Has anyone taken the overnight train from Hanoi to Sapa? I'm considering booking a trip with this option and I'm wondering what to expect of the sleeper berths and facilities on a Vietnamese train. I'm guessing it's not quite like Amtrak?

We (family of 4) did this trip in Dec 2003. You are right...it's not Amtrak, but it worked for us.
There are 4 bunks in each sleeper unit, so if you are not traveling with 3 other people, you may find yourself in fairly close quarters with strangers. There is just a small amount of storage space under each bunk, so you can't bring a lot of luggage. We left a lot of ours with the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, which we used as a base while in the northern part of VN. (We also did an overnight trip to Halong Bay.)

The bunks are actually quite comfortable and the linens clean. There is a good reading light in each bunk. There was a toilet facility at each end of the train car that was reasonably clean. What we found to be a bit of a problem was the lack of ventilation. Since it was Dec and we were traveling north, the cabin was heated....in fact overheated. When we opened the window for fresh air, the noise from the clackety old tracks was unbearably loud.

On the way up to Sapa you board the train about 11pm, so you end up going straight to bed. On the way back, you board around 6pm and have dinner in the dining car. We loved that. It was really a throwback to another time....the food was pretty good and we enjoyed some wine while sharing travel stories with fellow passengers.
Having to debark in the wee hours of the morning (6am) is a bit of shock to the system, but we headed straight to the Metropole for their wonderful buffet breakfast.

Just purchasing a ticket on trains in Vn is a real hoot! The o'night train is great value at around US12 pp and tickets can be purchased via www.vietnamstay.com, prior to you arriving in Hanoi.

Lindsey's comments are good ones. We shared with a couple of honeymooners! Take earplugs with you.

Ask for the lower bunks, unless you're a trapeze artist! Have fun!

The Victoria Hotel group runs a luxury train that looks really nice. http://www.victoriahotels-asia.com/t...sapa/toget.php and scroll down.

The Victoria train is the one we used and is considerably more expensive than the one Lyndie is referring to. They are all actually the same train, just different cars, with different accommodation and service levels. I'm not sure if there is a dining car on the regular train.

We booked our trip in conjunction with our our rooms at the Victoria Hotel in Sapa. I had quite a few questions, so I called the phone number on the website. The person who answered spoke Enblish pretty well and booked everything exactly as I requested. It was pretty seamless.

We took the train last year through Victoria Hotels and really enjoyed it.
You can also request a train cabin for only 2 people at extra cost but the number available is limited. The cabins are not of the same luxury as a private car in Europe but they are clean and fine with good service and food in the Victoria cars.We thought the price to be fair too.
Bon Voyage.

I find overnight train trips (and the sleeper cars) a little claustrophobic. We're trying to decide whether it's worth it to "bite the bullet" on the overnight train up & back from Hanoi for two days in Sapa. Would appreciate any thoughts. Would like to get out into the hills for some scenery & Sapa looks beautiful.

CFW, I also deliberated about whether to go to Sapa when we went to Hanoi. We ended up choosing not to. Basically, it came down to two things. First, I wanted to really have enough time to explore Hanoi. We spent 6 full days, and that was about right for what we wanted tto do. Second, I noted that people either loved or hated Sapa. Sapa has been voted the place with the most annoying touts on Thorntree, as it has a number of young hilltribe women who become verbally abusive if one doesn't buy from them, and follow the person around shouting at them. While you'll experience a bit of the young men shouting at you for not buying in Hanoi, I felt like the reason to go to Sapa was to be in an "unspoiled" area and visit hilltribe markets. After reading many similar accounts of people's expereinces there, I decided not to spend the time on Sapa.

We did not have any problem at all there with touts, although I have read of others who have. For us, the trip north was worth it just to see Bac Ha market...that is truly a once in a lifetime experience. It's an absolutely local market, where the various hilltribes come to socialize, barter and trade, once a week. There is very little there for tourists to buy (unless you happen to be in the market for a water buffalo or some local "white lightening&quot so the tribespeople pretty much ignored us. They were busy acquiring supplies and catching up on gossip. The thing that makes it spectacular is that they are ALL in full on tribal dress, which is incredibly colorful. The photos are some of the best we have ever taken.
We also spent a very memorable day hiking through the mountains and rice paddies with a guide, visiting local villages and schools. For us the train ride was part of the adventure, so we considered the whole 4 days very well spent.

the weather in Sapa now ( 8 mar 2006) not very good. Go to Sapa take the package by Victoria train and hotel here. http://www.geoexpedition.com/ItiDetail.asp?id=136