A look inside the next Orient Express La Dolce Vita train

(CNN) – The launch of the new Orient Express La Dolce Vita train may be a long time coming, but it seems that the long-awaited service will be worth it.

Images of the 11-car train have been unveiled, paying homage to the “La Dolce Vita” era of the 1960s, revealing a luxurious interior that looks more like a boutique hotel than a train car.

The Orient Express La Dolce Vita will be made up of six trains, each of which will have 12 “luxury cabins”, 18 suites, an “honor suite” and a dining car that will offer a “five-star dining experience”. including “award-winning Italian wines and exclusive haute cuisine.”

Each of the trains will travel through 14 regions and 131 cities in Italy, as well as Rome, Paris, Istanbul and the Croatian port of Split, with itineraries of between one and three nights, when it begins receiving passengers in 2023.

Five star service

The routes will cover some 16,000 kilometers of rail line from north to south, including a trip from Venice to Trieste, along the Dalmatian coast to Split, along with trips through the Tuscan hills and around Sicily.

Stopovers in Rome will be able to spend the night at the first Orient Express hotel, the Minerva, housed in a 17th-century Baroque palace on Piazza di Minerva, when it opens in 2024.

The experience, a joint project Trenitalia, part of the Italian state railway company Ferrovie dello Stato, and Arsenale SpA, specializing in luxury hospitality, is presented as an “ecological way to experience the beauty of Italy”.

“Train travel represents the greenest transport option, enhancing travel to large cities, as well as small and medium-sized towns with attractive places and cultural landscapes,” says Luigi Corradi, CEO and Managing Director of Trenitalia.

New Vision

“The La Dolce Vita train will accelerate luxury rail tourism and attract many passengers as a safe and eco-sustainable form of travel that protects the environment and allows us to rediscover the most fascinating places in our regions.”

Designed by the architecture and design studio Dimorestudio, the train’s décor cleverly combines the golden age of Italian design with a more modern flair. There are colorful rugs, huge windows, and contemporary artwork.

Roma Termini station will serve as the hub for each of the routes, providing an exclusive executive lounge for the Orient Express where guests “will enjoy a warm welcome and refreshments while they await their travels.”

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

Looking to the future

“Our association with the Arsenale Group has opened new horizons in perfect harmony with the heritage and philosophy of Orient Express, and marks our constant desire to keep moving forward.”

Obviously, a stay at the Orient Express La Dolce Vita will have a high price, with trips that will be around 2,000 euros (about US $ 2,255) per person per night.

The trains were officially announced earlier this year with a test drive from Rome to Civitavecchia on the Lazio coast.

Chef Carlo Cracco was present to serve the passengers and offer them a taste of what they will experience in the next service.

The train will join the historic Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, consisting of restored cars from the original 1920s Orient Express service.

This luxurious train has been in service since 1982 and travels throughout Europe from March to November, as well as to Istanbul once a year.