The sold-out inaugural international run of Arsenale’s luxury train arrived today after five days and four nights via Venice, Budapest and TransylvaniaA railway journey that belongs to the age of grand travel has now been completed in its modern form. The first international trip of La Dolce Vita Orient Express, which left Roma Ostiense station on the evening of Thursday, October 22, arrived in Istanbul today, Monday, October 26, reviving one of the most evocative routes in European railway history.Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi opened the departure from Rome, cutting the ribbon together with Arsenale, the Italian group that owns the project.The Five-Day ItineraryThe inaugural trip ran for five days and four nights, linking Rome to Istanbul through some of Europe’s best-known heritage destinations. According to Arsenale, the first stop was Venice, where guests explored the history of the Serenissima, with itineraries dedicated to the Doge’s Palace and the Venetian lagoon.The train then headed for Budapest, where passengers took a cruise on the Danube and could visit Buda Castle and some of the Hungarian capital’s art collections. From there the route crossed the Carpathians into Transylvania, with stops at Brașov and Sinaia. Guests were welcomed with traditional dances and the Romanian ritual of bread and salt, and then discovered the old town of Brașov, Bran Castle and Peleș Castle, a mix of medieval sites and royal residences. The journey ended in Istanbul, which Arsenale calls the meeting point of Europe and Asia and the symbolic destination of the great railway journeys.Sold Out, With a Global ClienteleThe trip was fully booked. According to Arsenale, most passengers came from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the United States, Brazil, Australia and Ireland, a sign of the strength of foreign markets for this kind of luxury rail travel. Earlier reports put the price of tickets at €20,000 and up, which gives a sense of the market the train is aiming at, though Arsenale did not give fares in its announcement.What the Company SaysPaolo Barletta, Arsenale’s chief executive, described the departure as an important step in the company’s effort to put Italy back among the leading names in great international rail journeys. He said Rome and Istanbul are two cities that have shaped Mediterranean and European history, and that connecting them again by high-end rail travel means recovering an extraordinary tradition and giving it a contemporary perspective. He also presented it as the result of an Italian industrial project, and said the group intends to keep investing in the sector. In a moment of tension between countries, he added, the trip is also a chance to bring East and West closer together along a route that has promoted exchange between peoples for centuries. The Partners Behind the TrainThe project involves Trenitalia and the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane group, along with Fondazione FS Italiane and Treni Turistici Italiani. Arsenale says the collaboration is part of a network of industrial and railway relationships that helps develop the project and highlights Italy’s railway heritage. Arsenale was founded in 2020 and operates through two divisions, Hospitality and Luxury Rail. The company says it has a growing presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, with activities in Italy, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and, through an investment in SJourney, in Vietnam. In September 2025 it acquired 100% of Golden Eagle Luxury Trains. More About the TrainLa Dolce Vita Orient Express began running in Italy in spring 2025, in partnership with Accor’s Orient Express brand, and had been operating domestic and short international routes before this launch. According to travel press coverage, the train carries just 62 passengers, with interiors by Milan’s Dimorestudio inspired by 1960s Italy, and menus by Heinz Beck, the chef of La Pergola in Rome. Guests on the Istanbul trip began their journey in an Orient Express lounge at Ostiense designed by architect Hugo Toro, with aperitivo and live music before boarding. The original Orient Express linked Paris and Constantinople from 1883, and the Rome to Istanbul route is framed as a homage to it, with an Italian starting point. The company has also said it plans to bring back the historic Orient Express in 2027.

A railway journey that belongs to the age of grand travel has now been completed in its modern form. The first international trip of La Dolce Vita Orient Express, which left Roma Ostiense station on the evening of Thursday, October 22, arrived in Istanbul today, Monday, October 26, reviving one of the most evocative routes in European railway history.Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi opened the departure from Rome, cutting the ribbon together with Arsenale, the Italian group that owns the project.The inaugural trip ran for five days and four nights, linking Rome to Istanbul through some of Europe’s best-known heritage destinations. According to Arsenale, the first stop was Venice, where guests explored the history of the Serenissima, with itineraries dedicated to the Doge’s Palace and the Venetian lagoon.The train then headed for Budapest, where passengers took a cruise on the Danube and could visit Buda Castle and some of the Hungarian capital’s art collections. From there the route crossed the Carpathians into Transylvania, with stops at Brașov and Sinaia. Guests were welcomed with traditional dances and the Romanian ritual of bread and salt, and then discovered the old town of Brașov, Bran Castle and Peleș Castle, a mix of medieval sites and royal residences. The journey ended in Istanbul, which Arsenale calls the meeting point of Europe and Asia and the symbolic destination of the great railway journeys.The trip was fully booked. According to Arsenale, most passengers came from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the United States, Brazil, Australia and Ireland, a sign of the strength of foreign markets for this kind of luxury rail travel. Earlier reports put the price of tickets at €20,000 and up, which gives a sense of the market the train is aiming at, though Arsenale did not give fares in its announcement. Paolo Barletta, Arsenale’s chief executive, described the departure as an important step in the company’s effort to put Italy back among the leading names in great international rail journeys. He said Rome and Istanbul are two cities that have shaped Mediterranean and European history, and that connecting them again by high-end rail travel means recovering an extraordinary tradition and giving it a contemporary perspective. He also presented it as the result of an Italian industrial project, and said the group intends to keep investing in the sector. In a moment of tension between countries, he added, the trip is also a chance to bring East and West closer together along a route that has promoted exchange between peoples for centuries. The project involves Trenitalia and the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane group, along with Fondazione FS Italiane and Treni Turistici Italiani. Arsenale says the collaboration is part of a network of industrial and railway relationships that helps develop the project and highlights Italy’s railway heritage. Arsenale was founded in 2020 and operates through two divisions, Hospitality and Luxury Rail. The company says it has a growing presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, with activities in Italy, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and, through an investment in SJourney, in Vietnam. In September 2025 it acquired 100% of Golden Eagle Luxury Trains. La Dolce Vita Orient Express began running in Italy in spring 2025, in partnership with Accor’s Orient Express brand, and had been operating domestic and short international routes before this launch. According to travel press coverage, the train carries just 62 passengers, with interiors by Milan’s Dimorestudio inspired by 1960s Italy, and menus by Heinz Beck, the chef of La Pergola in Rome. Guests on the Istanbul trip began their journey in an Orient Express lounge at Ostiense designed by architect Hugo Toro, with aperitivo and live music before boarding. The original Orient Express linked Paris and Constantinople from 1883, and the Rome to Istanbul route is framed as a homage to it, with an Italian starting point. The company has also said it plans to bring back the historic Orient Express in 2027.