Accor’s first Orient Express train through Italy now open for reservations
Luxe train travel aboard the Orient Express is expanding, but expect this growth to be more about modern luxury and less about Agatha Christie and murder.
Accor's La Dolce Vita Orient Express — not to be confused with Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient Express — is now open for reservations for its first journeys slated for spring 2025. The official booking window opening follows a presale in December 2022 that saw 400 cabins get booked, so move fast before this posh train leaves the station without you.
There has been some natural head-scratching over which Orient Express is the real Orient Express since Belmond — previously known as Orient-Express Hotels — has been running its train for years. Further, the two Orient Express operations grew closer over the summer after Belmond's parent company, LVMH, announced a new partnership with Accor on future Orient Express growth. Prior to the partnership launch, Accor leaders have been touting their version of the historic, luxe train line as one that would offer more elegant, spacious cabins and suites rolling down the tracks.
The accommodations will provide modern luxury on the rails, but La Dolce Vita Orient Express also pays homage to 1960s and 1970s Italy, so brush up on your Federico Fellini films and consider packing some vintage Emilio Pucci before you board.
Related: Rail renaissance: The best new trains to take in 2024
The trains will feature 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites and a La Dolce Vita suite — all with en suite bathrooms. La Dolce Vita Orient Express also has a restaurant, a lounge and a bar — and plenty of bragging rights to flaunt to your friends who think a half-bottle of red wine aboard Amtrak's Acela is the pinnacle of luxury train travel.
"This endeavor embodies the essence of exquisite exploration, where sophistication meets adventure," Gilda Perez-Alvarado, the newly named CEO of the Orient Express brand, said in a statement earlier this year. "As we embark on this journey together, we invite travellers to experience the pinnacle of elegance and excitement, immersed in the charm and splendour of Italy."
The Italian train reservations arrive as Accor works on opening its first two Orient Express hotels: Orient Express La Minerva in Rome and Orient Express Palazzo Dona Giovannelli in Venice. A luxury superyacht for the brand is also expected to hit the seas in the coming years.
Where is Accor's Orient Express heading?
Depending on the season, travelers will have the option of booking nine different routes in Italy aboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express:
- A two-night coast-to-coast route from Rome to Venice to Portofino before returning to Rome
- A two-night triangle route from Rome to Venice and then to Siena before returning to the Eternal City
- A two-night route between Rome, Palena and Matera
- A one-night Italian wine-inspired journey between Rome and Montalcino (with a return trip to Rome)
- A one-night wine- and truffle-inspired journey from Rome to Nizza Monferrato (with a return trip to Rome)
- A one-night southern Italian journey from Rome to Maratea and then to Palermo
- A one-night coastal route from Palermo to Maratea and then to Rome
- An all-Sicily two-night journey from Palermo to Agrigento and Taormina before returning to Palermo
- A three-night journey from Palermo to Agrigento and then to Taormina before returning to Palermo with time for travelers to get out and explore; the train then heads to Messina for a ferry crossing to the Italian mainland before heading onward to Maratea and Rome
Once aboard, guests will be treated to Italian wine and gourmet cuisine. Additionally, the La Dolce Vita lounge at the Rome Ostiense train station will be available for travelers to unwind before their decadent train experience.
Rates for a one-night itinerary start at 3,500 euros (about $3,852) per person in a deluxe cabin and 4,700 euros (about $5,172) per person in a suite. It does not appear the terms "Agatha Christie" or "Hercule Poirot" are discount codes to use toward those hefty nightly rates.
A brand spokesperson told TPG this week that while the upcoming Orient Express hotels in Italy will participate in the Accor Live Limitless loyalty program, La Dolce Vita Orient Express will not.
Where to book
Travelers can book their journeys by visiting the La Dolce Vita Orient Express website. U.S. and Canadian travelers can also book over the phone by dialing 833-661-3080.
Related reading:
- Best hotel credit cards
- When is the best time to book a hotel? Experts weigh in — and debunk a few myths
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers: Amex, Capital One, Chase and Citi
- Best hotel rewards programs in the world: Which one is right for you?
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees