Overview
Celebrate the New Year with a one-of-a-kind train journey through Italy, connecting the eternal charm of Rome, the effortless Montalcino countryside, and the majestic allure of Venice. Ring in the New Year on rails: a gourmet New Year's Eve dinner curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, a burlesque performance, elegant toasts and a DJ set that carries the celebration past midnight as the train travels through the night.
Route: Rome - Montalcino - Venice - Rome · Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
La Dolce Vita Orient Express brings back the golden age of Italian travel: 12 Deluxe cabins, 18 Suites and the La Dolce Vita Suite, interiors inspired by the Italian 1960s, an on-board restaurant curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, and a Bar Car with live music rolling through the night. Palace Tours is pleased to offer the complete collection of La Dolce Vita itineraries.
Itinerary
Your Itinerary
MONTALCINO & ROME
Leaving behind the eternal city of Rome in the morning, your journey leads to the enchanting Tuscany.
In the afternoon, arrive in Montalcino, a charming medieval town renowned for its stunning landscapes and world-famous Brunello wine. Here, our local assistants will be waiting to welcome you.
VENICE
Start the last day of the year with breakfast served either in the privacy of your cabin or in the elegant dining car.In the morning, the train arrives at Venezia Santa Lucia.
As you disembark, our local assistants will welcome you and guide you to a boat transfer through the city’s iconic canals, bringing you directly into the heart of Venice.Enjoy the city at your own pace or opt for curated à la carte experiences: your time in Venice will be filled with the city’s unmistakable charm.
ROME
The first day of the year begins in serenity, with a leisurely breakfast served in the privacy of your cabin or in the elegant restaurant car, as the train approaches the Eternal City.At 11am, the train arrives at Roma Ostiense station.
Upon disembarkation, you will be welcomed into the comfort of the La Dolce Vita Lounge, where you can relax and reflect on the journey just completed.
Book This Tour
Get notified when it opens
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
It is a 3-day, 2-night New Year journey that starts and finishes in Rome, taking in the Tuscan town of Montalcino and the city of Venice. The heart of it is New Year's Eve on board, with a gourmet dinner, live performance and a celebration that carries past midnight while the train travels through the night. It is a round trip, so you end where you began.
The departures currently on sale are 30 December 2026 and 30 December 2027, each running three days over the New Year. Both are listed on this page with their own fares and cabin availability. Because there is only one New Year departure a year, cabins go early.
The evening of 31 December is spent on the train as it travels through the night. It opens with a burlesque performance in a spirit of playful, vintage elegance, followed by a New Year's Eve dinner curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, then a DJ set that carries the celebration past midnight. It is a party on rails rather than a formal gala in a ballroom.
The train leaves Rome in the morning and heads north into Tuscany. In the afternoon you arrive at Montalcino, where local assistants welcome you with dedicated transfers and time to enjoy the town at your own pace or take an exclusive a la carte experience. In the evening you reboard for dinner on board crafted by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck.
Montalcino is a medieval hilltop town in southern Tuscany, known for its fortress, its stone streets and the sweep of countryside around it. It is one of the classic views of rural Italy and a striking contrast to Rome and Venice on either side of it. The stop gives you an unhurried afternoon there with local assistance on hand.
On the morning of 31 December the train arrives at Venezia Santa Lucia, where local assistants meet you and take you by boat through the canals into the heart of the city. You have the day to explore at your own pace or choose curated a la carte experiences. In the afternoon you return to the train, where the New Year celebration begins.
The first day of the year starts gently with a leisurely breakfast in your cabin or in the restaurant car as the train approaches the Eternal City. At 11am it reaches Roma Ostiense, where you are welcomed into the La Dolce Vita Lounge to relax before heading on. The late arrival time leaves the morning unhurried after a long night.
Yes. The routing is Rome - Montalcino - Venice - Rome, so you start and end at Roma Ostiense. That makes the logistics simple: one city for both your arrival and departure flights, and one hotel if you want nights either side. Many guests add a night in Rome before boarding and another after disembarking on New Year's Day.
The journey is sold as Deluxe Cabin and Cabin Suite. The train carries 12 Deluxe cabins, 18 Suites and the signature La Dolce Vita Suite, with interiors inspired by Italian design of the 1960s. Current availability by category is shown on this page.
Fares start from EUR 8,880 per person based on two people sharing a cabin, reflecting the New Year programme on board. The exact fare for each departure and cabin category is shown on this page. All meals including the New Year's Eve dinner, selected beverages and the described experiences are included.
Yes, solo travellers are welcome and a single-occupancy fare applies. It is higher than the sharing rate because a whole cabin is taken out of inventory, and the rate for each departure is shown on this page. Given how few cabins exist on a single New Year departure, it is worth asking early.
The fare covers your cabin on board, all meals with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck including the New Year's Eve dinner, selected beverages, the off-train experiences described in the itinerary, live entertainment in the Bar Car and a dedicated cabin steward. The New Year celebration on board is part of the journey, not an add-on.
Travel to and from Rome is not included, nor are personal expenses, gratuities or travel insurance. Optional a la carte experiences in Montalcino or Venice are paid separately when you choose them. Anything not expressly listed in the itinerary is outside the fare.
Yes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board are included throughout, with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, and New Year's Eve dinner is the centrepiece of the programme. Breakfast can be served in your cabin or in the restaurant car. Tell us about dietary requirements in advance so the galley can plan.
The Bar Car is where the train's social life happens, with live music running through the night and selected beverages included. On the New Year departure it carries the celebration forward after dinner with a DJ set past midnight. If you would rather step away, your cabin and its steward are a few steps down the corridor.
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.
Children are welcome, with reduced rates for those under 5 and for those aged 5 up to 12, based on their age at departure. They share the cabin with their accompanying adults. Bear in mind the New Year's Eve programme runs late into the night, so it suits older children better; talk to us and we will advise on the fit.
Flights are not included; most guests fly into Rome Fiumicino, Italy's principal long-haul gateway. Because the train leaves Rome on the morning of 30 December, we strongly suggest arriving at least the day before so a delay cannot cost you the departure. Disembarkation is at 11am on 1 January, so book a late afternoon or evening flight home if you fly out that day.
Montalcino is a hilltop town with cobbled, sloping streets, and Venice means walking, bridges and steps once you step off the boat. Neither is strenuous, transfers are dedicated and local assistants are with you, but comfortable shoes and a warm coat matter at the end of December. Let us know about any mobility needs when you book.
Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610 or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610, where a travel specialist or our AI assistant will reply. The New Year departures listed on this page can be booked directly. We can also hold a cabin for a short time while you confirm your flights.
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: Whispers at Midnight
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Whispers at Midnight
La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Whispers at Midnight
Check Availability & Request a Quote
From $9,956 per person (double occupancy, USD) — live dates and rates are in the Book This Tour section above.
Check availability & request a quote
A rail specialist replies within 1 business day — no obligation.