Here are some notes for tourists when taking the train across Vietnam:
Travel time
From Hanoi Station to Saigon Station or vice versa, the trip takes from 33 to 36 hours depending on the type of train. The trains with codes SE1 (from Hanoi) and SE2 (from Saigon) will travel faster.
Each train station will stop for about 5 - 15 minutes to pick up passengers and move goods. Some major stations on the cross-Vietnam train journey such as Hue, Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang will have trains that stop longer because the number of passengers getting on and off is also higher.
Select and book train tickets
should book 1-2 weeks in advance, especially on major holidays such as National Day holidays 2.9, 30.4-1.5... Especially on New Year's Day, Lunar New Year you should find tickets 2-3 months in advance to choose tickets as desired.
The North-South trains all have soft, air-conditioned seats, 6-bed beds/bed, 4-bed/bed, VIP beds. To book in the VIP room, you have to book earlier because each train with this class of tickets is very small and fast.
If the family has young children, they can choose a 4- or 6-bedroom bed. The 4-bed room is spacious, easy to move, and has a lot of space for you to sleep and pack your luggage. The 6-bed room has a rather narrow bed distance, with more guests, so the luggage also takes up more space.
However, the 6-bed room ticket will be slightly lower than the 4-bed room ticket. soft seats are suitable for young people who want to save costs. The disadvantage of soft seats is that there are many cars, limited seating if there are many luggage and sleeping on a sleeper overnight is more uncomfortable than in a bed.
Train ticket prices
The price of train tickets for the air-conditioned soft seat class is about 1 million VND/ticket; the sleeper class ranges from 1.2 to more than 2 million VND/ticket.
You can buy train tickets directly at stations, buy tickets on the website of Vietnam Railway, or book tickets on linked payment applications (there may be accompanying discount incentives).
On-ship services
After more than 30 hours of train travel, you will be on the train completely and your daily activities of eating, sleeping, and personal hygiene will be on the train cars.
At the end of each train car, there is often a hand washing tank and a mirror for customers to clean personally in the morning. Besides, the toilet is quite narrow.
Some sleeper cars are equipped with hot water plants for visitors to drink water or cook instant noodles and pho.
Each ship has a kitchen and food carriage. There are some tables for customers to sit and order food on the spot. The dishes on the train are usually vermicelli, noodles, pho, rice, porridge served for main meals. The food sold at the train cars as well as along the train cars is eggs, corn, boiled potatoes, instant noodles, soft drinks, coffee... Visitors can order meals according to lunch and dinner and be served by on-site staff.
On ships without Wi-Fi services, tourists who want to use the internet must register for 4G. Some sections of the train pass through the tunnels, so the phone signal and 4G will be weaker, with the possibility of temporary power outages.
If traveling by the North-South train during the holidays, the train has a service to sell regional specialties to passengers, which are candy and fruits only available in each province.
Sight on the ship
The train across Vietnam from South to North or North to South is one of the trains with a beautiful route along the length of the country. In June 2025, the North-South Thong Nhat train was chosen by Lonely Planet as the most wonderful train experience on the planet.
Some locations where ships pass through have beautiful and spectacular landscapes are Hue - Da Nang (ships pass through Hai Van Pass facing Lang Co Bay), along the Quy Nhon - Phu Yen sea route. Tourists can look up the train passing through the stations to ensure the right time to see the beautiful scenery.
Additional notes
The train is a crowded space, so you should pay attention to bringing important items (for example: phone, wallet, personal documents) when you leave your carriage to move to another carriage.
The cross-Vietnam train forces you to sleep all night on the train, remember to bring personal hygiene items such as towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.
Do not read books, use phones or laptops while the train is moving, especially when there are many shakes that can easily cause dizziness and nausea (the phenomenon of motion sickness).
