Travelling by train in Vietnam
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You'd be crazy not to. Vietnam's air-conditioned trains are
safe, comfortable & inexpensive, the ideal way for independent travellers to get around and
see
Vietnam at ground level. The train journeys are an experience in
themselves, and become an integral part of your visit to Vietnam.
You might even meet some Vietnamese people. Inexperienced
travellers often mistakenly think they'll save time by using internal
flights - in fact, an overnight train ride from Hanoi to Hué or Danang
is not only far more of an experience (and cheaper) than a flight, the
train
actually saves time compared to flying, because the train leaves
Hanoi city centre in the evening and arrives in Hué city centre next
morning. Flying takes 4 or 5 hours out of your sightseeing day
in getting to a remote airport, checking in, taking the flight itself,
collecting your bags and getting back into the city centre. And
the sleeper trains saves a hotel bill, too. And what's the rush
anyway?
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 Halong & Haiphong (for Halong Bay) and Hanoi to
Lao Cai (for Sapa).
Is it called Saigon or Ho
Chi Minh?
Ho Chi Minh City
(HCMC) is the official the name for the whole
conurbation. However, the city centre is still officially called
'Saigon', which is of course it's time-honoured and traditional name.
It is shown in all Vietnamese railway timetables and in big letters
on Saigon station building itself as 'Sai Gon', and not Ho
Chi Minh. So do what the locals do, call it Saigon!
The Reunification Express?
Trains between Hanoi & 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.
The view from the train...
You'll see some amazing 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. For a good video montage of a
Saigon-Hanoi train journey
click here.
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Up into the hills...
A train from Hanoi to Saigon climbs into the mountains along
the coast between Hué and Danang. |
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...And along the coast. Coastline seen from the Hanoi to
Saigon train between Hué and Danang. |
Sponsored links:
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The North - South 'Reunification' Main
Line...
Over the last decade the
Hanoi-Saigon train service has been steadily improving and a whole
range of daily air-conditioned trains now link Hanoi, Hue, Danang, Nha
Trang & Saigon (HCMC). Here are the principal
trains, all running daily.
Look for the 'SE' numbered trains, as these are the best. The 'TN'
trains are slower and older. 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.
Fares
How to buy tickets
Information
on classes & sleepers
Map
of train routes in Southeast Asia
Hanoi ► Hué ► Danang ►
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh)
|
|
|
Train number: |
SE1 * |
SE3 * |
SE5 * |
SE7 |
TN1 |
TN7 |
|
0 |
Hanoi depart: |
19:00
day 1 |
23:00 day 1 |
12:25
day 1 |
15:45 |
10:05 |
19:50 |
|
116 km |
Ninh
Binh |
| |
| |
| |
18:26 |
12:35 |
22:17 |
|
175 km |
Thanh Hoa |
22:25
day 1 |
| |
15:48 day 1 |
19:43 |
13:53 |
23:32 |
|
319 km |
Vinh |
00:53
day 2 |
04:12 day 2 |
18:05 day 1 |
22:17 |
17:03 |
02:34 |
|
522 km |
Dong Hoi |
04:46
day 2 |
07:57 day 2 |
22:16 day 1 |
02:47 |
21:49 |
07:15 |
|
688 km |
Hué |
08:06
day 2 |
10:44 day 2 |
01:07 day 2 |
06:11 |
02:02 |
11:36 |
|
791 km |
Da Nang (for
Hoi An) |
10:49
day 2 |
13:15 day 2 |
03:48 day 2 |
09:28 |
05:05 |
15:44 |
|
928 km |
Quang Ngai |
13:29
day 2 |
| |
06:13 day 2 |
12:53 |
07:53 |
18:32 |
|
1,095
km |
Dieu Tri (for Qui Nhon) |
16:32
day 2 |
18:25 day 2 |
09:16 day 2 |
16:13 |
12:15 |
21:57 |
|
1,315
km |
Nha Trang |
20:33
day 2 |
| |
12:44 day 2 |
21:26 |
16:34 |
03:05 |
|
1,726
km |
Saigon arrive: |
04:10
day 3 |
04:30 day 3 |
20:00 day 2 |
07:58 |
02:42 |
11:40 |
* = recommended trains.
All these trains run daily.
Trains SE1-SE8 have
air-con soft sleepers (4-berth), air-con hard sleepers (6-berth),
air-con soft seats
& air-con restaurant car.
Livitrans private tourist sleeping-cars: Trains SE1 & SE2 now have a new
tourist sleeping-car attached between Hanoi, Hue & Danang run by
private company Livitrans. It has 4-berth sleeper compartments
of a much higher standard than the regular Vietnamese Railways ones,
and fares only a bit higher. See the
photos below & see
www.livitrans.com for fares &
online booking.
Trains TN1 & TN2 have ordinary non-aircon hard sleepers
(6-berth) & hard seats only.
Trains TN7 & TN8 have air-con soft sleepers, air-con hard sleepers, hard
sleepers, air-con soft seats, soft seats & hard seats.
Hanoi to Saigon is 1,726km, about 1,070
miles.
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) ►
Danang ► Hué ► Hanoi
|
|
Train number: |
SE2
* |
SE4 * |
SE6 * |
SE8 |
TN2 |
TN8 |
|
Saigon depart: |
19:00 day 1 |
23:00 day 1 |
12:20 day 1 |
15:45 |
10:05 |
19:40 |
|
Nha Trang |
02:40 day 2 |
05:38 day 2 |
19:26 day 1 |
00:42 |
18:50 |
05:12 |
|
Dieu Tri (for Qui Nhon) |
06:22 day 2 |
09:11 day 2 |
23:19 day 1 |
04:54 |
00:05 |
10:04 |
|
Quang Ngai |
09:15 day 2 |
| |
02:04 day 2 |
08:24 |
03:12 |
13:40 |
|
Da Nang (for
Hoi An) |
12:18 day 2 |
14:14 day 2 |
04:48 day 2 |
12:03 |
07:04 |
17:40 |
|
Hué |
15:05 day 2 |
16:38 day 2 |
07:15 day 2 |
15:39 |
11:16 |
20:32 |
|
Dong Hoi |
18:13 day 2 |
19:33 day 2 |
10:26 day 2 |
19:14 |
14:56 |
00:34 |
|
Vinh |
22:14 day 2 |
23:09 day 2 |
14:11 day 2 |
01:30 |
20:29 |
05:42 |
|
Thanh Hoa |
00:40 day 3 |
| |
16:37 day 2 |
04:24 |
23:35 |
08:20 |
|
Ninh
Binh |
| |
| |
17:47 day 2 |
05:32 |
01:00 |
09:35 |
|
Hanoi arrive: |
04:10 day 3 |
04:30 day 3 |
20:00 day 2 |
08:10 |
03:30 |
12:05 |
Hoi An is about 30km south of Danang,
and it features on many visitor's itineraries. There is no railway station at Hoi
An, but there are regular buses, minibuses & taxis from
Danang to Hoi An, taking between 45 minutes and an hour. The bus fare is about US$3, a taxi will cost in the region of US$9-15
depending on your negotiation skills.
Train travel in Vietnam
is cheap - and sleeper trains save on hotel bills, too. The old system of
charging foreigners higher fares than Vietnamese citizens was
abolished in 2002, and everyone now pays the cheaper Vietnamese fare. This table shows fares in 1000s of Vietnamese Dong. You can check fares
for any journey on any train at the Vietnamese
Railways website.
|
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) |
553
(£17, $34) |
518
(£16, $32) |
|
Saigon
- Danang
(935 km) |
SE |
588
(£18, $36) |
538
(£17, $33)
|
- |
430
(£13, $26) |
- |
- |
|
TN |
565
(£18, $36) |
512
(£16, $32)
|
420
(£13, $26) |
365
(£11, $22) |
318
(£10, $20) |
298
(£9, $18) |
|
Saigon
- Hué
(1,027
km) |
SE |
665
(£21, $42) |
610
(£19, $38)
|
- |
480
(£15, $30) |
- |
- |
|
TN |
640
(£20, $40) |
580
(£18, $36)
|
468
(£15, $29) |
405
(£13, $26) |
353
(£11, $22) |
330
(£10, $20) |
|
Saigon - Nha
Trang
(411 km) |
SE |
280
(£9, $17) |
255
(£8, $16)
|
- |
190
(£6, $12) |
- |
- |
|
TN |
240
(£8, $15) |
220
(£7, $14)
|
186
(£6, $11) |
160
(£5, $10) |
140
(£4, $8) |
130
(£4, $7) |
|
Hanoi
- Saigon
(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) |
553
(£17, $34) |
518
(£16, $32) |
|
Hanoi
- Hué
(688
km) |
SE |
458
(£14, $28) |
420
(£13, $26)
|
- |
317
(£10, $20) |
- |
- |
|
TN |
440
(£14, $28) |
400
(£13, $25)
|
310
(£10, $19) |
268
(£8, $16) |
234
(£7, $14) |
220
(£7, $14) |
|
Hanoi
- Danang
(791
km) |
SE |
507
(£16, $32) |
464
(£15, $29)
|
- |
365
(£11, $22) |
- |
- |
|
TN |
487 | | |
