Vietnam Sleeper Train Ultimate Guide For Tourists (2025)

Find out all about taking a Vietnam sleeper train. Let’s talk about whether it is worth it, how to book, tips to survive, different berth types, my journeys, and what to expect!

The sleeper train is one of my favorite ways to travel around Vietnam. With a rail network nearly covering the length of the country, it is an excellent way to get from point A to point B.

We used them throughout our adventures here, although we did have to take a couple of sleeper buses to towns that the trains don’t reach.

No doubt, we thoroughly enjoyed taking a sleeper train in Vietnam. But be aware, there are certainly some crazy horror stories around.

Personally, we had a horrible experience on the sleeper buses. That’s why we decided to take a Vietnam sleeper train whenever possible.

This is the more expensive option, but for the sake of our sanity, we decided it would be worth it.

How To Book A Sleeper Train In Vietnam

You’ll be surprised how easy it is to book a sleeper train here in Vietnam.

It used to be a bit more complicated back in the day. However, with technology, it has now become super easy.

Buy Tickets Online

You can now purchase tickets online. It is a bit confusing as some websites still say you need to print out your ticket and swap it at the train station.

Though no one wants to be doing this!

As a result, I booked all of my train trips with Baolau. With them, you don’t need to print off the ticket and instead just show it on your phone to the attendant.

This is what I did, and I never once had an issue.

Although being a third-party service, a small fee is built into the ticket cost, but it’s much easier than going to the train station!

Buy Tickets From Vietnam Railways

Another option is to buy your tickets directly.

You often can’t find the cheaper hard/soft seater tickets on third-party websites as they aren’t a popular choice for tourists.

However, if you are on a budget, you can book directly with Vietnam Railways. Just make sure to use the official website since there are many knockoffs.

Another option is heading to the station to buy your tickets, but generally you’ll have to buy them in advance, especially for a sleeper train. It’s unlikely you’ll be in town for long enough to do this.

Where Can You Travel On The Rail Network In Vietnam

Apart from the main route, you can also easily get to other areas by train.

Though to keep this post relatively short, we will concentrate on The Reunification Express (Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and vice versa).

The Reunification Express (Hanoi To Ho Chi Minh)

Here are the South & North timetables for the Reunification Express and the stops it makes:

Just note there are more stops than those listed, these are just the main tourist routes you may be interested in.

Other Possible Sleeper Train Routes

There are a few other routes to highlights worth adding to your Vietnam itinerary.

Hanoi & Lao Cai For Sapa

Today, most tourists prefer taking the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai before continuing towards Sapa.

You should either book a 4-berth soft sleeper or a luxury train so you’ll get a good sleep and arrive ready to trek in Sapa.

Ho Chi Minh & Phan Thiet For Mui Ne

The quickest way to Mui Ne is the train from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Thiet. You will find many travelers book to Binh Thuan instead simply because it’s on the reunification line, but that takes a lot longer.

Once you are in Phan Thiet is an easy 30 minute taxi to Mui Ne.

Hanoi & Haiphong

You can get to Cat Ba Island by taking the train to Haiphong from Hanoi.

The classes onboard are air-conditioned soft seats, air-conditioned seats, and ordinary seats.

This is a super affordable train with tickets costing just a few dollars for the 2 hour journey.

From Hanoi To Ha Long Station

Yeah, so maybe Ha Long Bay is super popular with tourists, but if you’re keen for a more local experience, the train ride is perfect!

The trains are not fancy with just hard seats. But when you arrive in Halong Bay, there is a nice new train station.

Typical Costs Of An Overnight Train In Vietnam

Depending on who you book with will affect the costs of your sleeper train. Obviously, your cheaper option is directly through Vietnam Railways.

Booking through a third party, such as Baolau, can be a couple of extra dollars but can save a lot of hassle when it comes to printing your tickets.

You will find the majority of overnight tickets will cost you around $30.00 or so per person for an air conditioned soft sleeper lower berth. This is one of the best beds, and of course my fav.

Now I know this can be a bit of money, especially considering buses are about half this price. Traveling by train is the most comfortable way to get around Vietnam.

You can check out the table below for ticket prices on the Reunification line from Hanoi.

Just note there are more stops than those listed, these are just the main tourist routes you may be interested in.

What Berth To Book

You would have just seen all the different types of tickets available to book. Be aware that even though you may book the same class twice, it doesn’t actually mean they will be the same.

Several trains have been refurbished, making them a lot more comfortable. However, this isn’t the case with all of them.

Hard Seat Or Soft Seat

The seats are super affordable, with a hard seat being one of the cheapest options available. This is good for shorter journeys, though I would think twice before booking one for an overnight train in Vietnam.

The hard seats are exactly as they sound. Usually, they are just wooden benches, whereas your soft seats are cushioned chairs for a little bit of added comfort.

I would only book this option for rides less than a few hours long. However, if you are on a tight budget, this may be the best option for you.

You will also have a lot more opportunities to interact with the locals on board as you are not in cabins.

Hard Sleeper Or Soft Sleeper

Most travelers will choose the soft sleeper when booking, especially so if it’s an overnight journey.

This is the most comfortable and will allow you to get a good nights sleep. Also, it is the safest with fewer people around and lockable doors.

The only difference between the hard sleeper and soft sleeper is the number of people you will be sharing with. A hard sleeper is for 6 people, whereas a soft sleeper is for 4 people.

So contrary to the name you won’t be sleeping on a hard surface, you will just have less headroom if you want to sit upright.

Whichever sleeper you choose, you will have an individual reading light, pillow, sheet, and duvet. You can either store your luggage under the lower bunk or in the compartment above the door.

Lower or Upper Berth

Lastly, you can book either a lower or upper berth. Most people seem to have a preference for this, including myself.

Lower Berth: The appeal of the lower berth is simply that it is a lot easier to get into. There is no climbing an awkward ladder, trying not to fall off while the train moves. The lower ones are also generally slightly bigger. The downside is that there is a lot less privacy, and you may find your bunkmates join you during the day.

Upper Berth: The upper berth is a lot more private, and there will be no one trying to encroach on your space. You may also have the air conditioning blowing straight onto you, so bring an extra jacket!

Top tip: If you book your train via Baolau, you can pick it up in advance, whether you want a lower or upper berth.

Types Of Trains And Classes Onboard: First Class VS Hard Seats

As I said, not all trains are created equal, so here is a list of all the trains and the classes onboard:

SE3 and SE4 were refurbished in 2015, and SE1 and SE2 were refurbished in 2016. You will also find these trains offer privately run luxury first-class carriages by companies such as Livitrans and Violette.

Facilities On Board

In terms of facilities onboard the sleeper trains, you have access to everything you need for an overnight journey. There are two toilets in each carriage, one Western-style, and one squatter.

However, be aware that these will be clean at the start of your journey, and we can’t promise the same the following day. There are no showers on board.

There is Wi-Fi onboard. But, don’t expect it to work 100% of the time. Same thing if you have a local SIM card with data. In some parts of the country, you will have difficulty getting reception.

There is hot water on each carriage. This means cup noodles are the perfect meal. You can buy food onboard as the cart walks around, but I recommend buying food beforehand.

Many of the train stations have small shops selling snacks, such as chips, lollies, and drinks. Though best to head to a restaurant beforehand and grab a few things takeaway. A banh mi is a great choice.

Can You Actually Sleep

When people decide to book a sleeper train, you would expect to rest peacefully onboard, so you hopefully wake up rejuvenated and ready to explore.

Personally, I had excellent nights of sleep on all of my sleeper trains around Vietnam. However, I am the type of person who generally sleeps well on moving transport as I find the rocking puts me to sleep.

We always made sure to book the forward-facing sleeper bed to prevent motion sickness as well.

It is relatively dark onboard, and you can turn the announcement speaker down so you don’t wake up.

The train schedule above shows that there aren’t actually too many stops. Though you will still feel the train accelerate and decelerate when it passes through towns and cities.

Safety On The Train

Taking a train in Vietnam is probably one of the safest ways to travel. I mean, the roads here are absolutely crazy, so no surprises there.

The only time you really need to be concerned is theft onboard.

Unfortunately, this is pretty common, so you will want to keep your valuables close to you. Chuck a lock on your bag to keep it safe, and remember to lock the door to your cabin if you happen to book one.

Personally, I didn’t have issues with any of the overnight trains I took in Vietnam. However, I did take the above precautions to keep safe.

Sometimes, a little bit of common sense can make a big difference and prevents you from becoming a target.

Do’s And Don’ts Onboard A Vietnam Sleeper Train

Yes, there are rules you should follow when booking a sleeper train.

This will ensure you respect the locals and have an excellent journey. A lot of things we usually do in Western cultures aren’t acceptable to others.

The Sleeper Train Do’s

• Dress comfortably. I mean, you don’t want to try climbing up to the upper berth while wearing tight skinny jeans.
• Take all your essentials on board with just a day pack. Your main bag will be packed away, and you don’t want to upset the other people in your cabin by having to pull everything out.
• The air conditioning can be super cold! Though this is pretty normal when traveling all around Southeast Asia, not just in Vietnam. Make sure to take the hoodie or jacket you packed because you will definitely need it.
• You can either bring your own pillowcase or place a T-shirt over it if you’re worried about cleanliness. The trains and bedding only get cleaned in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.
•  Oh, and of course, don’t forget to bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer. You’ll for sure thank me later for those ones! 
• Make sure you have some entertainment and devices are fully charged. If you have a power bank, bring that along as well.

The Sleeper Train Don’t’s

• Not to sound like your mother, but don’t leave valuables lying around. As I said above, petty theft is common, and if you are unaware or sleeping, you quickly become the perfect victim.
• Research your journey and how long it will take. You will want enough food and water on board to keep you going.
• The name sleeper train doesn’t necessarily mean you need to take it at night. Plenty of sleeper trains in Vietnam operate during the daytime. Bonus, the daytime trips are generally a bit cheaper as well!
• Don’t give in to those pushy taxi drivers when you arrive at your next destination. Research in advance how much a taxi should cost and even walk slightly away from the train station where you are more likely to get a cheaper rate.
• Make sure not to leave booking your sleeper train to the last minute. They generally get booked up a few days in advance. This can change to a few weeks in advance during busy periods such as Tet.

My Overnight Train Experiences In Vietnam

The following are a couple of my experiences taking overnight trains in Vietnam.

Hopefully, this will give you a good idea of what to expect and tips so you can have an easy and stress-free journey.

Hanoi To Hue In An AC Soft Sleeper

We would begin our trip by traveling from Hanoi to Hue. The journey takes 14 hours with the train departing at 8 pm and arriving at 10 am the next day. The Baolau website has a variety of options, and you can even pick your seats on a lot of trains.

We decided on a four-berth soft sleeper, with lower bunks, on the train SE19. Costing $27.50 / 720,000 VND each for the overnight journey.

The Hanoi Railway Station is twenty minutes walking distance from the Old Quarter area. We strapped on our bags before starting our journey through the crowded motorbike-filled streets and dodging the overfilled sidewalks.

Soon enough we arrived and managed to figure out our way to the train and carriage with no help whatsoever, super proud.

Entering the carriage, it was obvious it was not the flashiest, but it was also not run-down, as all those horror stories I had previously read online made it sound. The four-berth AC cabin was simple, with basic wooden fixings, a small table, power sockets, and two lights.

When we arrived, our two cabinmates were already there. They were two Vietnamese girls who literally said nothing and barely made a noise while they were on board.

The train departed at the exact minute stated, and we soon fell asleep to the rocking movements. At approximately 10 pm, loud music started playing, and a woman came over the loudspeaker stating we had arrived in Ninh Binh.

It went quiet after that and we all fell back to sleep. Then, at 2 am, the noise started again. Having arrived in Vinh, our two cabinmates departed, leaving us alone for the remaining 8 hours.

After that, I fell asleep quickly, dreaming of trains and buses, obviously caused by the rocking sensations. I slept without earplugs or headphones and was only awakened at the stations.

The bathrooms were kept clean throughout the trip, and most visits were stocked with toilet paper, though take your own supply just to be safe. The only bathroom major was the smell.

The four berth soft sleeper cabin was extremely comfortable and had everything you would need except wifi. It was clean, and the only bug I saw was a lone mosquito, so no cockroaches, thank god. The sheets, duvet, and pillow were all clean and nicely folded up when we arrived.

We booked the tickets from Hue to Da Nang through the same ticketing website, costing $4.90 / 128,000 VND. The train would depart at 10.35 am and arrive at 1 pm. So it was a fairly short ride.

After a brisk walk to the train station, we had to stay in the waiting room for about twenty minutes until they opened the door. We had booked 2 beds in a 4 berth soft sleeper booth. Train SE3, carriage 8, beds 13 & 14.

The train arrived exactly ten minutes behind schedule as loud whistles sounded and men holding yellow flags stood by the tracks. The SE3 train was one which underwent renovation, so it cost a bit more than the other older trains.

From the outside the appearance remained the same while the interior was quite different. A lighter, fresher color scheme made the areas feel larger.

The bathrooms were also redone, with two basins and a separate toilet area. Fake flowers sat on the table, and we were handed a water bottle.

Also, the rumored wifi available was nonexistent, so don’t bother booking the nicer trains just on the chance you will get internet.

Wrap Up: Should I Actually Book An Overnight Train In Vietnam?

Honestly, I do really think taking a sleeper train is one of the best methods to make your way around Vietnam.

You will be able to have a decent sleep, there’s plenty of room to stretch out, and when you arrive in your next location, you will be ready to explore!