Travelling by train in Vietnam
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You'd be crazy not to. The trains are safe, comfortable and
inexpensive, the ideal way for independent travellers to get around and
see
Vietnam at ground level. The train journeys are also an experience in
themselves, and become an integral part of your visit to Vietnam.
Don't mistakenly think you'll lose time compared to flying - an
overnight train ride from Hanoi to Hue or Danang is not only more of
an experience, and cheaper, than flying, it'll save time compared to 4
or 5 daytime hours of airports and airline check-ins, too! And
what's the rush?
Air-conditioned trains
with sleepers and on-board catering link Hanoi, Hué,
Danang, Nha Trang, and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Hoi An has no
station, but it's just 30km by bus or taxi from Danang. There
are also trains from Hanoi to Haiphong (for Halong Bay) and Hanoi to
Lao Cai (for Sapa).
You'll see some wonderful scenery from the
train between
Hanoi and Saigon. Easily the best section is between Hué and Danang
over the Hai Van Pass, where the train runs along the coast past bays
and islands and through the hills. The train travels at low
speed up the fierce gradients, with an assisting locomotive at the
rear and people sitting on the roof..! See the video above and
the pictures below. There's also a good video montage of a
Saigon-Hanoi train journey
here.
Is it Saigon or Ho
Chi Minh?
Ho Chi Minh City
(HCMC) is officially the name for the whole
conurbation. However, the city centre is still officially called
by it's time-honoured traditional name, 'Saigon', and it is 'Sai Gon' (not Ho
Chi Minh City) which appears in the railway timetables and
in big letters on Saigon station
building. So do what the locals do, call it Saigon!
The Reunification Express?
Trains between Hanoi and Saigon are sometimes referred to as the
'Reunification Express' by guide books or tourist agencies.
However, there are now many trains on this route and no single train
officially carries this name.
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Above:
A train from Hanoi to Saigon climbs into the mountains along
the coast between Hué and Danang. |
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Above: The
view from the train... Coastline seen from the Hanoi to
Saigon train between Hué and Danang. |
Sponsored links:
Here are the principal
trains in Vietnam, all running daily unless otherwise shown.
Look for the 'SE' numbered trains, as these are the best. There
are additional trains at peak times, such as the Tet
holiday period. You can check
train times at the Vietnamese Railways website, www.vr.com.vn.
Hanoi ► Hué ► Danang ►
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh)
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|
|
Train number: |
SE1 * |
SE3 * |
SE5 * |
TN3 |
TN1 |
TN7 |
TN9** |
5-Star |
|
0 |
Hanoi depart: |
19:00
day 1 |
23:00 day 1 |
13:05 day 1 |
15:45 |
10:05 |
19:50 |
21:00 |
- |
|
116 km |
Ninh
Binh |
| |
| |
| |
18:11 |
12:35 |
22:17 |
| |
- |
|
175 km |
Thanh Hoa |
22:22
day 1 |
| |
16:22 day 1 |
19:39 |
13:53 |
23:32 |
00:30 |
- |
|
319 km |
Vinh |
01:20
day 2 |
04:14 day 2 |
18:37 day 1 |
22:13 |
16:57 |
02:34 |
03:47 |
- |
|
522 km |
Dong Hoi |
05:25
day 2 |
07:52 day 2 |
22:29 day 1 |
03:22 |
22:16 |
07:15 |
08:41 |
- |
|
688 km |
Hué |
08:42
day 2 |
10:37 day 2 |
01:19 day 2 |
06:55 |
02:29 |
11:36 |
12:25 |
- |
|
791 km |
Da Nang (for
Hoi An) |
11:40
day 2 |
13:13 day 2 |
03:58 day 2 |
10:21 |
05:51 |
15:44 |
17:07 |
- |
|
928 km |
Quang Ngai |
14:37
day 2 |
| |
06:20 day 2 |
13:36 |
09:07 |
18:32 |
19:56 |
- |
|
1,095
km |
Dieu Tri (for Qui Nhon) |
17:45
day 2 |
18:17 day 2 |
09:11 day 2 |
16:53 |
13:26 |
21:57 |
23:29 |
- |
|
1,315
km |
Nha Trang |
21:59
day 2 |
21:42 day 2 |
12:37 day 2 |
21:21 |
17:44 |
03:05 |
04:59 |
11:05 |
|
1,726
km |
Saigon arrive: |
05:20
day 3 |
04:30 day 3 |
20:00 day 2 |
07:25 |
02:55 |
11:40 |
14:10 |
19:20 |
* = recommended trains.
** = all trains run daily,
except TN9 & TN10 which run every second day.
Trains SE1-SE6 have
air-con soft sleepers (4-berth), air-con hard sleepers (6-berth),
air-con soft seats
& air-con restaurant car.
Trains TN1 & TN2 have ordinary non-aircon hard sleepers
(6-berth) & hard seats only.
Trains TN3-TN10 have air-con soft sleepers, air-con hard sleepers, hard
sleepers, air-con soft seats, soft seats & hard seats.
5-Star = privately run "5 Star Express" tourist train, introduced December
2006, special fares apply, see the photos below.
Sleepers (2-berth & 4-berth), restaurant car, reclining seats, fares
from 960,000 dong.
See
www.5starexpress.com.vn for categories of seat & sleeper, train times, fares & online booking.
Also calls at Phan Rang/Thap Cham. Some cars in this train are double-deck, all cars are modern and
comfortable.
Hanoi to Saigon is 1,726km, about
1,070 miles. A/C = air-conditioned.
Fares
How to buy tickets
Information
on classes & sleepers
Map
of train routes in Southeast Asia
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) ►
Danang ► Hué ► Hanoi
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|
Train number: |
SE2
* |
SE4 * |
SE6 * |
TN4 |
TN2 |
TN8 |
TN10** |
5-Star |
|
Saigon depart: |
19:00 day 1 |
23:00 day 1 |
13:05 day 1 |
15:45 |
10:05 |
19:40 |
21:30 |
23:15 |
|
Nha Trang |
03:01 day 2 |
05:40 day 2 |
20:11 day 1 |
00:57 |
19:03 |
05:12 |
08:32 |
07:10 |
|
Dieu Tri (for Qui Nhon) |
06:42 day 2 |
09:06 day 2 |
00:06 day 2 |
05:23 |
00:56 |
10:04 |
12:38 |
- |
|
Quang Ngai |
09:58 day 2 |
| |
| |
08:38 |
04:03 |
13:40 |
16:47 |
- |
|
Da Nang (for
Hoi An) |
13:00 day 2 |
14:12 day 2 |
05:38 day 2 |
11:52 |
07:50 |
17:40 |
20:09 |
- |
|
Hué |
15:51 day 2 |
16:36 day 2 |
08:08 day 2 |
15:20 |
11:39 |
20:32 |
23:03 |
- |
|
Dong Hoi |
19:12 day 2 |
19:27 day 2 |
11:16 day 2 |
18:55 |
15:19 |
00:34 |
03:17 |
- |
|
Vinh |
23:52 day 2 |
23:05 day 2 |
14:57 day 2 |
01:17 |
20:32 |
05:42 |
08:06 |
- |
|
Thanh Hoa |
02:29 day 3 |
| |
17:26 day 2 |
04:24 |
23:30 |
08:20 |
10:32 |
- |
|
Ninh
Binh |
| |
| |
18:35 day 2 |
05:42 |
00:59 |
09:35 |
| |
- |
|
Hanoi arrive: |
05:38 day 3 |
04:30 day 3 |
20:45 day 2 |
08:15 |
03:25 |
12:05 |
14:30 |
- |
Hoi An: Take a bus or taxi
from Danang to Hoi An...
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Hoi An is about 30km south of Danang. There is no railway station at Hoi
An, but there are regular buses, minibuses and taxis from
Danang to Hoi An, taking about 45 minutes -1 hour. The bus fare is about US$3, a taxi will cost in the region of US$9-15
depending on your negotiation skills. |
Hanoi ►
Lao
Cai (for Sapa):
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|
Lao Cai (For
Sapa) ► Hanoi:
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|
|
LC3 |
SP1 |
SP3 |
LC1 |
|
LC4 |
LC2 |
SP2 |
SP4 |
|
Hanoi |
depart |
06:10 |
21:15 |
21:55 |
22:05 |
Lao Cai |
depart |
09:15 |
18:45 |
20:15 |
21:00 |
|
Lao Cai |
arrive |
16:35 |
05:30 |
06:15 |
07:25 |
Hanoi |
arrive |
19:55 |
04:00 |
04:30 |
05:05 |
Trains LC1, LC2: Run daily. A/C soft sleepers,
A/C hard sleepers, hard sleepers, soft seats, hard seats.
Trains LC3, LC4: Run daily. Soft seats, hard
seats (not air-conditioned).
Trains SP1-SP4: Run daily. A/C soft sleepers, A/C
hard sleepers, hard sleepers, A/C soft seats, soft seats, hard
seats.
Sapa connection: Sapa has no railway station, but it's
about 40km from Lo Cai and easily reached by tourist bus (US$2),
jeep (US$4-5 per person) or hired motorbike. Hanoi to Lao Cai
is 294 km. Bus to
Kunming in China.
The overnight trains between Hanoi and Lao Cai (for Sapa) have
several privately-run deluxe sleeping-cars attached, aimed at
tourists. The 'Tulico' 4-berth & 2-berth deluxe sleepers are
aimed at mid-market tourists. The 'Victoria Express/Royal'
cars are more upmarket, with 4-berth deluxe rooms. For information
& fares,
see this link.
Hanoi ► Haiphong:
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Haiphong ►
Hanoi:
|
|
Hanoi |
depart |
06:05 |
09:25 |
15:10 |
- |
Haiphong |
depart |
06:00 |
08:20 |
14:35 |
18:10 |
|
Hanoi Long Bien |
depart |
|
|
09:35 |
15:20 |
17:45 |
Hanoi
Long Bien |
arrive |
08:25 |
10:42 |
17:00 |
| |
|
Haiphong |
arrive |
07:55 |
12:10 |
18:00 |
20:05 |
Hanoi |
arrive |
08:35 |
10:55 |
- |
20:00 |
Hanoi - Haiphong
trains have soft and hard class seats.
Hanoi Long Bien is 3km from Hanoi
main station. Hanoi to Haiphong is 102 km.
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Trains SE1 to SE6...
These are the best trains
in Vietnam, equipped with modern air-conditioned coaches. They
have:
-
soft class
air-conditioned sleepers (4-berths
per compartment).
-
hard class air-conditioned
sleepers (6-berths per
compartment)
-
air-conditioned soft class reclining seats.
-
a restaurant or buffet car.
The coaches on these
trains have large picture windows,
unobstructed by the wire mesh that protects most other trains' windows
from stones. Choose these trains if you can.
Which class should you
choose? A/C soft sleeper is the recommended choice for most
western travellers, for any journey involving overnight travel.
However, A/C hard sleeper is perfectly acceptable if you're on a
budget or if all the soft sleepers are sold out, so don't rule it out.
A/C soft seat is recommended for daytime journeys, but not for
overnight trips as you can't sleep properly in a seat.
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Above:
Trains SE1-SE6 have the most modern coaches. Photo courtesy of Willy Kaemena |
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Above: Two
photos of a soft
class 4-berth sleeper, of the most modern type used on
trains SE1-SE6. Photos courtesy of Graeme Thorley & Stephanie Sinden . |
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Above:
Modern reclining seats on trains SE1-SE6. Note the TV
entertainment screens..!
Photo
courtesy of Rakuda |
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Above:
Trains SE1-SE6.
Photo
courtesy of Rakuda |
Trains TN1 to TN10...
These are the slower,
older trains. Trains TN1 & TN2 only have hard sleepers &
hard seats. Trains TN3 to TN10 have:
-
air-conditioned soft class sleepers (4-berths
per compartment)
-
air-conditioned hard class sleepers (6-berths per
compartment)
-
hard class sleepers (non-aircon, 6-berths per
compartment)
-
air-conditioned soft class reclining seats
-
soft
class seats (non-aircon)
-
hard class
seats (non-aircon)
One advantage of these
trains is that they have non-air-conditioned cars with windows
that open, better for photographing the scenery.
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Above left:
An older train at Hué. The two coaches in
front of the camera are air-conditioned soft class sleepers...
Above right: Inside one of the air-conditioned 4-berth
soft sleepers - the other two bunks
are just out of shot to the right. In the centre is a
folding table. |
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Above: The refreshment trolley
makes its way down the soft sleeper corridor... |
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Above:
Standing in the corridor of an older hard class sleeper.
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Above left: An older train arrives in Saigon. Above
right: A hard class non-AC sleeper with 6
bunks. The other three bunks
are just out of shot to the left. Photo courtesy of
Pierre-Damien Jourdain. |
"5-Star
Express",
Saigon-Nha Trang
This is a new deluxe
privately-run train, linking Saigon with Nha Trang. It has
several categories of upmarket sleeper (2-berth & 4-berth) and
reclining seats, see
www.5starexpress.com.vn for more information. Some cars are
double-deck like this one. The 5 Star Express also has a dining car and special deluxe departure lounges are
available
at Saigon and Nha Trang stations. Photos
courtesy of Graeme Thorley.
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Traveller David Chapman reports on the 5-star express: "The new 5
star express from Nha Trang to Saigon was very impressive, lots of
attentive attendants, very clean and almost empty (only 12 people
with us in the midclass seats). Kinda strange in a week when
all the flights were full, and the trains heavily booked. It is true
that it is very expensive compared to other transport I guess.
A meal was included, and it was very good. You are able to order
drinks, ice creams or more food etc from your seat, with no need to
even go to the dining car. Occasional announcements (not many
and pre recorded in clear English) about the local area we passed
through added to the trip and our enjoyment. One of the
attendants was even happy to change the dvd playing on the TV's in
our carriage, based on the looks on our faces.
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The old system of
charging foreigners higher fares than Vietnamese citizens was
abolished in 2002, and everyone now pays the Vietnamese fare.
This makes train travel in Vietnam much cheaper for visitors than it
used to be. This table shows fares valid from April 2008 fares in 1000s of Vietnamese Dong. You can check fares
for any journey on any train at the Vietnamese
Railways website.
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One way per
person (000 dong): |
Train
type: |
Soft
sleeper |
Hard sleeper |
Soft seat |
Hard seat |
|
Air-con |
Air-con |
Non-air-con |
Air-con |
Non-air-con |
Non-air-con |
|
Saigon
- Hanoi
(1,726
km) |
SE |
994
(£31, $62) |
910
(£28, $56)
|
- |
750
(£23, $46) |
- |
- |
|
TN |
954
(£30, $60) |
865
(£27, $54)
|
734
(£23, $46) |
635
(£20, $40) |
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