Trains, Hanoi

4 more images

We wanted to do at least one train trip, so the Reunification Express from Hue to Hanoi appeared to be the best choice.
We chose the soft-bed, air conditioned berth, both were top bunks, as all of the lower bunks were sold. The lower bunks were 462,000 dong, the top bunks were 453,000 dong (approx. US$30) These were the top-of-the-range tickets, so we were maybe a little dissapointed when we got in & checked out our compartment. It was a very old train.
But the main thing was, they were clean, there were sheets, doonas & pillows and both the young Vietnamese businessman and the Swedish back-packer that occupied the lower berths were both delightful company.
We wandered up & down the entire length of the train to check out what the cheaper options looked like. The next grade down was the soft-seat (sit-up only) airconditioned seat for 280,000 dong. From there, it went down-hill, with hard berths on 3 levels. These ranged in price from 350,000 to 450,000 dong. I would not like to do an over-nighter on these, but I think that you would meet lots of interesting Vietnamese travellers this way. We were amazed, even in our carriages, that people had brought their own little portable cookers, and were happily preparing dinner with the obvious consent of the train guard, who seemed much more interested in opening the door to our compartment all night at regular intervals to check us out.
The price of these tickets is the foreigner price only, which is spelled out on the ticket. I have no idea what it costs the locals.
We had to store our bags under the lower berths, as there was not enough space up top. This didn't bother us security-wise, as our compartment-mates seemed trustworthy. The alternative, if you were not happy with this, would be to sleep with your bag along-side you on the bed.
Bring your own snacks-the food for sale on the train looked most un-appetising!
The trip was supposed to take 13.5 hours. It took an extra 2 hrs, not sure why.
Book at least two days before you intend to travel to make sure you get the berth of your choice. You can both thru any of the many travel agencies (I guess with an additional fee), or wander down to the train station yourself. A nice walk along the river.

Oh - and we had a really good night's sleep!!!

ET-Pumpkin can help you with train booking to and from Sapa, taxi to/from Hanoi airport etc. Mr Khuyen was very helpful. He even hooked me up with an agent in Saigon for my transpo needs.

Train to Sapa (Lao Cai): $30 one way in a 4-bed wood-paneled cabin. Very comfortable.

Address: 89 Ma May Street, Hanoi

1 more image

I just returned from a trip to the French Indo-China. Hanoi can be reached by train from Danang. I and my nephew took the SE night train from Hanoi to Hue last June 5, 2008 and it took us 12 hours to reach our destination. From Hue to Danang, the trip takes about 2.5 hours to 4 hours.

The easiest way to get to Sapa is to take the train from Hanoi. Most people opt to take the night trains because it’s a long trip and sleeping on the train maximizes your time (and funds). To get to Sapa you must book the train from Hanoi to Lo Cai. Lo Cai serves as the hub for all tourists visiting Sapa. Lo Cai is actually 40 km from Sapa so you must take a bus or motor bike from the station into town. Some of the fancier hotels will take care of booking this transportation for you, but if you’re traveling with the budget lot you’ll have to acquire your own ride. That’s easy enough to do as there will be many busses waiting for the throngs of tourists disembarking the train. Generally a bus ride up the mountain to the center of town will run you between $2 and $5 US. Try using your negotiating skills to get the best rate. Most of these “busses” will actually be vans. Get a group together because the vans won’t leave until they’re full. Book your bus return to the station as soon as you arrive in Sapa. These busses fill up. The return ride is generally on a full-sized bus from the center of town.

Trains from Hanoi to Lo Cai depart daily. There is one daytime train and three night train options. With each you have the option of soft or hard seat / sleeper. I highly recommend spending the extra few dollars for the soft sleeper. In the soft sleeper cabins there are 4 bunks to a room and you will be assigned a sleeping berth when you purchase your ticket. The bottom bunk lifts up so you can store your luggage securely. Hard Seat $5US (no a/c), Soft Seat $8US/$6US (no a/c), Hard Sleeper $11US/$9US (no a/c), Soft Sleeper $15US

Hanoi to Lo Cai
LC3 06:10 – 16:35
SP1 21:15 – 5:30
SP3 21:55 – 6:15
LC1 22:05 – 07:25

Lo Cai to Hanoi
LC4 09:15 – 19:55
LC2 18:45 – 04:00
SP2 20:15 – 04:30
SP4 21:00 – 05:05

There are a few other luxury train options, such as the Victoria Express but they are more expensive and often booked in conjunction with reservations at some of the luxury hotels in Sapa.

2 more images

Our overnight trip on the Reunification Express in May 2007, 12 hours long, was a huge disappointment which caused us to cancel plans for further train travel in Vietnam. Cost was $30/ea for two soft sleeper berth tickets. Train departed and arrived on schedule, the only positive aspect of the trip.

The train was filthy, the mattresses and pillows were stained. The whole car stunk. This was a soft berth sleeper car. There were two toilets on our car, one at each end, and both stunk to high heaven. Not one person in our entire car, about six four berth cabins, had a happy face. The one bed that was empty in our cabin was used by the conductors or some uninvited guests who kept rotating positions throughout the night, coming in and napping for an hour and then being replaced by someone else. Having cabin mates is acceptable and expected. Having the door open hourly and a new face enter and lie down in the bed next to you is not what's expected. There was no mention of soft sleeper berths available by the hour in any reviews we had read.

We never expected 5 star service. We did expect something fairly clean with non smelly/stained pillows and mattresses. We expected something on a standard with Vietnam Airlines or Sinhcafe tour buses or Mekong Express buses (which of the three I rode were always half full of locals). We also expected a toilet which did not make you gag to enter. The Reunification Express is touted to be Vietnam's pride and joy, railwise. Every review we had read on this or any other forums/travel sites and travel guides had nothing bad to say about the trains other than the food. The Lonely Planet Travel Guide, paperback form, states that the trains have been upgraded and dining cars added to many routes. This was not what we experienced.

The low standards of the Reunification Express were a big disappoinment. There were many Europeans, including Germans, Swedes and Italians in our car. Many were backpacker types. None were pleased with this train. We would not recommend this travel to anyone.

You can actually walk from Old Qtr to Railway Station. About 20 mins slow walk and enjoy the city and street view. The railway station caters to southern and northern routes. Left side of the Station serves the southern bound trains. Do remember to be at the Station before departure time as the Train leaves on the dot.

Note that there are a few train stations in Hanoi. Northbound trains to Lao Cai (Sapa) depart from Tran Quy Cap station along Le Duan street. There are also a lot of different choices on whether you want to travel in comfort (and pay a higher price), or rough it out. These range from hard seats to soft seats to hard sleepers (6 berths / cabin) to soft sleepers (4 or 2 / cabin). The better carriages are run and managed by private companies - the best being the Victoria Express (with its own private dining carriage - but is only open to guests who put up at the Victoria Hotel). Would advise early booking to avoid disappointment as we were told the Victoria Express was fully booked as far back as 6 weeks in advance. We ended up booking soft sleepers from Tulico, which were very comfortable. We were also fortunate to have excellent travel companions in our 4 berth cabin, which made the 8-10 hour journey very pleasant.

Note: you HAVE to retain your train ticket as it will be collected at the exit gates at your destination.

The overnight sleeper train to Sapa does not consist of sleep at all. You would think that it was a college dorm room. The train is quite loud mostly filled with young Europeans blasting their music and drinking. I even politely asked one of the groups to turn down their music and was met with laughs. Being on the overnight sleeper train was one of my worst experiences with fellow tourists. I don't know about you all, but my mother taught me always to be respectful of other's space and feelings. I would recommend that you bring ear plugs and your own pillow and blanket or even a sleeping bag would be nice. Once you are in your bunk the soft bunks just have a very thin mat, no blanket and no pillow. I can't imagine what the hard bunk was. Also the bunks are quite small, so if you are a tall gentleman you will be sleeping in the top bunk with your feet hanging off the edge of the bed. You are also given a piece of bread (french loaf) and bottled water. If you are traveling in spring you won't need an airconditioned bunk. I got my tickets through my hotel, but they got them through a Vietnamese Company called Friendly Travel. At the train station in Lao Cai I saw many tourists who had tickets from this company so I think they are a reputable one. A overnight ticket on a soft sleeper bed is $15 per person. Even though the ride stinks, once you get to Sapa you will find whatever hassle you put up with was definitely worth it.