If you are in Hanoi, and are looking to travel south toward Ho Chi Minh, then you might be thinking about breaking up the journey with a stop off midway in Danang (Da Nang). If so, then one of the best ways to make the journey is on the train. I chose to catch the Hanoi to Danang Train recently, and here is the review of my experience, and why I think train is the best way to travel around Vietnam.
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Table of Contents
- Is it worth taking the train in Vietnam?
- How to book train tickets in Vietnam
- How much is the train from Hanoi to Danang?
- Hanoi Train Station – What to expect
- Hanoi to Danang Train review
- Catching the train in Vietnam hints and tips
- Summary
Is it worth taking the train in Vietnam?
Let’s start with this simple question. Is it worth taking the train in Vietnam?
Yes it is. The trains in Vietnam are generally clean and reliable, and are a lot better option than taking other modes of transport for long distances. They are air conditioned, provide different levels of comfort, and allow you to see some beautiful scenery along the way.
Flights around Vietnam, while cheap, are a lot more expensive than catching the train, especially after you factor in Luggage allowances and transfers to and from airports. Unless you are short on time, I would not choose taking planes around Vietnam.
DO NOT CATCH THE BUS! I cannot overstate that enough.
But let me clarify.
For short distances, for example the 5-6 hour Hanoi to Sapa, or 2-3 hour Hanoi to Ninh Binh trip, the bus is ok. This is because you leave early and are at your destination around lunchtime. However – if you are thinking of catching a bus overnight, or on a long distance trip, please don’t do it.
The buses are dangerous. There is no other way to say it without using expletives. Only recently (as of writing this article) a sleeper bus collided with a truck and many tourists were killed. At night time, the driving is reckless and drivers become crazy. Add to that the seats/beds are small, uncomfortable and never cleaned. Just stay away from them whenever possible.
In contrast, even though some of the trains can be old and a bit dodgy, at least they are safe. You can actually get some sleep without someone blasting a horn the entire distance, or being thrown around in your bed all night, fearing for your life.
Trains in Vietnam also offer different levels of comfort. You can sit in a soft seat (there are hard seats too, but don’t even consider them) which are very comfortable. Or you can opt for a sleeper berth, which can be nice, depending upon which train you are on. I will touch more on that later.
I would catch the train over other modes of transport in Vietnam every chance I get. They aren’t perfect, but they are better than the bus.
How to book train tickets in Vietnam
Booking train tickets in Vietnam is easy. There are several booking sites you can use, but personally I always use 12go Asia. This is exactly how I booked my Hanoi to Danang train, and I’ve continued to use it all throughout Vietnam.
To use the website, all you have to do in input your journey plans (Hanoi to Danang) and the date you wish to travel before clicking search. The site will give you all the options available to you for that journey.
Now, because 12go Asia will search for all trips, you just want to filter it to trains. Ignore the flights and buses.
Then, search for the train that is the best fit for you. You should take into account how easily you can sleep when traveling, and what time you wish to leave Hanoi and arrive in Danang.
The Hanoi to Danang Train journey takes 15 to 16 hours. You can opt to leave late at night, arriving around lunchtime, or a train leaving Hanoi earlier in the day will have an early morning arrival in Danang.
Personally, I opted to leave around 7pm and arrived just before lunch in Danang. This gave us another full day in Hanoi, and Hanoi Train Station has excellent luggage storage facilities. Check them out in THIS article.
The 12go Asia website also has a good selection of reviews to help you make your choice. Most of the reviews for trains in Vietnam are pretty bad, but honestly, if you read the reviews about the buses, they are much worse! I found that a 3.5 to 4 score out of 5 is a VERY GOOD result.
Once you select your options, the payment is swift and easy. You will be sent an electronic ticket with a barcode that you just use to scan at the train station in order to access the platform and board the train.
You don’t need to print your train ticket to catch the train in Vietnam. Your electronic copy has a barcode and you can use that to scan at the station. You will then show the same copy to staff at the train before you step on board.
How much is the train from Hanoi to Danang?
The price for a 16 hour journey on the Hanoi to Danang train is quite reasonable, considering the length of the journey. Depending upon what options you choose though, you can be paying anywhere from around 730,000 VND ($45 AUD) for a soft seat, to 1,330,000 VND ($75 AUD) for a sleeper. This also depends upon availability and whether it’s a holiday period when the price can rise due to availability.
Prices will also vary slightly depending upon which train you opt to take. Obviously some trains are more popular than others due to time of departure/arrival. I’ve found the prices are fairly stable though, but if you want to save yourself some money, you could certainly shop around different trains and compare prices.
Hanoi Train Station – What to expect
For the major, central train station for a capital city, Hanoi Train Station leaves a lot to be desired. Having said that, the station is by far the best I’ve seen in Vietnam.
Upon entering through the main doors of the station, you will find yourself in the main foyer. This is where you will find the lockers, in banks on the left and right. If you are planning to use the lockers, be aware of the locker scam at Hanoi Train Station. You can read about it HERE.
In the main foyer you should be able to locate the large electronic boards that indicate trains that are due for departure, and what platforms they can be boarded from. It will also indicate what gate you should use to access the platforms.
If you are looking for tickets, (and didn’t buy them online) then you will find the ticket counters at the far right end of the station. I would suggest not buying tickets over the counter as I’ve heard many stories of language mix ups and staff complacency (the nicest word I could find) that resulted in being given the worst tickets and even tickets for the wrong trains on the wrong days.
If you have time to spare and need to kill an hour or two, you can head across the road to Highlands Coffee where you’ll find plenty of room to sit with luggage, and even charge your phone. Outside of the café, there are a few decent street food options with nice Banh Mi for a decent price considering the location.
Hanoi to Danang Train review
Now down to the nitty gritty. My actual review for the Hanoi to Danang Train.
Now, I prefer to travel on the train in the soft seats. I love the idea of a sleeper, but in Vietnam I chose not to go with it. For a few reasons.
- Sleepers can be very dirty. They don’t really change the sheets, although at the beginning of the journey you can get lucky. It SHOULD be clean, but I didn’t want to take the chance. If you get on a sleeper mid journey though, you will be sleeping in the same sheets the last person was using.
- In busy periods it can be very hard to get a sleeper with the person you are traveling with. And then you might not be guaranteed to get the bed you want either.
- You have to share the sleeper with others. If you have a bottom bunk there is a good chance you will have strangers actually sitting on your bed.
- The beds can be freezing cold from the A/C at night. If I’m not going to get any sleep anyway, I would rather just be in a comfortable seat.
- The seats are considerably cheaper, and if there is no massive bonus to taking a sleeper, why not save money?
Now, I will go on to say that in quiet periods some of these problems are not an issue anyway. On many train journeys you will probably get the sleeper all to yourself. There’s no way to guarantee this though, other than purchasing all the tickets in the one sleeper.
On the Hanoi to Danang train I chose the soft seat option. I was very glad I did, and was quite impressed with the one thing that was worrying me, and that’s leg room. As a 6 foot plus guy, I was able to stretch my legs right out in front of me. The seats themselves were decent leathery finish, and tall enough that I was also able to rest my head comfortable. The recline was great too, so already I was 10 times happier than I have ever been on an economy long haul flight!
Facilities are ok too
On some of the trains there are electrical charging sockets for every row of seats. This was the case on our return journey a week later, but on our Hanoi to Danang train, there were only a few sockets right at the front of the carriage. There was a designated spot to plug in your phone and put it in a plastic phone holder, so that was ok so long as you kept a good eye on it.
Toilets on the train can be hit and miss. Unfortunately on a train that is jostling around a lot, most people tend to miss and not many actually hit! So they can become very crummy after a few hours. Depending upon what train you happen to get, there could be a nice western toilet, or you might be stuck with a local “squat” toilet.
HINT – If you go for a walk through the train, try checking out the toilets further along. The toilets around the sleeping cars tend to be a lot better, with less people using them as well.
Luggage storage in the trains is good too. The overhead compartment can pretty much fit any size suitcase, and you can store a decent amount up there.
One other thing I really liked about catching the train over the bus is the ability to stretch your legs whenever you want. You will often see people just walking the length of the train and back, and taking a long walk when you are traveling is invaluable to a tall person!
Food on the train is ok too. They come by regularly with food carts selling all sorts of local food. We didn’t buy any and took our own food and snacks. If you are the sort of person that doesn’t want to take chances on “train food” then I suggest you do the same.
Upgraded trains
While it may seem like a the luck of the draw as to how good or bad your train is, there is a way to make sure you have a slightly better experience.
Some of the trains have been upgraded over the years, so make sure to read the reviews online to get a good hint of what to expect. The Hanoi to Danang Train runs with #SE numbers, so check the reviews for these trains.
To provide some context, on our trip from Hanoi to Danang we caught the #SE3 train. It was old, but we really didn’t know it at the time and were quite happy with it. I was comfortable, and the worst things were not have electrical sockets at our seats, and the toilets were squat toilets.
On the return journey though, we were on #SE20, which I’ve since found out is a recently upgraded train! It had nice new seats, sockets beside the seat and modern toilets. Needless to say we were considerably more comfortable.
The train numbers for journeys run as odd numbers in the southbound direction, and even for northbound. So #SE19 and #SE20 are the same train, just traveling in a different direction. Get on this train if you can.
Also, some trains will run with special private sleeper coaches attached at the rear. You will find these for sale on 12go Asia, for a higher rate and offering a lot better facilities. Be careful though and read the reviews, as I have heard of some people paying the higher rate, then turning up to find there are NO private sleepers attached, and they had to sleep in the normal sleepers instead.
Catching the train in Vietnam hints and tips
Here are a few of my favorites tips for catching the train in Vietnam.
- Don’t book a sleeper if you are getting on mid journey, unless you don’t mind dirty sheets!
- Read the reviews for the train you are booking.
- Always consider the train before the bus!
- Take a neck pillow if sitting in seating. This will help you sleep considerably.
- The food isn’t bad, but take your own snacks if you can.
- Take your own toilet paper!
- Book online to make sure you secure your ticket, especially in holiday periods.
- A/C can get very cold on the train, especially in sleepers so be prepared.
- If booking a sleeper, the cheaper ones are 6 berth. The 4 berth is a lot better option.
- Never, ever book a hard seat on a train!
Summary
Taking the Hanoi to Danang Train is a lot better and safer option to taking the bus in Vietnam. Book online, and consider whether you need a sleeping berth or would be happy with a comfortable soft seat instead. Trains in Vietnam are not five star, but they are a safe and reliable way to travel long distance on a budget.
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