Italy's Luxury Train From Rome To Tuscan Wine Country Channels '60s-Era Glam Cinema And 'La Dolce Vita'

Trains are the original method of luxury travel and slow travel's answer to modern jet-setting problems (average train trips produce as much as 96.5% fewer CO2 emissions than a flight with a similar distance). It's arguably the best way to mix travel and transport, watching as the landscape evolves, as Lazio turns into Tuscany, as hills become lakes, and morning turns into night. But not all trains are created equally, and traveling aboard the Orient Express sleeper train, even now, is a luxury elevated high above the rest.

La Dolce Vita is a resurrection of the iconic Orient Express brand by Accor and Italian luxury group Arsenale S.P.A. (not to be confused with Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express). It seeks to recreate the magic of the Orient Express while fusing it to the Italian concept of la dolce vita: a lifestyle of pleasure, indulgence, and luxury. You'll see this translated into the design of the train carriages, which, rather than recreating the old-world elegance of the original trains, seeks instead to incorporate 1960s-style with compartments decorated with metallics, polished woods, and black and white photography from classic cinema in the walkways.

The deluxe cabin aboard La Dolce Vita has beautiful wood-beamed ceilings, carpeted floors, and a sofa that transforms into a double bed as night falls. Meanwhile, the suite cabins have smoked glass mirrors reflecting a double bed and finishings in brass and terracotta.

La Dolce Vita has various itineraries, darting from Rome and through the countryside as a stunning stage for Michelin-quality meals elevated by the kind of service you would usually expect at some of the best luxury resorts. Of the available routes, a highlight is Tastes of Tuscan Vineyards, a two-day, one-night roundtrip from Rome to Montalcino in Tuscany — one of Italy's best destinations for wine lovers. This journey takes a romantic turn as the train enters Tuscany, passing those emblematic hills punctuated by cypress trees.

While you can spend most of the day exploring Montalcino via Brunello wine tastings, the evening is dedicated to elegant dinners in La Dolce Vita's stunning dining car, whose muted sage-colored walls are interrupted at every table by large windows for watching the view. Each itinerary boasts unique lunches and dinners curated by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck, head chef at La Pergola for three decades, elevating views of the countryside with the scent of fresh coffee and pastries in the morning and sparkling wine in the evening.

Almost all of La Dolce Vita's itineraries begin in Rome (apart from those in Sicily, which begin in Catania), making the trips ideal for anyone visiting the Eternal City. Reservations are made via Orient Express La Dolce Vita, and fares start at approximately $5,367 per passenger, including accommodation, entertainment, table d'hôte, selected drinks, excursions, and applicable taxes. To indulge a little more, there's a two-night route that combines visits to both Siena and Venice from Rome, costing around $8,500 per passenger. For more adventure, check out some of the other best destinations for a day trip from Rome by train.