Traveling by train is an excellent way to explore Vietnam. For tourists want to enjoy the beauty of natural landscapes and get an authentic experiences with local sites, the best way is to take train or Vietnam Railways system.
The north to south railway line is known as the Reunification Express and is an excellent way to see the countryside, not least because the ride is much less jarring than road travel on highway 1. The train system is slowly being modernised with technological advances and more comfortable for long trips, and there is one private company that does a sleeper run from Ho Chi Minh city to Phan Thiet and Nha Trang are called “Golden train”. It is a bit more expensive but more modern and comfortable than the normal train.
Various Ticket classes include hard-seat and soft-seat, hard-berth and soft-berth compartments for overnight trips. Main train route have dining cars and snack carts that roam the aisles but bring your own food if you don’t care for basic Vietnamese fare. Trains usually leave on schedule but allow some time for delays.
Estimated time (train ride also depends on different train numbers)
| From | To | Duration | Cost for soft sleeper |
| Hanoi | Sapa | 8 hrs | 24$ |
| Hue | 13 hrs | 47$ | |
| Da Nang | 15 hrs | 53$ | |
| Nha Trang | 25 hrs | 74$ | |
| HCMC | 33 hrs | 84$ | |
| HCMC | Phan Thiet | 4.5 hrs | 20$ (soft seat) |
| Nha Trang | 8 hrs | 40$ | |
| Da Nang | 18 hrs | 65$ | |
| Hue | 21 hrs | 74$ | |
| Hanoi | 33 hrs | 84$ |
TRAIN SCHEDULE FROM HANOI TO SAIGON
You can find useful information for the trains SE1, SE3, SE5, SE7, SE9 and NA1
(Validity from 15th May 2018)
| Train No | SE1 | SE3 | SE5 | SE7 | SE9 | NA1 |
| (31h25′) | (33h15′) | (33h38′) | (34h10′) | (36h17′) | (06h55′) | |
| Hanoi (departure) | 22.20 | 19.30 | 09.00 | 06.00 | 14.30 | 22.45 |
| Giap Bat | 14.42 14.45 | |||||
| Phu Ly | 23.22 23.25 | 20.34 20.37 | 10.04 10.07 | 07.03 07.06 | 15.46 15.49 | |
| Nam Dinh | 23.56 23.59 | 21.10 21.13 | 10.42 10.45 | 07.39 07.42 | 16.24 16.27 | 00.22 00.25 |
| Ninh Binh | 21.44 21.47 | 11.17 11.20 | 08.49 08.17 | 17.13 17.16 | ||
| Bim Son | 11.52 11.55 | 17.48 17.51 | ||||
| Thanh Hoa | 01.25 01.31 | 22.52 22.55 | 12.31 12.36 | 09.25 09.28 | 18.27 18.30 | 02.51 02.54 |
| Cho Sy | 14.18 14.21 | 11.19 11.22 | 20.12 20.15 | 04.38 04.41 | ||
| Vinh | 03.42 03.56 | 01.16 01.23 | 15.00 15.07 | 12.00 12.09 | 20.55 21.02 | 05.20 |
| Yen Trung | 04.19 04.22 | 15.30 15.33 | 12.43 12.46 | 21.26 21.29 | ||
| Huong Pho | 05.16 05.19 | 16.27 16.30 | 13.40 13.42 | 22.38 22.41 | ||
| Dong Le | 03.40 03.43 | 17.31 17.34 | 14.43 14.45 | 23.43 23.46 | ||
| Dong Hoi | 07.49 08.04 | 05.20 05.35 | 19.15 19.30 | 16.22 16.34 | 01.21 01.36 | |
| Dong Ha | 09.39 09.42 | 07.15 07.18 | 21.08 21.11 | 18.32 18.35 | 03.25 03.28 | |
| Hue | 10.52 10.59 | 08.30 08.37 | 22.21 22.28 | 19.46 19.51 | 04.39 04.55 | |
| Lang Co | ||||||
| Da Nang | 13.26 13.41 | 11.08 11.23 | 01.06 01.21 | 22.21 22.36 | 07.35 07.50 | |
| Tam Ky | 14.53 14.56 | 13.14 13.17 | 00.01 00.04 | 09.08 09.11 | ||
| Quang Ngai | 15.56 16.01 | 14.22 14.27 | 03.51 03.56 | 01.29 01.32 | 10.30 10.35 | |
| Dieu Tri | 18.36 18.51 | 17.16 17.31 | 06.42 07.00 | 04.17 04.32 | 13.44 13.56 | |
| Tuy Hoa | 20.26 20.29 | 19.09 19.12 | 08.47 08.50 | 06.15 06.18 | 15.31 15.40 | |
| Nha Trang | 22.19 22.26 | 21.05 21.12 | 10.44 10.51 | 08.24 08.39 | 18.04 18.19 | |
| Thap Cham | 22.43 22.46 | 12.40 12.43 | 10.10 10.13 | 20.07 20.10 | ||
| Binh Thuan | 02.32 02.37 | 01.08 01.13 | 15.07 15.12 | 12.28 12.33 | 22.26 22.32 | |
| Bien Hoa | 05.04 05.07 | 03.57 04.00 | 17.54 17.57 | 15.19 15.25 | 01.55 02.00 | |
| Saigon (arrival) | 05.45 | 04.45 | 18.38 | 16.10 | 02.47 |
(red= arrival time; black = departure time)
Train schedule from Saigon to Hanoi
You can find useful information for the trains SE2, SE4, SE6, SE8, SE10 and NA2.
(Validity from 15th May 2018)
| Train No | SE2 | SE4 | SE6 | SE8 | SE10 | NA2 |
| (31h35′) | (33h05′) | (34h12′) | (33h30′) | (37h15′) | (06h34′) | |
| Saigon (departure) | 21.55 | 19.45 | 09.00 | 06.00 | 14.40 | |
| Bien Hoa | 22.31 22.34 | 20.29 20.32 | 09.39 09.42 | 06.41 06.44 | 15.22 15.28 | |
| Binh Thuan | 01.05 01.10 | 23.15 23.20 | 12.25 12.30 | 09.28 09.31 | 18.37 18.42 | |
| Thap Cham | 03.16 03.19 | 14.42 14.45 | 11.45 11.48 | 21.21 21.24 | ||
| Nha Trang | 04.47 04.54 | 03.14 03.21 | 16.16 16.23 | 13.18 13.33 | 23.44 23.51 | |
| Tuy Hoa | 06.48 06.51 | 05.18 06.56 | 18.34 18.37 | 15.34 15.37 | 01.54 01.57 | |
| Dieu Tri | 08.26 08.41 | 06.56 07.11 | 20.43 20.58 | 17.12 17.27 | 03.33 03.48 | |
| Quang Ngai | 11.17 11.22 | 09.59 10.04 | 23.42 23.47 | 20.21 20.24 | 07.00 07.03 | |
| Tam Ky | 12.24 12.27 | 11.08 11.11 | 21.28 21.31 | 08.12 08.15 | ||
| Da Nang | 13.38 13.53 | 12.30 12.45 | 02.08 03.23 | 22.49 23.04 | 09.48 10.03 | |
| Lang Co | ||||||
| Hue | 16.19 16.26 | 15.26 15.31 | 04.52 05.00 | 01.34 01.39 | 12.58 13.05 | |
| Dong Ha | 17.38 17.41 | 16.43 16.46 | 06.14 06.17 | 02.53 02.56 | 14.19 14.22 | |
| Dong Hoi | 19.20 19.40 | 18.28 18.40 | 08.27 08.42 | 04.43 04.55 | 16.04 16.25 | |
| Dong Le | 21.13 21.16 | 20.15 20.18 | 10.16 10.18 | 06.52 06.55 | 18.06 18.09 | |
| Huong Pho | 22.16 22.19 | 21.20 21.22 | 11.20 11.22 | 07.57 08.00 | 19.11 19.14 | |
| Yen Trung | 22.16 22.19 | 12.16 12.19 | 08.54 08.57 | 20.08 20.11 | ||
| Vinh | 23.35 23.42 | 22.42 22.47 | 12.44 12.51 | 09.21 09.28 | 20.34 20.58 | 22.05 |
| Cho Sy | 13.32 13.35 | 10.09 10.11 | 21.38 21.41 | 22.45 22.48 | ||
| Thanh Hoa | 02.14 02.17 | 01.17 01.28 | 15.30 15.35 | 11.53 11.56 | 00.05 00.11 | |
| Bim Son | 16.13 16.16 | |||||
| Ninh Binh | 03.17 03.20 | 16.48 16.51 | 13.09 13.12 | |||
| Nam Dinh | 03.49 03.52 | 03.04 03.07 | 17.22 17.27 | 13.44 13.47 | 02.13 02.16 | |
| Phu Ly | 04.23 04.26 | 03.41 03.44 | 18.01 18.04 | 14.21 14.24 | ||
| Hanoi (arrival) | 05.30 | 04.50 | 19.12 | 15.30 | 03.55 | 05.10 |
(red= arrival time; black = departure time)
TRAIN SCHEDULE FROM HANOI TO LAO CAI (SAPA)
(Validity from 11th June 2015)
| Stations: | Distance (km) | Train SP1 | Train SP3 | Train SP7 | Train LC3 |
| Hanoi (dep.) | 0 | 21.40 | 22.00 | 20.17 | 06.10 |
| Gia Lam | 5 | 21.55 – 21:58 | 22.15 – 22.18 | 20.32 – 20.38 | 06.25 – 06.28 |
| Yen Vien | 11 | 22.29 – 23.31 | 06.39 – 06.42 | ||
| Dong Anh | 21 | 22.50 – 22.53 | 07.11 – 07.14 | ||
| Phuc Yen | 39 | 21.24 – 21.27 | 07.36 – 07.39 | ||
| Vinh Yen | 54 | 22.59 – 23.02 | 07.57 – 08.00 | ||
| Viet Tri | 73 | 22.06 – 22.09 | 08.24 – 08.26 | ||
| Phu Duc | 82 | 22.25 – 22.28 | 08.42 – 08.44 | ||
| Phu Tho | 99 | 22.55 – 22.58 | 09.16 – 09.19 | ||
| Yen Bai | 155 | 01.15 – 01.30 | 02.05 – 02.12 | 00.13 – 00.20 | 10.44 – 10.59 |
| Mau A | 186 | 03.00 – 03.03 | 11.57 – 12.00 | ||
| Trai Hut | 202 | 02.41 – 02.44 | 12.26 – 12.29 | ||
| Lang Khay | 219 | 02.11 – 02.14 | 13.05 – 13.07 | ||
| Bao Ha | 237 | 03.37 – 03.40 | 04.19 – 04.22 | 02.43 – 02.46 | 13.41 – 13.44 |
| Pho Lu | 262 | 04.21 – 04.26 | 05:03 – 05:07 | 03.27 – 03.32 | 14.49 – 14.52 |
| Lao Cai (arr.) | 294 | 05.35 | 06.10 | 04.35 | 16.00 |
(red= arrival time; black = departure time)
TRAIN SCHEDULE FROM LAO CAI (SAPA) TO HANOI
(Validity from 11th June 2015)
| Stations: | Distance (km) | Train SP2 | Train SP4 | Train SP8 | Train LC4 |
| Lao Cai (dep.) | 0 | 20.35 | 21.05 | 13.15 | 09.50 |
| Pho Lu | 32 | 21.31 – 21.34 | 22.05 – 22.08 | 14.15 – 14.18 | 10.55 – 10.58 |
| Bao Ha | 57 | 22.13 – 22.16 | 22.49 – 22.52 | 14.59 – 15.02 | 11.44 – 11.47 |
| Lang Khay | 75 | 23.21 – 23.23 | 12.21 – 12.23 | ||
| Trai Hut | 92 | 23.50 – 23.53 | 13.02 – 13.05 | ||
| Mau A | 108 | 23.32 – 23.34 | 13.31 – 13.34 | ||
| Yen Bai | 139 | 00.21 – 00.36 | 01.04 – 01.18 | 17.03 – 17.10 | 14.32 – 14.47 |
| Viet Tri | 221 | 03.11 – 03.14 | 17.09 – 17.12 | ||
| Vinh Yen | 240 | 03.38 – 03.41 | 19.24 – 19.27 | 17.36 – 17.39 | |
| Phuc Yen | 255 | 03.29 – 03.31 | 17.58 – 18.01 | ||
| Dong Anh | 273 | 03.55 – 03.58 | 18.23 – 18.26 | ||
| Yen Vien | 283 | 04.34 – 04.37 | 18.46 – 18.49 | ||
| Gia Lam | 289 | 04.27 – 04.30 | 04.49 – 04.54 | 20.29 – 20.35 | 19.01 – 19.05 |
| Hanoi (arr.) | 294 | 04.45 | 05.09 | 20.50 | 19.20 |
(red= arrival time; black = departure time)