The best way to get to Sapa by train, departing from Hanoi station during night time, the train arrives at Lao Cai station, a city adjacent to Chinese border, in early morning and vice versa. (Starting in early 2015, travelers can also visit Sapa by taking day bus. One way travel time is approximately 6 hours).
To meet the needs of tourists, service providers have upgraded the train with full amenities such as air-conditioner, clean bathroom, and comfortable beds with different names for each type of cars. When you hear Sapaly Express or Livitrans Epxress, they are not actual trains but just different cars attached to the same train operated by national railways.The best way for tourists to travel to Sapa – one of the most attractive destinations in Vietnam – is to travel by train, thanks to its advantage of both time and money. Departing from Hanoi station during night time, the train arrives at Lao Cai station, a city adjacent to Chinese border, in early morning and vice versa. (Starting in early 2015, travelers can also visit Sapa by taking day bus. One way travel time is approximately 6 hours).
To meet the needs of tourists, service providers have upgraded the train with full amenities such as air-conditioner, clean bathroom, and comfortable beds with different names for each type of cars. When you hear Sapaly Express or Livitrans Epxress, they are not actual trains but just different cars attached to the same train operated by national railways.
Generally, it can be divided into three types of cabins: 4-berth cabin, 6-berth cabin and soft-seat cabin. Tourist trains also run VIP cabin where the upper berths are removed, allowing for more space and privacy for just 2 people. The price per person in a 4-berth room ranges from $35 to $45 and 6-berth cabin is between $20-$25. A return ticket can also be bought right from Hanoi. Children less than five years old will not be charged any ticket fee and will share beds with their parents.
1. By train.
Traveling by train takes about 8-9 hours and the train only stops in Lao Cai, the province which Sapa belongs to. It then takes another hour to get to Sapa from Lao Cai station.
There are a number of tourists train operating the route from Hanoi. Each of these companies run a carriage which are all attached to the national train carrier. It is suggested that you book your ticket in advance, especially during peak time of the week such as Hanoi to Lao Cai on Thursday and Friday; Lao Cai to Hanoi on Sunday and Monday. This is normally due to the weekend retreat of local tourists, and also on Sunday there is a special market fair in Bac Ha which attracts many visitors.
* Train often departs at between 8:00pm and 10:00pm, and you can catch a good sleep before getting woked up by the beautiful mountain sceneray at dawn.
* There are also day trains which are not as comfortable as night train. It also takes longer time to travel as it makes more stops.
* Ticket for night train is $35-180/person/way (the most expensive one is Victoria express which is exclusively for in-house guests)
* Ticket for day train is $10-20/person/way
2. By bus.
There are daily bus departing Hanoi at 6:30am or 10:00pm. One way trip takes betwen 6 and 7:00 hours.
Traveling by bus is both fast and it goes direct to Sapa without stopping in Lao Cai as by train. If you take a private car ride, you can even reach Sapa in 5 hours.
SaPa is located in North Vietnam, close to the Chinese border. Because there is no airport in this region, it’s only possible to reach SaPa by bus or a combination of train and van.
The most popular destinations to reach SaPa are from Hanoi, Cat Ba and Ninh Binh. Note that most routes will pass Hanoi first. From Hanoi, you will continue by bus to Sapa or by train to Lao Cai.
Taking the 8-hour overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai is the easiest way to travel the 300km distance to the north of Vietnam. The express train departs around 21:30 from Hanoi and arrives around 05:30 in Lao Cai. From Lao Cai railway station, you can take a 45 minute bus or van drive to Sapa.
This overnight train is a very time-efficient way to travel and is an experience you shouldn’t miss when in Vietnam. It will not only save you time because you are travelling during the night, but also save you a night on accommodation.
