Vietnam’s air-conditioned trains are safe, comfortable & inexpensive, the ideal way for independent travellers to get around and see Vietnam at ground level. The train journeys are an experience in themselves, and become an integral part of your visit 
to Vietnam. You might even meet some Vietnamese people. Inexperienced travellers sometimes think they’ll save time by using internal flights – in fact, an overnight train ride from Hanoi to Hué or Danang actually saves time compared to flying, because the train leaves Hanoi city centre in the evening and arrives in Hué city centre next morning, but it’s more than this, the train journey is a genuine Vietnamese experience, flying is a wasted opportunity. Flying takes 4 or 5 hours out of your sightseeing day in getting to a remote airport, checking in, taking the flight itself, collecting your bags and getting back into the city centre. And the sleeper train saves a hotel bill, too. And what’s the rush anyway? Air-conditioned trains with sleepers and on-board catering link Hanoi, Hué, Danang, Nha Trang, and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Hoi An has no station, but it’s just 30km by bus or taxi from Danang. There are also trains from Hanoi to Haiphong (for Halong Bay) and Hanoi to Lao Cai (for Sapa).
The Reunification Express?
Trains between Hanoi & Saigon are sometimes referred to as the ‘Reunification Express’ by guide books and tourist agencies, although there are now several trains on this route and no single train officially carries this name. The line was completed by the French in 1936, and trains linked Hanoi to Saigon until 1954, when Vietnam was divided into north and south and the railway was cut. The trains resumed on 31 December 1976, unifying the country once more. You too can easily travel the length of Vietnam using the reunification railway, a travel experience in its own right.
Along the coast and up into the hills… The most magical part of the Hanoi to Saigon train journey is the world-class scenic section between Hué and Danang. The train runs along the South China Sea, snaking from cliff to jungle-covered cliff past beaches and islands, then heads through the lush green mountains via the Hai Van Pass to reach Danang. In Vietnamese it’s ‘Đèo Hải Vân’ meaning ‘Ocean Cloud Pass’, and I can’t think of a better name. These photos were taken in poor weather at the end of the rainy season – in the bright Vietnamese sun, the vivid blue skies, green waters and yellow beaches will take your breath away… See the video, Hanoi-Saigon by train.
Rice fields, palm trees, water buffalo, Vietnamese towns and villages… You get a real insight into Vietnam when you travel by train, both urban and rural, which you don’t get from 35,000 feet. And if you’re good at people watching you’ll get insights on board the train, too, as the ‘real’ Vietnam is as much inside the train as outside…
Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC o)r Saigon?
Since the end of the Vietnamese war, the official the name for the conurbation as a whole has been Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). However, the city centre is still officially called ‘Saigon’, which is the city’s traditional and historic name. In fact, the city appears as ‘Sai Gon’ in all Vietnamese railway timetables, it will say ‘Sai Gon’ on your train ticket and as you can see from the photo, it actually says ‘Sai Gon’ in big letters on the station itself. The city’s ruling elite may toe the line and call it ‘Ho Chi Minh’, but everyone else calls it Saigon. So do what the locals do, call it Saigon!