Vietnam Railways - the Reunification Express
- Jun 9
- 9 min read
I have logged thousands of miles in airplanes, through good weather and bad, but some of the most severe turbulence of my many years of flying struck my Vietnam Airlines Airbus 320 as we descended towards Noi Bai Airport on a mid – Sunday morning. Strong sideways jolts were more than an inconvenience as we descended further; friends had told me yesterday there were severe thunderstorms in Hanoi – apparently some still remained. Finally at about 500 feet, the air cleared paving the way for a smooth final approach and landing. But the sky was still heavy, grey leaden with humidity and the thick morning gloom blanked the city for the rest of the day. I was still shaking from the wild descent, and glad to be on Mother Earth.
Later that evening, during dinner at a local restaurant (recommended in a Michelin guide) while at the urinal in the men’s room, a middle-age Vietnamese waiter, standing next to me, said to me: “someone of your age, traveling the world – very good!” Should I feel good or offended? Never mind. The fact that he then shook my hand, was a bit over the top, considering proper urinal etiquette. Welcome to Hanoi.
Dinners, tours and other social events marked the next several days in Hanoi and vicinity. I did take time off to visit the Hua Lo Prison, located just one block from my hotel (“Hanoi Hilton” of John McCain fame) and the Vietnam Museum of War. Americans tend to think of Vietnam as “our” war but that county has had a long history of invaders and for hundreds of years, has had to fight for its independence from the French (colonialists) and the Americans (“aggressors and imperialists”), as well as the Chinese and Japanese.
But no rail enthusiast should leave Hanoi without visiting the iconic "train street". This quirky street is in Hanoi's Old Quarter, between Phun Hung and Ly Nam De streets and it is lined with narrow residential buildings and small cafes where visitors can sit while trains roar past their tables with just inches to spare.
The most expensive, but probably not the best option, is the one I chose for my overnight train trip Hanoi to Hue. Vietnam Railways offers a simple coach seat for the 14 – hour overnight trip, as well as 4 and 6 – berth sleeping compartments; there are also private sleeping cars operated on the same train which offer similar services at a much higher price. As I wanted
a single compartment for privacy (stories of thievery on Vietnam trains abound), I chose the single occupancy of a 2 – berth compartment offered by Violette. This solitude cost me just under 8 million Vietnamese Dong (about $300). Sleep came easily as the compartment was clean and the ride relatively quiet and smooth…for just $21/hour.
Soon after departure, a vendor offered a warm “333” beer; enthusiastically, I enjoyed it (somewhat); a few minutes later, another vendor offered “cold beer”. Oh well. A massage was offered by another vendor, but I refused. After a bowl of noodles and a small bottle of red wine, I soon retired for the night and slept well, waking up a couple of hours’ north of Hue and watched the northern Vietnamese countryside roll past my window.
Hue arrival and I set out on a two-day venture to discover several Vietnam War base camps and fire support bases where a good friend of mine spent his War days over half a century ago. During my tour to Khe San, an infamous defeat for the American forces in Vietnam, the lunchtime conversation with a couple from the UK, also a single fellow who described himself as “personal assistant to a Cabinet Minister”, went like this: “we live in London”; I replied: “I love London”; “you can have it…so expensive; the only good thing is that over 66 we get free underground passes (“Freedom Pass”); we are in South London”. The Minister’s personal assistant piped up: “I need to find a flat in London as soon as I return…..South London”? “Maybe Brixton”; the female of the London couple responded “yes, Brixton…but Brixton is Brixton”; “yes, Brixton is Brixton”. At this point in the ridiculous exchange, I left the conversation.
Continuing my journey southward on the Heritage Tourist Train (HD 1 and HD 3) I chose a daylight trip for the short (3.5 hours) dash over the scenic Hai Van Pass on the 100 km line to Da Nang.
At about halfway to Da Nang, the southbound and northbound trains make a stop. The advertising brochure by Vietnam Railways describes it thusly: “A 10-minute stop at Lang Co Bay Station allows passengers to capture photos of one of the world’s most beautiful bays and observe local fishing activities.”
There is such a stop however, the station is quite far from the sea and though I walked the length of the platform, I could not catch sight of the bay nor its “fishing activities”. In fact, the only activity in which passengers can engage is to walk up and down the platform, trying to stay out of the hot, direct sun, observe each train (they are parked side-by-side) and hopefully hop on the correct coach at departure time.
Da Nang Heritage Train at Lang Co Bay
Da Nang to Nha Trang and the Vietage
I was looking forward to the deluxe train journey from Da Nang to Nha Trang advertised as:
“Embark on unforgettable railway adventures through the lush landscapes and spectacular scenery of Central Vietnam aboard The Vietage by Anantara luxury train carriage. Make your Vietnam railway booking to embrace the epic romance of train travel on exquisite journeys. From the heritage charm of Hoi An to the sparkling shores of Quy Nhon, or the bustling coastal city of Nha Trang heading north to Quy Nhon, our luxury train in Vietnam combines old-world comfort, breath-taking views and gourmet dining experiences to leave you inspired, refreshed and ready for your next destination.
The Vietage has been developed by Anantara to introduce memorable luxury travel journeys through Vietnam. Two separate railway carriages run daily journeys in opposite directions,one departing in the morning from Da Nang to Quy Nhon and then on to Nha Trang and the second leaving Nha Trang in the afternoon to Quy Nhon and then continuing up to Da Nang.”[1]
Anantara is a luxury hotel and resort brand, with properties throughout Southeast Asia as well as the middle east and Europe. They also operate two luxury railway coaches in Vietnam, operating on regular trains between Da Nang and Nha Trang, via Quy Nhon, where they have a hotel and spa. The idea is for passengers to book the hotel and train as a package, though the train can be booked separately, as I did.
To be sure, the journey was luxurious. A three-course meal at 11:00; Afternoon tea at 15:00; the food was tasty but I felt too much. A “light meal” option should be offered for those not into such gluttony. In addition, train travel to me, especially the luxury variety, includes camaraderie with fellow passengers. Even Amtrak promotes this as strangers are often seated with each other while devouring microwaved food in their dining cars. While there were five other passengers for the first leg of my journey, Da Nang to Quy Nhon, I never met any of them. All meals/drinks were served to passengers in their rooms.
Each section of the trip included a 15-minute neck/head massage; as I traveled over two sections of the line, I was entitled to two of these procedures. They were fine, professionally administered.
Regarding comfort. The seat was extremely uncomfortable. Seat and back cushions, but the back was absolutely vertical with no possibility to recline – surely this is a feature that could be corrected.
I paid about $800 for the journey Da Nang to Nha Trang - a 12 hour journey. Six compartments in eadh coach, so maximum of 12 passengers. But I did enjoy the scenery passing by my window – a full eight-hour train ride that day – at a pricy $100/hour. Was it worth it? Well….anyway, “I did it”; not that I would repeat or recommend the experience. So, my summary: too much good food and isolation in an uncomfortable seat. There are many more comfortable and affordable ways to enjoy Vietnam by train between Da Nang and Nha Trang.
Nha Trang turned out to be a high-rise ghetto for Russian tourists. In Hue, tourists I met at the hotel were all French – seems that Nha Trang attracts only Russians. In fact, upon entering the hotel restaurant, I was immediately given a Russian menu.
Nha Trang to Saigon – an unexpected upgrade
Into Saigon from Nha Trang was my last segment in completing the entire “Reunification Express” route from Hanoi. I booked an ordinary coach seat, as the trip, while just over eight hours, was entirely in daylight. My coach was quite crowded, I had to swat a bare foot on my seat from my neighbor behind. Resigned myself to a day in this comfortable seat, but in a very crowded coach, I sat back and started to enjoy the ride out of Nha Trang station.
But my situation was about to change – for the better. After the conductor examined by ticket, another uniformed Vietnam Railways’ staff member approached me and asked: “do you want to sleep”? Unsure of how to interpret this statement, I asked for further clarification and if it was a room for one person (I had visions of 5 other people sharing…) through his phone translator, offered me a single sleeping compartment for the duration of the trip to Saigon. I asked him it if was for free, he answered: “not free”. The price was 300,000 Vietnamese Dong (about $11). Turns out, he was the sleeping car conductor for one of the wagons with 4 and 6 berth compartments - he was offering to me his single bedroom in that wagon. I felt the deal was certainly in my favor and accepted. The day passed pleasantly enough, though the air conditioning in that sleeping car was not functioning well that day…not at all. But I survived and enjoyed my last 8 hours into Saigon.
Surprising to me, Catholic churches are a frequent sight in Vietnam. As we passed through many towns on the way to Saigon, a prominent feature was often a large, imposing Catholic Church. Upon some online investigation, I discovered that the French, in addition to its railway, brought the Catholic religion to the country and now Vietnam boasts the second highest Catholic Church membership in Southeast Asia, after the Philippines.
My last night in Vietnam was spent at the iconic Continental Hotel in Saigon. The Continental is the oldest hotel in Vietnam, opened in 1880 during the French colonial period. It was built by Pierre Cazeau, a French entrepreneur in the construction and home-appliance industry, to provide European travelers with a French-style luxury retreat after long voyages to Indochina. During the First Indochina War the Hotel Continental was frequently referred to as Radio Catinat, since this was the rendezvous point where correspondents, journalists, politicians and businessmen talked about politics, the business news, and current events.
During the Vietnam War era the hotel was renamed the Continental Palace and became popular with journalists who nicknamed the ground-floor bar the Continental Shelf. Newsweek and Time magazines each had their Saigon bureaux on the second floor of the hotel. Graham Greene was a long-term guest in room 214, who conceived the work The Quiet American about the aftermath of the French Colonial period.[2] My room was 225.
I had a very pleasant dinner outside on the street corner of the hotel’s restaurant in the midst of the nighttime traffic of bustling Saigon.
Summary – My Vietnam Railways Experience
Vietnam Railways’ only line, the Hanoi – Saigon “Reunification Express” line, is single track and largely a manual operation. Only a few mechanical switches were observed, mostly in the southern sections of the line. Not high speed, most operations are at about 70 km/hr, with the exception of the mountain passes on the Hue – Da Nang route.
Seats and berths are easily booked online, my preference is https://www.baolau.com from which regular Vietnamese accommodation can be booked as well as the private operators such as Violette. Travel by private coaches, such as Violette and others, is quite expensive and the quality of the accommodation is much the same as the government rail operator. Sole occupancy of accommodation, however, I found easier to arrange using these private operators.
I found myself in a quite contradictory position regarding the issue of privacy on trains. I wanted a private sleeping compartment, yet I complained that there was no interaction with the other (few) passengers on my Vietage coach. Maybe contact with a few passengers, when there is the possibility of “escape” to my private room is OK, but the prospect of sharing a room with strangers for 14 hours, not so inviting?
Not only four passenger trains operating the length of this route, as well as some shorter distance services, there is significant freight traffic. It is professionally run, has a reputation of on time performance (When I told Thang Lee, my guide to Vietnam War sites, that my train is scheduled to arrive at Hue at 08:57 he replied: “it will be on time”.
While my Vietnam Railways experience was interesting but far from luxurious, my next rail adventure in Australia, just a few days after my arrival in Saigon, would satisfy my hunger for rail luxury. But that’s another story.
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