Hanoi to Da Nang @ train, bus, flight Sep 27, 2017

The trip would have been perfect if: - although we traveled on 1st class, the cabin was full of cockroaches and a mouse was runnuning up and down in the car - the aircon was freezing, no option to switch it off or at least to set it to a higher temperature Beside these problems the trip was ok, we arrived on time and the cabin was "clean". The view is beautiful when the train is approaching Da Nang (last 1,5 hour of the trip) Don't use the buffet car, this is the source of the above mentioned creatures. I would only recommend for such people who likes that type of adventures and do not fear to sleep in a fridge with disgusting animals.

was def not value for money.. expensive for a cabin with reused sheets and smelly pillow. vietnamese ppl drunk and singing isnt a lullaby..

We enjoyed the journey but we're confused on boarding as we were directed to the Violette carriage and thought we would be in the livitrain carriage. It would have been good to know our carriage before we embarked. The main problem was the very cold temperature in the upper bunk and the cotton 'blanket' was not sufficient. It was very difficult to sleep when the air con was so very cold. But the train journey overall was wonderful and the journey along the coast I the last few hours of the journey was simply spectacular.

Was a good trip, friendly staff all around.. It's a nice train in south east Asia.. Be prepared for it. Will use again for sure

Don't forget: - warm clothes (aircon is freezing) - earplugs (lots of noisy people smoking en talking in corridors) - cleaning wipes (to clean te toilet before use, very filthy) - toilet paper (the one rol that is standing there is covered with piss) - food (or you live on grose coffee and pringles) - clean sheet or blanket (or you sleep under a used one) If you got the above list you will have a marvelous trip! Lovely vieuws! Good sleep! Nice people all around you! Enjoy your adventure!

Train on time. No issues with the ticket at all. If you have kids the prices are different check this before booking.

Overall a great trip. We both slept well and enjoyed the amazing scenery. We took plenty of provisions though there is a snack trolley. It's definitely worth making sure you have the lower bunks - you can use them as seats and there's a table for eating. Our guard was running an unofficial upgrade scam - a cabin to yourself for 30 dollars. He wouldn't come down in price.

Good trip

Very nice trip. The cabin was clean and even the toilet was clean. Friendly servixe.

No complaints really was just a little cold and the toilets were a little special !!!!!!!

Not the worst overnight train I've ever been on but close! The reviews are fairly accurate; these trains are not the cleanest, the air conditioning means you freeze in the night, the toilets may be western style but they are filthy and stink almost as bad as the ones in India and the noise from fellow passengers and the train requires headphones or earplugs to get any sleep at all. We were in first class and luckily sharing with another British couple so locked the door to the cabin almost as soon as we left Hanoi. Apparently children under 12 travel free so a number of the cabins in our coach had many more occupants than expected and the children were very noisy, running freely along the corridors, banging on doors and walls until well after 10pm and again from about 5am. The number of people in each cabin meant that a lot of the adults were also out in the corridor talking loudly... The blanket and pillows are reused without being washed between passengers, this is something that didn't even happen in India where they at least provided pillowcases which were changed each time someone left the train - luckily I had read the reviews so had a shawl which I used to cover the pillow and wore full length pjs tucked into socks with a cardigan over the top to protect against the dirty sheet and the cold! Adverts and reviews differ so it might be useful to know that on the SE1 train there was no free wifi and no meals were offered, though a woman sat at the end of the carriage with a trolley selling crisps and popcorn (when she was awake) and opened our door to ask if we wanted coffee at about 6am. Therefore it may be useful to eat before boarding the train and purchase a few items for breakfast as you'll no doubt be awake early! The views in the morning between Hue and Danang are stunning and seeing the sunrise was pretty but at £43 each it's a long, expensive and uncomfortable way of travelling. We were due to get an overnight train from Danang to HCMC but decided to have another night in Hoi An then fly (only £60 each when booked the day before). If you are backpacking and / or watching every penny then the trains in Vietnam will do their job but otherwise I'd recommend flying as they were very disappointing, particularly in comparison to the similarly priced Thai trains.

Pleasantly surprised, travelled with my husband, 2 daughters 11 & 9, we ate before boarding and just took snacks and that was sufficient. The food trolley goes past often if you need anything more. Beds were quite comfy, we all managed a good sleep, the kids slept 10 hours. Only complaint really was the toilet which we had been warned about so we took disinfectant wipes etc and limited our water intake.

Cannot complain - expectations met due to through research. Trains are basic but serviced and maintained. Staff friendly and helpful despite little English. Soft berth not that soft but surviveable. Recommend at least one train experience in Vietnam.

The bed was really hard, they said It was soft bed for First class ticket... Also someone was smoking during all night on my cabine.

Service of 12GoAsia and VN Railways are good. I loved the journey. Just one thing, please refund difference of child discounted fare which I have been charged as Adult.

Comfortable seat, clean and the train ran on time.

Viet Jet seems okay, but the gal I dealt with made my life miserable and she did not speak good English and didn't get anyone to help her. I have two more Viet Jet flights scheduled. I'll give them another chance.

4 birth cabin, kids loved the train experience. Train good, cabin clean, on time. Bit of an issue with the air con but was soon fixed. Assortment of snacks to buy, no full meals. Scenery stunning from Hue to Danang. Definitely do it again. Word of advice, only use squat toilet.

The space was rather cramped I'm only 5'4" and I couldn't sit up straight but the bed was clean and the fellow cabin mates friendly. I had an 18 hour journey so I was happy when a meal cart with pretty decent food came round - only 30000 for a full meal. The toilet was terrible but I did find soap at the sink - win!

Mostly comfortable, great views

As other reviews note, you have to trust that the woman will turn up at your carriage to give you the tickets, but it does all kind of work. Linen was clean, our kids (8 and 12) enjoyed it. I'd eat first as the food options are very few and far between - they do have warm beer to soften the blow. Best to bring snacks for breakfast. The toilets were train toilets and not the Ritz - but really they are completely fit for purpose. In case you are wondering, next time I would get the regular soft sleeper. Exactly the same staff, food and toilets, just a different colour blanket and lamp in the window. Had a great trip from Hanoi to Danang - a great addition to the holiday and would do it rather than flying if choosing again (it's like a free tour).

Cabin very comfortable, complimentary water/snacks, linen clean, train on time and staff helpful. Overall would use again and recommend. Allan (Scotland)

Sure the toilets weren't great but to be expected. Glad we took the trip rather than fly. Only an hour late into Na Dang.

The beds were dirty and full of bugs. The toilets were a car crash within 1 hour of a 16 hour journey. However left on time and arrived on time. 2 stars for train but 5 stars for 12goasia for sorting it all out.

Did see small cockroaches. Staff was very kind.

A great service. I printed the tickets from your email and there was no problem at the station

The train ride wasn't that bad, I was expecting way worse. The beds are hard but okay. I got a blanket and a pillow too. For me it wasn't too cold. Didn't see any cockroaches and everythinng seemed pretty clean.

Bedding was fine, but they did not clean it for the next group boarding at danang, just folded it up as if it was fresh. There was a menu for food, but when we tried to order a hot coffee, it was not available. We did see 2 cockroaches but they kept to themselves. Overall not a bad experience. Nicer accommodations than the train from Bangkok to chiang mai but service was not as good. Western toilets available.

Had difficulty obtaining our correct sleeper. The attendant did not recognise the booking from ASIA2GO. This has been a problem in the past for other customers and needs berths numbers to be allocated on the tickets. After ejecting someone from their berth, which was embarrassing. After this the journey went off without a hitch and would do it again.

The train ride has spectacular views of the coast line coming into DaNang, the staff are great, very polite - check your tickets though as we paid a lot for what we thought was the whole cabin but we were sharing!! Not sure why we paid extra.

Terrible experience. There were roaches in our room and it seems like the linen is reused and not washed. Beds were listed as soft and they were still hard. Uncomfortable and dirty train.

We took the trip from Hanoi to Hoi An and the experience was a mixed bag. There are (as previous reviews state) a few cockroachs to share your cabin with and we also saw some mice scuttling down the corridor, so I would advise closing the door to your compartment asap. The cabin is pretty basic and the staff flit past for the first couple of hours selling cheap beers and snacks. On the positive side we met some lovely people to share the journey with and views in the morning were beautiful. If you come to the journey with expectations set realistically and you are happy to experience the journey for what it is your experience will be all the better for it.

Train was fine, enjoyed in and even managed to fall asleep for couple of hours. Didn't notice any cockroaches... Maybe I was lucky, but still I can recommend it. Erik

Very loud. Very dirty. Bathrooms were not cleaned once. Cockroaches wandered freely. Linen was reused. Bring your own blankets, linen and toilet paper. However, staff was very friendly... snack cart guys were fun to chat with. Would I do it again? Sure, but I will lower my expectations next time.

The only real difference between a 1st class sleeper and a VIP sleeper is the size of the bed lamp in the compartment. I really don't understand what we paid extra for. Furthermore, getting on the train was super confusing. The voucher states to take it to the coach, but the conductor at the coach was completely uninformed. I suggest a representative meets guests at the station an hour before departure to hand them proper tickets and not make them wait in confusion until minutes before the train departs. Very disappointed in the service provided for the price we paid. I suggest you fly to Danang from Hanoi.

no WiFi, train quite rough and loud, sheets slid off bed easily.

We took the 1st Class from Hanoi to Danang. You cannot call it first class at all. Its very used/old and basic. Very cold air con! I got ill during this ride. Train is very noisy and their radio was too loud sometimes. They do not announce the train stations, so we constantly checked the time and gps. No Wi-Fi. Worst of all - it was 5h late! Blankets and pillows didnt look like washed recently. Toilet was not cleaned during all ride. Bring your own toilet paper! But I guess that is part of Vietnam experience. The views out of the window were beautiful though. Staff was nice too.

Amazing experience

Booking was straightforward and no need to print the ticlet, they just checked my phone when I got on. The train left on time, the cabin was clean, luckily I was sharing with friendly quiet people so managed to sleep well. We arrived 45mins late but the guard was great at giving me time updates so I knew what was going on.

The booking went smoothly with 12GoAsia but despite being assured twice in an email that my voucher would get me a ticket at the platform/carriage there was confusion at the Hanoi platform over obtaining tickets to board. At final stages of boarding a Violette agent appeared out of nowhere ( someone whom the train guards didn't have any idea about) and just shunted us on board. I agree with other reviews that the fare is overpriced and for a similar cost flying would have been a better idea. The only redeeming feature was the panorama of the coast approaching the end of the journey near Da Nang. Anita (NZ)

Bring your sheet for better hygiene. The train left on time and the 1 free water bottle. There is food to buy. The toilette is a train toilette and it was clean as it could be... It is possible to sleep and rest. Nice experience with more locals travelling than tourists.

Dirty. bumpiest and noisiest train I have ever been on. Sleep was impossible what with all the bugs as well!

Service from 12 Go Asia was fine,every thing went as expected and we had confirmation sooner than we thought. However, If your asking me to review the journey with vietnam railways I suggest you read my blog. hendybill@wordpress.com it aint pretty.

Ficámos alojados em duas cabines de 4 pessoas cada em 1ª classe. Não podemos dizer que a classe seja muito adequada à categoria de 1ª, contudo quando comparada com as restantes classes (hard e soft seats e cabines de 6 pessoas), concluímos que foi realmente a melhor opção. Achamos que o preço do comboio foi um pouco superior à qualidade apresentada, assim como aos serviços a bordo. Os WC estavam aceitáveis embora com pouca frequência de limpeza. Os colchões das camas eram duros e os abanos das carruagens (devido à falta de capacidade de amortecimento) não permitiram a melhor noite de sono. De qualquer forma, consideramos que esta foi uma boa forma de nos deslocarmos entre Hanoi e Danang, de forma a conhecer um pouco mais a costa do Vietnam.

Unique experience spending the night in these simple, wooden cabins. I enjoyed it- the pillow and comforter were thick, cold aircon and plenty of privacy. I slept like a log and woke up to tasty coffee and a nice meal: white rice, fried chicken bites, vegetables cooked with garlic and soup. Yes, it's bouncy and yes, toilets and what not are crude, but you are traveling on a train in Vietnam, it's part of the adventure! Not to mention, the scenery is breathtaking. Only complaint was cockroaches.....baby ones running around, must've killed four or five.

Train was good, it's survivable and a doable trip to Da Nang. Paid an extra 200000 don't for a private cabin to the conductor, I'm sure that was a scam. We had cockroaches in our cabin, that was probably the least desirable part of the experience. The bathrooms mid trip had no toilet paper and there was urine all over the toilet seats and floor, so BYO toilet paper. The food cart had good Vietnamese coffee and well priced snacks as well as beer and bottled water. There was a warm and hot water for drinking dispenser in our cart, should you want to make your own tea.Quite the bumpy ride but still able to sleep through most of the night. Felt safe in our cabin, crew was respectable. overall it was fine trip, I would ride again.

I had done very little research prior to my trip and was pleasantly surprised with the train. The cabin was clean and in pretty good condition. The bathrooms are a little gross; i had a choice between 4 near my car. The views were gorgeous, many other travellers spoke English, so the company was nice. The stations were very basic, so probably a good idea to purchase drinks/snacks ahead of time.

Cabin was just as expected from the research we'd carried out beforehand. We had 1st class soft sleeper lower bunks and the cabin was clean and the lock on the door worked. The train guard kept an eye on those whose stops were coming up and came to the cabin to advise when to get off. The toilets weren't that great and there was a carriage for food/drink but it was at the far end of the very long train and no-one spoke English so we didn't bother ordering anything. My advice is take toilet paper, wet wipes and snacks with you. The price of the journey was exceptionally good and the train ran on time to the exact minute as stated on their board. 12GoAsia booking was fast and efficient and I would definitely recommend travelling on the train for the scenery alone!

Comfortable sleep. Mixed in with locals. Beautiful scenery of the coast before Da Nang. Missed breakfast though.

Train was on time. Sheets were a bit dirty. The toilet could have been cleaner. Breakfast was surprisingly tasty.

Booking/ticket collection was very confusing, as there wasn't a ticket office (as we'd been assured in an email) to collect our tickets. Room was cramped, but clean. Sadly, it didn't have any wifi. The toilet was in poor condition and I would have expected better amenities, given that our tickets were expensive, especially for Vietnam. Will save time and money and fly next time. Also, in the morning, the cleaners continually barged into our room even though we had 3 hours left of our journey and we wished to rest.

Train was on time, free water on board, even hard sleeping bed was good for sleeping and you can buy something to eat or drink while driving. The Traincaptaine even knew where we had to leave and rememberes us. And one free water for everyone.

2nd class air-con sleeper had six bunks and while we had the bottom four the top two seemed to be swapping occupants at every station so it made sleeping though the night difficult. Other than that, the beds were clean and more than enough room for me at six feet tall.

Prompt and on schedule service, worth the price since you are spending 16 hours in the cabin! Food available for purchase wasn’t the best but if you go to the doors during stops there are often people selling snacks around the train.), (

Train delayed for several hours, I understand there was construction happening. Not the worst thing to happen though as we had a chance to stretch our legs. It’s a long trip and the views are good sometimes.), (