Train travel info and tips to buy ticket by Threeland Travel

1. TRAIN IN VIETNAM
Train travel info and tips to buy ticket by
Threeland Travel

2. Useful country information
• Train operator in Vietnam:
http://www.vr.com.vn/trang-chu.html
• Time zone & dialing code: GMT+7 all year
• Dial code: +84
• Currency: £1 = approx 32,900 Dong. $1 = 20,500
Dong.
• Tourist information:
http://vietnamtourism.com/e_pages/news/index.as
p
• Visas: Required by UK citizens. Vietnamese embassy
visa section, 12-14 Victoria Road, London W8 5RD,
tel. 020 7937 3222, fax 020 7937
6108,www.vietnamembassy.org.uk.

4. Trains – best way to get around
Vietnam
• Save expenses: ticket is
cheap; sleeper trains
save hotel bills
• Have a chance to
sightseeing the
landscape from the
window, get the real
insights of Vietnam

5. Types of train in Vietnam
• Air-conditioned soft sleepers
• Air-conditioned hard sleepers
• Air-conditioned soft seats
• Air-conditioned hard seats
• Ordinary hard seats
• Livitrans private sleeping-cars, Hanoi to Hue &
Danang
• Golden Trains, Saigon to Nha Trang

6. Air-conditioned soft sleepers
• The best trains: SE1/2/3/4
• 4 berths/ compartment, each supplied with pillow, sheet,
duvet and an individual reading light.
• Western-style toilet supplied with soap and toilet paper
at one or both ends of the corridor
• Free water dispenser at the end of the corridor for both
boiling and cold water
• On-train serving: snacks, coffee, soft drinks and beer

8. Air-conditioned hard sleepers
• Best choice for an overnight journey such as Hanoi to
Hue with relatively little daytime element and most
of the time in berth
• 6 berths/ compartment, lower, middle and top on
each side
• Facilities: same as for soft sleepers in terms of power
sockets, water dispenser, toilets, luggage space and
meals.

10. Air-conditioned soft seats
• Recommended for daytime journeys such as Hue to
Danang or Hanoi to Vinh

11. Air-conditioned hard seats
• Have wooden seats in
modern air-conditioned
cars
• A bit hard on the rear
for a long journey, but
perfectly acceptable for
a few hours

12. Ordinary hard seats
• Wooden seats in much
older cars without air-
con
• Windows often open,
which can be an
advantage for
photography

13. Livitrans private sleeping-cars, Hanoi
to Hue & Danang
• Attached to SE1/SE2 between Hanoi, Hue and
Danang
• 4-berth compartments of a better standard than the
regular Vietnamese Railways sleepers, but cost more
• Fare included water and pot noodles, and there are
electrical sockets for charging cameras and mobiles

15. Golden Trains, Saigon to Nha Trang
• Attached to the regular SNT1/SNT2 overnight train

16. How to buy train tickets
• Via a travel agency
• At the station

17. Buy tickets via a travel agency
• Cannot buy train tickets online from Vietnamese
Railways -> use a local Vietnamese train booking agency
• Recommended agencies:
• VietnamImpressive: www.vietnamimpressive.com
• Vietnamstay.com (www.vietnamstay.com) only book
trains departing from Hanoi or Saigon, and not starting
at intermediate stations.
• International Rail UK, arrange your Vietnamese train
tickets by phone (0844 248 248 3) for people live in the
UK, Ireland and Europe, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-
Friday. From outside the UK +44 844 248 248 3.
• International Rail Australia: use the contact & booking
form for people live in Australia, New Zealand, Asia or
Africa. Book at least 7-10 days before travel to allow
them to turn around your booking.

18. Buying tickets at the station
• In Saigon: buy at the city
centre railway ticket
agency at 275C Pham Ngu
Lao

19. • In Hanoi: buy at Hanoi main station on Le Duan
Street. Press a button on the box at the entrance to
get a numbered queuing ticket. Take a seat, and
watch the illuminated board above the ticket
counters to see which counter to go to when your
number comes up.

20. Tips for ticketing
• All tickets come printed with a specific date, specific
train number, car number and your reserved seat or
berth number. So you need a separate ticket for
each individual train journey you make.
• Booking opens at least 60 days before departure,
often more than 90 days before departure. Paying
the small amount extra to pre-book tickets through a
reliable agency before getting to Vietnam.

21. Thanks for watching!
Information was partly collected from The Man in Seat Sixty One
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Head Office: 125 Hong Ha, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: +84-4-3926-2056 | Fax: +84-4-3926-2058
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