Skip to content How the train works
Vietnam’s main line is a single track that follows the coast for 1,726 km from Hanoi to Saigon, and the express services on it are known as the Reunification Express. Five express pairs, SE1/SE2 to SE9/SE10, run the full length every day in the 2026 summer timetable (valid from 15 May 2026), and the journey takes about 31 to 34 hours depending on the service. On the 2026 timetables the SE1 takes about 31 hours 25 minutes and the SE3 and SE5 about 33 to 33½ hours.
Few visitors ride it end to end. The line is best taken in sections, because the best views and the best stops are along the coast: Hue, Da Nang, Quy Nhon and Nha Trang. A short hop on the train is also a good way to see the country without the dust and noise of Highway 1.
The honest limit is speed. The average speed is low, the track is shared with freight, and delays happen. If you have under a week, fly the long legs (our domestic flights guide has the airlines) and keep the train for a leg you want to enjoy. The overview is in getting around Vietnam.
Classes and what to expect
Seats and berths are sold in a few classes, and what is on offer depends on the train. The faster SE services have air-conditioned carriages with a snack car or trolley, and the slower regional and tourist services are simpler.
| Class | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Soft seat (ngồi mềm) | Reclining seat in an air-conditioned carriage | Daytime hops, such as Saigon to Nha Trang |
| Hard sleeper (nằm cứng) | Six berths in a compartment, in three tiers | The cheapest way to sleep on the train |
| Soft sleeper (nằm mềm) | Four berths in a compartment, in two tiers | A night train for two or four people |
| VIP sleeper | A two-berth cabin on some services, sold at a premium | Couples who want privacy |
The lower berth is the easiest to reach and costs the most, and the top berth is cheapest. The old hard-seat class (wooden benches, no air conditioning) is mostly gone from the express trains, and it is not worth taking overnight if you meet it. Take food and water, since the snack service is limited and prices are higher than on the street.
Saigon to Nha Trang by train
Seven trains a day leave Saigon station for Nha Trang, covering 411 km in about 7 to 8½ hours. Listings on 4 October 2026 showed these times.
| Train | Leaves Saigon | Time on board | Seat fare seen (4 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SE8 | 06:00 | 7 h 43 | about 315,000 dong |
| SE6 | 08:45 | 7 h 21 | about 363,000 dong |
| SE10 | 13:15 | 8 h 36 | about 656,000 dong |
| SE4 | 19:20 | 7 h 20 | about 487,000 dong |
| SE2 | 20:35 | 7 h 9 | about 487,000 dong |
| SNT2 | 21:45 | 7 h 55 | about 367,000 dong |
Fares are from a booking reseller’s listing on that date and change with class and demand. The daytime trains are the scenic ones, with the coast showing from about Phan Thiet onward. Saigon station is in District 3 and Nha Trang station is in the city centre, so the train works better than most stations do for a door-to-door trip. The car takes about 5½ to 7 hours on the coastal expressway and is covered on the Nha Trang page; a flight to Cam Ranh is about an hour in the air.
Saigon to Phan Thiet (for Mui Ne)
A train pair called SPT1 and SPT2 runs between Saigon and Phan Thiet in about four hours with air-conditioned seats. From 11 September to 30 December 2026 it runs only at weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), according to the announcement in the Vietnamese press on 4 July 2026. Check the timetable the day before, since it has changed several times.
Phan Thiet station is 15 to 20 km from Mui Ne, so count a taxi at the end and a ride to the station at the start, which makes a door-to-door trip of about six to seven hours. A car with a driver takes about 3 to 4 hours straight to your hotel (2½ on a clear run), and the page on Mui Ne and Phan Thiet compares the ways to go.
The rest of the network
Beyond the main line the services that matter to visitors are shorter.
- Hanoi to Lao Cai, for Sapa. Overnight trains leave the capital in the evening and arrive in the early morning, and some private carriages are attached to the regular trains.
- Hanoi to Hai Phong, and Da Nang to Hue (the HĐ1 and HĐ2 pair), which are short daytime runs.
- Da Lat to Trai Mat, a short tourist line using a heritage station rather than a way to travel between cities.
There’s no regular train to Da Lat. The French-era rack railway between Thap Cham and Da Lat stopped carrying passengers decades ago, and plans to restore its roughly 83.5 km (reported by Khanh Hoa province in July 2025) are only plans. Private luxury carriages, which are attached to regular services on a few routes, are sold by operators and agents; fares are higher and the standard varies, so read recent reviews before paying.
Buying tickets
Tickets are sold online by Vietnam Railways, at stations and by agents. Tickets carry the passenger’s name and ID number, and the conductor can ask for ID, so book with the name as it appears in your passport and carry the passport.
- Book one to two weeks ahead for sleepers on popular legs, and a month or more for holidays.
- Individuals can usually change or return a ticket until 24 hours before departure, for a fee. Group tickets need 48 hours.
- Tickets for Tết (Lunar New Year, in early February 2027) went on sale at the end of August and early September 2026, and the popular dates sell out quickly. Our money guide covers paying in dong.
- Resellers add a service charge, but they take foreign cards, which can be easier than the railway’s own site.
Train, bus, car or flight
For a trip from Saigon, the right choice depends on distance and how much you care about the journey.
| Leg | Train | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Saigon to Nha Trang | 7 to 8½ hours, from about 315,000 dong | Flight about 1 hour; sleeper bus about 7 to 8 hours; car about 5½ to 7 hours |
| Saigon to Mui Ne | Phan Thiet station plus a taxi, 6 to 7 hours, weekends only until 30 December 2026 | Car, 3 to 4 hours door to door |
| Saigon to Da Lat | None | Car, bus or flight; see Da Lat and the bus guide |
| Hue to Da Nang | About 2½ to 3 hours | Car, about 2 hours |
The train wins when you want a berth, a toilet and a view, and when a hotel at the end is near the station. A car wins on door-to-door travel, luggage and families. It also wins on air: Vietnamese carriages vary, and ours is a car with a non-smoking driver, working seatbelts and a cabin filter that’s been changed. If you arrive by train and need a ride onward from the station or the airport, our Saigon airport transfers cover pickups with a fixed price.
A faster line is planned
A 350 km/h line between Hanoi (Ngoc Hoi) and Ho Chi Minh City (Thu Thiem) is planned, about 1,541 km long and costing more than US$65 billion by official estimates. The Ministry of Construction said in September 2026 that it aims to start construction in December 2027. Nothing is open, so plan your trip on the existing line.