops that extend the experience beyond the train. Where the VSOE works with a Michelin-starred chef to reinterpret its Belle Époque heritage—Jean Imbert—and where the Royal Scotsman emphasizes local Scottish terroir, La Dolce Vita goes a step further by setting an even higher gastronomic bar.

100% Italian itineraries

• All La Dolce Vita Orient Express routes remain entirely within Italy. Some highlight great classics such as Rome–Venice–Portofino or Rome–Venice–Siena, combining romance and heritage. Others venture into less expected yet equally compelling territories: Matera and its UNESCO-listed sassi, the vineyard-covered hills of Piedmont famed for truffles and Barolo, or Sicily, with loops from Catania or Palermo blending coastline, volcanoes, and Baroque villages. Lasting two or three days, these journeys form a mosaic of landscapes and atmospheres that reveal the full diversity of Italy.

Why Italy, and not somewhere else?

• The continuity of the myth: the VSOE has been serving Venice for over forty years, embedding the image of a glamorous journey to Italy.
• The contemporary revival: La Dolce Vita brings luxury rail travel into the present with modern design and high-end gastronomy.
• Iconic destinations: Venice, Rome, Tuscany, Portofino—names that evoke art, romance, and beauty.
• Italian style: in trains as elsewhere, Italy excels at turning everyday life into an art of living. Italian luxury rail travel is not just about comfortable cabins; it integrates gastronomy, design, and culture.

In short, Italy did not invent the luxury train—but today, it is its most compelling expression.

Luxury train Paris–Venice (ref.)
Luxury train travel in Italy (ref.)