La Dolce Vita Orient Express, the dream train journey 'made in Italy' starts

See Italy in a different way, at a different pace. Rail cruises, increasingly relevant at global level, are travelling through an entrepreneurial adventure realised by Arsenale and Orient Express, companies active in the luxury hospitality sector, with the support of Fondazione FS Italiane and FS Treni Turistici Italiani of the FS Group. The La Dolce Vita Orient Express train, entirely designed and built in our country, made its debut today at the Roma Ostiense Station, in the exclusive Orient Express Lounge dedicated to the train's travellers on the eve of the departure of the inaugural journey on 4 April "Viaggio tra i vigneti Toscani" (Journey through Tuscan vineyards) (destination Montalcino).

The Dolce Vita Orient Express marks a new era in the Italian tourism scene, offering travellers an exclusive, all-Italian proposal, celebrating Italy's cultural, scenic and gastronomic heritage. The train will travel through 14 Italian regions with eight exclusive itineraries designed to attract a high-end international tourist flow, with iconic destinations stretching from Venice to Portofino, from Siena to the Sassi of Matera, from the vineyards of Montalcino to the truffle route to Nizza Monferrato, and the Sicilian stops of Catania, Palermo and Taormina. Each itinerary is conceived to promote a model of slow tourism, inviting travellers into an immersive experience of local traditions and the country's most evocative landscapes.

Consisting of 31 cabins, including 18 suites, 12 deluxe cabins and the La Dolce Vita Suite, the train is the result of a careful restoration and restyling process. The original carriages, by now at the end of their cycle, have been brought back to life thanks to a major investment involving the industrial excellence of Southern Italy specialised in railway workmanship and design, with work carried out between CPL of Brindisi (home of the Arsenale railway yards) and Omer of Carini (Palermo). An operation of advanced engineering and innovation has created the world's first and largest private railway fleet that, when fully operational, will include six trainsets operating in Italy alone. The interior design, by Dimorestudio, has reinterpreted railway travel in a contemporary key, paying homage to "La Dolce Vita" and the artistic and eclectic fervour of 1960s Italy. The use of fine materials and handcrafted solutions recalls the mastery of 20th century Italian design, paying homage to iconic figures such as Giò Ponti, Nanda Vigo, Gae Aulenti and Osvaldo Borsani.

The high level of service starts already at the Roma Ostiense station, which once again plays a role in the tourism segment. During the journey, guests will be able to enjoy exclusive menus signed by the three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck, with dishes inspired by the different stages of the route, allowing guests to discover the places the train passes through not only through the marvellous views, but also through the typical foods and wines of those Italian regions. A true journey where the journey is not in the departure and arrival but in the continuous discovery of Italy in its entirety. Stops at selected locations will also offer passengers the chance to discover the cultural and historical peculiarities of each territory, reaching even those places that are less known, but no less beautiful, helping to contribute to Europe's commitment to the problem of overtourism.

"Thanks to the synergy between Italian railway and manufacturing excellence, this project contributes to strengthening an integrated hospitality system, which complements the cruise and hotel sectors. The third leg of tourism starts from Italy and is led by an Italian company,' said Arsenale CEO Paolo Barletta. 'I believe that this is very important for the relaunch of our made in Italy also and above all in the industrial and tourism sectors. Our commitment translates into a production that, to date, represents an international record, with the ambition of creating a tourist offer that can deseasonalise flows and propose alternative destinations, thanks to the exclusivity and comfort of one of the most efficient and sustainable ways of travelling in the world. The Dolce Vita train can be a symbol of Italy that aims at enhancing the territories, local entrepreneurship, national railway production and contributing to a more integrated tourist system'.