From Scotland to Spain, luxury trains conquer Europe

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The Italian train At Dolce Vita Orient Expresswhich will start with the first trips to the spring 2025strengthens a market segment, that of luxury tourism by rail, which boasts numerous admirers all over the world. In Europe, from Scotland to Spain, via Paris and Portofino and up to the Swiss Alps, luxury rail cruises conquer the public. The luxury trains, many of which hark back to specific historical eras (the Italian dolce vita of the 1960s, or the Orient Express of the 1920s and 1930s, the famous train featured in some of Agatha Christie’s novels), offer experiences unique and unrepeatable.

An unforgettable journey for those who tend to favor the path with respect to the destination. These trains are in fact gods boutique hotel by rail with service a 5 place. And the prices, consequently, are aligned with this offer. They are not trains for everyone, of course. They are trains that cater to a high-end international clientele. But reservations are available maximums. The La Dolce Vita Orient Express train, which will run along some of the most iconic tourist itineraries in our country, is already enjoying great success in the United States, Australia and the Middle East, to the point that the bookings collected from 2 December to today alone guarantee 16 trips already. Let’s stay in Europe and see what the luxury rail cruise sector offers at the moment.

The new Paris-Portofino route from June

Starting from June 2024 il Venice Simplon-Orient Express, the ultra-luxury train designed by Belmond, will leave for the Ligurian coast. For the first time, in its 40 years of history, it will connect Paris to Portofino: a 22-hour dream journey. We board at ore 15 from Gare de L’Eststation in the heart of Paris, and you arrive at 1pm the following day at the Portofino-Santa Margherita station.

During this new journey, the train will cross the French countryside before traveling along the entire Mediterranean Riviera before concluding its itinerary at the Belmond Hotel Splendido, where guests will stay for two nights. The Venice Simplon-Orient Express will depart from Paris Thursday 20 June, welcoming its guests in an Art Deco style environment. Recently enriched with eight new suites, the train now offers three different categories of cabins, suitable for every type of traveller. It will be possible to choose between the historic ones, where the living area transforms into a sleeping area with upper and lower bunks, the new suites with single or double beds and private marble bathroom, and the Grand Suites.

Six large private spaces that evoke the golden age of travel in the grandeur of the 1920s, whose style is inspired by the most fascinating European cities such as Paris, Venice, Istanbul, Vienna, Prague and Budapest. And as the train hurtles through the cities of Dijon, Lyon and Avignon, Michelin-starred chef Jean Imbert will serve his new summer menu in the Côte d’Azur, L’Oriental and Étoile du Nord restaurant cars.