The famous Orient Express is launching a new train in Italy called 'La Dolce Vita,' modeled on the country's most stylish era of the 1960s and 70s. The luxury train will have 12 routes across 14 Italian regions and three international destinations, Paris, Istanbul, and the Croatian port of Split.

The project manager is Paolo Barletta, CEO of Arsenale S.p.A., which specializes in luxury tourism.

"We call it a masterpiece because this will be a new example and a new standard in the train industry, not just for luxury trains but the entire industry," says Barletta. 

To realize his vision, he teamed up with the French hospitality group AccorHotels.

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"I bring the hospitality service and Orient Express as a label and he brings his design, Italian knowledge, culture and experience," says AccorHotels CEO Sebastien Bazin.

Italy's government-owned train operator, TrenItalia, is also involved and engineers from across the country are working in factories in Brindisi and Palermo on the state-of-the-art carriages. Rome will be at the heart of every journey, which will range from one to three nights.

Passengers will also be transported off the tourist trail, to offer a more bespoke experience.

"We want to give people the chance to discover Italy in a different way and take them to remote places in Italy, incredible towns that are less known but not less beautiful. Passengers will explore lakes, mountains, and beaches," adds Barletta.

The original Orient Express was discontinued in 1977 due to a decline in demand, but industry experts say now is the perfect moment for this revamped edition.

Maria Carmela Colaiacovo, Hotels President of the General Confederation of Italian Industry, says: "When you talk about La Dolce Vita and iconic trains, you enter into the collective imagination, and it will definitely be a new jewel in our tourism industry that contributes significantly to Italy's GDP. It's a sentiment, it's a feeling, it's not a product," Bazin says passionately.

Tickets will go on sale at the end of the year, with La Dolce Vita train on track to welcome its first passengers in 2024.