If the flight procedures are cumbersome at the airport, a long road trip by coach and car makes you hesitate. You want to find a way to travel with fewer procedures, quicker ticket booking, uncrowded, convenient, good budget, and move relatively quickly. You should consider traveling by train. It will give you a feeling of nostalgia and is quite interesting compared to traveling by plane or car. Let’s see what Vietnamese trains could bring you.

Types of train and seating classes

Vietnam has two types of trains: TN and SE. For comparison, the SE trains are new, run faster, and are more well-equipped. It is the most developed train line in Vietnam.

On each train, there are four types of seating classes: hard seats, soft seats, hard berth (6 beds in 1 cabin), and soft berth (4 beds in 1 cabin). As for the hard seat, it is suitable for short distances because the seat is a hard chair made of wood, cannot be adjusted because it is fixed, and the price for this type of chair is the cheapest.

The soft seat compartment is divided into two types: soft seats (NM) and air-conditioned soft seats (NML), which are suitable for longer trips because the recline of the seat can be adjusted up to 15 degrees.

As for the sleeping compartment, it will be suitable for overnight trips, helping you to have a comfortable place to lie down. However, if you choose the bed on the 2nd and 3rd floors, it might be a bit uncomfortable because you have to hunch your shoulders. Cabin 6 will be arranged with 6 beds on 3 floors with the size of 78x190cm/bed, while compartment 4 will arrange 4 beds on 2 floors with the size of 80x190cm/bed.

How to book train tickets

There are many ways to book a train ticket, however, we recommend buying tickets online because it is the best option for foreigners. There are several websites to book tickets online that you can refer to, such as:

• Official website of Vietnam Railways (vietnamrailway.com.vn)
• baolau.com
• 12go.asia

Booking tickets online helps you to avoid the long queues at the station, especially on peak time and avoid the language barrier. You can easily pay via credit card or online banking, you can also choose your seats as well as read reviews, and check pictures of train services. If you need assistance, you can contact the railway’s email or railway’s number.
Another way is that you book tickets through a private train supplier. These companies hire some carriage of the train and make their own services. Their carriages are certainly more expensive than those of the Railway Department but they are beautifully decorated and more impressive. There will also have staff to assist you in booking tickets, advising, and guiding you to the station to find your trains and carriages. The supplier can also prepare some supplies onboard for you such as brushes, water bottle, paper cups, and snacks for you such as biscuits, and fruit.

Tips and experiences for traveling by train

• Prepare well all personal documents (ID, passport)
• Bring a maximum of 20kg, you should double-check before leaving. The luggage should be fully packed, with only one small bag of essentials on the train.
• You should arrive at the station at least 30 minutes before departure to conduct ticket checks, enter the station, find the right train and carriage, arrange luggage, and stabilize your location.
• Regarding hygiene, if you are careful you should bring your own tissue on board. Each carriage will have a toilet. The toilets on the train are quite small. There are toilets and sinks for brushing teeth, not bathing. If you are traveling long distances, you should get up early to solve hygiene problems or go to the toilet before departure time.
• You can buy food on the train or bring your food. Hot water is served on the train. The menu on the train is also not very varied, usually with snacks, soft drinks, beer, and instant noodles. Some trains offer morning coffee or tea. Some hot food such as rice, porridge, and noodles can be served depending on the day. However, you should still have a full meal before boarding the train. On the train, you should only have snacks and drinks.
• It is recommended to wear comfortable clothes because space onboard is also limited. In addition, visitors should also prepare a scarf in case when traveling, the weather changes suddenly or the air conditioner on the train is too cold (air conditioner is for all carriage on the train). This scarf can also be used to pillow your head or cover your body while sleeping if you choose seat classes.
• The trains were designed for Vietnamese people a long time ago, so there will be some inconveniences for tall people.
• If you are a person who has difficulty sleeping due to loud sounds, you should also consider because railway trains are quite noisy and there will be continuous noises during the journey. However, if you are a person who wants to enjoy the sound, listening to the train running day and night also brings quite impressive common phonemes.
• The sleeping compartment in the train is a great choice for a group of friends or family, everyone in the private carriage can comfortably do activities such as reading, taking pictures, chatting, and sharing during the trip.
• There will be some trains that stop to pick up and drop off passengers at stations, so be careful about the time the train stops, 5 minutes or 15 minutes to avoid missing out if you want to go down to the station to visit and buy things.

Conclusion

Compared with the European train system, the train system in Vietnam is still not very convenient. However, in recent years, the General Department of Railways has improved the train system a lot, developed a new train system that is more convenient, and also improved the old trains to both retain their identity and be more comfortable to suit the needs of the customers. You can choose to take the one-way ticket to experience a cultural feature of Vietnam by train. Some Vietnamese young people like to take the train to save money or just to experience the boutique and nostalgia feeling, you could see a lot of their selfie pictures taken on the train.

Each means of transport in Vietnam has its own pros and cons. We hope that through this blog you could visualize traveling by train in Vietnam to choose the right means of transportation which fits you the most.