Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City: How to Travel Vietnam by Train

Visiting Vietnam? While flights within the country are very inexpensive, consider going from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City by train! Here’s how we did it.

We love train travel, and couldn’t wait to try it out during our visit to Vietnam. Our plan to go by train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City came together with surprising ease, allowing for multiple stops in several cities. This was a great way for first-timers to get an in-depth look at a fascinating and welcoming country.

It’s true domestic flights within Vietnam are relatively inexpensive and quick, but there is much more to see between the two main cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon).

If you’re going to visit Vietnam, we highly recommend you consider going from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (or the train from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi) by train. Breaking up our journey into multiple stops created so many opportunities to get beyond the “often-seen” into a more realistic glimpse of day-to-day life.

We think Vietnam train travel is the best way to get from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, provided you have the time. This Vietnam travel blog post will show you how easy and exciting it is.

How to Find Info on Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh Train Routes and Ticketing

Our first and main go-to resource for anything to do with train travel anywhere in the world is The Man in Seat 61, whose section about Vietnam is highly comprehensive. The information on this site includes timetables for travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh (and Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi train schedules) along with recommendations which validated our instincts in wanting to slow down and see the country. The distance from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City by train runs the length of the nation.

Going straight through by train Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh is popular, but we didn’t want to overnight on the train. You may also get information and updated timetables at Tong Cong Ty Duong Sat Viet Nam (DSVN) but not every part of this website converts in English (just choose the little Union Jack icon in the upper right corner when you navigate to an interior page, if you can). Booking booking train travel in Vietnam on the DSVN site is impossible for Westerners who do not have a Vietnamese-issued credit card.

While The Man in Seat 61 is our first informational resource, we used the Vietnam Railways System site to buy Vietnam train tickets online for the individual stops from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Please note that this is not the “official” government site, but rather a booking agency. You will get double confirmations: one for receipt of your booking, and one for receipt of your payment. Printed copies can be shown to personnel to confirm your carriage and seat.

Types of Vietnam Trains on the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh Route

Trains in Vietnam are coded, and it’s helpful to know what you’ll be getting on a certain timetable. There are several types of Vietnam trains. We booked SE trains, which are billed as a bit more modern and faster. Still, the condition of our Vietnam trains and the seat-side amenities varied. We would have described none as new, although Seat 61 has indicated certain refurbishments are occurring.

The SE 1 and 3 trains supposedly make fewer stops than SE 5 and 7. Air temperature was relatively comfortable on each of the Vietnam trains we took, and food and other refreshments were served at your seat and/or in a restaurant car. The same options are available on the Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi train.

TN class trains stop at all stops and not all are air-conditioned. This will add a lot of time to your itinerary, and you’ll be in an older carriage.

Types of Seats on Vietnam Trains Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

Pay attention to the types of seats offered: hard seat = nothing more than a wooden bench, Vietnam train soft seat = individual cushioned seats, hard sleeper = 6 berths per compartment, soft sleeper = 4 berths per compartment.

For the longer distances, many travelers prefer to book night trains, thereby saving the cost of hotels. We’ve traveled on night trains by private compartment, which is arguably a bit more comfortable, and still our sleep suffered. Knowing this led to our decision to make day trips only.

Vietnam Train Prices Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

We were booking trips of one-day’s travel duration, two individual soft seats.

The Hanoi to Hue train was a very long day. We left the Hanoi train station at 9:00 am and arrived in Hue almost 14 hours later. With instructions provided by our hotel, we easily grabbed a taxi at the Hue station and were delivered to our hotel in about 15 minutes. While we generally try to avoid night arrivals, this couldn’t be helped and worked out fine. Cost per ticket: $45USD.

Hue – Dieu Tri (for Quy Nhon) – This was an 8-1/2 hour trip (8:56-17:26), with a ride from our Quy Nhon hotel awaiting us in the Dieu Tri station lobby. Cost per ticket: $35USD

Dieu Tri – Nha Trang – An easy-peasy 3 hour and 40-minute ride. Our Nha Trang hotel was five minutes by taxi from the train station. Cost per ticket: $27USD

Nha Trang – Saigon – Our 7-1/2 hour journey began at 8:35am, and arrival time was 4:05pm. Cost per ticket: $30USD

For traveling from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City with multiple stops, our total cost for two including taxes and fees: $284.96USD (for two people).

Experience On Vietnam Railways

Amenities varied even in the SE class of Vietnam trains. On all there was food for sale with delivery via cart, including a hot meal comprised of rice and meat or fish sauce, instant noodle packets and snacks such as sesame rice cakes, Pringles (boy, do the Vietnamese love their Pringles), local sweets. Bottled water, soda, hot coffee (beware, it’s the Vietnamese sweet coffee flavored with condensed milk, you’ll either love it or hate it) and tea are the beverage options.

The larger stations usually have a variety of food vendors, and many passengers carry their own food aboard, which we did. At least one stop allowed vendors on the train to sell food. They disembarked at the next stop, presumably to travel in reverse upon the opposite way’s arrival.

Overhead shelving on Vietnam railways is inconsistently sized, so you may or may not fit larger suitcases above you. There may or may not be luggage racks near the carriage entrances. In one case, we were able to stow large suitcases in an alcove; in another, they fit behind the last row of seats. We were grateful when there was sufficient room and a helping hand to give us a lift into the overhead.

If you’re traveling with larger luggage, be ready to be flexible. Your fellow passengers will be traveling with a variety of baggage: we saw wrapped boxes, shopping bags, electronics and bulk foods, and even a bird in a large cage.

 

While Vietnam Railways launched a pilot onboard wifi program a couple years ago, we saw no evidence of it. Instead, we made good use of strong cellular signals and tethered other devices to our iPhones as necessary. There were electrical outlets nearby our seats on a couple of Vietnam trains, on others there were none to be found. Be prepared and power up your portable charging devices prior to boarding in order to ensure the use of your phone, tablet or laptop.

Train Travel in Vietnam Tips

Don’t be afraid to book a Vietnam train trip on your own. Booking train travel in Vietnam was easy. Vietnam train tickets for the entire length of the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City route become available 60 days in advance. Individual legs open at various times within the 60-day window. Sites like the Vietnam Railways System booking agency we used will let you buy Vietnam train tickets online. They will take your information and deliver your Vietnam rail tickets in person.

Likewise, don’t be afraid to email your accommodations to ask for information on transferring from the train station to hotel. At the very least, they will provide detailed information you can show to a taxi. Many will send a driver who will be waiting for you upon arrival. (It’s always fun to disembark and see somebody who has your name on a sign!) in person or via email once confirmations are acquired.

Our trip on the Hanoi to Saigon train ranks as one of the most memorable journeys in all our travels. We had a very poignant, life-changing encounter with a group of fellow passengers on one leg of the journey which we wrote about here: Reunification Express Train. Next time, we’d break up the itinerary into even smaller segments to stay in lesser-visited cities. While we are very happy with the segments we chose, now that we know the ropes we’re ready for an even deeper immersion.

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Tips for Trip Success

Book Your Flight
Find an inexpensive flight by using Kayak, a favorite of ours because it regularly returns less expensive flight options from a variety of airlines.

Book Your Hotel or Special Accommodation
We are big fans of Booking.com. We like their review system and photos. If we want to see more reviews and additional booking options, we go to Expedia.

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