The legendary Orient Express is set to launch its iconic Rome-to-Istanbul route this autumn, offering travelers a five-day luxury rail journey across Europe with ticket prices starting at 20,000 euros.
The new service, operated under the name La Dolce Vita Orient Express, is scheduled to depart on Oct. 22 from Rome, retracing one of the continent’s most celebrated railway routes while blending nostalgia, haute cuisine and old-world elegance.
Passengers will begin their journey at Rome’s Ostiense Station, where they will be welcomed inside the newly designed Orient Express Lounge created by architect Hugo Toro. Guests will be treated to sparkling drinks, aperitivo-style cuisine and live Italian music before boarding the train in the evening.
The train’s interiors draw inspiration from 1960s Italy, featuring lavish suites and cabins designed to evoke the golden age of European rail travel. Travelers dining aboard the train will sample menus curated by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck.
During the journey, the train will make stops in some of Europe’s most historic cities. After departing Rome, passengers will arrive in Venice before continuing to Budapest. The route then crosses the Carpathian Mountains into Romania, stopping in the medieval city of Braşov and the mountain resort town of Sinaia. The train is expected to reach Istanbul the following afternoon, completing the historic route once immortalized in literature and film.
Accommodation options include luxurious cabins measuring up to 75 square meters and suites extending to 118 square meters. Prices for the experience begin at 20,000 euros, placing the journey among Europe’s most exclusive rail offerings.
Known historically as the “king of trains” and the “train of kings,” the Orient Express holds a unique place in European cultural memory as the continent’s first luxury railway service. First launched on Oct. 4, 1883, the train became synonymous with aristocratic travel.
The train has inspired numerous literary works and films, most famously Christie’s classic novel Murder on the Orient Express, reportedly conceived during her stay at Istanbul’s historic Pera Palace Hotel.
