Most of us make do with a lukewarm tea and a packet of shortbread when travelling by train, but those in a higher tax bracket will be tucking into menus devised by a three-Michelin-starred chef on the La Dolce Vita Orient Express next year. The ultra-luxe train service has just revealed its collection of Italian journeys for 2027, taking in vineyards, Renaissance cities and the Ligurian coast.
Each trip leaves from Rome Ostiense station, and the train, which set off on its very first journey in April 2025, has just 31 cabins styled by Dimorestudio in a nod to 1960s Italian glamour.
Four itineraries make up the line-up for next year, though only one is brand new. The Rome, Portofino, Venice and Tuscany route is a three-day, two-night round trip from Rome that heads up to the Ligurian coast first. Because no railway line actually reaches Portofino, the train stops at Santa Margherita Ligure and guests transfer privately to the pastel-coloured harbour. Day two is spent in Venice, and the third day belongs to Florence, before the train rolls back into Rome that evening. It runs on seven dates between 2 May and 27 September 2027.
Then there’s The Italian Wine Route, a three-day trip through Bolgheri and Verona. Bolgheri is a medieval village at the end of a famous cypress-lined avenue, surrounded by Tuscan coastal vineyards. Verona sits at the heart of the Veneto’s wine country, with its Roman, medieval and Renaissance architecture. Food lovers should book The Truffle Route, a three-day trip that now heads to Alba in Piedmont, the home of the prized white truffle, before rolling on through the Langhe hills, where the Barolo and Barbaresco wines come from. Finally, Rome to Venice via Bolgheri is a shorter, one-way journey of two days and one night, taking in the Tuscan coast before arriving in the Venetian lagoon.
Fair warning, though, this isn’t a casual weekend away. Prices per person (based on two sharing a Deluxe Cabin) start from €3,500 for the Rome to Venice trip, €5,780 for the Wine Route and €6,560 for the Truffle Route, while the new Portofino loop starts from €7,000 in July and August, with earlier departures costing more, including €8,880 for the first one on May 2.
Did you see that these are the travel destinations on the rise for 2027?
Plus: Europe’s best wine region has been crowned for 2027 – and it’s not where you’d expect
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.