Vietnam by train
How to travel in Vietnam by train: information, connections, blog and travel reports. Help in our forum to buy train tickets.
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buy here Buy the train ticket at a railway station. Note: in some countries you have to pay a service fee at the ticket counter. The ticket can be purchased at a station in the country of departure, also sometimes in other countries.
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Vietnam -
China
If you want to travel by train from Vietnam to China, there are daily train connections on two main travel routes.
The first travel route is from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Nanning, Guilin, Beijing (China).
There are two direct trains per week from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Beijing (China).
There are every day connections from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Nanning (China). If you travel on a date were no direct train runs from Hanoi to Beijing, first travel by the daily overnight train from Hanoi to Nanning, then by the daily overnight train from Nanning to Beijing.
The second travel route is from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Kunming (China) with change and border crossing at Lào Cai (Vietnam) and Hekou (China).
Travel first from Hanoi to Lào Cai (Vietnam) by direct train. There you change to a bus or taxi to the border (10 minutes). Cross the border on foot. Take again a bus or taxi (10 minutes) to Hekou North (China) train station. From there continue by train to Kunming (journey time 5 hours).
How to buy tickets:
- buy train tickets from Vietnam to China at 12goasia or Baolau.
Direct train: Hanoi - Beijing.
Connection with change: Hanoi - Nanning and Nanning - Beijing.
It is also possible to buy these routes via Chinahighlights, but then you have to pick them up somewhere before in China.
- buy train tickets inside of Vietnam via 12goasia. For example: Hanoi - Lào Cai.
Note: if you use Chinahighlights, fill in for Hanoi: Gia Lam, Hanoi.
Vietnam -
Cambodia
To travel from Vietnam to Cambodia, you have to take a bus. There is no passenger train connection between these two countries.
There are daily direct bus connections from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) to Siem Reap (Cambodia) with a journey time of 9 hours and a ticket fare from 25 EUR. And from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh with a journey time of 5 hours and a ticket fare from 15 EUR.
Find the exact bus schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking websites.
Vietnam -
Thailand
To travel from Vietnam to Thailand you have to travel by bus or take a flight as there is no train connection available between these two countries. Chose one of these two travel options.
Use a flight from Vietnam to one of the big cities in Thailand. The flight time for the main route from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok is 1:30 hours and tickets are available from 50 EUR.
Or you travel by bus in two steps. First from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) to Siem Reap (Cambodia). The journey time is 9 hours and bus tickets are available from 25 EUR. There you change in a second bus from Siem Reap (Cambodia) to Bangkok (Thailand). The journey time is 9 hours and bus tickets are available from 20 EUR. Of course it makes sense to stay one or two nights in Siem Reap to visit the temple of Angkor Wat.
Find the exact bus and flight schedules and buy your tickets via the given booking websites.
