SweetRose,
You mentioned that you flew from Hanoi to Hue and from Danang to Saigon to save time but aren't there night trains available that also save time? I'll be attempting a similar route in August and wanted to know if there were night trains available to/from most locations. I've looked at seat61's website as well as the VN railway website but just don't know how updated the information is. Are there benefits to flying versus taking the night train? Besides cost, of course, are there any other pros to flying?
Robert Reid,
Why would you cut out Dalat? I'm sort of torn between Dalat and Hoi An. Here's my itinerary for more clarification:
Hanoi
Sapa
Halong Bay
Hue
(Hoi An)
Nha Trang
(Dalat)
Saigon
I'm trying to decide between the two. I have around 3 weeks and realize that this is pretty ambitious but want to try and fit as much in as possible. We're taking the night train to places also so that will cut down on travel time. I'm also leaning more towards Dalat because we're really into outdoorsy stuff but if Hoi An is an absolute must see, then we sure wouldn't want to miss out.
Sorry for hijacking this post!
Yes there are night trains, however we were travelling with four children and for us the very long train journey couldn't compete with a one hour flight! Some people love the train and have a great run while others find it pergatory and don't get any sleep etc. we just didn't want to take the chance. I think there are positives to both options, so each to their own!
Hope you get a good run whichever you choose :)
the train's fine but planes are quicker. even if you sleep on the train, you're still exhausted after a long haul and you tend to get more out of the day after an hour-long flight than the day after a night on a train - which can be important when there are time limits.
Dalat and Hoi An are both great and have probably been my two favourite towns thus far. there's plenty of outdoors stuff in Dalat, as well as interesting (bizzare) sights, and Hoi An is charming and chilled with loads of history.
Nha Trang on the other hand is bustling and seems to be a cultural void (unless you count beer-swilling backpacking as 'culture'). i reckon only go there if you're a mad-keen diver... or a beer-swilling backpacker. ;D (i'm a backpacker but just not quite as into the beer as some)
Yello Fello, yes, you can catch night trains for most of the long hauls. I'm in the group that would prefer an overnighter on a train to a trip out to an airport and another trip in from one when you get there. I'm not a total train freak, it's just a way of getting from A to B - but I do like train stations better than airports and they are usually more conveniently located. Without children, I've never had trouble sleeping in a good sleeper carriage, and the first class ac sleepers in Vietnam more than meet my standards!
The one train trip in Vietnam that is probably worth doing for its own sake, and in daylight, is the Hue to Danang trip. It may be cheaper to take the bus, but I really think the trip along that wild coast, away from the road, is just brilliant. There are different classes of trains: try and get the best ones for this leg, because they don't have wire over the windows. The wire is meant to protect you from kids throwing stones, but if you sit on the left, there'll only be mermaids to trouble you ...
trusted partner
