We are planning 2 day stay in BKK then off to HH on the train on Monday morning Nov 5.
Has anyone done this trip--any advice--do we buy tkts in advance thru travel agent, etc? Please assist with any pertinent info.
Thank you so much!

i think you might find the bus much easier and quicker.....

i have seen the trains and they look old and worn out...

Thye train is just fine and then again I am not a bus traveller in Thailand unless there is no other means.

Assume you are taking the 2nd class early morning (7.45) rail coach. Unless you are travelling on a weekend or holiday just get your ticket when you get to the station. Otherwise get your ticket the first day in Bangkok.

The new subway will take you right to the station.

I suggest you buy your tickets ahead of time. We took the same trip last October, showed up at the train station an hour or so before departure, and all the second class tickets were sold out. We ended up taking a later train -- third class!

The car lacked air conditioning, it was packed with Thai families, and the bathroom door would not stay closed. It was quite an adventure -- in fact, one of the most memorable adventures on our month-long trip. Would I do it again? No. Would I recommend it? If you have a good sene of humor, I'd say go for it! Otherwise, buy your tickets for the second class train in advance to be safe.

One more thing, when you arrive at the train station in Hua Hin, you will not find anything that looks like a taxi. Unless you have made arrangements to be picked up by your hotel, you will find yourself riding on a wooden bench in the back of a pick-up truck. Like I said in my earlier post, this trip was quite an adventure for us!

By the way, we stayed at the Anantara, and it was wonderful!

The train takes 4 hrs plus, there are various trains, the ones around 2 pm are good as they are the 'long haul' expresses with 1st and 2nd ( plus 3rd )

The Express air-con buses leave about every 40 minutes and take about 3hrs 15 mins. Costs about US$5.50 each

If you are not on a tight budget then take a taxi or limo, even when thinking about the cost remember that a taxi or limo take you 'from your Bangkok hotel' to your 'Hua Hin hotel or resort' so you save taxis etc at both ends.

Also you can stop on the way for a break at any of the many service areas along the highway, taxi or limo takes about 2 hrs 30 mins, avoid rush hours, leaving BKK around 10.30/11 am gets you into Hua Hin at a time when your room should be ready for you to check in.
Taxis I guess these days around the US$40-50 range, limos about US$65-80 range.

You can pre book these.

Some resorts such as Hyatt and Dusit operate their own limo-van shuttles between their Bangkok hotels and their Hua Hin resorts, Bob used the Hyatt one, I think it was cheap.

As Ojudy says, the 'taxis' as such at the train station tend to be pick-ups with seats in the back.

I think the early rail-car is quicker.

I should get my brain-cells together at one time, but it is only 7 am!

Apart from at the Hua Hin train station there "are" nice air-con taxis ( cars with driver and sign saying 'taxi' ) in Hua Hin town which are just fine, but they tend not to hang around the train station.

Many resorts have their own shuttles to and from Hua Hin town center but taxis are available 24/7 in Hua Hin.

yes hyatt operates a wonderful shuttle service if you are staying with them...it is 500B per person each way...they use a mini van...you need advance reservations....the van leaves the bkk hyatt at 10AM and leaves the HH hyatt at 2PM....it was cheap and perfect...

i sent an e mail to the conc. desk at the bkk hyatt and they made my arrangements...

going down we had the whole van to ourselves....coming back it was full....

thanks all--after doing more research--the AM diesel express train is 3 hrs--we can buy tkts advance from TA and pay extra (worth the $10 service charge for 2) One way is $12US pax and we'd like to do the first leg w/train and return via car for about $80-90US--fine since schedule back is not great.
There is an icredible website for traintravel www.seat61.com
please patronize it if possible--he has really done his homework--this is man who loves trains and knows his tracks!@!@

I agree about seat61, I have also mentioned it, for train travel anywhere it's a superb website.
It is obviously run by people who are fascinated about train travel and it also gives some good insight into places. Covers the whole world.

Enjoy your train ride and don't forget to take photos at Hua hin train station by the sign and the Royal Waiting Room, probably one of the most photographed rail stations !

Where are you staying ?

AKA for 5 nights Any additional tips/stuff to know--we leave in a few days to connect thru Korea and stay 4 nights Bangkok then HH.

I guess you know Aka Resort is in the hills above Hua Hin town and no where near the beach.
If you want to spend time at the beach instead of going down near the Sofitel a tip is to go down past the Marriott to the veranda Lodge which is on the beach with a restaurant, you can rent beach loungers there, then do lunch, the restaurant ( unless changed ) has a great on the beach location.
It's an easy way of spending time at the beach.
Sasi Show and dinner ( Thai classic and performance ) at the entrance into the Hyatt is woprth doing, let's Sea restaurant near there plus Supatra further along ( illuminated Golden Buddha at night, nice sight ! ).
If you go back you will see other restaurant and evening ideas.
I would try and get Aka to pick you up as it is quite a way from the train station if they offer reasonable, ball-park I would guess the pick-ups at the station would be about B 200-250 though I am guessing there ( just in case resort quotes you some huge price)