Orient Express puts three Italian golf rounds on two four-day rail routes

Golf trips usually make the travel between courses feel like a necessary chore. La Dolce Vita Orient Express has made that travel the center of two four-day, three-night Italian itineraries built around rounds at distinct clubs. A Golf Digest post saved by readers brought the journeys to attention in September; the operator's published routes show what each trip actually covers.

Northern Greens starts and finishes in Rome and runs through Turin, Brescia and Tuscany. Its scheduled course stops are Royal Park I Roveri, Franciacorta Golf Club and The Club at Castiglion del Bosco. It is the northern route for someone who wants a change of terrain and course style across three rounds, with the train doing the long transfer between them.

Italian Swing heads south first, to San Domenico Golf Club in Apulia, then moves through Tuscany for Castiglion del Bosco and a final round at either Antognolla or Argentario, depending on departure. That last-course variation is explicit on the operator's Italian Swing page. It matters when comparing dates: the two possible final rounds are not interchangeable promises on one departure.

Both routes have a possible fourth golf day at Marco Simone near Rome, the 2023 Ryder Cup venue, but it should not be mistaken for a standard stop included in the three-night rail itinerary. The operator describes it as an additional collection with an extra Rome hotel night, private transfers and pre-reserved tee times. Travelers should check the selected departure and package rather than assume every pictured course is included.

Golf Digest's September 18 report also notes that the trips are designed for companions who may want food or cultural experiences instead of every round. The distinction makes this more than a checklist of famous clubs: Northern Greens emphasizes the north-to-Tuscany progression; Italian Swing pairs a southern coastal round with Tuscan golf. Either way, the operator's live itinerary is the source for course substitutions and inclusions before committing to a departure.