Italy will have a luxury train called “La Dolce Vita Orient Express”. It will be circulating from the year, but the price has already increased by 75% in 16 months

Italy will have a luxury train called “La Dolce Vita Orient Express”, operated by the French multinational company Accor. It will only run from 2025, but reservations start on Tuesday, and ticket prices are already rising sharply, reports CNBC.

Starting fares for a one-night trip on the luxury train rose from 2,000 euros ($2,168) per person in December 2022 to 2,500 euros per person in November 2023. Both fares were set during a pre-sale reservation, which requires a refundable deposit. But starting rates have now risen to €3,500 per person per night, according to a press release published in March. This is a staggering 75% price increase in a 16 month period.

The train is scheduled to begin running in the spring of 2025, according to Accor, the French multinational hospitality company that operates the train.

Accor did not directly respond to CNBC’s question about the reason behind the steep price hike. It should be emphasized that the train is not running yet.

A representative said: “Prices evolve depending on occupancy, season, route and cabin type.”

Ticket prices are lower than those of another train that uses the name “Orient Express” in Europe – Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Nightly fares for that train, which is operated by Belmond, owned by the LVMH group, start at 7,060 pounds ($8,925) per passenger, according to its website.

Dave Goodger, managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, said rising prices were driven by consumers’ continued willingness to pay higher rates for luxury experiences. But, he said, that’s probably not the only reason.

“The demand for luxury travel is reflected in some continuous price increases. However, the price increases are not profitable and are largely in line with rising costs, including higher staffing costs, as well as increased debt service requirements.”

Goodger described the price increase for a trip on the La Dolce Vita train as “kind of an exception”, but also noted that it reflects the unique service it offers.

Accor’s La Dolce Vita Orient Express is set to sail nine routes through Italy, including a coastal journey from Palermo to Rome and another from Rome to the Tuscan town of Montalcino.

The “La Dolce Vita” train reflects the era of Italian glamor captured by Federico Fellini’s famous 1960 film of the same name.

Bookings for the train open by phone on 2 April and via the train’s website from 24 April.

Accor plans to launch another train – called “The Orient Express” – using restored 19th-century carriages that were once part of the historic “Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express” train. The train will cover various routes across Europe, including the iconic Paris-Istanbul route. Originally scheduled to launch this year, the train is now slated to become operational in 2026.

Publisher: GM

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