The reasons you should
travel by train in Vietnam...
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,
Hue, 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).
The
Reunification Express (Saigon – Hanoi
Train)
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.
Click here for more details...
Hanoi – Sapa Trains
The best way to go to Sapa
from Hanoi is to take the
trains. Most of the tourists who visit Sapa travel from Hanoi
to Lao Cai (a town at the border with Yunnan
province
of China,
separated by the Red River and the other side is the town of Hekou of China)
by overnight trains. Night trains is the best option because it saves time and
two nights of accommodations. The train runs along the Red River. All trains leave at night from Hanoi
and arrive at Lao Cai train station in the early morning. Trains also leave at
night from Lao Cai and arrive in the morning in Hanoi.
To meet tourist demand, some service providers upgrade
carriages and put them different names. These carriages are clean, comfortable,
fully meet tourist standard with air-conditioners and soft berths.
Click
here to
see brief information and pictures of all tourist trains from Hanoi
to Lao Cai train station.
Vietnam Luxury Trains
Click here
for more details...