Overview
from rome to alba and back, enjoy a parade of the italian wonders of piedmont. and as a final touch, savor the flavor of truffles and fine wine.
Itinerary
Your Itinerary
ROME
Your journey begins in Rome, where you are welcomed into the refined atmosphere of La Dolce Vita Orient Express. As the train departs in the afternoon, settle into the comfort of your cabin and allow the landscape to unfold beyond the windows.As evening approaches, the Restaurant Car becomes the heart of the experience. A sophisticated dinner awaits, crafted by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, whose cuisine celebrates Italian excellence with elegance and precision.
Each course is designed to harmonize with the rhythm of the journey, offering a refined interpretation of seasonal flavors.After dinner, continue the evening in the Bar Car, where live music creates an intimate and relaxed ambiance.
ALBA
The day begins gently with breakfast served in the privacy of your cabin or in the elegant Restaurant Car, as the train arrives in Alba, at the heart of the Langhe, where rolling vineyards, historic villages and Piedmont’s celebrated gastronomic traditions shape the landscape.
Upon arrival, local assistants welcome you and accompany you into town.
ROME
Awaken to a serene final morning on board, accompanied by an Italian breakfast served in your cabin or in the Restaurant Car. As the train approaches Rome Ostiense, take a moment to savor the last views from the window and the quiet luxury of the journey.
Upon arrival, disembark with the sense of having experienced Italy from a rare and privileged perspective. Though the journey concludes, the memories remain: landscapes shaped by history, flavors defined by excellence, and moments of refined elegance that linger long after your return.
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This departure is currently sold out. Leave your details and we will contact you the moment a cabin becomes available.
Terms & Conditions
Booking & Payment
- Deposit: 30% of the total tour cost is due at the time of booking. The deposit is non-refundable.
- Final payment: the balance is due no later than 125 days before departure.
- Bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking.
- Fares are per person. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and due dates.
Cancellation
- 125 days or more before departure: 30% of the total tour cost (the deposit)
- Less than 125 days before departure: 100% of the total tour cost
Changes
- Date change: free of charge, subject to availability, when requested 125 days or more before departure; after that, a fee of 15% of the total tour cost applies.
- Cabin upgrade: only the fare difference between cabin categories applies.
- Cabin downgrade or passenger name correction: free of charge up to 35 days before departure; within 35 days, EUR 500 per change.
Changes or cancellation by the train operator
If the train operator cancels or materially changes a departure, you will be offered a new date or an amended booking, a credit toward a future journey, or a refund of the amounts paid.
All cancellation, change, or update requests must be submitted in writing by email to travel@palacetours.com. A request takes effect only once we have received and processed it, and we will confirm the outcome to you in writing. Timeframes are calculated by reference to local time and business days at the destination; a request received outside business hours is treated as received on the next business day.
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance, including cancellation cover, from the moment you pay your deposit. For information on available plans, please visit www.palacetours.com/insurance.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included
- Accommodation on board in your selected cabin category
- All meals on board - breakfast, lunch and dinner with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck
- Selected beverages on board, including wines paired with meals
- Off-train excursions and experiences as described in the itinerary
- Live entertainment in the Bar Car
- Dedicated cabin steward service
Not included
- Travel to the departure city and from the arrival city
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Travel insurance
- Anything not expressly listed in the itinerary
Accommodations
On board La Dolce Vita Orient Express
The train was designed by the Milan studio Dimorestudio, with interiors that celebrate 20th-century Italian design and draw on Gio Ponti, Nanda Vigo, Gae Aulenti and Osvaldo Borsani. It has 12 Deluxe Cabins, 18 Suites and one La Dolce Vita Suite, a restaurant curated by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck, and a Bar Car with live music.
Cabins
Deluxe Cabin
- 7 m² (75 sq ft), for two guests
- A sofa by day that unfolds into a 140 x 190 cm double bed at night
- Private en-suite bathroom
- Cool colours, mirrored back walls and a wooden-slat ceiling; the ottomans double as coffee tables and stools
Suite
- 11 m² (118 sq ft), for two guests
- A 140 x 190 cm bed, with a separate sofa and a table with two armchairs for entertaining
- Private en-suite bathroom
La Dolce Vita Suite
The train has one La Dolce Vita Suite, its largest. Ask us about availability.
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
The Truffle Route is a 3-day, 2-night round trip that starts and ends in Rome. You board La Dolce Vita Orient Express in Rome in the afternoon, spend the middle day in Alba at the heart of the Langhe, and wake on the final morning as the train returns to Rome Ostiense. One gateway city covers both your arrival and your departure.
Alba sits at the heart of the Langhe in Piedmont, a landscape of rolling hillsides, historic villages and some of Italy's most celebrated gastronomy. It is best known for its elusive truffle, which gives this journey its name. The train arrives in the morning, local assistants accompany you into town, and you explore the historic streets at your own pace.
After breakfast on board you are welcomed by local assistants and taken into Alba, where you can wander the historic centre at your own pace. An optional visit to a celebrated local estate is offered, where you can learn about the terroir of the Langhe, its truffle and the generations of craftsmanship behind its produce. You return on board in the afternoon as the train heads back towards Rome.
This journey is offered in Deluxe Cabin and Cabin Suite. La Dolce Vita Orient Express carries 12 Deluxe cabins, 18 Suites and the signature La Dolce Vita Suite, with interiors inspired by Italian design of the 1960s and a dedicated steward looking after each cabin. Availability and the fare for each category on your chosen date are shown in the departure list on this page.
The fare includes accommodation on board in your chosen cabin, all meals on board with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, selected beverages on board, the off-train experiences described in the itinerary, live entertainment in the Bar Car and dedicated cabin steward service. Everything described as included in the itinerary is covered with no further charge on board.
Travel to Rome and home again is not included, nor are personal expenses, gratuities, travel insurance or anything not expressly listed in the itinerary. The optional visit to a local estate in Alba and any purchases you make in town are also outside the fare. We can quote separately for hotel nights in Rome before or after the train.
All meals on board are included and the menus are curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck. Dinner is served in the Restaurant Car, which becomes the heart of the evening, while breakfast can be taken either in the privacy of your cabin or in the Restaurant Car. Let us know about dietary requirements when you book so the train can prepare for them.
Selected beverages on board are included, including those served alongside your meals in the Restaurant Car. After dinner the Bar Car stays open with live music, creating a relaxed setting for the evening. Anything ordered outside the standard list is treated as a personal expense and settled on board.
A deposit of 30 percent of the tour price confirms your cabin and is non-refundable. The balance is due 125 days before departure, and bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and the dates they fall due.
The lead-in fare for The Truffle Route is from EUR 6,560 per person based on two people sharing a cabin. Fares differ by cabin category and by departure date, so the exact fare for each departure is shown in the booking list on this page. We always confirm the final figure in writing before taking any payment.
Yes. A single occupancy fare is published for this journey, reflecting the fact that one guest has a whole cabin. The current single fare for each departure is shown on this page alongside the sharing fare. Contact us and we will check availability in your preferred cabin category for the date you want.
Child pricing is based on the child's age on the day of departure. There are two bands, 0 to under 5 years and 5 to under 12 years, and anyone aged 12 or over pays the adult fare. Tell us the ages of children in your party when you enquire and we will confirm both the fare and the cabin arrangements that work.
Departures currently on sale run from 14 November 2026 through to 9 November 2027, with six dates open at the time of writing. Every available date and its fare appear in the departure list on this page. Truffle season dates in particular tend to sell early, so we suggest enquiring as soon as you have a date in mind.
The autumn departures coincide with the Langhe's truffle season, when Alba is at its liveliest and the hillsides are at their most colourful; the later dates in the year fall in the same window. Any departure gives you the same on-board experience and the same day in Alba. We can tell you what is distinctive about each listed date when you enquire.
Flights are not included, so you are free to reach Rome however suits you. On departure day you make your way to the La Dolce Vita lounge inside Rome Ostiense station, where guests are welcomed before boarding and the train leaves in the afternoon. We can arrange extra nights in Rome and can quote for private transfers on request.
The last morning is spent on board with an Italian breakfast served in your cabin or in the Restaurant Car as the train approaches Rome Ostiense, where you disembark. We will confirm the scheduled arrival time for your specific departure in your travel documents, and we recommend not booking a tight onward flight connection that morning.
The demands are gentle: the time ashore is a stroll through Alba's historic streets at your own pace, with local assistants on hand, and the rest of the journey is spent on board. Historic town centres do have cobbles and some uneven surfaces. If anyone in your party has limited mobility, tell us when you enquire and we will confirm what is practical.
Bring comfortable shoes for walking in Alba, a layer for the Piedmont weather in autumn, and something smarter for dinner in the Restaurant Car and the Bar Car in the evening. Cabin space is well designed but compact, so travel light where you can. Current guidance is included in the documents we send before departure.
Travel insurance is not included in the fare and we strongly recommend arranging comprehensive cover, including cancellation protection, from the moment you pay your deposit. Italy is part of the Schengen area, so entry requirements depend on your nationality; check with the Italian consulate or embassy covering where you live well before you travel.
Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610 - you will reach a travel specialist or our AI assistant. The departure dates listed on this page can be booked directly, and we confirm the cabin, the exact fare and the payment schedule in writing before anything is charged.
Extend your journey
You can add days in Rome before the train and in Florence and Tuscany after it. Here are three suggested lengths:
- 4 days: 2 days before the train and 2 days after
- 5 days: 2 days before and 3 days after
- 6 days: 3 days before and 3 days after
Before the train: Rome
- Day 1: Arrive in Rome and transfer privately to your hotel. In the evening, walk to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain.
- Day 2: Visit the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica with a private guide, then spend the afternoon at the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.
- Day 3 (6-day option): See the Borghese Gallery in the morning, then spend the afternoon and evening in Trastevere.
- The next morning, transfer to the station to board La Dolce Vita Orient Express.
After the train: Florence and Tuscany
- Day 1: Take the fast train from Rome to Florence, about an hour and a half. In the afternoon, visit the Duomo and the Baptistery.
- Day 2: See the Uffizi Gallery and Michelangelo's David at the Accademia with a private guide.
- Day 3 (5- and 6-day options): Spend a day in the Chianti hills, visiting wine estates and stopping for lunch in a village. Afterwards, leave from Florence or take the train back to Rome.
- The next day, transfer to the airport or your onward train.
We arrange the hotels, private transfers and guides around your train dates, and we can change any day to suit you. Prices are on request, and we have special offers on add-ons for this journey.
To request an extension, send us the enquiry form on this page and tell us which option you would like, or call 800-724-5120 (toll-free in the US) or +1 786-408-0610 from outside the US. You can also message us on WhatsApp at +1 786-408-0610.
Media Gallery
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: The Truffle Route
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: The Truffle Route
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: The Truffle Route
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: The Truffle Route
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From $7,355 per person (double occupancy, USD) — live dates and rates are in the Book This Tour section above.
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