BazzaK

My family (wife and two daughters 18 and 21) and I are intending to travel to Vietnam at the end of the year and were thinking of, instead of ending the trip in Hanoi, taking a train from Hanoi to Hong Kong and, in that way, seeing something of China as well. Has anyone done the trip who can advise on whether this is a good idea or not, i.e. are the trains infrequent, reliable, easy to book, comfortable, expensive, etc? Would it make more sense to rather take a bus?

By the way, we are intending travelling throughout Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City (3 nights) to Hanoi (3 nights) by train as well, stopping over in Nha Trang (2 nights), Hue or Hoi An (any suggestions on which is better would also be welcome) (3 nights) and then finishing in Hanoi (including a one night cruise on Ha Long Bay). Any comments on this proposed itinerary would also be welcome.

thursdaysd

I took the train from Nanning to Hanoi (and on to Saigon) in 2004. That train did not run every day, and you changed equipment (from OK to not-so-OK) at the Vietnam border in the middle of the night. I suggest checking seat61.com for up-to-date information for your route.

You shouldn't have trouble booking train tickets in Vietnam for Vietnam, there are travel agencies all over the place. I'm not sure how booking the Chinese leg would work. I certainly would not consider doing Hanoi to HK by bus.

Given a choice of Hue or Hoi An I would take Hue, but I'm not a shopper.

dgunbug

Both cities are fabulous. Hoi an is full of charm and pleasant to walk around for a day or so. Many like shopping and having clothing made there. Hue is steeped in history and we found it fascinating. IMO you should skip natrang and visit both hue and hue.

thursdaysd

Good point dgunbug - Nha Trang wasn't anywhere to get excited about.

yestravel

I wasn't in Nha Trang, but liked both Hue and Hoi An. As dgunbug says, they are very different, but both offer a lot, and I agree that u should try and visit both. Some people spend time at the beach in Hoi An. I'm not a shopper but enjoyed just strolling around Hoi An, sitting in cafes and eating good meals -- it's charming esp at night with the lanterns. The ruins at My Son are about an hour from Hoi An and worth a visit. The drive from Hoi An to Hue is a very scenic one and I gather the train ride is also scenic. The Cham museum in Danang, about 30 minutes from Hoi An is also worth a stop if u travel between the 2 cities.

HappyTrvlr

Would you need to purchase visas for China($145. per person if from US)? You do not need a visa to enter Hong Kong.

thursdaysd

If you're entering China, which you would with this itinerary, you absolutely need a visa. If you think you might re-enter from HK, you need a multiple entry visa.

thursdaysd

WRT to the train, if you haven't already checked seat61.com, you really need to.

Go here: http://www.seat61.com/Vietnam.htm#Hong%20Kong

You might also try Lonely Planet's thorntree - more train travelers there than here.

rkkwan

I don't know about Vietnamese trains, but softsleeper - I.e. first class sleepers - in China is quite comfortable. I would definitely NOT recommend taking a bus.

crellston

Unless you are into diving or enjoy really busy westernized beach resorts, skip Nha Trang. I would use the additional days to visit both Hue and Hoi An or maybe add on a day or two to visit the Mai Chau valley which is beautiful and only a few hours from Hanoi.

The train ride from Da nang to Hue is one of the best in the world as the train travels through the Marble mountains and along China beach - not to be missed!

Other options from Hanoi could include Halong Bay (I did not particualrly like it but others have loved it) and of course, a further train ride up to Sapa (but that is really a 3 day trip).

To do the entire trip from Hanoi to Hong Kong may be problematic. here is a link to a Travelfish post on the subject:

http://www.travelfish.org/board/post...hanoi-by-train

If you do decide to do it please post a report on your trip as I am sure we all would like to hear how you got on