Vietnam Train: Tickets, Routes, Prices And Departure Time 2025

A complete guide to training travel in Vietnam, with train times, fares & how to buy tickets for trains between Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City or HCMC), Nha Trang, Danang, Hue, Hanoi, also Hanoi-Lao Cai (for Sapa & Kunming) and trains Hanoi to Hong Kong, Hanoi to Beijing, Hanoi to Kunming. Saigon to Hanoi by Reunification Express!

Table of Contents

Why Vietnam trains are the best way to go

Vietnam’s air-conditioned trains are the ideal way for independent travellers to get around Vietnam.

You might even meet some Vietnamese people. Inexperienced travellers sometimes think they’ll save time by using internal flights, but an overnight train ride from Hanoi to Hue or Danang actually saves time over flying, because the train leaves Hanoi in the evening and arrives in Hue the next morning, the city centre to city centre, saving a hotel bill too.

But it’s more than this, the train journey is a genuine Vietnamese experience, an integral part of your trip.

Air-conditioned trains link Hanoi, Hue, Danang, Nha Trang, and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Hoi An is just 30km by bus or taxi from Danang. There are also trains from Hanoi to Haiphong (for Halong Bay) and Hanoi to Lao Cai (for Sapa).

The view from the train

Rice fields, palm trees, water buffalo, Vietnamese towns and villages… You get a real insight into Vietnam when you travel by train, both urban and rural, which you don’t get from 35,000 feet.

And if you’re good at people-watching you’ll get insights on board the train, too – the real Vietnam is as much inside as outside the train.

The most magical part of a Hanoi to Saigon train journey is the world-class scenic section between Hue and Danang. The train runs along the South China Sea, snaking from cliff to jungle-covered cliff past beaches and islands, then heads through the lush green mountains via the Hai Van Pass to reach Danang.

In Vietnamese, it’s “Đèo Hải Vân” meaning ‘Ocean Cloud Pass ‘, and I can’t think of a better name. In the bright Vietnamese sun, the vivid blue skies, green waters and yellow beaches will take your breath away…

Vietnam Train: Tickets, Routes, Prices and Departure time.

VIETNAM TRAIN TICKET

E1 Express Train (31 hours) dept. 23:00

Station	Distance in km	Soft seat with A/C	Apartment for Hard Sleeper with A/C			Soft sleeper with A/C	Arrival Time
Station	Distance in km	Soft seat with A/C	Lowest	Middle	Top	Soft sleeper with A/C	Arrival Time
Vinh	319	9	14	12	11	20	0359
Hue	688	21	29	27	23	32	1018
Da Nang	791	19	32	30	28	39	1247
Nha Trang	1,315	32	54	52	50	62	2156
Sai Gon (HCMC)	1,726	48	66	60	54	73	0500

S1 Express Train (33 hours) dept. 1900

Station	Distance in km	Soft seat with A/C	Apartment for Hard Sleeper with A/C			Soft sleeper with A/C	Arrival Time
Station	Distance in km	Soft seat with A/C	Lowest	Middle	Top	Soft sleeper with A/C	Arrival Time
Vinh	319	8	11	10	8	22	0034
Hue	688	17	23	21	18	36	0750
Da Nang	791	18	27	24	20	40	1032
Nha Trang	1,315	37	46	42	36	61	1955
Sai Gon(HCMC)	1,726	47	59	57	55	68	0400

S9 Fast Train (40 hours) dept. 1950

Station	Distance in km	Soft seat with A/C	Apartment for Hard Sleeper with A/C			Soft sleeper with A/C	Arrival Time
Station	Distance in km	Soft seat with A/C	Lowest	Middle	Top	Soft sleeper with A/C	Arrival Time
Vinh	319	6	9	8	7	21	0205
Hue	688	13	19	17	15	34	1057
Da Nang	791	15	22	19	17	38	1454
Nha Trang	1,315	28	40	36	30	59	0130
Sai Gon(HCMC)	1,726	42	54	51	48	64	1020

Note: The train prices from Saigon to Hanoi are quite similar to those from Hanoi to Saigon.

Vietnam Train: Tickets, Routes, Prices and Departure time

HANOI – LAO CAI TRAIN INFORMATION: TRAIN FARE

Class	Seating	Fare (USD)
Royal	Royal AC soft sleeper – 4 berths	22
Friendly	Royal AC soft sleeper – 4 berths	22
Tulico	VIP class – 2 berths (only 1 VIP available)	41
	First class with wooden cabin- 4 berths	25
	Second class cabin – 4 berths	21

TRAIN SCHEDULE

	Departure		Destination		Seating
	Station	Dep time	Station	Arr time	Seating
SP1 / Royal	Hanoi	2130	Lao Cai	0600	SP1 – AC Soft sleeper – 4 berths
					SP1 – AC Hard sleeper- 6 berths
					Royal – AC soft sleeper – 4 berths
LC1	Hanoi	2200	Lao Cai	0700	LC1 – AC Soft sleeper – 4 berths
LC1	Hanoi	2200	Lao Cai	0700	LC1 – AC Hard sleeper- 6 berths
LC3	Hanoi	0615	Lao Cai	0310	LC3 – Soft sleeper only
LC5 / Tulico & Friendly	Hanoi	2200	Lao Cai	0630	LC5 – AC Soft sleeper – 4 berths
					LC5 – AC Hard sleeper- 6 berths
					Tulico – VIP class – 2 berths
					Tulico – First class
					Tulico – Second class
SP2 / Royal	Lao Cai	2050	Hanoi	0500
LC2	Lao Cai	1900	Hanoi	0400
LC4	Lao Cai	1020	Hanoi	0810
LC6/ Tulico & Friend	Lao Cai	2115	Hanoi	0600

NOTE ON THE TRAIN

We recommend a soft sleeper at Tulico train or Royal train for faster and cleaner.
We only can buy the return tickets from Hanoi for the Tulico Royal train. For other normal trains, you need to buy the return ticket when you are in Lao Cai or Sapa by yourself or request the hotel to buy it for you (a soft sleeper is not sure if you buy on short notice).
Train tickets are non-booking, and if returned 10% fare will be charged.
Child fare: under 5 years old: free of charge if sharing a bed with parent; from 5 up to adult rate