La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Eat your way around Italy in style

Maureen O’Hare

Rome: In our travel roundup this week: the burning mountain whose flames never go out, how Antarctica became a hot vacation spot and what to expect from Italy’s first luxury sleeper train.

New details have been teased about the hotly anticipated La Dolce Vita Orient Express train and the upcoming Orient Express hotels in Rome and Venice, the first for the relaunched brand.

Three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck will be creating distinct dining journeys inspired by the 14 Italian regions explored on the new train’s eight routes, including a truffle route between Rome and Nizza Monferrato and a Tuscan vineyards tour that visits Montalcino.

Launching in spring 2025, prices start at 3,500 euros a person ($3,794) for the luxury train which, in contrast to the 1920s elegance of the original, is inspired by the glamorous sophistication of 1960s and 1970s Italy.

The brand’s first Orient Express hotel will be the Orient Express La Minerva in Rome, followed by Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice. More details on those are set to be revealed this year.

Vietnam’s Revolution Express is another upcoming train journey to get locomotive fans excited. Two revamped 1960s steam trains are expected to return to the rails by 2025, traveling between the beach resorts of Da Nang and the former royal capital Hue.

Finally, the Trans-Mongolian Railway is one of the world’s most epic and scenic journeys. Here’s what it’s like on board and how to plan the adventure for yourself.

Fraudsters stole more than 24 tons of artisanal cheese from one of the United Kingdom’s most famous dairy companies. An arrest is now reported to have been made related to this unusual heist.

That follows the international gang-bust in France and Italy last month over counterfeit French wine being sold for $16,000 per bottle. So if some shady character approaches you offering a discount deal on a wine-and-cheese party, think twice before reaching for your wallet.

In Japan, the alcoholic drink doburoku was once illegal “moonshine,” but this once controversial drink is now making a comeback. Likewise in Ireland, poitín was once the country’s most notorious liquid bar none, but is now a protected product with an outlaw reputation.

Finally, in Germany, something that sounds criminal but isn’t. A butcher has found what he believes is an innovative solution for Germany’s growing raccoon problem: sausages and other processed delights. Raccoon balls, anyone?

In southwestern Turkey, just above the pretty coastline near the city of Antalya, there is a mountain where flames have burned since ancient times. There’s now a scientific explanation for the burning rocks of Yanartaş, although the mythic tales of three-headed beasts are also pretty cool.

For spectacular phenomena at the other end of the temperature scale, majestic icebergs, many of them formed by glaciers some tens of million of years ago, are one of Antarctica’s biggest attractions. Here’s how the coldest place on Earth became a hot vacation spot.

If you have any chilly adventures planned, you might want to prepare yourself with a toasty hand warmer. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have tested the best for 2024.

Western North Carolina – which attracts sightseers each year for its spectacular fall foliage – could be out $2.1 billion in tourism dollars this season after the devastating damage from Hurricane Helene. Business owners are desperate for visitors’ support.