La Dolce Vita Orient Express inaugurates the mythic Rome to Istanbul route

In 1883, the original Orient Express completed  an outstanding journey in travel history, reaching Constantinople for the first time and redefining the  idea of luxury travel.  One hundred and forty-three years later, the legacy is reawakened.

On October 22nd 2026 inspired by this iconic heritage, La Dolce Vita Orient Express inaugurates the Rome-Istanbul route, marking the first international journey of Italy’s new luxury train and unveiling a contemporary interpretation of the most legendary Voyage of all time.
 
Not just an itinerary, this five-day experience aboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express is an immersive passage through histories and civilisations that once shaped Europe’s dialogue with the East. 

Leaving Rome in the evening, the train travels north towards Venice, long considered the symbolic gateway between worlds. Guests can spend a full day exploring the city’s palaces, canals and artistic treasures before continuing eastwards to Budapest, cultural heart of nineteenth-century Central Europe. The journey  unfolds through the dramatic scenery of the Carpathian Mountains, stopping in Brașov and Sinaia, where medieval towns, natural landscapes and aristocratic architecture evoke the timeless charm of Europe’s grand past. The final stretch of the route heralds a historic threshold, the passage into Türkiye, culminating in a grand arrival in Istanbul, a city poised between continents, cultures and centuries.
 
In the 19th century, the railway stood as a symbol of technological progress and geopolitical connection and in 2026 the Rome-Istanbul route asserts itself as a philosophical statement, an invitation to rediscover the value of time, contemplation and the pleasure of the journey itself.

Aboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express, the myth is reimagined through the lens of Italian excellence. From interiors inspired by the eclectic elegance of 1960s Italy, to a refined culinary experience conceived by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, every detail celebrates craftsmanship, culture and contemporary luxury.
 
This inaugural international route establishes a new cultural axis across Europe, a journey where heritage meets modernity, and where the spirit of the Orient Express is reborn through the unmistakable Italian art de vivre.