Hey gang... (great forum, by the way)<BR><BR>I have the opportunity to do one of the following:<BR>Fly from HCMC to Kuala Lampur. Then the next day fly to Hanoi.<BR><BR>OR<BR><BR>Take a train from HCMC to Hanoi.<BR><BR>I figure that this would be a great way to see the country, but I'm not sure if I want to spend 30 hours on a train.<BR><BR>Has anyone out there done this? Any feelings on the subject? Any help is most appreciated.<BR>Cheers!

John, I haven't done the train trip -- we flew internally by Air Vietnam, which is cheap and efficient, and there's no hassle getting to the airports -- but I often wish I had gone by train, for the reasons you mention -- even though I've heard that it's slow, not very comfortable, and certainly not for everyone. I really just chimed in here to top this post before it disappeared off the page -- maybe someone who knows more than I will see it and respond! Good luck!

John,<BR> In 1998, I took the train from HCMC to Danang. I'd suggest you try the train. Yes, it is slow and uncomfortable, but you will always remember that trip (as opposed to a modern plane flight with Viet Air) <BR> My friend and I were the only non-locals in our car. (we traveled "soft seats") I found it fascinating to people watch and visit with the few who spoke english. Pulling into small towns at night and watching the activity was memorable. To be in a train pulling through the Vietnamese countryside at dawn and watching the laborers at work bringing in the crops will also be something I'll keep with me. (In addition to the memory of a box breakfast of rice and fish!)<BR> You may want to travel first class, in that our soft seat class seats were constructed like lawn chairs and they did not lay back to form much of a bed. The downside of first class is that you are with mostly foreign tourists. keith<BR>

john--<BR><BR>why not travel part way by train, see if u like it, and if not, change to plane?<BR><BR>things have changed a bit since my first train trip in vn, in 1995, but the leg from danang to nha trang, when i traveled non-air-conditioned 'soft bed' in a car w/ no other foreigners, was a highlight of the trip. it was brutally hot and i prayed i wdn't have to use the stinking hole in the floor at one end of the car that passed for a toilet, but the openness and camaraderie of the passengers left a deep impression. i thought everybody was related bc everybody sat on lower bunks sharing food; i was wrong. i was waved down from my top bunk and offered fruit and tea, and the nice old lady whose bunk i was on sat next to me and stroked my hair. the train attendant, who spoke no english, came and got me for a card game in another compartment, where 7 of us squeezed onto the lower bunks along w/ the sleeping occupants.<BR><BR>my next leg, from nha trang to saigon, was in an air-conditioned compartment w/ 3 taiwanese businessmen (i'm a woman). it was also memorable--they invited me to share their cognac and i passed out after 15 minutes. the rest of their trip was spent taking care of me.<BR><BR>these and subsequent train trips took longer than scheduled, sometimes due to flooding during rainy season. at night there's not much freedom of movement bc u do have to watch ur stuff and bc sleeping people are sprawled out in the corridors in hammocks and on the floors. the ride does become monotonous after the better part of a day.<BR><BR>my final note is to ck vn air domestic schedules before u leave, as some routes (e.g. nha trang-danang) do not have daily flights.<BR><BR>will be interested to know ur experiences if u do decide on the train!

Alan, Keith & Mari-<BR><BR>Thanks for taking the time to respond.<BR>After all the input I'm definitely leaning towards the train.<BR><BR>I'll check back in and let you all know how it goes...<BR><BR>Cheers!