How to reach UNESCO-listed Hoi An...

Hoi An is a historic must-see town featuring on most visitor's itineraries, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hội_An.

Hoi An is 30 km south of Danang, but has no station of its own.  See location map.  To reach it, first take a train to Danang, see the Reunification Line section above.  Then take a local bus, minibus or taxi from Danang to Hoi An taking 45-60 minutes.  .

A taxi from Danang station to Hoi An costs around 300,000 dong (US$13) depending on your negotiation skills.  There are always taxis waiting.

Bus 01 runs every 20 minutes between 05:00 & 17:30 every day, fare 20,000 dong + 10,000 dong for bags over 10Kg.  To take the bus, leave Danang station, cross the square and go into Hoang Hoa Tham road.  At the next intersection, turn left into Le Duan street.  The bus stop will be on your right, ignore the old bus stop next to house number 299, it is currently (temporarily?) moved to outside the shop at number 151 Le Duan street, indicated by a blue bus sign (See location map).  Bus number 1 is coloured yellow & runs to Hoi An every 20-30 minutes.  Board through the back door and take a seat.  The conductor will come through to collect your fare.  Have a 20,000 dong note handy (or 30,000 if you've luggage) as he won’t give change - the official price in May 2017 is 20,000 dong.  Smile and ignore any further requests for money as there is no difference in ticket price for locals and tourists - it's just 20,000 dong + 10,000 dong for a bag over 10Kg!  The bus reaches Hoi An bus station in about 1 hour, you can walk the remaining 2 km to Hoi An town centre.  Further feedback always appreciated.

Take the Slow Train to Sapa...

Train timetable...

How much does it cost?

Which station in Hanoi?  

How to buy tickets online...

How to buy tickets at the station...

Arranging a transfer from Lao Cai to Sapa...

The train to Lao Cai & Sapa in pictures...

Hanoi 'B' station on the far side of the tracks from Hanoi main ('A') station, accessed from Tran Quay Cap street.  In the evening the B station comes alive as several busy sleeper trains carrying both Vietnamese and western tourists head north to Lao Cai...		4-berth soft sleeper as used on trains SP1/2, SP3/4.  See the section above for more info.

Scenery on the road journey from Lao Cai up to Sapa...		Sapa church...

Hanoi to Sapa by tourist sleeping-car: Fanxipan, Sapaly Express, King, Livitrans, Orient Express, Tulico, Ratraco, TSC, Friendly, Royal, Hara...

• In addition to the regular Vietnamese Railways (Duong Sat Viet Nam = DSVN) sleepers & seats, overnight trains SP1/2/3/4 between Hanoi & Lao Cai convey a bewildering range of privately-run sleeping-cars aimed at tourists.  Before forking out $34 for a bed in a privately-run sleeper rather than $18 for a bed in a regular Vietnamese Railways air-con soft sleeper, read the advice below...

• All these private operators offer berths in shared 4-berth soft sleeper compartments.  A few also offer berths in 2-berth sleeper compartments, which basically means a 4-berth compartment with the two upper berths unused, for more or less double the price.  If the allocation of 2-berth compartments has sold out you can simply pay for all 4 berths in a 4-berth, the price is pretty much the same.

• The privately-run sleepers all have air-conditioning, fresh clean bedding, complimentary mineral water and (in some cases) snacks, and clean western-style toilets.  These private sleepers are all very comfortable, just remember that this is still Vietnam with Vietnamese standards, you'll enjoy the trip more if you don't turn up with unrealistic expectations of 5-star western-style luxury for $35!  Most of these private tourist sleeping-cars run attached to train SP1/SP2, though one or two (notably Sapaly) are attached to SP3/SP4.

• Is paying more for a privately-run sleeper worth it? 

  Until about 2015, the various private sleeping-cars had remodelled interiors a cut above the regular Vietnamese Railways (DSVN) soft sleepers, and some were nicer than others.  For example, many had smartly wood-panelled interiors instead of the dated formica in DSVN's own sleepers.  And the private cars were all painted in the operator's own colours and branding, which made for a colourful train.

  But in 2015 DSVN replaced its own cars with more modern air-conditioned sleeping-cars and revoked the operating licences for the private operators' remodelled older cars.  The private operators have had to lease the new type of DSVN sleeping-car, with interiors exactly the same as those now used by DSVN themselves, see the photos below.  And the private car exteriors are now painted in the same red white & blue colours as DSVN's own cars.  No more private branding, other than a sticker in the window stating who operates the car.

  So has that sunk in?  If you pay $33 for a bed in a privately-run sleeper, you get exactly the same type of compartment with exactly the same décor as if you had paid $18 to travel in a regular Vietnamese Railways soft sleeper.

  So what's the difference?  The private cars are staffed by the operator's own staff.  There's usually a vase of flowers on the table, and some small complimentary bottles of water.  Bedding is provided by the operator, so may be branded and maybe a bit better than the regular bedding in the DSVN cars.  Of course, you'll end up travelling with other western tourists rather than actual Vietnamese people, which you may consider an advantage or disadvantage depending on your point of view.  And the private cars may be kept slightly cleaner than the regular cars.

  To quote one recent traveller, "I had a good look at both the SP3 & SP1. The tourist cars were easily identified because of the vase of plastic flowers and the complimentary bottles of water. But for all of them, everything else was identical to the VR [=DSVN] soft sleeper cars – cabin, bunks, sheets, pillows, etc."

• Which private operator should you choose?  As all the car interiors and exteriors are now identical, there's not a huge amount to choose between the various different private operators other than price - which is also pretty similar between operators - and the 'extras' each operator claims to offer, which frankly are also pretty much the same.

• How much does it cost?  A bed in a privately-run sleeper typically costs $34-$36 one-way in a shared 4-berth sleeper or $70-$79 per person for travel in a 2-berth sleeper.  However, the best operators are usually acknowledged to be Fanxipan and Orient Express (both on train SP1/2) and Sapaly Express (on train SP3/4).  If you use one of these private sleepers, feedback is always appreciated.

• Can I buy all 4 berths in a compartment to have a room to ourselves?  Yes, if you insist, if the very few compartments allocated for 2-berth occupancy are sold out as they often are.  But meeting fellow tourists and talking over a beer into the night is great fun.  Would I recommend paying double to miss all the fun and sit in glorious isolation?  No!

• How to buy tickets:  You can book Fanxipan, Orient Express, Sapaly, King Express, Chapa Express & Livitrans online at www.baolau.com or at 12Go.Asia, two reliable train & bus ticketing agencies, see the section above.  Just run an enquiry between Hanoi and Lao Cai, then look for the logos in the search results.

  If you're already in Vietnam, you can book these tourist sleepers via local travel agencies, but not at the station, although there's a ticket window for the Ratraco sleepers to Lao Cai in the ticket hall at the 'B' station.

A rather nice Livitrans 4-berth soft sleeper.  Photos courtesy of www.baolau.com.		Violette 4-berth soft sleeper.  Look closely - it's identical to Livitrans, apart from features such as bedding.

The Victoria Express train...

This is a cut above the other tourist trains, in fact it's the most luxurious way to reach Sapa with wood-panelled 'orient express' style carriages including a proper dining car on some departures, but you can only use it if you're staying at the luxurious and expensive (but excellent) Victoria Hotel in Sapa.  The train runs daily except Saturdays, consisting of two deluxe sleeping-cars and (on some departures) a restaurant car attached to train SP3/SP4.  Prices around US$140 round trip per person ($160 including meals in the restaurant car) in 4-berth or $220 per person ($250 with meals) in 2-berth.  One-way fares are only about 25% less than returns, so buy a return ticket if you're coming back to Hanoi.  See www.victoriahotels.asia/en/victoria-express-train for details.  The hotel can arrange a shuttle bus or private car transfer from the station.

The Victoria Express train to Lao Cai for Sapa...		VIP 2-berth sleeper...		Standard 4-berth sleeper...

Watch the video:  Hanoi to Lao Cai by Orient Express...

Saigon (HCMC) to/from Phan Thiet & Mui Né...      Click for Phan Thiet & Mui Ne map

The seaside resort of Phan Thiet is at the end of a 15km branch line from Binh Thuan, a junction station on the main Saigon-Danang-Hue-Hanoi Reunification line, formerly known as Muong Man.  One or two direct trains run from Saigon to Phan Thiet every day, shown in the timetable below.  When you arrive at Phan Thiet station you'll find plenty of buses & taxis waiting to take you to the popular resort of Mui Né, 24km northeast of Phan Thiet, a 25-30 minute drive.  Alternatively, you can take any mainline train from Saigon to Binh Thuan station and then a taxi to Pan Thiet (15.7km) or Mui Né (38km).  Click for Vietnam train route map.

* Train PT3/4 only runs on selected holiday dates, you can see if it's running on a given date using www.baolau.com.

Train SPT1/SPT2 has the following classes of seat:

- regular air-con soft seats in a regular car, shown as NML when booking on www.baolau.com.

- regular air-con soft seats in a double-decker car, shown as A2TL when booking on www.baolau.com.

- VIP soft seats, air-con, arranged as around tables for four shown as NML4V when booking on www.baolau.com.

- Premium soft seats car with air-con, reclining seats & USB charging points, see this news item, shown as NML56 on www.baolau.com.

Booking tips:  The regular soft seats car is fine  The double-deck car only opens for booking closer to departure date, and has less space per person that the regular car even though it's the same price.  The NML4V VIP soft seats car fills quickly soon after booking opens, it can be difficult to get seats together if there are several of you.  The premium soft seats car was introduced in Sept 2016, also a good choice.

Bus or taxi connection Phan Thiet station to Mui Né:  Bus number 9 (the red bus) runs from the road outside Phan Thiet station to Mui Né every 20 minutes from 05:30 until 20:00, bus fare 6,000 dong ($0.30)  The bus runs the length of Mui Né stopping at various points all across the resort.  Alternatively, there are plenty of taxis, it's a 25-35 minute drive and will cost in the region of 230,000 dong ($12)

How to buy tickets:  Buy tickets at the station or at Saigon's city centre ticket office as shown here or book online at www.baolau.com.

Alternative:  If the times of these trains don't suit you, simply take any mainline train between Saigon & Bin Thuan shown in the main Reunification line timetable above for around 120,000 dong (£4 or $6), then catch a taxi between Bin Thuan & Phan Thiet (15.7km) or Mui Ne (38km), cost to Mui Ne around 500,000 dong (£15 or $24), taxi journey around 1 hour.  You can also book Saigon to Bin Thuan trains at www.baolau.com.

Traveller Andrew Stewart took the train from Phan Thiet back to Saigon and comments:  "It was a nice trip. Much better than the bus that I took to get there. So many roadworks on that road. It took 8hrs and 30mins from Saigon on the bus."

Soft seats on train SPT2 from Saigon to Phan Thiet.  Photos courtesy of Molly McCahan...

Bus number 9 links Phan Thiet & Mui Né every 20 minutes.  Be prepared for the bus to stop some 20m away from the bus stop sign! Photos courtesy of Alistair Weaver...

Hanoi, Hue or Danang to/from Phan Thiet or Mui Né...

• Simply take a train from Hanoi, Hue or Danang to Binh Thuan station as shown in the timetable above.  Then use a local taxi between Bin Thuan station and Phan Thiet (15.7km) or Mui Ne (38km).  A taxi between Bin Thuan and Mui Ne costs around 500,000 dong (£15 or $24) and takes around an hour.

Hanoi to Haiphong, for ferry to Cat Ba island...   Click for route map

These Hanoi-Haiphong trains have air-conditioned soft seats (see the photo of the poster below advertising travel to Haiphong in these comfortable air-con cars), air-conditioned hard seats, and ordinary hard seats in much older cars.  Hanoi to Haiphong is 102 km (63 miles).

Hanoi Long Bien station is 3km northeast of Hanoi main station, immediately south of the huge steel Long Bien bridge over the Red River (which was a target for American bombers on several occasions during the Vietnamese war).  The small road outside the station is only accessible to pedestrians, bicycles and motorbikes, not cars, so if your taxi drops you on the main road by the river, don't worry, it's just a 100 yard walk up the side road and round the bend to the station.  Map of Hanoi showing main & Long Bien stations

How to buy tickets:  Buy tickets locally, at the station.  No advance reservation is necessary.

Ferries to Cat Ba Island:  Hydrofoils take 45 minutes and leave Haiphong ferry terminal at 08:50 & 09:00.  Returning, hydrofoils leave Cat Ba ferry terminal at 06:45 & 15:00.  Alternatively there are ships taking 2 hours, with departures from Haiphong ferry terminal at 06:30 & 12:30.  Returning, the ships leave Cat Ba Island at 05:45 & 12:30.  Simply buy your ferry ticket at the ticket offices at the port, the fare is around 100,000 dong (£4 or $6).  Cat Ba town is a half hour bus ride from where the ships arrive, but the hydrofoils arrive at a pier near Cat Ba town.

Hanoi's Long Bien station, complete with poster advertising the air-conditioned carriages on the Hanoi to Haiphong trains.  Map of Hanoi showing main & Long Bien stations.

An air-con soft seat car on a Hanoi to Haiphong Express train.  Photo courtesy of Lewis Baston.		Haiphong's distinctively French colonial railway station.  Photo courtesy of Lewis Baston.

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The beautiful Halong Bay is on many visitors' lists of Vietnam highlights to visit.  There are two ways to travel there from Hanoi:

Option 1, take a train from Hanoi to Haiphong as shown above, then use local buses between Haiphong and Halong. 

Option 2, a direct train runs between Hanoi and Halong as shown below.  This is a regular Vietnamese Railways train, not a tourist train, although there have been abortive attempts to run a tourist train between Hanoi & Halong in the last few years.  This loss-making regular train was reported in the Vietnamese media as slated for withdrawal in December 2013, but it's still in operation, a rustic 4-carriage train used by the locals and an experience!  Feedback would be appreciated...

Update:  This train was daily, but was reduced to Fridays-only from April 2018.

Yen Vien station is in the suburbs of Hanoi, you'll need a taxi given the early start from Hanoi, although buses 10 or 54 run there from Long Bien bus station during the day.  Map showing location of Yen Vien station.

Fare:  70,000 dong (£2.50, $3), hard class seats only.

How to buy tickets:  You can easily check these times & buy tickets online in English at reliable ticketing agency www.baolau.com.

Feedback would be appreciated!

Traveller Matthias Meuller report (December 2016):  "The train runs!  It was one of my best trips ever.  It's a train for women who buy fruits, vegetables, tomatoes, herbs, chicken and so on cheap in the mountains and sell it on at a little market in Halong.  They take the goods by train from Mao Khe to Halong.  No tourists there!  You sit for two hours in the market and they want that you eat, drink, hold their babies.  It's wonderful, yet none of the travel agencies in Hanoi want to believe that this train exists.  I rode back to Hanoi with the train.  It takes 6 hours but it's wonderful, slung in a hammock, talking with the girls from the market, who count their money and play cards.  Buses link central Hanoi with Yen Vien station every 10 minutes."

Traveller Graham Phelan reports (October 2016):  "I took this train in October as I love train travel and didn’t want to take the tourist bus to Halong City - I would do anything to avoid tourists!  I took a taxi in the morning to Yen Vien station from my place in Hanoi, it wasn’t expensive just 166,000 VND (about €7) and cheaper if you’re leaving from Hanoi Old Town.  I was absolutely wrecked getting the morning train so I missed a lot of the landscapes on the way to Halong City but I enjoyed them on the way back!  People have to be aware that this train is not a comfortable train, you have to sit on a wooden seat!  So make sure you bring some entertainment, a small cushion if you can find one, some toilet roll and most importantly food!  This trip showed me the real Vietnam and it was a massive culture shock but I don’t regret it at all.  Also make sure to get your hotel or wherever you’re staying to book a taxi for you at the station as there are absolutely none there. On arrival back into Hanoi buses do run to go to the main city bus station, the cost is 7,000 VND, about €0.25. Or you can just do as I did and find a taxi on the street since they’re so cheap."

Traveller Ferry Quast reports (September 2016):  "Yes, the Hanoi-Halong train is running. It consists of 4 standard-gauge cars.  These cars are some of the oldest I've ever taken.  One had bench seats, the other 3 were empty and aimed at passengers with loads of vegetables and fruit [see the photo below].  For the first 2-3 hours the train was quite busy, but for the rest of the trip we were almost alone on the train.  It was very slow and we think that we never had more than 25 or 30 km/h.  Great experience if you want to get in touch with locals.  In contrast to the train, Ha Long's train station was the newest I've seen in Vietnam.  Reaching downtown Hanoi after arrival in Hanoi Vien Yen station shouldn't be a problem, there are still buses - until 10pm or so as locals told us."

One of the 3 cargo cars on the Hanoi to Halong train.  Be assured one car does have seats!		The very modern Halong station. Photos courtesy of Ferry Quast.

The seats car...  Courtesy Matthias Mueller.		Unloading market goods...  Courtesy Matthias Mueller

A comfortable train service between Hanoi & Nanning, Guilin, Beijing...

There is a safe, comfortable & affordable overnight sleeper train between Beijing & Nanning every day, connecting with an equally safe & comfortable daily sleeper train between Nanning, Guilin & Beijing.  And twice a week, these two trains convey a direct soft sleeping-car between Hanoi and Beijing.  You can also use the Hanoi-Nanning sleeper train in conjunction with direct Nanning-Shanghai or Nanning-Guangzhou (for Hong Kong) trains.  After a brief spell in early 2015 reduced to twice a week, the Hanoi-Nanning train is now back to running every day, and Beijing-Hanoi through cars have been restored, twice a week.

• Beijing - Nanning train Z5/Z6 runs every day in each direction, taking 1 night.

• Nanning - Hanoi train T8701/T8702 runs every day in each direction, taking 1 night.

• A through sleeping-car with 36 soft sleeper berths runs direct Beijing-Hanoi leaving Beijing West on Thursdays & Sundays and leaving Hanoi on Tuesdays & Fridays, taking 2 nights.  This through sleeper is attached to the Z5 then T8701 southbound, and the T8702 & Z6 northbound.

• So you can travel between Beijing and Hanoi any day of the week with a change of train at Nanning and two separate tickets OR you can travel between Beijing and Hanoi in a direct soft sleeper twice a week with just one ticket.

• Note that e-visas don't seem to be valid for entering or leaving Vietnam by rail via Dong Dang (only for arriving or leaving at Dong Dang by road), so you either need a regular visa or use the 15-day visa exempt arrangement if available for your nationality.

Beijing to Hanoi is 2,996km or 1,861 miles.  Nanning to Hanoi is 396km.   How to buy tickets.

Gia Lam station is 6km from Hanoi's main station, across the river.  Map of Hanoi showing Gia Lam station.

How much does it cost?

• Southbound fares...

  (1)  Beijing to Nanning costs RMB 752 ($124 or £80) in a soft sleeper or RMB 473 ($78 or £50) in a hard sleeper, bought at the station or online with small extra fee from www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains.

  (2)  Nanning to Hanoi costs RMB 248 (£28 or $38) in a soft sleeper bought at the station or $35 + booking fee if you pre-book from outside China through agency www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains.

  (3)  Beijing to Hanoi using the direct twice-a-week sleeping-car costs $336 bought from www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains.

  When using www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains you'll find Hanoi listed under 'G' as Gia Lam, Hanoi.

• Northbound fares...

  (1)  Hanoi to Nanning costs around CHF 31.53 = 750,000 dong (£22 or $36) in a soft sleeper. 

  (2)  Nanning to Beijing costs RMB 752 ($124 or £80) in a soft sleeper or RMB 473 ($78 or £50) in a hard sleeper using a domestic Chinese ticket.

  (3)  An international through ticket from Hanoi to Beijing costs CHF 293 (about $294) converted into dong, in a soft sleeper.

• In Hanoi, a metered taxi between Hanoi old quarter & Gia Lam station costs around VND 100,000 (£3.50 or $5).

How to buy tickets online...

• To pre-book southbound tickets...

  To buy tickets from Beijing, Guilin or Nanning to Hanoi in advance from outside China, you can book online from reliable ticketing agency www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains - you'll find Hanoi listed under 'G' as Gia Lam, Hanoi...

  On days when the direct through car runs Beijing to Hanoi you can book Beijing to Gia Lam, Hanoi as one ticket.  If you want to travel on the other 5 days of the week, simply book Beijing to Nanning on train Z5 then buy another separate ticket from Nanning to Gia Lam, Hanoi on train T8701.

• To pre-book northbound tickets...

  To buy tickets from Hanoi to Nanning, Guilin or Beijing, use these links to reliable Vietnamese online ticketing agency Baolau.com:

  Book Hanoi to Nanning using Baolau.com

  Book Hanoi to Guilin using Baolau.com

  Book Hanoi to Beijing using Baolau.com

  Simply click Modify and change the date to your date of travel.

  You can also book through another reliable Vietnamese ticketing agency, www.vietnamimpressive.com who can have tickets waiting for you at any Hanoi hotel or you can collect from their offices in Hanoi.

  It might be cheaper to book solely the Hanoi to Nanning train online, then buy your Nanning to Beijing ticket at the domestic rate through www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains, but remember that you have to allow time to collect your ticket at the station in Nanning, and there isn't a huge amount of time between trains to do this is there's a delay or long queues at the station.

  You can also buy northbound Hanoi to Nanning tickets at www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains but in this case tickets will need to be collected in China.

• To buy tickets in person at Hanoi, Nanning or Beijing stations, see the advice below.

What's the journey like?

The daily Z-category sleeper train between Beijing & Nanning has air-conditioned 4-berth soft sleepers, air-conditioned hard sleepers and a restaurant car serving freshly-cooked Chinese dishes.  It passes through some excellent scenery in southern China.  Exterior photo courtesy of Nandakumar Narasimhan, interior & scenery photos courtesy of Chris "Mzungu" Holden.

The sleeper train between Nanning & Hanoi... 

This is the Nanning to Hanoi train at Hanoi Gia Lam station.  Below right:  A comfortable 4-berth soft sleeper compartment, with two upper and two lower berths, curtains, fresh clean sheets & pillows, and small table.  Interior photo courtesy of Chris at www.myeggnoodles.com.   More photos of this train here.

Hanoi Gia Lam station...

Hanoi Gia Lam station (see location map) is a tiny suburban station across the river in northern Hanoi, a 20 minute taxi ride from the main station.  Why does the train to Nanning start here?  Its Chinese carriages are standard gauge 4' 8½", as used in Europe, China & North America.  Vietnam's railways are metre gauge, just over 3'.  A third rail has been laid as far as Gia Lam station, making the tracks dual gauge, allowing the Chinese train to run that far but no further.  You can see the three rails in the photo above...

Buying tickets in person in Hanoi...

• Buying your ticket to Nanning, Guilin or Beijing:  At Hanoi main ('A') station on Le Duan street, go to the ticket counter for foreigners & international trains, open 07:00-17:30 daily.  You will need to show your passport and a valid visa for China.  You can pay in Vietnamese dong or (reportedly) US dollars.  Credit cards are not accepted, even though there's a MasterCard sign. 

• Alternatively, tickets are also sold by Vietnam Hanoi Railways Tourist Company (Travel Agency - 152 Le Duan Street, Hanoi, email haratour@fpt.vn or call (84-4) 3518-6782.  Again, you'll need to show your passport and Chinese visa to buy a ticket. 

• If you're going to Nanning, it can help to know that Nanning is 'Nam Ninh' in Vietnamese.

• Incidentally, Vietnamese Railways cannot book domestic trains within China, so don't bother asking for onward tickets from Nanning to Shanghai or Guangzhou or wherever.

• Getting a Chinese visa in Hanoi:  You'll need a visa to enter China, and indeed you will need to show your Chinese visa at Hanoi station when buying a train ticket to Beijing. In 2010 it was reported that the Chinese embassy in Hanoi wouldn't issue visas for anyone who wasn't a Vietnamese citizen or resident but in 2012 a later report says they now will.  If they won't, either get your visa in your home country before you leave, or arrange your Chinese visa in Hanoi through a suitable travel agency such as www.hanoibackpackershostel.com.

• Traveller Peter Day reports:  Tickets (soft class only) are available from Window 7 at Hanoi main railway station.  There is a system in place where you get a number which indicates your place in the line - locals ignore it, you should too. Tickets are available to purchase in cash only, Vietnamese dong only as far as one could tell.  You go to the window first and the lady tells you how much, then you go get the cash and return to buy the tickets.  The cost of two tickets to Guilin was over 6 million dong, clearly Beijing would be more - getting that amount of dong out of ATMs is problematic because of limits on each transaction and number of daily withdrawals allowed.  We had to use 2 cards.  They check you have visas for China.

• Traveller Alex Hartland reports:  "I booked my Hanoi-Beijing train ticket yesterday at Hanoi station.  I was sent from window 10 to window 1 to window 6 and finally window 8.  The woman at window 8 spoke pretty good English, but I don't think it's the standard window for Hanoi to Beijing bookings.  The paperwork took a while to process (about 45 minutes) and the final cost was 4,635,000 dong. She told me I could pay in dollars if I wanted to, but again not sure if this is standard procedure.  She checked my passport & Chinese visa, too."

Buying tickets in person in Beijing...

	Buying a train ticket to Hanoi in Beijing...  This is the agency in Beijing where Laurent & Chris both bought their train tickets to Hanoi

• You can't buy an international ticket to Hanoi at any Beijing station, or at normal ticket outlets either.  But here's how you can buy in person in Beijing.  If you have any further feedback, please email me!

• Traveller Laurent Fintoni reports:  "I was told to go to Bei Feng Wo Lu (a street near Beijing West station) and look for a shop opposite the Tian You hotel. So I would say for anyone else, the easiest might be to get a cab or directions to Tian You hotel on Bei Feng Wo Lu.  Opposite the hotel is what looks like a travel agent, though when I went it had the shutters pulled down - however it was open, not quite sure why that was. The shop sign is blue, and you can tell you found it as there is a small window on the side of the shop's main doors which says they sell train tickets. However, you want the main shop not the window.  Once in there if you tell them you want to buy Beijing to Hanoi tickets, I had a sentence written in Chinese for me, she pulls out what seems to be the same form that Que Clothier mentions. The woman speaks no English, just point at the answers on the form and she does it all for you. I was charged only 1086 RMB without a 50 RMB charge, but not quite sure why as she answered in Chinese when I asked her if she wanted the charge.  Her form mentions the charge, making the price 1166, the same as Chris Emmerson reported.  She'll also point at a calendar and ask for dates as well as how many tickets.  There are about 3 banks within 100 to 200 metres of the shop on Bei Feng Wo Lu, all do currency exchange and have ATMs however none seem to change Travellers Cheques so be careful.  Once you pay her it's all done, it was really easy, the trickiest part is finding the shop, but with the Tian You Hotel being quite big (and having its name written in English on the front in big letters) it shouldn't be too difficult."

• Traveller Chris "Mzungu" Holden reports (2011):  "I got my tickets from the same place as Laurent Fintoni [see above] got his.  It was easy to find, took me about 30mins to get the tickets from a helpful and friendly chap who spoke no English but pointed to the booking forms and a calendar when needed.  It cost me RMB 2,200 (2150+50 commission) from memory."

Buying tickets in person in Nanning...

• Tickets are sold at the station reservations office at Nanning main station, counter 16, but according to one recent report now counter 1.  It's not difficult to get places even on the day.

Travellers reports...

• Traveller Phillippa Smith reports (2018):  "We bought our tickets at Ga Ha Noi about 10 days before travel.  Our travel dates were a week before Chinese new year and so tickets were very limited meaning to had to book the train 2 days before our ideal travel date, proving quite a squeeze on our 30 days visa allowance in China.  We didn't have to show our visa for China to buy the tickets.  In fact, we had to buy the train tickets to show as proof of entry into China to get our Visas at the Hanoi Embassy.  Generally speaking the train is comfortable and is of a higher standard than sleeper trains across Thailand.  We had two beds in a 4-berth compartment and were lucky to have it all to ourselves for the whole journey.  The compartment had a lockable door.  The train stopped at Dong Dang [the border station] at 1am where all passengers had to alight with their baggage which is then x-rayed and you are stamped out of Vietnam.  This took around 45 minutes.  Back on the train about an hour later we stopped at the Chinese border station to go through immigration into China.  We got off the train again with all our luggage, and a Chinese official scanned the passengers looking for foreigners.  We were the only non-Chinese and he made a bee-line for us! He took our passports away for 5 minutes as we continued to queue, then returned them to us and asked us the complete an entry form before going though immigration.  We were back on the train within 20 minutes.  During the time the train was in the station and shortly before, the toilets on board are all locked so it's a good idea to go before the train pulls into a station.  The following morning we were treated to some beautiful mountain views and the sight of Chinese workers harvesting the bamboo by the side of the tracks.  We arrived at Nanning station right on time before catching a bullet train to Guilin...

• Traveller Jim Ryder went Beijing to Hanoi:  "I got my Beijing to Hanoi tickets at the same blue fronted shop featured in "Buying in Beijing" section [pictured above right].  I had decided at 9:00am on a Thursday to leave Beijing to Hanoi and thought I would take my chances at finding the shop and getting onboard.  It was not difficult to find following your instructions and once inside the building the lady agreed to get me a ticket on the 3:00 pm train that very day.  It was on the pricey side at 2000 Yuan but there were no other choices apparent.  After a few moments I was out and hopped a public bus 2 stops to the train station.  My ticket was a second class, lower berth exactly as I requested. However when I went to board the train there seemed to be a lot of discussion.  My ticket was different from everyone else's. They put me an empty car except for one other passenger, my roommate and carefully watched us and escorted us everywhere we went. It very much like VIP service as my roommate agreed. His ticket was exactly like mine.  They had us in the 1st lounge during our wait in Nanning and stationed a guard right next to us.  All else was normal, beautiful and fun.'

• Traveller Richard Brown travelled Nanning to Hanoi:  "We have just arrived in Ha Noi this morning, 30 December 2014. Several agents online offer booking services but most sources we could speak to told us the Nanning-Hanoi tickets must be booked in Nanning.  I am not sure that is the case but you definitely have to go to the train station to pick them up as they are not the typical Chinese train tickets.  They issued one ticket for the two of us.  Tickets are printed on multi-carbon paper using an antique pin-printer.

  We can confirm that at Nanning main station, counter 1 is currently the one where you get the Ha Noi tickets. It is also labelled "English Speaking Counter" but the clerk could not speak English; she did get another clerk with reasonable English skills and, despite our Mandarin deficit, things went smoothly.  At least at this time of the year, I believe you could get tickets on the day of travel.  We booked our tickets on Saturday around 6:00pm for the Monday train.  They offered us tickets for the next day and there were probably berths available on Saturday but they close sales for same day tickets at around 4:00pm.

  On Monday the train included several carriages with seats numbered 1-15 and then a separate string at the end numbered confusingly 4-1.  The end string were the sleeper cars. Only one of these carriages had passengers so I suspect there were plenty of empty berths. The sleeper carriages were the only ones that made the trip to Ha Noi from Pingxiang at the border.  The attendant in our carriage was selling water and the ubiquitous cups of dried noodles. Boiling water was of course free.

  We arrived at Pingxiang at 10:00pm and the English announcement said we would be there for an hour and 40 minutes. Immigration and customs was routine. We all re-entered the carriage after about 20 minutes and waited. One or two passengers joined us from Pingxiang.  After about two hours we were off to Dong Dang.  After 20 minutes we arrived in Vietnam.  Clearing immigration and customs took about 45 minutes.  Even though it was literally the middle of the night a woman was changing US$ or RMB to VND and selling sim cards and snacks. The exchange seemed fair.

  The train left Dong Dang and made no further stops until reaching Ha Noi.  I believe that the station we arrived was different than your site currently reports . I almost certain that we arrived at Ga Yen Vien Nam; our taxi ride took about 20 minutes and we paid 300,000 VND.  We knew were getting ripped off as we were told the "meter not working" story but we had few options at 6:00am local time. The roughly US$15 fare should have been about US$7 but we arrived unscathed.

  One thing we learned in China is to expect the unexpected. None of what happened to us may happen tomorrow so anyone reading this should not take it as the gospel truth. But we found reading what others had experienced better prepared us for what came our way."

• Traveller Steve Mercer reports from a northbound trip in 2013:  "This train was by far the best of them all.  There was carpet in the corridor & compartments. Plus there were free plastic shoes, although 5 sizes too small. Very handy.  The taxi dropped us off at the station but I have to admit it’s not immediately apparent where you go to check in or wait.  We went into the first waiting room, but a guard frantically shouted 'Nanning' at us and pointed at the correct waiting room.  Boarding the train was very organised.  We showed our passports before getting on and we also gave the Guard our tickets which he swapped for a credit card size card.  We would give this back at the end of the journey.  He then showed us to our berths. It was a good trip with no interruptions apart from the borders.  Just before the Vietnam border we were woken and told we must take all our bags with us.  This border point was a bit disorganised.  When you put your bag on the scanner belt it was set up so you had to turn around and fight your way through the crowd behind you to get to the other side of the scanner. Then you hand your passport in. It’s not a quick process as I was waiting for it to be handed back when he looked up and gestured us to go and sit down.  I’m always a bit reluctant to let my passport out of my sight, but it was all good.  They did them in batches and then called your name out to come and get them. However as we were the only Western foreigners there, he came and handed them to us.  It was then back on the train and off to the Chinese border.  This time someone came round and handed out the immigration cards for us to fill in than came round again to collect them and our passports.  We got off with all our bags and went into the immigration hall.  A bit more organised this one. I can’t remember but I’m not sure if they were scanned.  An immigration officer did some random checking of the bags though.  It was back on the train and wait for our passports to be returned before heading off to Nanning.  There were no more interruptions."

• Traveller Melissa Jacka reports from a southbound trip in 2013:  "Tickets for the Nanning-Hanoi train were only available from Nanning train station, we got them about 20 hours in advance and following the advice on Seat 61 we went straight to counter 16 - the queue took about 20 minutes, and we had to show our passports and Vietnamese visa.  We had no problem getting soft sleeper tickets for a Sunday night train.  Adults were 190 RMB and the kids were 90 RMB.  As mentioned in earlier advice the beds were reallocated by the conductors.  Dinner in the dining car was simple, but fresh, tasty, clean and cheep - rice, chicken dish & beer for one was 30 RMB.  The train now leaves at 18:20 and arrives at around 05:30 the next day (but this includes winding the clock back 1 hour at the border), and includes two stops where you and your luggage get off the train, the first at about 21:30 and the second at about 00:30."

• Traveller GeekySeb reports from a Nanning-Hanoi train journey in summer 2010:  "The train starts at 18.45 and the waiting hall is number 1. Thanks for the advice to use counter 16, it saves a lot of time as this is the one with no queue. If you don't know about that, you first join the long queue, then get sent to counter 16, as it happened to another traveller I met.  I booked my ticket on the Saturday noon for the Monday. I think I understood the Saturday train was full. We had to leave the train twice, once at around 22.30 to have our luggage scanned at the Chinese border and get the Chinese exit stamp, the other two hours later at around 23:30 Vietnamese time to get the Vietnam stamp and fill in the arrival card.  The train arrived at Gia Lam station at about 5.30 local time. There were plenty of taxis awaiting and I paid 200,000 VND, far too much I think!  There is some street food available for breakfast in the street opposite the station and one taxi driver awoke a shop-owner so I can change money and buy a SIM card."

• Traveller Anton Vidgen reports from a Nanning-Hanoi train journey:  "We purchased tickets in Nanning at counter 16 and departed the same day at 18:15. Soft sleeper cost RMB 334 each. There is a comfortable waiting room to the far left of the station if you are facing the main clock. The train only had about 20 passengers in total (exclusively soft sleeper) so ticket availability did not seem to be an issue. We arrived in Pingxiang around 20:00 and customs only took 45 mins. We then arrived in Dong Dang at 23:30 and customs again only took 45 mins. Our Vietnam visas became active on the next day so we were worried officials would cause a fuss, but we had no problems. We re-boarded the same comfortable Chinese train which finally arrived in Hanoi around 5:30am."

Nanning - Hanoi by bus...

• If the train is full or you prefer daytime travel, there are several daily buses between Nanning & Hanoi, using modern coaches and travelling by day.  Buses reportedly leave Nanning bus station at 08:30. 09:00 & 09:30, journey time 7-8 hours, fare around RMB 150 (£15 or $25).  The scenery is reported as well worth the trip!

Easily done by train...

It's easy to travel between Hanoi & Hong Kong by train with a change of train in Nanning & Guangzhou. You can choose to make the journey in 2 nights & 1 day using the Hanoi-Nanning sleeper train and a Nanning-Guangzhou sleeper train, with a day exploring Nanning in between.  Or you can now make the whole trip in little over 24 hours using the Hanoi-Nanning sleeper train then a modern 300km/h high-speed train to Guangzhou followed by an evening intercity train to Hong Kong.  Whichever option you choose it costs only £70 or $110 or so in total one-way, and it's a genuine overland travel experience.  Remember that you'll need a visa for China, so you'll need to satisfy any return/onward ticket requirements, which is usually more of a logistical headache than the actual travelling.  If you have any more information including fares for travelling via this route, please e-mail me.

Hanoi ► Hong Kong classic option...

• This is the classic option, taking 2 nights & 1 day in total.  The two sleeper trains save two hotel bills, it gives you a day to explore Nanning, and is less rushed than the high-speed option below.

• Day 1 evening, take the overnight sleeper train from Hanoi to Nanning, leaving Hanoi Gia Lam station around 21:40 every day and arriving Nanning main station around 10:10 next morning, see the section above for details.

  The fare is around VND 568,000 (£20 or $30) with a comfy soft sleeper berth. 

• Day 2, spend most of the day exploring Nanning. 

• Day 2 evening, travel by overnight train from Nanning to Guangzhou.

  There are several possible trains all running every day:  Train K1234 leaving Nanning at 17:50 and arriving Guangzhou main station at 07:25 next morning, train K398 leaving Nanning at 19:15 and arriving Guangzhou main station at 07:48, and train K1206 leaving Nanning at 22:50 and arriving at Guangzhou East station at 11:46 next day.  All these trains have soft & hard class sleepers.

  The fare is about 285 RMB ($47) in a soft sleeper, or 184 RMB ($30) in a hard sleeper.

• If you arrive at Guangzhou main station, a taxi to Guangzhou East station costs about RMB 30 (£3) or you can take the well-organised metro with English-language signing from Guangzhou main station on red line 5 to Guangzhou east station on yellow line 1, for just RMB 4.

• Day 3, travel from Guangzhou East (Guangzhou Dong) to Hong Kong (Kowloon station, known as Hung Hom) by train.  There are a range of departures daily, for example one leaves Guangzhou East at 10:37 and arrives at Hung Hom at or there's one at 14:00 arriving Hung Hom at 15:48.  Fare about HK$190 (£17 or $26).

Hanoi ► Hong Kong high-speed option...

• This is the fastest option, taking little over 24 hours between Hanoi and Hong Kong using one of the new 300km/h (186mph) high-speed trains.  You only have to spend one night on a sleeper train.  However, it's pretty rushed as you need to transfer fairly sharply between stations in both Nanning & Guangzhou, so I'd recommend a taxi for this.

• Day 1, evening:  Take the overnight sleeper train from Hanoi to Nanning, leaving Hanoi Gia Lam station around 21:40 every day and arriving Nanning main station around 10:10 next morning, see the section above for details. 

  The fare is around VND 568,000 (£20 or $30) with a comfy soft sleeper berth. 

  Transfer by taxi from Nanning main station to the new Nanning East (Nanning Dong) station just outside the city.

• Day 2, travel from Nanning to Guangzhou by high-speed train in just a few hours, leaving Nanning East at 13:30 and arriving Guangzhou South at 17:40.  The fare is around RMB 169 ($29) in 2nd class or RMB 202 ($34) in 1st class.  Transfer by metro or taxi to Guangzhou East (Guangzhou Dong).

• Day 2 evening, travel from Guangzhou East to Hong Kong (Kowloon station, known as Hung Hom), leaving Guangzhou East at 20:30 by intercity train and arriving Hung Hom at 22:26.  Fare about HK$190 (£17 or $26).

Hong Kong ► Hanoi classic option...

• This is the classic option, taking 2 nights & 1 day in total.  The two sleeper trains save two hotel bills, it gives you a day to explore Nanning, and is less rushed than the high-speed option below.

• Day 1, morning:  Take a train from Hong Kong (Kowloon station, known as Hung Hom) to Guangzhou East station, also known as Guangzhou Dong.  There are a range of departures daily, including one leaving Hung Hom at 11:17 and arriving Guangzhou East at 12:58.  Fare about HK$190 ($28). 

• If you need to transfer to Guangzhou main station, a taxi from Guangzhou East to Guangzhou Main station costs about RMB 30, or you can take the well-organised metro with English-language signing from Guangzhou East on yellow line 1 to Guangzhou main station on red line 5, for just RMB 4.

• Day 1, evening:  Travel from Guangzhou to Nanning by comfortable overnight sleeper train.

  There are several trains to choose from.  Train K483 leaves Guangzhou main station at 21:22 and arrives Nanning at 09:40 next morning.  Or train K1208 leaves Guangzhou East at 17:02 arriving Nanning 06:15.  Or train K1233 leaves Guangzhou main station at 19:30 arriving Nanning at 08:10.  Soft and hard class sleepers are available on all these trains. 

  The fare is about 285 RMB ($47) in a soft sleeper, or 185 RMB ($30) in a hard sleeper.

• Day 2, spend the day exploring Nanning.

• Day 2, take the overnight train from Nanning to Hanoi, leaving Nanning main station every day around 18:10 and arriving Hanoi Gia Lam station around 05:20 next morning (day 3), see the section above for details.  Soft & hard sleepers available, fare RMB 248 (£25 or $38).

• Alternatively, there are also buses between Nanning & Hanoi, reportedly leaving Nanning bus station at 08:30. 09:00 & 09:30, journey time 7-8 hours, fare around RMB 150 ($25).  The scenery is reported as well worth the trip!

Hong Kong ► Hanoi high-speed option...

• This is the fastest option, taking only 24 hours between Hong Kong and Hanoi using the new 300km/h (186mph) high-speed train then a sleeper train.  You only have to spend one night on a sleeper train.  However, it's a bit rushed as you need to transfer fairly sharply between stations in both Guangzhou and Nanning, so I'd recommend a taxi for this.

• Day 1, travel from Hong Kong to Guangzhou by intercity train, leaving Kowloon station, known as Hung Hom at 07:25 and arriving Guangzhou East (Guangzhou Dong) at 09:24.  Transfer by taxi or metro to Guangzhou South (Guangzhou Nan) by taxi or metro.  Fare about HK$190 ($28).

• Day 1, travel from Guangzhou to Nanning by high-speed train in just a few hours, leaving Guangzhou South at 11:25 and arriving Nanning East at 15:26.  Fare around RMB 169 ($29) in 2nd class or RMB 202 ($34) in 1st class. Transfer by taxi to Nanning main station in the city centre.

• Day 2, take the overnight train from Nanning to Hanoi, leaving Nanning main station every day around 18:10 and arriving Hanoi Gia Lam station around 05:20 next morning (day 3), see the section above for details.  Soft & hard sleepers available, fare RMB 248 (£25 or $38).  Alternatively, there are several modern buses from Nanning to Hanoi every morning.

• Alternatively, there are also buses between Nanning & Hanoi, reportedly leaving Nanning bus station at 08:30. 09:00 & 09:30, journey time 7-8 hours, fare around RMB 150 ($25).  The scenery is reported as well worth the trip!

How to buy tickets...

• To buy tickets starting in Hanoi, in advance over the internet...

  Step 1, arrange your Hanoi to Nanning ticket through reliable Vietnamese ticketing specialists www.vietnamimpressive.com.  You can collect tickets from their offices in Hanoi, or have them delivered to your hotel in Vietnam.

  Step 2, book the Nanning to Guangzhou train online using www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains.  You collect tickets from the ticket office at Nanning station.  Booking opens 60 days before departure.

  Step 3, you can book Guangzhou East to Hung Hom (Hong Kong) train tickets online at https://www.it3.mtr.com.hk/B2C/frmRegister.asp?strLang=Eng.

  Arranging tickets this way means you have the necessary proof of entry & exit to apply for a Chinese visa.

• To buy tickets starting in Hanoi, in person... 

  You can easily buy a Hanoi to Nanning ticket at the international booking counter at Hanoi main station on Le Duan street, reported as open 07:00-17:30 daily.  You'll almost always find places available, even on the day of departure.  It can help to know that for Nanning is 'Nam Ninh' in Vietnamese.  Alternatively, tickets are also sold in Hanoi by Vietnam Hanoi Railways Tourist Company (Travel Agency - 152 Le Duan Street, Hanoi, email haratour@fpt.vn or call (84-4) 3518-6782.

  You'll need to show your passport and Chinese visa when buying tickets, so arrange your Chinese visa first.  It's easiest to get a visa in your home country before you leave, but you can also get a visa in Hanoi.  It was reported back in 2010 that the Chinese embassy in Hanoi wouldn't issue visas for anyone who wasn't a Vietnamese citizen or resident, but since 2012 they apparently now will.  If they won't, you can still arrange a Chinese visa in Hanoi through a suitable travel agency such as www.hanoibackpackershostel.com.  Remember you will need to comply with any entry/onward ticket requirements when applying for a Chinese visa.

  You can buy an onward ticket from Nanning to Guangzhou and Guangzhou to Hong Kong when you get to Nanning station, or you can arrange the Nanning to Guangzhou ticket online with reliable Chinese train ticket agency www.chinahighlights.com and collect the ticket at the station in Nanning.

• To buy tickets starting in Hong Kong, in advance over the internet...

  Step 1, arrange your Nanning to Hanoi train ticket, through agency www.chinatripadvisor.com or perhaps www.chinatraintickets.net.  Note that they charge a lot more than the face value of the tickets, but even though it's easy to buy train tickets at the official price at the station in Nanning, pre-booking overcomes the annoying requirement for an onward ticket when applying for your Chinese visa.

  Step 2, now book your Guangzhou to Nanning train, easily booked online through www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains.  Booking opens 60 days before departure.

  Step 3, now book your Hung Hom (Hong Kong) to Guangzhou train online at www.it3.mtr.com.hk/B2C/frmRegister.asp?strLang=Eng.

  Arranging tickets this way means you have the necessary proof of entry & exit to apply for a Chinese visa.

• To buy tickets starting in Hong Kong, in person...

  You can buy Hong Kong to Guangzhou and Guangzhou to Nanning tickets at the China railway office at Hung Hom railway station.  They may be able to do the Nanning to Hanoi ticket, but if not, buy it when you get to Nanning. 

  Alternatively, you can buy tickets from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, Guangzhou to Nanning and (if they can do it) the Nanning to Hanoi at the CTS (China Travel Service) Central branch or CTS Mongkok branch in Hong Kong, as these two branches are equipped with the Chinese Railways ticketing system.  Again, if they cannot do the Nanning to Hanoi train, buy this when you get to Nanning at the station.

  The Nanning to Hanoi train can easily be booked at Nanning station reservations office counter 16, though a more recent report says counter 1.  You'll usually find places available even on the day of travel.

Chinese visas...

• You'll need a Chinese visa to cross China between Hong Kong and Hanoi, either a transit visa or tourist visa.  The requirements vary depending on your nationality and where you apply for the visa, but you'll often have to prove you have a ticket into and out of China.  This can be a pain when you can only buy train tickets close to departure, or you plan to buy as you go, at the station on the day.  It can also lead to a 'Catch 22' if you plan to buy train tickets in Hanoi and need to show the visa to get the train tickets.  One way round this is to use a local Hong Kong or Vietnamese travel agency to sort all your tickets, using the agency's booking confirmation to get the visa, even though the agency can't get the tickets themselves until close to departure time.  The ultimate fall-back is that old favourite, buy the cheapest refundable airline ticket into & out of China, make a free-cancellation hotel booking for all of the nights you plan to be in China using a hotel site such as booking.com, use these to get your visa (which won't specify entry points or itinerary) then cancel everything.

What are the trains like?

Above left:  This is the Nanning to Hanoi train.  The Guangzhou to Nanning train is very similar  Above right:  A comfortable 4-berth soft sleeper compartment on the Nanning to Hanoi train, the compartments on the Guangzhou to Nanning train are similar.  It has two upper and two lower berths, curtains, fresh clean sheets & pillows, and small table.  Cheaper hard sleepers are also available.  Interior photo courtesy of  Chris at www.myeggnoodles.com.

Travellers' reports...

• Traveller Hendryk went from Hong Kong to Hanoi:  "At the Hung Hom station in Hong Kong there's now a china-railway-office where you can book the tickets to Guangzhou East (190 HKD) and onwards to Nanning for between 268 HKD and 298 HKD, soft sleeper for the next day or later (same day was fully booked).  They charge a service fee of 200 HKD for that.  We took the 11:28 train to Guangzhou East and the 15:43 sleeper train to Nanning, it also departs from Guangzhou East, so no changing station necessary.  We arrived in Nanning at 7:07am.  We almost overslept, but a good sign to get off is when the stewards change your placeholder cards back to your ticket.  In Nanning as said above, it was very crowded in the train station, maybe because of that weekend.  At the counter number 16 (you should ask that before at the train info - no English signing anywhere) we had to wait for more than an hour but we got the soft sleeper tickets to Hanoi Gia Lam for 1.10.2012, departing 18:20, for 215 RMB each.  [2012]

• Traveller Jeremy Buddress travelled from Hanoi to Hong Kong:  "We bought our Hanoi-Nanning tickets at Counter 10 of Hanoi main station - a 4 berth soft sleeper for 1,102,000 VND per person.  The process was a little confusing.  We went to the station on a Tuesday to try and confirm costs and times.  While the ticket machine at the entry to the main waiting area spits out slips for you spot in the queue, the '5' button that we pressed for "International Tickets" produced a 5000-series number which never ended up on the display even after 45 minutes of waiting, so we went to a ticket window to ask.  So, after stepping up to on of the other ticket counters we learned that the train did in fact leave every day (contradicting what one travel agent told us, even after making a "confirming" phone call).  We weren't ready to buy yet as we were still waiting for our China visas, which is another story.  But it does bring up a good point - you do need your passport when you buy tickets with the proper China visa ready to go.  So after getting our visas we returned to the station on Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately the noonish hour was apparently lunch so we waited until Counter 10 reopened around 13:30. Counter 10 is the only one labelled 'International Tickets" in English.  The transaction was speedy and we paid in cash.  We caught a cab from the Old Quarter to the Gia Lam Train Station in northeast Hanoi for about 70,000 VND.  Gia Lam is much smaller than the main station but nice enough.  We boarded our train right on time with only six other passengers. The stop at the Vietnam border control was no more than 20 minutes (off of the train, minus luggage) and at the China border was only about 15 minutes (off of the train, with luggage). Arrival and departure times were spot on per your timetable.  On arriving in Nanning we grabbed a room at a hotel across the street from the train station for 80 RMB, as the train didn't leave for Guangzhou until 00:30 that night.  Getting our tickets for this leg was a bit more challenging, as the Nanning ticket area is labelled almost entirely in Chinese.  Fortunately we were able to buy our domestic tickets at the international counter (#16, also labelled in English) for 197 RMB per person in a hard sleeper.  These were 6 berth, open to the corridor bunks that were full to capacity.  There appeared to be an earlier train around 19:00 that night, but it was full minus hard seats.  Our train left about 15 minutes late from Nanning, but again it was smooth sailing after that.  Arrival at the Guangzhou Main Station was a bit hectic as it is quite massive. Meeting our friend "out front" proved to be a challenge. The KFC is a nice landmark, attached to the station, right in front, if you need to meet someone there.  [April 2009, but still current]

• Traveller Erandathie Jayakody travelled from Hong Kong to Hanoi:  I didn't buy the tickets in advance, I bought tickets along the way.  China Travel Services in Hong Kong can arrange tickets for you with a few days notice from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and from Guangzhou to Nanning.  There is a China Travel Service and another travel agent at the Hung Hom Station in Hong Kong (at the concourse, not at the MTR station itself).  However, I found it cheaper to buy the tickets from the station.  I caught the train from Hung Hom station in HK to Guangzhou East Station on 2 January 2009.  Hong Kong to Guangzhou was HKD$ 190.  It left promptly at 10.42 and arrived in Guangzhou at about mid-day.  Buying the ticket from Guangzhou was a bit difficult as I got caught up in the Chinese New Year rush, however I managed to buy a sleeper ticket to Nanning to depart same evening.  The ticket to Nanning and Guilin are sold at Counter 7.  The ticket cost RMB 173.  The train departs from the Guangzhou main Station, the taxi ride from Guangzhou East Station to the main station costs about RMB 30.  The train left at 16.52pm and arrived in Nanning at approximately 6am.  I then bought a ticket for the new overnight train from Nanning to Hanoi [see below].   [January 2009]

• Traveller Cath Battersby traveller Hong Kong to Hanoi:  We bought our tickets 3 days ahead at Hung Hom station at China Railways (HK) holdings, under McDonalds. We paid HK$999 for 2 of us HK to Nanning hard sleeper. (HK$190 HK to Guangzhou, RMB 179 Guangzhou to Nanning and HK$100 commission each). Soft sleeper would have been a total of HK$1235 for 2. We had to pay in cash. The staff were very helpful and provided us with a B & W map of Guangzhou metro.  We left HK at 11.17. We weren’t allowed through security until 10:35.  Buy any drinks/snacks you need in advance, nothing past security except toilets and duty free. Excellent train and trouble free departure/immigration.  Upon arrival at Guangzhou the signs to the metro are in English and easy to follow.  It is fairly simple to work out how to get to the main station with the coloured maps on display. Large signs at Guangzhou main station show you which waiting room you need for your train. Lots of snack food and hot water available.  The overnight train to Nanning was a smooth journey.  The signs in Nanning are now in English too and we bought tickets for train #5517 to Pingxiang (RMB 17, 8am – 11:30). Hard seats, friendly co-passengers and some great scenery on this trip! In Pingxiang there were a large number of people vying for our business. We paid RMB 5 for a mototaxi/tuktuk to the border and changed money in the back. Very quick and easy at the Chinese border and more money changing opportunities (although we didn’t see anywhere official). It’s useful to have Dong as you’ll need to pay a small fee (VND 2000) for your ‘medical check’ at Vietnamese immigration. We had a trouble free entry.  Once through immigration we could not find anyone that would take us to Dong Dang. This may have been a scam but we had to settle for paying US$5 each (cheaper if you can pay in Dong) for a taxi to Lanson. We were taken straight to a minibus office and we paid VND 110,000 (their starting price was VND 200,000) for a seat to Hanoi’s main train station. This took about 3 hours and left almost immediately.  [January 2009]

	The Hekou to Kunming train passing through the mountains of Yunnan Province.  Photo courtesy of Jan Bockaert.

Kunming to Hanoi train back in action...

There used to be a twice-weekly metre-gauge sleeper train from Kunming in China to Hanoi, but in 2002 floods and landslides damaged the Chinese part of the line and the train was discontinued.  However, a brand new standard-gauge Kunming-Hekou railway line has finally been completed and as of December 2014 trains are once more running between Kunming and the border town of Hekou.  It's now possible once again to travel between Kunming and Hanoi by train, safely, comfortably and affordably, albeit using a Chinese train from Kunming to the Chinese border town of Hekou, then a taxi a few km to the border post, walking across the border and on to Lao Cai station in Vietnam for a Vietnamese sleeper train to Hanoi.  Here's how...

Kunming ► Hanoi

• Step 1, travel from Kunming to Hekou North (= Hekoubei) by train.  There are several trains a day, for example the K9832 leaving Kunming at 09:29 arriving Hekou North at 15:53, and the K9822 leaving Kunming at 16:00 and arriving Hekou North at 21:44.   The fare is 70.5 RMB ($11) for a regular hard seat (comfortable enough) or RMB 182 ($30) with a seat in a soft sleeper.  There's even an overnight train with hard sleepers, departing 22:48 arriving 06:07.  You can check times & fares (and if you don't mind a few dollars booking fee, buy tickets) at www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains.

• Step 2, transfer from Hekou North station in China to Lai Cai station in Vietnam:  Either take a bus the several kilometres from Hekou North station to the Hekou border point for RMB 2, journey time 10-15 minutes, or take a taxi for around RMB 10-15, there will be plenty of taxis waiting at the station.  Walk across the border to the Vietnamese side (border controls can take up to an hour) then walk another 25 minutes or take a 5-minute taxi ride into Lao Cai, just 2.5km (1.5 miles) from the border post.  There are hotels in both Hekou and Lao Cai if you need them.

  You may want to visit the pleasant hill station at Sapa for a day or two before going on to Hanoi, Sapa is just 40km from Lao Cai by taxi, bus or minibus, see details here.

• Step 3, travel from Lao Cai to Hanoi by overnight sleeper train, see the train times & fares above. There are several sleeper trains every night, some with cheap DSVN (Vietnamese Railways) soft & hard sleepers and others with a variety of comfortable privately-run soft sleeping-cars with 2 & 4-berth compartments aimed at tourists.

• If you use this route using the new trains, feedback & any photos would be much appreciated...

Hanoi ► Kunming

• Step 1, travel from Hanoi to Lao Cai by overnight sleeper train, see the train times & fares above.  There are cheap DSVN (Vietnamese Railways) soft & hard sleepers and a variety of comfortable privately-run soft sleeping-cars with 2 & 4-berth compartments aimed at tourists.  You may want visit the pleasant hill station of Sapa for a day or two before going on into China, Sapa is 40km from Lai Cai by taxi, bus or minibus.

• Step 2, transfer from Lao Cai station to Hekou.  Lao Cai is just 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the Chinese border.  You can walk (25 minutes) or take a taxi (5 minutes) from Lai Cai station to the border post and walk across into Hekou on the Chinese side.  Passing through both sets of customs takes about an hour.  In Hekou, the Hekou North (=Hekoubei) station is a few kilometres away.  You take a taxi for around RMB 10-15.

• Step 3, travel from Hekou to Kunming by train.  There are several trains a day, for example you should easily make the K9694 leaving Hekou North station (= Hekoubei) at 16:16 arriving Kunming at 22:29.  The fare is 70.5 RMB ($11) for a regular hard seat (comfortable enough) or RMB 182 ($30) with a seat in a soft sleeper.  There's even a sleeper train to Kunming with hard sleepers, leaving Hekoubei at 23:20.  You can check times & fares (and if you don't mind a few dollars booking fee, buy tickets) at www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains.

• If you use this route using the new trains, feedback & any photos would be much appreciated...

What's the journey like?

For photos of the Hanoi to Lao Cai trains, see the section above.  Photos below courtesy of Jan Bockaert.

Hekou North station...		Boarding the train to Kunming...

Hard class seats...		Mountains seen from the Hekou-Kunming train...

Traveller's reports...

• Traveller Jan Bockaert travelled from Hanoi to Kunming by train in December 2014:  "Two days ago, I took the train from Hanoi to Kunming in China over the new line from Hekoubei to Kunming. The trip went exactly as described on your site. 

  Lonely Planet has some warnings about the border crossing from Lao Cai to Hekou. But it went butter smooth, very friendly and professional at both sides of the border. It took me about half an hour, an hour and a half if you factor in the time difference between China and Vietnam.

  Hekou North [Hekoubei] station is quite far from the city centre, in the middle of nowhere. You can get a taxi from the border post to the station for 20 yuan, but the first driver I took asked 40. (about 5 euro) None of the drivers wanted to use the meter.

  The station building isn’t finished yet. You can’t leave your luggage yet, and there is no shop in the station, although there was a small stand in front of the station. Part of the station crew was also still in training. The ticket office was open from 5:30 till 6:20 from 9:00 till 11:00 and from 14:30 till 16:30. The woman selling me the ticket spoke decent English.

  I booked a hard seat at around 10 in the morning, and by the time we left, the compartment was fully booked. Most of the wagons seemed to be sleepers however.

  The first part of the line goes (literally) trough some very spectacular mountains, i guess the first hour or so, about 80 percent of the trip went trough tunnels. The view on the other 20 percent of the line is very nice. Once you are out of the mountains, it gets dark quickly.

  I had to wait almost 8 hours in between getting of the train in Lao Cai and getting on the train in Hekou, but both Lao Cai and Hekou are big enough cities to keep you busy with changing money, buying a Chinese sim card etc. I had a very relaxed day."

	Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, Hanoi...

Europe to Vietnam by Trans-Siberian Railway...

If you have the time, meaning about two weeks, you can reach Vietnam by train all the way from London. 

• Step 1:  London to Moscow by train.  Daily departures, 2 nights, from about £275 one-way with sleeper.

• Step 2:  Moscow to Beijing by Trans-Siberian Railway  Two trains a week, 6 nights, from about £450 one-way in 4-bed sleeper.

• Step 3:  Beijing to Hanoi by train Two trains a week, 2 nights, about £200. see above.

There is no one agency who can arrange all the stages of a trip like this, so you will need to plan it and arrange each leg yourself - a small exercise in project management..!  Just follow the advice on each seat61 page to buy tickets for each part of the journey.  Where do you start?  Read through the seat61 pages linked above, then sketch out your itinerary using a simple spreadsheet like this.

Lonely Planets or Rough Guides...

Paying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  The best guidebooks for independent travel are the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.  You won't regret buying one of these guides!

Buy at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com...

Alternatively, you can download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

Hotels in Saigon, Hanoi, Hue or elsewhere in Vietnam...

You might also want to check Tripadvisor's recommendations:  Tripadvisor Vietnam hotels.

Personal recommendation in Saigon:  Continental Hotel, Saigon...

The famous and historic Continental Hotel is one of my favourite hotels worldwide, not merely a place to stay but a Saigon landmark since 1880.  Indeed, the Continental is the backdrop for much of the action in Graham Greene's novel 'The Quiet American', set in Saigon during the Franco-Vietnamese war.  If it's in your price range or if you can stretch your budget, the Continental is superbly located, right next to the Opera House in the centre of Saigon and a stone's throw from Saigon's distinctive town hall, post office and cathedral.  It's quiet, understated, clean and comfortable with high ceilings, marble floors and wood panelling, and not a corporate clone like so many chain hotels.  The breakfast buffet is good, and it has a pleasant central courtyard and bar if you prefer to eat or enjoy a beer al fresco.  There's free WiFi, too.  A double room costs around $140 (£88) per night.  Tripadvisor reviews.  Nearby, the famous Rex Hotel was where many American officers stayed during the Vietnam war.  If you prefer something more glitzy and glamorous, try the impressive Majestic Hotel, a mere parvenu dating from 1925 with many art nouveau features, located across the road from the Mekong river.

The Continental Hotel, a Saigon landmark since 1880, next to the Opera House with simple, spacious rooms...

Recommendations in Hanoi:  Budget:  Hanoi Trendy Hotel.  Top end:  Sofitel Metropole

A little budget gem, the Hanoi Trendy Hotel & Spa (formerly the Hanoi Art Hotel) may not be historic or grand, but it's an excellent low-cost choice from $45 a night for a room with toilet & shower, tea & coffee making facilities, free WiFi, safe, free mineral water, a great breakfast, and great staff at reception who really put themselves out to help you.  It's well located in central Hanoi, a short walk from the War Remnants Museum, a 10-15 minute taxi ride from Hanoi's main station.  Of course, at the luxury end of the scale we have Hanoi's most venerable and upmarket hotel, the luxurious and expensive Sofitel Metropole, which comes complete with outdoor swimming pool and lido bar.

A room at the inexpensive Hanoi Trendy Hotel.		The Sofitel Metropole.  Note the vintage Citroen!

Recommendations in Hué:  Budget Than Thien Hotel, top end La Residence Hotel & Spa.

At the top end, look no further than La Residence Hotel & Spa, located in the former French governor's residence on the banks of the Perfume River.  For the budget-conscious, try the equally central Than Thien Hotel.  Both get great reviews.

Recommendation in Sapa:  Victoria Hotel...

The best hotel in Sapa, which even runs its own train from Hanoi, see the section here.  You'll find a real log fire burning in the lobby and restaurant, and they do an excellent breakfast buffet.  The hotel features an indoor swimming pool and adjacent spa, too.  If your budget can stretch, this is the place to stay!

Overland travel by train & bus around Vietnam is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground!  But if a long-haul flight is unavoidable to reach Vietnam in the first place, check Opodo and also try the Skyscanner search tool to compare flight prices & routes worldwide across 600 airlines...

1)  Check flight prices at Opodo, www.opodo.com...

2)  Use Skyscanner to compare flight prices & routes worldwide across 600 airlines...

3)  Lounge passes...

Make the airport experience a little more bearable with a VIP lounge pass, it's not as expensive as you think!  See www.loungepass.com

Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy myself.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, try Columbus Direct or use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!