The train · Toured in person
I toured La Dolce Vita in Rome, from the private lounge to the dining car. Here’s what it’s really like on board, every journey and fare, and how I’d book it. If you’re thinking about it, the answer is do it.
Italy’s new Orient Express train, and one of the most fun things I’ve done in this industry.
Designed by Dimorestudio in the spirit of 1960s Italy, with a kitchen led by Heinz Beck, La Dolce Vita runs one- to four-night journeys out of Rome: to Venice, Tuscany’s wine country, Piedmont in truffle season and down to Sicily.
Below is my take from the tour, every current journey with fares, and the fine print I’d want to know before booking. To pair it with the Orient Express hotels in Rome and Venice, see my Orient Express in Italy trip.
If you’re thinking about it, do it.
Such a unique experience. The dining car stopped me: white linen, brass sconces, leather armchairs and warm 1960s colors, by Dimorestudio. There are lots of fantastic excursions off the train, but the train is still the point, so plan to spend real time on board.
The train is the point. The excursions off the train are fantastic, but the time on board is what you’re there for.
Every cabin has its own bathroom. Deluxe Cabins and Suites alike.
The suites are tiny. They remind you that you’re on a train. That shouldn’t put you off booking. It just sets your expectations correctly.
Bring a carry-on. For one to three nights you don’t need much, and there isn’t room for big suitcases.
Expect to be social. Journeys usually carry around 40 to 60 guests. Come ready to meet people and have fun.
The cabins
Turned down for the night
The details
Dinner and drinks
The bar car
Inside and out
La Dolce Vita has its own private terminal at Rome Ostiense, and it sets the tone for everything after.
You check in at the front desk, where your “boarding pass” and everything for the journey is waiting in a numbered pigeonhole behind the counter. Then it’s free-flowing Champagne and snacks in a lounge designed like the train itself: lacquered gold ceilings, travertine, velvet armchairs and a mosaic floor.
The lounge
The details
The buzz in the lounge before the train was so much fun. Everyone was excited, almost like Christmas morning, and I’ve never seen that in this industry. Arrive early and enjoy it. It’s part of the trip.
Current journeys and starting fares, per person, from Orient Express. The first three end in Venice.
For pairing La Minerva with Orient Express Venice, take one of the three journeys that end in Venice: Rome to Venice in December, the Carnival Party in February, or via Portofino from May. For a longer ride, the Wine or Truffle Route is two nights, and the Grand Tour does four.
Every journey starts in Rome, so I build the trip around La Minerva. Fares move with the dates, and the best cabins on popular departures go first.
Orient Express also runs the hotels at either end. I’ve stayed at one and toured the other.
Right by the Pantheon, with the coolest lobby in Rome, a rooftop for dinner and the fastest WhatsApp replies I had in Italy. Two or three nights here before you board.
A fifteenth-century palazzo in Cannaregio, close to the station where the Rome to Venice journeys arrive. Almost overwhelmingly beautiful.
La Dolce Vita can be privatized for your group, subject to availability and operational feasibility.
Charters fit around the regular departures, so the earlier we ask, the more dates we have. Send me your group size and rough timing and I’ll take it to the team. See also corporate and group travel.
I’ve stayed, toured and met the people running these properties, and they’ll take great care of you. Rates are the same as booking direct. At La Minerva and Orient Express Venice my clients typically get:
Perks depend on the rate and are confirmed when we book.
The train, both hotels, the water taxi in Venice and the car in Rome, and the yacht if you want it. One person, one plan, and your preferences shared ahead with every team.
Fares are per person and vary by journey, cabin and date. Orient Express currently lists Rome to Venice and Rome, Portofino and Venice from €3,500 for one night, the Carnival Party from €4,440, the Italian Wine Route from €5,780, the Truffle Route from €6,560, Rome to Sicily and Venice & Tuscany in Winter from €9,440, and the five-day Grand Tour from €14,000. I quote exact fares for your dates, along with any current offers.
Yes. Three journeys run one way from Rome to Venice, each with one night on board: Rome to Venice via Bolgheri from December 2026, the Carnival Party in February 2027, and Rome, Portofino and Venice from May 2027. You step off in Venice, and Orient Express Venice is close to the station.
Twelve Deluxe Cabins, eighteen Suites and one La Dolce Vita Suite, for up to 62 guests. It is small, so the best cabins on popular dates go first.
Yes. If you're thinking about doing it, the answer is do it. It is a unique experience, and the buzz in the lounge before boarding is unlike anything else I have seen in travel.
Yes, and that is worth knowing going in. Every cabin has its own bathroom, but even the suites are compact and remind you that you are on a train. It shouldn't stop you from booking. It just sets your expectations correctly.
A carry-on. For one to three nights on board you don't need much, and the cabins aren't built for big suitcases.
Usually around 40 to 60 guests, with room for up to 62. Expect to be social and have fun.
It is a private terminal for the train at Rome Ostiense. You check in at the front desk and collect your boarding pass, then enjoy free-flowing Champagne and snacks before boarding. Arrive early; the atmosphere is part of the experience.
At both Orient Express La Minerva and Orient Express Venice, my clients typically get daily breakfast for two, a $100 USD hotel credit, an upgrade on arrival and early check-in or late check-out when available, plus a VIP welcome. Signature Suite bookings at La Minerva can also include a 50-minute massage for two. Perks depend on the rate and are confirmed when we book.
Yes, on request. The full train can be privatized for up to 62 guests, subject to availability and operational feasibility, with routes built around your group and bespoke menus. Smaller groups can privatize selected carriages.
The culinary program is led by Heinz Beck, the three-Michelin-star chef behind La Pergola in Rome.
Journeys start in Rome, from the La Dolce Vita lounge at Ostiense station. That is why I put Rome and La Minerva at the start of the trip.
Journeys start in Rome, so I put clients at Orient Express La Minerva by the Pantheon first, then Orient Express Venice if your journey ends there. See how I put the three together on my Orient Express in Italy page.
Tell me your dates and who’s coming. I’ll check the departures and cabins and come back with fares and any current offers. Hotels in Rome and Venice too, if you want them.
The train + Orient Express hotels → Where I’d stay in Italy →
Aman Venice or Orient Express? → Orient Express or the Danieli? →