Vietnam Train Guide 2026: Reunification Express, Sleeper Trains and the Night Train to Sapa

Vietnam has one main railway, a single metre-gauge track that runs 1,726 kilometres from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and it’s slow: the fastest train takes about 33 hours end to end. Almost nobody should ride it in one go. Taken in pieces, though, the Vietnam train is one of the best ways to see the country: overnight from Hanoi to Hue or Da Nang, the Hai Van Pass by day, and the night train to Lao Cai for Sapa. Here’s what runs in 2026, what each class costs, how to book on the official site, and where a bus or a flight makes more sense.

Vietnam train routes and journey times

Odd numbers head south or up to Lao Cai from Hanoi, even numbers come back: SE1 goes from Hanoi to Saigon, SE2 from Saigon to Hanoi.

Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh train: the Reunification Express

“Reunification Express” is the old name for the through trains between Hanoi and Saigon. In 2026, five pairs run every day, SE1/SE2 to SE9/SE10, backed by shorter regional trains: SE19/SE20 between Hanoi and Da Nang, SE21/SE22 between Saigon and Da Nang, SNT1/SNT2 to Nha Trang, SPT to Phan Thiet and SE29/SE30 to Quy Nhon. Vietnam Railways has been refurbishing its carriages since late 2025, starting with SE5 and SE6, so the rolling stock is more even than it used to be.

For the full Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh train, expect about 1 million to 1.1 million dong for a soft seat, 1.25 to 1.65 million for a six-berth sleeper and 1.55 to 1.8 million for a four-berth one. Now compare the plane: Vietnam Airlines flies the route in about 2 hours 10 minutes, 26 to 32 times a day, with fares from around 890,000 dong, and Vietjet and Vietravel charge about the same. Bamboo Airways has stopped scheduled flights. Over the full distance, the train is neither cheaper nor quicker. Its case is the scenery, and a flat bed on the overnight legs.

We’d split the trip: overnight from Hanoi to Hue, the Hai Van Pass by day to Da Nang, then on to Nha Trang and Saigon, or a flight for the southern half.

Sleeper train Vietnam: which class to book

Lower bunks cost more than upper ones, and they’re worth it: you can sit up, and your bag goes under you. Sheets, a pillow and a blanket are provided. A trolley comes round with rice dishes, noodles and drinks, but we’d bring fruit and snacks too. Toilets on the SE trains are western style, and each passenger can carry 20 kg of luggage for free, in pieces no larger than 80 by 50 by 40 cm.

Hanoi to Da Nang train and the Hai Van Pass

The Hanoi to Da Nang train takes 15 to 17 hours, which works well overnight: evening departures from Hanoi reach Da Nang in the middle of the next morning. SE19 and SE20, the “high-quality” pair launched in 2023, only run between these two cities, so they’re rarely full of long-distance passengers.

The stretch between Hue and Da Nang is the highlight of the whole line: the track climbs around the Hai Van Pass with the sea right below. Ride it in daylight. Since 2024 there’s a heritage train made for exactly that, about three hours between the two cities, and a new 12-carriage set with a VIP car went into service in March 2026, with fares of about 180,000 to 500,000 dong. A second heritage train, from Hue north to Phong Nha, started on 28 August 2026: about four and a half hours, 420,000 dong in standard class and 760,000 in VIP.

Hanoi to Sapa train, via Lao Cai

There’s no train to Sapa itself. The Hanoi to Sapa train is really a night train to Lao Cai, on the Chinese border, followed by 35 kilometres of mountain road. On autumn 2026 timetables, the state trains SP3 and SP7 leave Hanoi at about 10 pm and 10:40 pm and reach Lao Cai around 6 am.

Most visitors don’t ride in the state carriages. Private companies, among them Chapa Express, Fanxipan Express, King Sapa, Sapaly, Tonkin Heritage, Laman and New Livitrans, attach their own sleeper carriages to the same trains and sell them separately, for roughly 30 to 65 US dollars a berth. A berth in a state four-berth cabin costs around 450,000 dong. From Lao Cai station, a local bus to Sapa costs about 50,000 dong and takes about an hour; a taxi, 200,000 to 300,000.

Be honest with yourself about why you’re taking the train. Limousine vans and sleeper buses now go straight from Hanoi to Sapa town on the expressway in five and a half to six hours, for 320,000 to 450,000 dong. They’re faster and they drop you in Sapa. The train gives you a flat bed and a better story. At Hanoi Station, check which building your carriage checks in at: some companies use the main entrance on Le Duan, others the back entrance on Tran Quy Cap.

How to book Vietnam train tickets

Vietnam Railways sells tickets on dsvn.vn, which has an English version. Type your name exactly as it appears in your passport, because the ticket is checked against it when you board. Since August 2024, foreign visitors can pay through VNPAY and with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay, though some travellers still find their card refused. Tickets usually go on sale about two months ahead, and the railway runs frequent promotions: 10% off in summer 2026, and up to 40% off some central sleepers in September.

If the official site won’t take your card, Baolau and 12Go sell the same seats for a fee of a few dollars. Stay away from look-alike sites with “railway” in the name: Vietnam Railways has warned about agencies charging 20 to 40% over the real fare. On the day, bring your passport and the e-ticket code, and get to the station 30 minutes early, or 45 to 60 minutes at Saigon Station, which is busier.

Train, sleeper bus or plane?

Sleeper buses are cheaper and go almost everywhere, but we’d take the train for any overnight trip. Vietnamese media counted 199 deaths in long-distance bus crashes between February and early July 2026, and a bus fire in Dong Nai killed seven people in July. Rules limiting drivers to four hours at the wheel without a break have been in force since January 2025, but they haven’t made night buses as safe as a train. For the long legs, flying is cheap; for anything from four to twelve hours, the train is our pick.

You may have read about a high-speed line between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It has been approved, but construction is now due to start in December 2027, with completion aimed at 2035. Nothing changes for travellers for years.

Before you go, apply for your Vietnam e-visa on the official site, and read our guides to Vietnam currency, Grab in Vietnam for getting to and from the stations, the Vietnam eSIM, tipping in Vietnam and the best time to visit Vietnam.

Looking for the rest? Every Vietnam guide we’ve published, from the e-visa to Grab, is sorted by topic in our Vietnam travel guide.

No train goes to Ha Long Bay. Our Hanoi to Ha Long Bay guide covers the shuttles, buses and cruises instead.

Going to Sapa? Our Hanoi to Sapa guide compares the night train with the limousine vans and sleeper buses, and covers the ride up from Lao Cai.

Going to Ninh Binh? Our Hanoi to Ninh Binh guide covers the 2 hour 15 minute ride from Hanoi Station, with fares, the limousine alternative and the Trang An and Tam Coc boat tickets.

Heading to Hoi An? There’s no station there, so our Da Nang to Hoi An guide covers the buses, Grab rides and vans for the last 30 km, and the ride back to Da Nang Station for your train.

Weighing the Hanoi to Da Nang leg against a flight or a sleeper bus? Our Hanoi to Da Nang and Hoi An guide sets the train against both, with 2026 fares, the overnight timetable in each direction and the way back to Hanoi.

Data checked: 2026-10-06