There is supposed to be the twice-weekly T5 Beijing-Hanoi via Nanning; as well as a nightly T871 Nanning-Hanoi. You can find info from seat61.com and other sites. However, I can't confirm the times as I cannot find the international train listings from Chinese rail sites.

Both trains will depart from Nanning in the evening and takes 11 hours to get to Hanoi.

From Hong Kong to Nanning, it's pretty easy. There are 5 direct trains a day from either Guangzhou or Guangzhou-East to Nanning, taking about 13 hours. About a dozen direct trains a day from Hung Hom (in Hong Kong) to GZ-East; or trains every few minutes from Shenzhen to GZ-East (with some continue to GZ).

The route from Nanning to Hanoi is standard gauge, unlike the line from Kunming.

rkkwan -

I think the logistics of the trip are pretty straightforward. I use the Seat 61 website and have the latest book "Worldwide" which I got in the UK a few months ago. What interests me most are tales of the journey, of traveling on a Chinese train which I haven't done, from comfort to tea and food. And where are interesting places to stop along the way and good cheap hotels, that sort of thing. Or even if the route has nothing of interest (which I doubt but it may be) in which case I may as well just zip right through. Really anything anyone has to say about the travel, the cities or dawdling along the route.

Have you done it?

I grew up and now live in Hong Kong, and has taken plenty of Chinese trains. They are safe and easy to use. Guangzhou is a huge city - lots of modern stuff but also a few historical sites. Worth staying for a day or two, even if it's no where as interesting as Beijing or as developed as Shanghai. Food is always good in Guangzhou.

Only visited Nanning once, as a kid. Not the most interesting city, but I am sure you can find enough to do there for a day. Not too familiar with the other towns along the way except for Zhaoqing just west of Guangzhou, which you can visit from GZ as daytrip.

ray---how are the sanitary facilities on chinese trains? with 11/13 hour rides this could present a problem

They are generally okay. I can't say for the hard-seat, but usually pretty good in soft-sleeper and acceptable in hard-sleeper. Having said that, if given a choice, pick a train that originates from your boarding city, so the cars are "fresh" when you board.

For the OP, that means riding a train that originates in GZ for Nanning (not one from Xiamen, for example), and the T871 to Hanoi (not one from Beijing).

In 2004 I rode the trains Kunming to Nanning and Nanning to Hanoi. The Chinese soft sleeper class is fine, the Vietnamese train from the border was very basic (more so than the trains south of Hanoi). I liked Kunming, and did a loop to some less visited places south by bus (see wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004 ) and also visit Dali and Lijiang to the north. Nanning wasn't so interesting, but I had trouble confirming the day of the tran until I got there.

The mountain route from Kunming to Hanoi has been out for years, but you can go Kunming to Nanning. It's supposed to be an interesting route but I did it at night.

I just want to suggest to board the train to Nanning from Shenzhen, not from Hung Hom. It is usually cheaper to reach the borders with MTR and then switch to the train.

I thought I might take a ferry up the river from HKG to Guangzhou and the train from there. I'm also considering going back to Yunnan before entering Vietnam. I've been to Kunming, Dali & Lijiang and while seeing them again has it's appeal I'd like to see more of the Xishuangbanna region, went to Jinghong last trip and liked the ambiance. The problem is getting back up to Hekou to cross into Vietnam. And there are hints that the train from the border at Hekou on to Hanoi is also no longer running so it would be bus travel in the region and also to Hanoi apparently. So I guess I'll see how I feel about going on to Yunnan from Nanning once I get there and may just continue from Nanning to Hanoi by train. If I planned to stay longer in China I'd be inclined more to linger in Yunnan but it's likely to be part of a plan that will see me going the full circle westward as I did once the other way round. But who knows, the beauty of going by the seat of one's pants is not having to decide in advance.

Thursdaysd - I'll read your Kunming Circle account with interest. And regarding your train trip from Kunming to Nanning, are there any possible stops along that route or is it a straight through service?

Sorry, I'm traveling and you probably have better access to info on China than I do. I don't remember that any where stood out, but it was several years ago. May have been a mountain?

Thursdaysd, I've read your account of the Kunming Circle now and it's quite tempting. I'm sure, rather than make a circle and return to Kunming, I could continue on to Hekou by bus and enter Vietnam there.

By the way, I'd describe myself similarly, seeing as much of the world as I can before creeping decrepitude stops me. If all goes as planned in the next months (joke there) I'll be between homes and footloose for a time. Hence the planning.

joannay - would be interesting to hear your report if you go. I expect there have been a lot of changes since 2004.

hanabi - There are no direct trains to get from Shenzhen to Nanning. Have to switch at Guangzhou anyways. The main difference between a direct train from Hung Hom to Guangzhou and train from Shenzhen to Guangzhou is main the ease of going through the border.

Direct train from Hung Hom actually runs at slower speed and cost more, but immigration lines is shorter. The Lowu border can be busy at times.

joannay - There's no ferry from Hong Kong to central Guangzhou. The most convenient ferry is to Nansha, but it's still quite a ways to get to central Guangzhou (the GZ subway lines do get to the ferry pier, so you have to take a bus/taxi). Train or direct buses are much more convenient if you're going to central GZ.

Nothing on the train route between Kunming and Nanning stands out in particular for easy access to sights.

Thanks for the information rkkwan. I'd rather go to an inconvenient place by ferry than a central place by bus, just a personal preference. I see ferries online that go to Lian Hua Shan, Panyu which seems fairly close to the city. Presumably there are buses to go into the city. Do these ferries exist?

Yes, about 9 sailings a day from either Kowloon or HK Island to either Lian Hua Shan or Nan Sha. Those two ports are fairly close, and some ferries stop at LHS then NS, and some vice versa. I am not too familiar with the connecting transportation from the pier to GZ.

The problem is that you still have to go to central GZ for hotels and train connections. I don't know how dropping you off an inconvenient pier does you any good for your sightseeing or your continuing travel to Vietnam.

The only thing it does for me is allow me to ride the ferry and see the inconvenient pier - more interesting to me than a bus station. It's difficult to explain why we have the preferences we do but that's mine. Some people value efficiency & convenience while my travel tends to be unstructured and I look for experiences I didn't know existed until I arrived in a place. It's served me well. I'll stay over in Guangzhou a day or more before going on by train. I'm not in a hurry, no date for drinks in Hanoi.