VIETNAM TRAINS
In Vietnam, trains aren’t just a mode of transport, they are an experience in themselves. A place to sit and watch the beauty of your surroundings roll by and to get a glimpse of day-to-day life, to meet locals and to almost step back to the halcyon days of old.
Trains in Vietnam are the low-tech kind, ones that are slow and relaxed while still being comfortable and efficient. There is one main line, the Reunification line, that runs between Saigon and Hanoi, with a couple of trunk lines that run into the highlands to Sapa and to Haiphong, the gateway to Halong Bay.
Reunification Express
Built in 1936 by the French, and known as the Reunification Express since 1976, when trains started running between the north and south again, this historic train line links Hanoi and Saigon via Hue, Danang (for Hoi An) and Nha Trang. There is no single train called the Reunification Express, and you can ride the whole line at once, hop-on and hop-off or just ride sections of it (like on our Vietnam by Rail tour). No matter which way you choose, you’ll be rumbling through glorious scenery – rice paddies, lush jungle, forested mountains, seascapes and even crowded neighborhoods.
The trains that run the line pull some combination of the five classes of carriage – air-con soft sleeper, air-con hard sleeper, air-con soft seat, air-con hard seat and no air-con hard seat. On our Vietnam by Rail car you will be in air-con soft seat carriages (there are no overnights on the train) which will give you a comfortable seat from which to enjoy the passing scenery. There are toilets on the train (which may be Western or squat) plus a drinks cart and a snack cart, and you may find that vendors hop on the train at various stations selling something fresh and hot. Bringing your own drinks and snacks is also a good option.
The seat back can be adjusted to a comfortable angle. There is a power socket under each chair.
The soft seats on the Reunification Expresses are a bit like seats on a plane with armrests and fold down tray table. Although the soft seats come in a variety of styles depending on the train, while in most of the carriages, the seats are arranged in 2+2 way, two seaters in one row on each side of the aisle. The back of a chairs could be reclined so that you could take a rest during the trip. A soft seat is the best option for day time travel by train in Vietnam.
Trains in Vietnam are not designed to be wheelchair friendly. Getting on and off a train in Vietnam means getting up a step and through a narrow door. Wheelchair users would need to leave the chair to reach the inside of a Vietnam train although once on the train a wheelchair could easily negotiate the passageways through the carriages which are fairly wide on trains in Vietnam
Soft-seat carriages have a Western-style toilet at the end of each carriage
