Orient Express is bringing ‘the sweet life’ back to Europe’s railways

Travelling by train has always been synonymous with class. Think of journeys like the Flying Scotsman; the Golden Eagle from Moscow to Vladivostok; Western Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer or even The Ghan between Adelaide and Darwin – each indelibly linked with refined notions of grandeur.

Now, another piece of the world’s sublime and elegant rolling stock – the Orient Express – is preparing to hit the tracks once again on a variety of journeys criss-crossing Italy and nearby parts of Europe after 14 years out of action.

Orient Express trains will feature a glamorous dining car.

Relaunching in 2023, the modern-day Orient Express La Dolce Vita will feature six trains each comprising 11 carriages decorated to reflect the historic glamour and sophistication of 1960s Italian culture.

These Suites look almost too good to leave.

The trains will explore various itineraries lasting from between one and three nights, most beginning at Rome’s Termini station and travelling across the Trenitalia rail network. 

Itineraries will visit 128 stations in 14 regions covering routes from Rome to Istanbul, the Croatian city of Split and Paris – the latter being the city where the Orient Express name set off on its maiden journey to the city then known as Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1883.

Trips visiting Rome will also include an overnight stay at the first Orient Express hotel in the city’s Pantheon district, which opens in 2024.

The Orient Express lounge will be perfect for sipping cocktails as you watch the world go by.

Prior to departure, travellers will be able to access a special Orient Express executive lounge serving refreshments in a setting previewing what is to come.

Once onboard, travellers will be able to book their choice of 12 Deluxe cabins, 18 Suites and one ‘Honour Suite’. Another carriage will offer a dining car with a locally curated wine list and haute cuisine.

The luxurious ‘Honour Suite’ will sit in its own carriage.

Passengers will then be able to move next door to a ‘bar car’ to enjoy beverages while being serenaded by a grand cocktail piano entertainment.

The reinvigorated Orient Express rail journey has come about through an investment from hotel operator Accor, which intends to relaunch the storied 150-year-old marque and broaden its scope to include a new hotel brand based on the classic train.

“These trains offer a new vision of luxury travel that is beyond our imagination,” said Accor Chairman and CEO, Sébastien Bazin.

Accor also plans to develop a slate of hotels bearing the Orient Express name, with each property drawing inspiration from the iconic railway.

“If we succeed by sharing the history, guests will feel like they are part of the myth of the Orient Express,” says Guillaume de Saint Lager, executive director of the Orient Express Hotels.

De Saint Lager notes that hotels will be placed in sites in Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East and will combine the overall Orient Express theme with destination-specific touches.

First stop: the Bangkok Orient Express hotel, where interior designer Tristan Auer has combined Thai and French artistic styles.

Vintage art deco elegance at the Orient Express hotel, Bangkok.

Auer incorporated features such as oval windows with stained glass and leather paneling, while decorations with lacquer, silk, ceramics, and basketwork in the lobby will echo the trimmings and cabinet work in individual rooms.

“It’s difficult because everybody has a different idea of the Orient Express,” De Saint Lager says of living up to the public’s imagination of the grandeur. “We have to refer to the history and never break the link. That’s where we get the authenticity of what we do.”