SP1 & SP2:  Recommended train with few or no stops.  Air-conditioned soft sleepers only.  Most of this train consists of privately-run sleeping-cars for tourists, including Fanxipan, King, Ratraco, Orient Express, Royal, TSC, Tulico and several others, see the tourist sleeper section below.

SP3 & SP4:  Recommended train with very few stops.  Air-con soft sleepers and air-con hard sleepers only.  Much of this train consists of privately-run sleeping-cars including the Sapaly Express Train, TSC, and the Victoria Express Train, see the tourist sleeper section below.

SP7, SP8:  Recommended train.  Air-con soft sleepers, air-con hard sleepers, air-con soft seats.  Conveys privately-run Livitrans sleeping-cars, see the tourist sleeper section below.

LC3, LC4:  Daytime train.  One carriage of air-conditioned soft seats, many carriages of wooden-seated non-air-con hard seats.  Tea, coffee & snacks are available on board.

LC1, LC2:  Slower overnight train.  Air-con hard sleepers, air-con soft seats, air-con hard seats, non-air-con hard seats.  No soft sleepers.

How much does it cost?

£1 = approx 32,900 Dong.  $1 = 20,500 Dong.  Children aged 0 to 4 travel free, children 5 to 9 travel at half fare.  Children 10 and over must pay full fare.

These fares are for travel in the normal Vietnamese railways carriages.  Prices for the privately-run sleeping-cars are shown below. 

Which station in Hanoi?  

The trains to Lao Cai depart from platforms 5 to 10 of Hanoi's main railway station.  However, in most cases these platforms are not accessed from the main 'A' station building on Le Duan street, but from the 'B' station building on Tran Quay Cap street on the far side of the tracks.  The 'B' station has its own ticket office, waiting room and check-in desks for the various private sleeper carriages to Lao Cai, including the Victoria Express train and Orient Express.  Make sure your taxi driver knows it's the 'B' station on Tran Quay Cap street that you want.  In theory you can enter the main 'A' station and walk across the tracks on the wooden barrow crossing linking all the platforms, but the doors from the main station building onto platform 1 are normally kept locked unless a train to the south is boarding, so you may not be able to do this unless you can persuade a member of staff to let you through.  Exception:  It's now reported that the check-in and voucher exchange desks for the Livitrans and Fanxipan carriages are at the 'A' station on Le Duan street, and passengers are let onto the platforms from that side of the tracks.  Map of Hanoi showing stations.

How to buy tickets at the station...

You can buy your ticket at the station when you get to Vietnam, assuming you want tickets for the regular Vietnamese Railways seats or sleepers, not tickets for the high-quality tourist sleepers.  Tickets to Lao Cai can be bought either at Hanoi's main station ticket office (the easiest to reach), or at the 'B' station on the far side of the tracks which has its own ticket office.  Apart from peak holiday periods such as Tet (Vietnamese new year, in late January or early February), it's not difficult to book a soft sleeper a few days in advance, especially if you can be a bit flexible over your exact choice of train or departure date.  At ticket offices, you pay in Vietnamese Dong, US dollars are not generally accepted.  If you're sure of your itinerary and it's important to be on a specific train on a specific date, then you can pre-book by email with a travel agency as shown below.

Traveller Rob Damen travelled from Hanoi to Lao Cai and back in 2011:  "We just went to Hanoi station 2.5 hours before departure and had no problem buying tickets.  We bought them at the small ticket window in the waiting area, for the price stated on the boards at the station.  Our train arrived about 45 minutes before departure so we had plenty of time to get comfy in our beds. Back from Lao Cai to Hanoi we took the daytime train and we were able to arrange soft seats.  In order to get the correct tickets I used your shortlist of Vietnamese words and made a note that I gave to the lady at the ticket window. She looked a bit surprised but she got the message so we got two soft seats for 168,000 dong each.  The ride took 11 hours which was quite long and we had a lot of young children in the coach so it was rather noisy.  The views from the train are not spectacular but that was ok, as we passed time playing games like yahtzee and some card games.  We arrived right on time at Hanoi Station.

Traveller Jens Kupsch travelled on the daytime LC4 train in 2011:  "We crossed the border from China around 07:30, and bought tickets to Hanoi on train LC4 at Lao Cai station about an hour ahead of departure.  It didn't seem to be a problem."

How to buy tickets by email via a travel agency...

If you want to get your train reservation sorted in advance before you get to Vietnam, contact a recommended local travel agency such as www.vietnamimpressive.com, www.vietnamstay.com or www.saigonhotel.com.  These agencies can book both the regular Vietnamese carriages and the special high-quality tourist sleepers.  Tickets can be waiting for you at your hotel when you get to Vietnam, or for an extra charge couriered overseas.  Payment is by Visa, MasterCard or other major credit card.  www.vietnamimpressive.com is relatively new but has already received a steady stream of good reports.  Vietnamstay.com also gets good reports from travellers, although they can only book trains departing from Hanoi or Saigon, not starting at  intermediate stations.  Saigonhotel (formerly Viet-nam.net) has not had such good reports, but offers a comprehensive service.  Further feedback or agency recommendations is always appreciated!

Arranging a transfer from Lao Cai to Sapa...

Lao Cai to Sapa is about 38 km (24 miles) and the road journey takes about 50 minutes by bus, shared minibus taxi or private car on a scenic winding road up into the hills.  If you have pre-booked a hotel the best idea might be to ask them to arrange your transfer.  But don't worry if you don't have a transfer arranged, on arrival at Lao Cai you'll be besieged by offers of a transfer to Sapa.  A ticket for a bus from Lao Cai to Sapa costs around US$2, a seat in a shared minibus taxi about 25,000 dong ($2) per person, a private car about US$25 per vehicle.  On the way back, the shared minibus taxis all leave from outside the Sapa church, running to no fixed schedule, just filling up with passengers and leaving when full.  You'll need to leave Sapa around 17:00-17:30 to meet the trains, to allow for any delays on the road down.  Or you can arrange a transfer back to Lao Cai direct from your hotel, ask at reception.

Taking the train to Lao Cai for Sapa...

Hanoi 'B' station on the far side of the tracks from Hanoi main ('A') station, accessed from Tran Quay Cap street.  In the evening the B station comes alive as no fewer than four busy sleeper trains with both Vietnamese and many western tourists head north to Lao Cai...		4-berth soft sleeper as used on trains SP1/2, SP3/4.  See the section above for more info.

Scenery on the road journey from Lao Cai up to Sapa...		Sapa church...

This is the daytime train to Lai Cai, the LC3, about to leave Hanoi in the early morning.  This is the one air-conditioned soft seat car on the train, an older car with wire mesh across the windows to protect against stones.  The rest of the train consists of ordinary hard seats as shown here.  A Vietnamese Railways attendant is in charge of each car, and you'll find beer, soft drinks and food sold by vendors.

Hanoi to Sapa by privately-run tourist sleeping-car...

You may prefer to take a privately-run sleeping car to Lao Cai for Sapa.  In addition to the normal Vietnamese Railways sleepers & seats, overnight trains SP1-SP8 between Hanoi & Lao Cai convey a bewildering range of privately-run deluxe sleeping-cars for tourists.  If you want extra comfort & cleanliness and don't mind paying a bit more, go for one of these private cars as they're all significantly better than the regular Vietnamese Railways sleepers.

Fanxipan, Sapaly Express, King, Livitrans, Orient Express, Tulico, Ratraco, TSC, Friendly, Royal, Hara...

All these private operators offer berths in shared First Class 4-berth sleepers, and a few also offer a handful of VIP 2-berth sleepers (though if these have sold out you can always pay for all 4 berths in a 4-berth if you like, the price works out pretty much the same).  The sleepers all have air-conditioning, fresh clean bedding, complimentary mineral water and snacks, and clean western-style toilets.  These private sleepers are all very comfortable, just remember that this is still Vietnam with Vietnamese standards, you'll enjoy the trip more if you don't turn up with unrealistic expectations of 5-star western-style luxury for $35!  Most of these private tourist sleeping-cars run attached to train SP1/SP2, though one or two (TSC and Sapaly) are attached to SP3/SP4 and Livitrans cars are attached to SP7/SP8.

Which company should you choose?  How much does it cost?  There's not a huge amount to choose between the many different operators and the price they all charge is pretty similar, about $34-36 one-way in a shared First Class 4-berth sleeper or $70-79 per person for travel in a VIP 2-berth sleeper.  However, the best operators are usually acknowledged to be Fanxipan and Orient Express (both on train SP1/2) and Sapaly Express (on train SP3/4).  Personally, I prefer Fanxipan to Orient Express as there was sufficient headroom under the upper berths to sit on the lower bunk, in the Orient Express carriage I had to lean forward (I'm 6' 2").  Lower berths are recommended if you're tall, as the upper berth has a support chain taking up an inch or two at each end.  If you use one of these private sleepers, feedback is always appreciated.

Can I buy all 4 berths in a compartment to have a room to ourselves?  Yes, if you insist, if the very few 2-berth VIP compartments are all sold out as they often are.  But meeting fellow tourists and talking over a beer into the night is great fun.  Would I recommend paying double to miss all the fun and sit in glorious isolation?  No!

How to buy tickets:  For prices, photos and more information on each of the various tourist sleepers, try www.vietnamimpressive.com or www.vietnamstay.com, as both these agencies get good reports, are reliable and respond promptly to emails.  You book your chosen sleeper by email with these agencies, pay with a credit card using a secure online payment service, and you will be emailed an 'e-ticket' which must be exchanged for an actual ticket at the carriage operator's check-in desk at Hanoi 'B' station an hour before departure.  If you're already in Vietnam, you can book these tourist sleepers via local travel agencies, but not at the station, although there's a ticket window for the Ratraco sleepers to Lao Cai in the ticket hall at the 'B' station.

Fanxipan carriage at Hanoi		Fanxipan 4-berth sleeper...		Orient Express 4-berth...

The Victoria Express train...

This is a cut above the other tourist trains, in fact it's the most luxurious way to reach Sapa with wood-panelled 'orient express' style carriages including a proper dining car on some departures, but you can only use it if you're staying at the luxurious and expensive (but excellent) Victoria Hotel in Sapa.  The train runs daily except Saturdays, consisting of two deluxe sleeping-cars and (on some departures) a restaurant car attached to train SP3/SP4.  Prices around US$140 round trip per person ($160 including meals in the restaurant car) in 4-berth or $220 per person ($250 with meals) in 2-berth.  One-way fares are only about 25% less than returns, so buy a return ticket if you're coming back to Hanoi.  See www.victoriahotels-asia.com or www.vietnamstay.com for details.  The hotel can arrange a shuttle bus or private car transfer from the station.

The Victoria Express train to Lao Cai for Sapa...		VIP 2-berth sleeper...		Standard 4-berth sleeper...

Hanoi - Haiphong & Halong  (for Halong Bay)

The beautiful Halong Bay is on many visitors' lists of places to visit.  You can get there by air-conditioned train from Hanoi via Haiphong.

Hanoi to Haiphong (for ferry to Cat Ba island)...

* Train LP5 starts from Hanoi main station at weekends only, but runs from Long Bien every day.

These Hanoi-Haiphong trains have air-conditioned soft seats (see the photo of the poster below advertising travel to Haiphong in these comfortable air-con cars), air-conditioned hard seats, and ordinary hard seats in much older cars.  Hanoi to Haiphong is 102 km (63 miles).

Hanoi Long Bien station is 3km northeast of Hanoi main station, immediately south of the huge steel Long Bien bridge over the Red River (which was a target for American bombers on several occasions during the Vietnamese war).  The small road outside the station is only accessible to pedestrians, bicycles and motorbikes, not cars, so if your taxi drops you on the main road by the river, don't worry, it's just a 100 yard walk up the side road and round the bend to the station.  Map of Hanoi showing main & Long Bien stations

How to buy tickets:  Buy tickets locally, at the station.  No advance reservation is necessary.

Ferries to Cat Ba Island:  Hydrofoils take 45 minutes and leave Haiphong ferry terminal at 08:50 & 09:00.  Returning, hydrofoils leave Cat Ba ferry terminal at 06:45 & 15:00.  Alternatively there are ships taking 2 hours, with departures from Haiphong ferry terminal at 06:30 & 12:30.  Returning, the ships leave Cat Ba Island at 05:45 & 12:30.  Simply buy your ferry ticket at the ticket offices at the port, the fare is around 100,000 dong (£4 or $6).  Cat Ba town is a half hour bus ride from where the ships arrive, but the hydrofoils arrive at a pier near Cat Ba town.

Hanoi's Long Bien station, complete with poster advertising the air-conditioned carriages on the Hanoi to Haiphong trains.  Map of Hanoi showing main & Long Bien stations.

Hanoi to Halong (for Halong Bay)...

A private company, Dongrim Railway Transport Co of Korea launched a tourist train daily between Hanoi & Halong, for the scenic Halong Bay.  However, it folded again by July and it's not clear if any passenger trains still run on the line to Halong Bay, it's believed there are now no trains on this route.  Instead, you can take local transport from Haiphong.  Feedback would be appreciated!

Twice-weekly sleeper train from Beijing to Hanoi...

There is a safe, comfortable & affordable twice-weekly train service between Beijing & Hanoi.  A Chinese express train with modern air-conditioned 4-berth soft class sleepers and restaurant car runs from Beijing to Dong Dang on the Vietnamese frontier.  At Dong Dang you pass through customs & passport control and board a connecting Vietnamese metre-gauge train for the final run to Hanoi.  Note that at Nanning you may be asked to get off and wait on the platform for an hour or two while the train is shunted.

**  Dong Dang is the China/Vietnam frontier, where you change trains. 

Beijing to Hanoi is 2,996km or 1,861 miles.  How to buy tickets.

Which station in Hanoi?  Map of Hanoi showing main station.  The train to Beijing departs from Hanoi's main railway station.  Enter Hanoi station's main entrance, turn sharp right and pass through the narrow passageway to the regular waiting room.  Look for the little door in the corner marked 'Waiting Room for Passengers of International Train' in English.  Wait in here, and staff will lead you to the train when it's ready for boarding, a single sleeper car at the north end of platform 1, a short walk from the waiting room.

Daily alternative Beijing-Hanoi journey, changing trains in Nanning:  If you can't get tickets for this twice-weekly Beijing-Hanoi through train or if you need to travel on one of the other days of the week, simply use the regular daily sleeper trains between Beijing & Nanning (see here for details), then the daily train between Nanning & Hanoi.

How to buy tickets

What is the Beijing to Hanoi train journey like?

The Chinese sleeper train from Beijing to Hanoi...  The twice-weekly Beijing-Hanoi train service actually consists of two trains.  This is the standard-gauge Chinese soft class sleeping-car which runs between Beijing and Dong Dang on the Vietnamese border, where you change onto a connecting Vietnamese metre-gauge train for Hanoi.  It has comfortable, air-conditioned, carpeted 4-bed soft sleepers (above, right), and there's a restaurant car for most of the journey.  A wonderful way to travel between Beijing & Vietnam!  Exterior photo courtesy of Nandakumar Narasimhan, interior photo courtesy of Chris "Mzungu" Holden .

Scenery in southern China seen from the Beijing to Hanoi train.  Courtesy of Chris "Mzungu" Holden

The connecting Vietnamese sleeper train from Dong Dang to Hanoi...  This is the Vietnamese metre-gauge train, just one or two sleeping-cars which connect with the Chinese train at Dong Dang on the China/Vietnam border to take passengers the final part of the journey into Hanoi. It has comfortable 4-berth soft sleeper compartments. Photos courtesy of Chris "Mzungu" Holden .

How to buy tickets in Hanoi...

Buying your ticket to Beijing:  At Hanoi station, go to the ticket window for foreigners & international trains.  You will need to show your passport and a valid visa for China.  You can pay in Vietnamese dong or (reportedly) US dollars, credit cards are not accepted, although there's a MasterCard sign.  This train cannot be booked online, although you could try emailing local travel agencies in Vietnam.

Getting a Chinese visa in Hanoi:  You'll need a visa to enter China, and indeed you will need to show your Chinese visa at Hanoi station when buying a train ticket to Beijing. In 2010 it was reported that the Chinese embassy in Hanoi wouldn't issue visas for anyone who wasn't a Vietnamese citizen or resident but in 2012 a later report says they now will.  If they won't, either get your visa in your home country before you leave, or arrange your Chinese visa in Hanoi through a suitable travel agency such as www.hanoibackpackershostel.com.

Traveller Peter Day reports (2011):  Tickets (soft class only) are available from Window 7 at Hanoi main railway station.  There is a system in place where you get a number which indicates your place in the line - locals ignore it, you should too. Tickets are available to purchase in cash only, Vietnamese dong only as far as one could tell.  You go to the window first and the lady tells you how much, then you go get the cash and return to buy the tickets.  The cost of two tickets to Guilin was over 6 million dong, clearly Beijing would be more - getting that amount of dong out of ATMs is problematic because of limits on each transaction and number of daily withdrawals allowed. We had to use 2 cards.  They check you have visas for China.

Traveller Alex Hartland reports:  "I booked my Hanoi-Beijing train ticket yesterday at Hanoi station.  I was sent from window 10 to window 1 to window 6 and finally window 8.  The woman at window 8 spoke pretty good English, but I don't think it's the standard window for Hanoi to Beijing bookings.  The paperwork took a while to process (about 45 minutes) and the final cost was 4,635,000 dong. She told me I could pay in dollars if I wanted to, but again not sure if this is standard procedure.  She checked my passport & Chinese visa, too."

How to buy tickets in Beijing...

	Buying a train ticket to Hanoi in Beijing...  This is the agency in Beijing where Laurent & Chris both bought their train tickets to Hanoi

• You can pre-book from outside China by contacting www.chinatripadvisor.com who charge US$379 (£255) or www.chinatrainticket.net who charge $406 (£253).  Reliable Russian/British agency www.realrussia.co.uk can also book this train along with your Trans-Siberian tickets, but are more expensive, charging around £356 one-way.

• To buy in person in Beijing, there are several options:

Traveller Laurent Fintoni reports:  "I was told to go to Bei Feng Wo Lu (a street near Beijing West station) and look for a shop opposite the Tian You hotel. So I would say for anyone else, the easiest might be to get a cab or directions to Tian You hotel on Bei Feng Wo Lu.  Opposite the hotel is what looks like a travel agent, though when I went it had the shutters pulled down - however it was open, not quite sure why that was. The shop sign is blue, and you can tell you found it as there is a small window on the side of the shop's main doors which says they sell train tickets. However, you want the main shop not the window.  Once in there if you tell them you want to buy Beijing to Hanoi tickets, I had a sentence written in Chinese for me, she pulls out what seems to be the same form that Que Clothier mentions. The woman speaks no English, just point at the answers on the form and she does it all for you. I was charged only 1086 RMB without a 50 RMB charge, but not quite sure why as she answered in Chinese when I asked her if she wanted the charge.  Her form mentions the charge, making the price 1166, the same as Chris Emmerson reported.  She'll also point at a calendar and ask for dates as well as how many tickets.  There are about 3 banks within 100 to 200 metres of the shop on Bei Feng Wo Lu, all do currency exchange and have ATMs however none seem to change Travellers Cheques so be careful.  Once you pay her it's all done, it was really easy, the trickiest part is finding the shop, but with the Tian You Hotel being quite big (and having its name written in English on the front in big letters) it shouldn't be too difficult."

Traveller Chris "Mzungu" Holden reports (2011):  "I got my tickets from the same place as Laurent Fintoni [see above] got his.  It was easy to find, took me about 30mins to get the tickets from a helpful and friendly chap who spoke no English but pointed to the booking forms and a calendar when needed.  It cost me RMB 2,200 (2150+50 commission) from memory."

Traveller Christian Morgan reports (Oct 2009):  "In Beijing I paid 2,156 RMB for the ticket and a commission fee of 150RMB, total 2306 RMB. This was from the Railway hotel office as described by Que Clothier. I imagine this must be the new price but it was the Chinese national holiday and I purchased the day before departure.  As for the train it was less than half full on departure and only 3 of us went over the border into Vietnam. 2nd class carriages were clean and very comfortable and smoking was clearly permitted throughout (in between carriages). The Vietnamese train was a little more noisy (and bouncy!) being diesel engined carriages but nonetheless a pleasant experience. The sunrise over the Vietnamese hills was a real treat!"

If you have any further feedback, please email me!

Travellers' reports...

Traveller Peter Day reports (2011):  Having got your tickets you arrive about 1 hour before train is due to leave.  Go to main entrance of Hanoi Central Station (not round the back) and pass through the regular waiting room - on the right as you enter - to the international waiting room beyond (signed in English). They then lead you to the train which is a single sleeper carriage - a short walk from the waiting room.  Beware the guys who grab your bags and then demand tip-tip.  There seems to be little relation between berth number written on your ticket and where you end up, one couple had no numbers written on their ticket at all. The day we travelled it was very full with a large Vietnamese tourist group. The Vietnamese train is fairly basic but you are only on it about 5 and a half hours.  At the border you get off with your bags, wait while the Vietnamese immigration people stamp your passport then board the Chinese sleeper - much better than the Vietnamese one and more berths so while the berth number still bears no relation to where you end up little chance of having to share.  At the Chinese border post you get off the train only to pass in front of one of those automated temperature checking machines to be sure you haven't got SARS. All Chinese immigration done on the train.  You get kicked of the train at 06.30 am (really 05.30 taking into account the time change) at Nanning to 'have a rest' in the soft class waiting room while the sleeper carriage gets added into the Nanning-Beijing train. Beautiful carp in the pool in the waiting room, and they will give you a 'pass' so you can go out to get Chinese currency from an ATM and to buy food and so on.

Hanoi - Nanning by train

Daily direct sleeper train from Hanoi to Nanning...

A comfortable daily overnight train links Hanoi & Nanning, which started running in January 2009.  This is a standard-gauge Chinese sleeper train that runs all the way from Nanning to Hanoi.  The timetable is as follows, but always double-check times locally as they keep changing the exact times.  The distance between Hanoi and Nanning is 396km.

Gia Lam station is 6km from Hanoi's main station, across the river.  Map of Hanoi showing Gia Lam station.

How to buy tickets...

Tickets are sold in Nanning at the station reservations office counter 16 and at Hanoi Main Station counter 10.  Tickets are also sold in Hanoi by Vietnam Hanoi Railways Tourist Company (Travel Agency - 152 Le Duan Street, Hanoi, email haratour@fpt.vn or call (84-4) 3518-6782.  In Hanoi, you'll need to show your passport and Chinese visa when buying tickets.  It can help to know that the Vietnamese for 'Nanning' is 'Nam Ninh'.

On board the Hanoi to Nanning train...

The Hanoi to Nanning train:  This is the Nanning to Hanoi train at Hanoi Gia Lam station.  Above right:  A comfortable 4-berth soft sleeper compartment, with two upper and two lower berths, curtains, fresh clean sheets & pillows, and small table.  Interior photo courtesy of Chris at www.myeggnoodles.com.   More photos of this train here.

Hanoi's Gia Lam station...

Hanoi's Gia Lam station (see location map) is a tiny suburban station across the river in northern Hanoi, a 20 minute taxi ride from the main station.  Why does the train to Nanning start here?  Its Chinese carriages are standard gauge 4' 8½", as used in Europe, China and North America.  Vietnam's railways are metre gauge (just over 3').  A third rail has been laid as far as Gia Lam station, making the tracks 'dual gauge', allowing the Chinese train to run that far but no further.  You can see the three rails in the photo above right...

Getting a Chinese visa in Hanoi...

You'll need a visa to enter China, and indeed you will need to show your Chinese visa at Hanoi station when buying your train ticket to Beijing. It was reported in 2010 that the Chinese embassy in Hanoi wouldn't issue visas for anyone who wasn't a Vietnamese citizen or resident, although a report in 2012 says they now will.  If they won't, either get your visa in your home country before you leave, or arrange your Chinese visa in Hanoi through a suitable travel agency such as www.hanoibackpackershostel.com.

Travellers reports...

Traveller Melissa Jacka reports from a trip in 2013:  "Tickets for the Nanning-Hanoi train were only available from Nanning train station, we got them about 20 hours in advance and following the advice on Seat 61 we went straight to counter 16 - the queue took about 20 minutes, and we had to show our passports and Vietnamese visa.  We had no problem getting soft sleeper tickets for a Sunday night train.  Adults were 190 RMB and the kids were 90 RMB.  As mentioned in earlier advice the beds were reallocated by the conductors.  Dinner in the dining car was simple, but fresh, tasty, clean and cheep - rice, chicken dish & beer for one was 30 RMB.  The train now leaves at 18:20 and arrives at around 05:30 the next day (but this includes winding the clock back 1 hour at the border), and includes two stops where you and your luggage get off the train, the first at about 21:30 and the second at about 00:30."

Traveller GeekySeb reports from a Nanning-Hanoi train journey in summer 2010:  "The train starts at 18.45 and the waiting hall is number 1. Thanks for the advice to use counter 16, it saves a lot of time as this is the one with no queue. If you don't know about that, you first join the long queue, then get sent to counter 16, as it happened to another traveller I met.  I booked my ticket on the Saturday noon for the Monday. I think I understood the Saturday train was full. We had to leave the train twice, once at around 22.30 to have our luggage scanned at the Chinese border and get the Chinese exit stamp, the other two hours later at around 23:30 Vietnamese time to get the Vietnam stamp and fill in the arrival card.  The train arrived at Gia Lam station at about 5.30 local time. There were plenty of taxis awaiting and I paid 200,000 VND, far too much I think!  There is some street food available for breakfast in the street opposite the station and one taxi driver awoke a shop-owner so I can change money and buy a SIM card."

Traveller Anton Vidgen reports from a Nanning-Hanoi train journey in January 2009:  "We purchased tickets in Nanning at counter 16 and departed the same day at 18:15. Soft sleeper cost RMB 334 each. There is a comfortable waiting room to the far left of the station if you are facing the main clock. The train only had about 20 passengers in total (exclusively soft sleeper) so ticket availability did not seem to be an issue. We arrived in Pingxiang around 20:00 and customs only took 45 mins. We then arrived in Dong Dang at 23:30 and customs again only took 45 mins. Our Vietnam visas became active on the next day so we were worried officials would cause a fuss, but we had no problems. We re-boarded the same comfortable Chinese train which finally arrived in Hanoi around 5:30am."

Nanning-Hanoi by bus...

If the train is full or you prefer daytime travel, there are several daily buses between Nanning & Hanoi, using modern coaches and travelling by day.  Buses reportedly leave Nanning bus station at 08:30. 09:00 & 09:30, journey time 7-8 hours, fare around RMB 150 (£15 or $25).  The scenery is reported as well worth the trip!

Hanoi - Hong Kong by train

Although there isn't a direct train, you can easily travel between Hanoi & Hong Kong in less than 48 hours with a change of train at Nanning & Guangzhou.  Here's how:

Hanoi ► Hong Kong

This journey costs around £70 or $110 one-way in total, and it's an experience itself.  Remember that you'll need a visa for China, and you'll need to satisfy any return/onward ticket requirements, which is usually more of a logistical headache than the actual travelling.  If you have any more information including fares for travelling via this route, please e-mail me.

• Day 1, evening:  Take the daily overnight train from Hanoi to Nanning, see the section above.  It leaves Hanoi in the evening and arrives Nanning next morning.  The soft sleeper fare is VND 568,000 (£20 or $30).  Spend the day in Nanning.  Alternatively, there are several modern buses from Hanoi to Nanning every morning.

• Day 2, evening:  Travel by overnight train from Nanning to Guangzhou.  There are several possible trains, train 2572 leaving Nanning at 19:15 and arriving Guangzhou (main station) at 07:50 next morning, train 1234 leaving Nanning at 17:25 and arriving Guangzhou (East station) at 05:56, and train K366 (a higher quality K-category train) leaving Nanning at 00:30 and arriving at Guangzhou (main station) at 12:05 next day.  All three trains have soft & hard class sleepers.  The fare is about 286 RMB (£29 or $43) in a soft sleeper, or 184 RMB (£19 or $29) in a hard sleeper.  In an ideal world, you'd pre-book this train, and you could always try contacting a Chinese travel agency in Nanning, assuming they could somehow arrange for you to collect tickets.  Otherwise, as there's no easy way to pre-book from Vietnam, just turn up and see what ticket you can get to Guangzhou.  A taxi from Guangzhou main station to Guangzhou East station costs about RMB 30 (£3).

• Day 3, travel from Guangzhou (East/Dong station) to Hong Kong (Kowloon station) by train.  There are a range of departures daily, including one at 14:00 arriving 15:48.  Fare about HK$190 (£17 or $26).

Hong Kong ► Hanoi

This journey costs around £70 or $110 one-way in total, and it's an experience itself.  Remember that you'll need a visa for China, and you'll need to satisfy any return/onward ticket requirements, which is usually more of a logistical headache than the actual travelling.  If you have any more information including fares for travelling via this route, please e-mail me.

• Day 1, morning:  Take a train from Hong Kong (Kowloon station) to Guangzhou (East station).  There are a range of departures daily, including one leaving Kowloon at 11:17 and arriving Guangzhou Dong at 12:58.  Fare about HK$190 (£17 or $28).  A taxi from Guangzhou East to Guangzhou Main station costs about RMB 30.

• Day 1, evening:  Take an overnight sleeper train from Guangzhou (main station) to Nanning, train number 2571 departing Guangzhou at 16:52 and arriving Nanning the next morning at 06:35.  Soft and hard class sleepers are available.  The fare is about 286 RMB (£29 or $43) in a soft sleeper, or 184 RMB (£19 or $29) in a hard sleeper.  There are in fact several alternative trains too, such as the K483 departing Guangzhou main station at 21:08 arriving Nanning at 09:34 next morning.  Spend the day in Nanning.

• Day 2, take the daily overnight train from Nanning to Hanoi, see the section above.  It leaves Nanning in the early evening and arrives Hanoi next morning.  Soft & hard sleepers available, fare RMB 229 (£23 or $37).  Alternatively, there are several modern buses from Nanning to Hanoi every morning.

How to buy tickets...

Buying tickets starting in Hanoi:  You need to buy a separate ticket for each train.  You can easily buy a Hanoi to Nanning ticket at counter 10 at Hanoi main station on Le Duan street and you'll usually find places available even on the day of departure.  It can help to know that the Vietnamese for 'Nanning' is 'Nam Ninh'.  Alternatively, tickets are also sold in Hanoi by Vietnam Hanoi Railways Tourist Company (Travel Agency - 152 Le Duan Street, Hanoi, email haratour@fpt.vn or call (84-4) 3518-6782.  You'll need to show your passport and Chinese visa when buying tickets, so arrange your Chinese visa first.  It was reported in 2010 that the Chinese embassy in Hanoi wouldn't issue visas for anyone who wasn't a Vietnamese citizen or resident, but a 2012 report says they now will.  If they won't, either get your visa in your home country before you leave, or arrange your Chinese visa in Hanoi through a suitable travel agency such as www.hanoibackpackershostel.com.  You can buy an onward ticket from Nanning to Guangzhou and Guangzhou to Hong Kong when you get to Nanning station.

Buying tickets starting in Hong Kong:  You need to buy a separate ticket for each train.  One option is to pre-book the Hong Kong-Guangzhou & Guangzhou-Nanning trains by email through an agency such as www.chinatripadvisor.com, www.chinatraintickets.net or www.china-train-ticket.com and have them delivered to your hotel in Hong Kong.  The Nanning to Hanoi train can easily be booked when you get to Nanning, at the station reservations office counter 16, you'll usually find places available even on the day of travel.  Alternatively, you can buy a Hong Kong to Guangzhou ticket and a Guangzhou to Nanning sleeper ticket at the China railway office at Hung Hom railway station.  They may be able to do the Nanning to Hanoi ticket, but if not, buy it when you get to Nanning.  Another option is to buy tickets for the train to Guangzhou, the Guangzhu to Nanning sleeper train and (if they can do it) the Nanning to Hanoi sleeper train at the CTS (China Travel Service) Central branch or CTS Mongkok branch in Hong Kong, as these two branches are equipped with the Chinese Railways ticketing system.  Again, if they cannot do the Nanning to Hanoi train, buy this when you get to Nanning at the station.

What are the trains like?

Above left:  This is the Nanning to Hanoi train.  The Guangzhou to Nanning train is very similar  Above right:  A comfortable 4-berth soft sleeper compartment on the Nanning to Hanoi train, the compartments on the Guangzhou to Nanning train are similar.  It has two upper and two lower berths, curtains, fresh clean sheets & pillows, and small table.  Cheaper hard sleepers are also available.  Interior photo courtesy of  Chris at www.myeggnoodles.com.

Travellers' reports...

Traveller Hendryk went from Hong Kong to Hanoi in 2012:  "At the Hung Hom station in Hong Kong there's now a china-railway-office where you can book the tickets to Guangzhou East (190 HKD) and onwards to Nanning for between 268 HKD and 298 HKD, soft sleeper for the next day or later (same day was fully booked).  They charge a service fee of 200 HKD for that.  We took the 11:28 train to Guangzhou East and the 15:43 sleeper train to Nanning, it also departs from Guangzhou East, so no changing station necessary.  We arrived in Nanning at 7:07am.  We almost overslept, but a good sign to get off is when the stewards change your placeholder cards back to your ticket.  In Nanning as said above, it was very crowded in the train station, maybe because of that weekend.  At the counter number 16 (you should ask that before at the train info - no English signing anywhere) we had to wait for more than an hour but we got the soft sleeper tickets to Hanoi (Gia Lam) for 1.10.2012, departing 18:20, for 215 RMB each.

Traveller Jeremy Buddress travelled from Hanoi to Hong Kong in April 2009:  "We bought our Hanoi-Nanning tickets at Counter 10 of Hanoi main station - a 4 berth soft sleeper for 1,102,000 VND per person.  The process was a little confusing.  We went to the station on a Tuesday to try and confirm costs and times.  While the ticket machine at the entry to the main waiting area spits out slips for you spot in the queue, the '5' button that we pressed for "International Tickets" produced a 5000-series number which never ended up on the display even after 45 minutes of waiting, so we went to a ticket window to ask.  So, after stepping up to on of the other ticket counters we learned that the train did in fact leave every day (contradicting what one travel agent told us, even after making a "confirming" phone call).  We weren't ready to buy yet as we were still waiting for our China visas, which is another story.  But it does bring up a good point - you do need your passport when you buy tickets with the proper China visa ready to go.  So after getting our visas we returned to the station on Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately the noonish hour was apparently lunch so we waited until Counter 10 reopened around 13:30. Counter 10 is the only one labelled 'International Tickets" in English.  The transaction was speedy and we paid in cash.  We caught a cab from the Old Quarter to the Gia Lam Train Station in northeast Hanoi for about 70,000 VND.  Gia Lam is much smaller than the main station but nice enough.  We boarded our train right on time with only six other passengers. The stop at the Vietnam border control was no more than 20 minutes (off of the train, minus luggage) and at the China border was only about 15 minutes (off of the train, with luggage). Arrival and departure times were spot on per your timetable.  On arriving in Nanning we grabbed a room at a hotel across the street from the train station for 80 RMB, as the train didn't leave for Guangzhou until 00:30 that night.  Getting our tickets for this leg was a bit more challenging, as the Nanning ticket area is labelled almost entirely in Chinese.  Fortunately we were able to buy our domestic tickets at the international counter (#16, also labelled in English) for 197 RMB per person in a hard sleeper.  These were 6 berth, open to the corridor bunks that were full to capacity.  There appeared to be an earlier train around 19:00 that night, but it was full minus hard seats.  Our train left about 15 minutes late from Nanning, but again it was smooth sailing after that.  Arrival at the Guangzhou Main Station was a bit hectic as it is quite massive. Meeting our friend "out front" proved to be a challenge. The KFC is a nice landmark, attached to the station, right in front, if you need to meet someone there.

Traveller Erandathie Jayakody travelled from Hong Kong to Hanoi in January 2009:  I didn't buy the tickets in advance, I bought tickets along the way.  China Travel Services in Hong Kong can arrange tickets for you with a few days notice from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and from Guangzhou to Nanning.  There is a China Travel Service and another travel agent at the Hung Hom Station in Hong Kong (at the concourse, not at the MTR station itself).  However, I found it cheaper to buy the tickets from the station.  I caught the train from Hung Hom station in HK to Guangzhou East Station on 2 January 2009.  Hong Kong to Guangzhou was HKD$ 190.  It left promptly at 10.42 and arrived in Guangzhou at about mid-day.  Buying the ticket from Guangzhou was a bit difficult as I got caught up in the Chinese New Year rush, however I managed to buy a sleeper ticket to Nanning to depart same evening.  The ticket to Nanning and Guilin are sold at Counter 7.  The ticket cost RMB 173.  The train departs from the Guangzhou main Station, the taxi ride from Guangzhou East Station to the main station costs about RMB 30.  The train left at 16.52pm and arrived in Nanning at approximately 6am.  I then bought a ticket for the new overnight train from Nanning to Hanoi [see below].

Traveller Cath Battersby traveller Hong Kong to Hanoi in January 2009:  We bought our tickets 3 days ahead at Hung Hom station at China Railways (HK) holdings, under McDonalds. We paid HK$999 for 2 of us HK to Nanning hard sleeper. (HK$190 HK to Guangzhou, RMB 179 Guangzhou to Nanning and HK$100 commission each). Soft sleeper would have been a total of HK$1235 for 2. We had to pay in cash. The staff were very helpful and provided us with a B & W map of Guangzhou metro.  We left HK at 11.17. We weren’t allowed through security until 10:35.  Buy any drinks/snacks you need in advance, nothing past security except toilets and duty free. Excellent train and trouble free departure/immigration.  Upon arrival at Guangzhou the signs to the metro are in English and easy to follow.  It is fairly simple to work out how to get to the main station with the coloured maps on display. Large signs at Guangzhou main station show you which waiting room you need for your train. Lots of snack food and hot water available.  The overnight train to Nanning was a smooth journey.  The signs in Nanning are now in English too and we bought tickets for train #5517 to Pingxiang (RMB 17, 8am – 11:30). Hard seats, friendly co-passengers and some great scenery on this trip! In Pingxiang there were a large number of people vying for our business. We paid RMB 5 for a mototaxi/tuktuk to the border and changed money in the back. Very quick and easy at the Chinese border and more money changing opportunities (although we didn’t see anywhere official). It’s useful to have Dong as you’ll need to pay a small fee (VND 2000) for your ‘medical check’ at Vietnamese immigration. We had a trouble free entry.  Once through immigration we could not find anyone that would take us to Dong Dang. This may have been a scam but we had to settle for paying US$5 each (cheaper if you can pay in Dong) for a taxi to Lanson. We were taken straight to a minibus office and we paid VND 110,000 (their starting price was VND 200,000) for a seat to Hanoi’s main train station. This took about 3 hours and left almost immediately.

Traveller Alan Merry travelled from Hong Kong to Hanoi in 2007:  "I booked from Hong Kong to Nanning at the agency within the shopping mall attached to Hong Kong’s Hung Hom station two days before departure and was told that I had the last available soft class sleeper.  The fare from Hong Kong to Guangzhou was HK$190 (about £13/$25) and from Guangzhou to Nanning the sleeper ticket was priced at Y274 (about £18/$34).  The agency also provide me with a map of the Guangzhou underground indicating that a change of train was needed to get from Guangzhou East to Guangzhou [main] Railway Station.  The train left promptly at 11.17 arriving at 12.58   Of course, in China, all of the signs are in Chinese, making it difficult to know where to go to buy tickets or board trains.  At Guangzhou East, you descend one floor from the main concourse to find the ticket office for the underground.  Guangzhou’s underground is modern clean and efficient.  The clue to finding the right train is its number, which is printed on the ticket. The departure board refers you to a waiting room rather than a platform and you are directed from the waiting room to the train when it is ready for boarding. There is a special waiting room at Guangzhou for soft class passengers.  Departure from Guangzhou was at 16.57 and, as promised, the train was full. As it got dark, shortly after 6pm most passengers took to their bunks, while I occupied a fold-down seat in the corridor to watch the world go by.  Although arrival at Nanning the following morning was some two hours later than the scheduled 05.47, there was plenty of time to buy the next ticket, to Pingxiang, (Y17 = £1.10) and take a short stroll before departure.  This is a rather more scenic part of the journey as the train climbs into the mountains.  After about four hours arrival was at the almost completed new Pingxiang station where there was a selection of taxis ready and vying for business to take me to the border post.  Although quoted "only Y3" by the young man, this had grown to Y20 (about £1.30) before we reached the boarder.  On the Chinese side the French style buildings are still intact, used as shops, surrounded by neat gardens leading to the old gateway and on to the modern building which is the Chinese border post.  Then it is a few yards downhill to the rather less imposing Vietnamese post.  Here things are less chaotic than it appears.  You pick up an immigration card, fill it in and place it in your passport which you then put on top of a pile on the counter.  The immigration officers work their way though these and having stamped them will wave them in the air to be claimed.  Seemed to work.  Then another taxi down to Dong Dang which cost $10 US for the ten minute journey.  The service in the French style station was very helpful and friendly and the ticket to Hanoi cost 36,000 dong, just over £1 ! (again paid in US dollars) The train is not so much a passenger train as a parcels train with passengers.  The seats are wooden slats and all of the local passengers come with varieties of parcels. Departure was at 14.20 (Vietnam time is one hour behind Chinese time) and the 100 mile journey took some 4½ hours.

Hanoi-Kunming by train & bus

Hanoi to Kunming train service:  Still cancelled...

There used to be a direct metre-gauge sleeper train from Hanoi to Kunming in China twice a week.  Unfortunately, floods and landslides damaged the Chinese part of the line in May 2002 and this train is currently suspended and likely to remain so for many years.  Because of a shortage of funds for repair, it is not clear exactly when (or if) it will start running again, although there are reports that work on a new fast standard-gauge line will start at some point.  In the meantime, use a sleeper bus to the frontier then a train to Hanoi as shown below.

Hanoi ► Kunming by sleeper train + sleeper bus...

• Travel from Hanoi to Lao Cai by overnight sleeper train, see the train times & fares above.  You may want stop off at Lao Cai to visit Sapa, 40 km away, before going on into China.

• Lao Cai is just 3 km from the Chinese border.  Use a local taxi to reach the border post and cross over to Hekou on the Chinese side.  Passing through both sets of customs takes about an hour.

• Travel from Hekou to Kunming on one of several overnight 'sleeper buses' (buses with sleeping-berths, see the photos below).  A bus leaves Hekou bus station (a few blocks from the border post) at 19:00 & arrives in Kunming's East bus station (next to the railway station) around 07:00, but there are earlier and maybe later departures.  The bus fare is about 143 RMB for the 440 km trip.

Kunming ► Hanoi by sleeper bus + sleeper train...

• Travel from Kunming to Hekou (on the Vietnamese frontier) by overnight sleeper bus (a bus with sleeping-berths, see the photos below).  A bus leaves Kunming's East bus stationat around 19:30 each evening, arriving in Hekou early next morning, but there are in fact several evening departures.  The bus fare is about 143 RMB for the 440 km trip.  If you have any more information on this bus service please e-mail me!

• At Hekou, cross over the border to the Vietnamese side and use a taxi to get to Lao Cai 3km from the border post.  You may want stop off at Lao Cai to visit Sapa, 40km away, before going on to Hanoi.

• Travel from Lao Cai to Hanoi by overnight sleeper train, see the train times & fares above. 

Traveller's reports...

Traveller Delphine Odou reports (2010):  "We booked our ticket from a travel agency located in our hotel (Camellia hotel in Kunming).  They charged us 149 RMB per person (the real price is 139 RMB) for the night bus of 19:30.  The bus leaves from the eastern bus station of Kunming, taking about 20 minutes by taxi from the city centre and costing about 23 RMB. It wasn't the first time we were taking a night bus in China so we were not surprised but it can be astonishing if it is your first time. There are about 35 beds in the bus and you must not be too fat or too tall because the berths are really small (mine was no taller than 1.55 m and 50 cm large).  We left at 19:45 and the bus was full.  We were stopped several times by traffic jams in the middle of the night, without knowing what was happening and when we would be able to carry on.  We stopped for about half an hour at 2 AM for the bus driver to have rest and for people to eat, smoke (even if some of them smoke while the bus is driving) and go to the toilets.  At about 4 AM, a policeman entered the bus, woke us up and took our passports.  He came back with our passports about 5 minutes later.  We arrived in Hekou at about 6 AM. We had to wait 2 hours for the border to open (8 AM Chinese time, 7 AM Vietnamese time).  The bus station is about 200 m from the Chinese border. It took us about 10 minutes to cross the Chinese border than cross the bridge than 10 minutes to cross the Vietnamese border (you need to have your visa before).  Once in Vietnam, it was quite hard for us to find a bus going to Sapa at a reasonable price as we were the only tourists crossing the border by foot.  We finally took a bus going to the bus station of Lao Cai and once again we had to bargain to find a bus going to Sapa.  As we were quite exhausted by the night spent in the bus, we finally took a minivan for 40 000 VND each. We arrived in Sapa about 1 hour and 15 minutes later."

Traveller Jana Spannagel reports (2010):  "The sleeper bus from Kunming no longer leaves from Kunming's Nanyao bus station, but from Kunming East bus station, because they want to close the Nanyao bus station down.  There are several buses leaving during the day, I think the first one is at 12:00 and the last one at 19:30.   We took the 19:30 bus and arrived in Hekou around half past five in the morning.  So we had to wait until eight, since the border opens at that time.  It was kind of funny to see the Chinese flying their flag and playing the national anthem at eight o'clock sharp.  I was a little bit afraid of the border, because I read the worst things about it, but we had the nicest clerks ever.  Afterwards we walked to the bus/train station in Lao Cai, but when there is no train arrival, there are no buses leaving to Sapa.  So we had to take a minibus, and there was only one guy offering a ride, so we had no choice.  He wanted 70,000 Dong, normally it's 30,000.  The sleepers in the bus from Kunming to Hekou are OK, just a little bit too small for me and maybe western people in general, but that was OK.   The ride itself was pretty shaky and I hit my head several times.  The bus was quite empty, there were only 5 or 6 Asian people travelling with us, so you could have a lot of blankets, which was good.  Some Chinese officials entered the bus around 1:30 and wanted to see our passports, but they came back quickly.

Traveller Tom Finn reports:  "The Hekou-Kunming sleeper bus was great, they drive like mad and you are a bit squashed but not too bad. The bus was boarded by police in a small town at around 1am. They took our passports and scowled at us for a while. Luckily they came back with the passports and we arrived safely in Kunming at around 7am the next morning."   If you have any more information on this route please e-mail me!

On board the Kunming-Vietnam sleeper bus...

Above:  The sleeper bus from Kunming to Hekou (for Lao Cai in Vietnam).  Photo courtesy of Tom Finn		Above:  The sleeper bus berths are comfortable enough but not huge, so tall westerners may have to curl up!  Photo courtesy of Jana Spannagel.

Europe to Vietnam overland

Europe to Vietnam by Trans-Siberian Railway...

If you have the time, meaning about two weeks, you can reach Vietnam by train all the way from London. 

• Step 1:  London to Moscow by train.  Daily departures, 2 nights, from about £200 one-way with sleeper.

• Step 2:  Moscow to Beijing by Trans-Siberian Railway  Two trains a week, 6 nights, from about £500 one-way in 4-bed sleeper.

• Step 3:  Beijing to Hanoi by train Two trains a week, 2 nights, about £200. see above.

There is no one agency who can arrange all the stages of a trip like this, so you will need to plan it and arrange each leg yourself - a small exercise in project management..!  Just follow the advice on each seat61 page to buy tickets for each part of the journey.  Where do you start?  Read through the seat61 pages linked above, then sketch out your itinerary using a simple spreadsheet like this.

Pictured right:  Don't forget to pay your respects to the body of Vietnam's great leader, Ho Chi Minh, preserved in his mausoleum in Hanoi...

Lonely Planets or Rough Guides...

Paying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  The best guidebooks for independent travel are the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.  You won't regret buying one of these guides!

Buy at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com...

Alternatively, you can download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

Hotels & accommodation in Vietnam

Hotels in Saigon, Hanoi, Hue or elsewhere in Vietnam...

You might also want to check Tripadvisor's recommendations:  Tripadvisor Vietnam hotels.

Personal recommendation in Saigon:  Continental Hotel, Saigon...

The famous and historic Continental Hotel is one of my favourite hotels worldwide, not merely a place to stay but a Saigon landmark since 1880.  Indeed, the Continental is the backdrop for much of the action in Graham Greene's novel 'The Quiet American', set in Saigon during the Franco-Vietnamese war.  If it's in your price range or if you can stretch your budget, the Continental is superbly located, right next to the Opera House in the centre of Saigon and a stone's throw from Saigon's distinctive town hall, post office and cathedral.  It's quiet, understated, clean and comfortable with high ceilings, marble floors and wood panelling, and not a corporate clone like so many chain hotels.  The breakfast buffet is good, and it has a pleasant central courtyard and bar if you prefer to eat or enjoy a beer al fresco.  There's free WiFi, too.  A double room costs around $140 (£88) per night.  Tripadvisor reviews.  Nearby, the famous Rex Hotel was where many American officers stayed during the Vietnam war.  If you prefer something more glitzy and glamorous, try the impressive Majestic Hotel, a mere parvenu dating from 1925 with many art nouveau features, located across the road from the Mekong river.

The Continental Hotel, a Saigon landmark since 1880, next to the Opera House with simple, spacious rooms...

Recommendations in Hanoi:  Budget: Art Hotel, Hanoi.  Top end:  Sofitel Metropole

This little budget gem may not be historic or grand, but it's an excellent low-cost choice in Hanoi at around $40 a night for a room with toilet & shower, tea & coffee making facilities, free WiFi, safe, free mineral water, a great breakfast, and great staff at reception who really put themselves out to help you.  It's well located in central Hanoi, a short walk from the War Remnants Museum, a 10-15 minute taxi ride from Hanoi's main station.  Of course, at the luxury end of the scale we have Hanoi's most venerable and upmarket hotel, the luxurious and expensive Sofitel Metropole, which comes complete with outdoor swimming pool and lido bar.

A room at the excellent inexpensive Art Hotel, Hanoi...		The Sofitel Metropole.  Note the vintage Citroen!

Recommendations in Hué:  Budget Than Thien Hotel, top end La Residence Hotel & Spa.

At the top end, look no further than La Residence Hotel & Spa, located in the former French governor's residence on the banks of the Perfume River.  For the budget-conscious, try the equally central Than Thien Hotel.  Both get great reviews.

Personal recommendation:  Victoria Hotel, Sapa...

The best hotel in Sapa, which even runs its own train from Hanoi, see the section here.  You'll find a real log fire burning in the lobby and restaurant, and they do an excellent breakfast buffet.  The hotel features an indoor swimming pool and adjacent spa, too.  If your budget can stretch, this is the place to stay!

Backpacker hostels...

www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a budget, don't forget the backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers has online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in major Vietnamese cities at rock-bottom prices.

Flights

Overland travel by train & bus around Vietnam is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground!  But if a long-haul flight is unavoidable to reach Vietnam in the first place, use the Skyscanner search tool to compare flight prices & routes worldwide across 600 airlines...

Lounge passes...

Make the airport experience a little more bearable with a VIP lounge pass, it's not as expensive as you think!  See www.loungepass.com.

Travel insurance

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, try Columbus Direct or use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you're resident in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

    If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find some huge bills waiting for you.  I've known people run up a £1,000 bill in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a simple trip to Europe.  However, if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid.  It cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also works for laptop or PDA data access.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.