Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh Train: Schedule & Price

There are many means of transportation to visit Ho Chi Minh from Hanoi such as sleeper bus, train, plane and other transport. Traveling by plane is the fastest way to go there in about 2 hours 10 mins. By contrast, it will take tourists about 31-360 hours if they travel by bus or train. However, some people like to go by train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh because it brings some interesting experiences to them. They can both relax and admire some beautiful views on both sides of the rail-road during their trips. Therefore, this review will help tourists know some information about Hanoi to Saigon train types including their schedule and price. 

Hanoi to Saigon train types

It is about 1,726 kilometers from Hanoi to Saigon. Therefore, travel time is about at least 31 hours depending on different trains (1,5 days). Tourists can easily choose the suitable departure time for their schedule because there are 5 Hanoi-Saigon trains every day, including SE7, SE5, SE9, SE3, and SE1, with many kinds of seats/berth types. Recently, some people can divide Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh trains into two types, including regular train and first-class train as follow:   

Regular Train

The regular train is popular use by local travelers because it is cheap. Train ticket is divided to 3 different classes: 

Hard seat (NC and NCL): This is a seat type that many people love because its price is the cheapest in seat types. Therefore, it helps tourists save the travel expenses. They are made from wood and installed fixedly with the train so tourists can’t lean back to rest. It is only suitable for short distances, about 4-5 hours. By contrast, they shouldn’t use hard seats for long distances like Hanoi - Saigon trips because tourists can’t sit for a long time, especially night trips.  

Soft seats (NM and NML): These soft seats help tourists sit comfortably instead of hard seats. Tourists can lean back about 15 degrees. Their price is quite reasonable, so they are one of the good choices which are worthy of being considered by many tourists. However, like hard ones, they only should be used to serve for some short trips because they can make tourists have backache and tiredness. 

With 1,726 kilometers from Hanoi to Saigon, they also make tourists feel terrible no matter what soft or hard seats they are. Despite their affordable prices, tourists should consider them carefully before choosing them. 

Hard berth (BNL): Each cabin has six berths arranged into three floors (each floor has two berths). The hard berths are equipped with thin cushions to sleep comfortably during their trips without being worried about other problems. With long distances from Hanoi to Saigon, it is obvious that berths are some excellent choices for tourists. Each person uses one berth, so they have private space to sleep, relax, and work during the trips. 

For tourists who stay on the third floor of cabins, they can feel a little inconvenient when they need to go out to resolve their problems. Besides, their price is also a notice issue because they are pretty expensive.

Regular train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

First Class Train

The Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh First Class Train is evaluated to be the five-star train of Vietnam, both beautiful in design and high quality. Unlike other train types, it is created with total materials by some professional engineers so it can reduce the swing of the train. 

Each cabin has four berths which are arranged into two floors (each floor has two berths). Soft berths are equipped with thicker cushions than hard ones. Therefore, they help tourists sleep well and reduce tiredness. Only four passengers in one cabin mean that tourists can easily rest, make some calls, and eat some trains. 

Each berth has a reading lamp that supports tourists reading books, watching the phone, or working with laptops. Besides, sockets are installed in cabins so tourists can easily use them to charge their mobile phones. Their price is the most expensive in Hanoi to Saigon train types because of their convenience, which they bring to tourists.

First Class train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

Hanoi to Saigon train schedule & price

Schedule and price seem to be essential points that most tourists always want to know specifically. Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh train prices depends on the seat/berth types that tourists choose. Let’s see the below table: 

Note: 

• AN: 4 berth sleeper cabin (LT1: first level/ LT2: second level)
• BN: 6 berth sleeper cabin (LT1: First level/ LT2: second level/ LT3: 3rd level)
• NM: Soft seat (NML: soft seat with air-conditioning)
• NC: Hard seat (NCL: hard seat with air-conditioning) 
• GP: Auxiliary seat (these seats are made from plastic, they will be sold when primary tickets of all trains have been sold out) 

Relaxing train trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

Local tips to get from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh by train 

• Tourists should consult carefully about the schedule and price of train types from Hanoi to Saigon.
• Booking tickets early to have the best seats or berths, besides booking them before the travel date, avoids the sold-out tickets. In particular to the peak season, train tickets are often bought quickly. 
• Going to the gas station early before the departure time is about 30 mins. 
• Taking an ID card or passport to get on the train.
• Consulting some reviews on the internet to choose the suitable train types for their schedule. 
• BestPrice recommends that tourists should choose hard or soft berths instead of seats. The travel time is too long, so they can’t sit during the trip from Hanoi to Saigon. 

Things to remember before taking train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

Traveling by train often brings some spiritual value to tourists, especially foreign tourists. They have an opportunity to know about some interesting things when they pass through some provinces of Vietnam before setting foot in Sai Gon.  

You can also go to bestpricetravel.com to consult some reviews to have more travel experiences. Are you excited about the Hanoi to Saigon trip?  We are looking forward to serving tourists.  If you are looking for Vietnam tours which included a train trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, let's looking at our Along Vietnam by Train package; we sure will bring you a memorable experience.

You might want to know about Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh bus? Let's read our next articles.

Nhat Anh

Image Source: BestPrice