Vietnam train information
Vietnam by train is a much safer alternative to riding night busses. Travel in relative comfort between destinations and arrive refreshed and ready to sightsee.
It is time to update this old post. January 2019
Pricing….. A good rule of thumb is that a soft sleeper will
cost you about 10,000 dong per kilometer traveled is still a good rule of thumb.
Since I wrote this post, Vietnam has come roaring into modern times.
There is now a Vietnam railways website where you can get information on time tables and cost.
Check out Vietnam railways website here
Sorry…. You will find that your international credit card will not work. You need a Vietnam issued card and a local number. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the transportation link below.
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Hi Owee,
do you know how much it costs to transport a 125 ccm motobike in the train from Nha Trang to Saigon?
Peter
Hi Peter
It cists about the same as your ticket. Shipping by bus is more reliable and less expensive if u dont want a surprise delay of a couple of days
Hey Owee, can i ask if nha trang to da nang to hanoi. what’s the best form of transport? train or the sleeper bus..and i dont ser any da nang at the train schedule u provide..
I suggest flying but if on a budget, train is better. Look at the SE 1-8 trains in picture that stari in Saigon and finish Hanoi. Find Danang in the list. I will try to add better photos
Hi Owee,
Like everyone here, I have an inquiry regarding my plan trip to Ho chi minh and Hanoi in October. How many days do you think I have to stay in Ho chi minh for me to see the beautiful places there? I plan to go there on thursday or maybe friday, so I can try the clubs which are very popular as what i I read on different sites. I plan to take a train from ho chi minh to hanoi so I can also visit Ha long bay, Do you think it will be best if I can purchase a direct trip from saigon to hanoi in advance, or should I just book the trip when I get there. I was thinking that if and whenever I would want to go down the train to explore some other place that I’ll find interesting as the train passes different places. I would really appreciate if you could help me regarding this. Thank You in advance.
-Anne
i will email you Anne
Hi
have found your website very very interesting and helpful.
Hubby and I are travelling to Vietnam in Nov 2014 and I am busy planning the trip. I thought it would be better to travel by train from HCMC to Nha Trang instead of flying as we would see some of country but from your replies to some people I am beginning to think that we wont see much and it may not be a pleasant experience. Your comment would be really welcome. Also, how long do you think it would take if we hired a driver instead and would that be worthwhile or not?
Thank you.
Travel by train is slow and noisy. Unless you get ansoft sleeper, you will have a very long day with not much to see. To drive it is about 8 or 9 hours of crazy traffic. You might want to consider doing a tour over 3 days from Saigon, to Dalat and then NhaTrang, otherwise I suggest taking a night train soft sleeper and touring the countryside with day tours
Hi Owen,
We were so looking forward to staying at Tide Hotel again in December, then we heard the bad news. Is there another location looking at the beach that you can recommend? We will be in Nha Trang at the end of December 2013.
Also, do you know if there is a a better train than the normal we can take from SGN to Nha Trang? I’ve heard that there is one with 4 soft beds in a room. Do you know where I can get tickets?
Thank you so much for your help.
Regards,
Yen
Take an SE train with soft sleeper for most comfort (4 beds) You can purchase tickets directly from train station or have your hotel order them for you.
There are hotels on the beach but Vietnamese run. I cannot speak to their quality standard.
How many days does it take to travel from Saigon to Hanoi? Is there a train which goes directly between these two cities? Which places do you suggest we stop at along the way- for history/culture? We are an older couple and we have about 7 days in Vietnam.
Train travel in Vietnam is noisy and mostly at night. About 30 hours if not delayed. There is very little to see. If you only have 7 days I suggest fly……. I suggest 2 nigs Hoi An 2 night Hue and you will have to figure out if you have time for both Hanoi and Saigon
HI, you seem to be the best advice around Vietnam, thank you. i am planning on coming from china for 9 days, with 2 friends in October. i was wondering if you think it is possible / comfortable to do … 2 days HCMC then train to Nah Trang OR Hue then fly ending in Hanoi.
we are willing to do one domestic flight to save time.
where do you think we should spend more time ?
we are interested in some temples, old buildings, local markets, river cruises, beaches.
also do they do the walking tours in HCMH like they do for Hanoi?
thanks in advance
Thanks for the compliment
There are many local tour companies in Saigon that have walking maps. if only doing 1 domestic flight, it probably be Nha Trang to Hanoi because of the distance. For older buildings you probably want Hoi An and Hue, but for beaches and fun…. Nha Trang. I guess you options are:
2 nights Saigon, 3 nights Nha Trang, and 2 nights Hanoi or try to add a day and 2 nights Saigon, 2 nights Hoi An, 2 nights Hue, and 2 nights Hanoi.
Happy planning