Train travel in Vietnam
Travel Across Vietnam by train from North to South? What a great idea!
Vietnamese trains offer breathtaking panoramas as they follow the coastline of the South China Sea. Travel between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City aboard private carriages of Vietnam Railways, or experience the new luxury train, SJourney, inspired by the "Spirit of Indochina" style.
Train Travel in Vietnam: The Reunification Express
Vietnam’s railway map is simple: a single north-south axis connects Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the south. Upon closer inspection, two additional lines emerge: the Northwest route, linking Hanoi to Sapa, and the Northeast route, connecting Hanoi to Lang Son on the Chinese border. However, the heart of the railway network lies along the 1,730 km stretch between Vietnam’s two largest cities, passing through major stops like Dong Hoi, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Binh Thuan.
This trans-Vietnamese railway is officially called "Tau Thong Nhat", meaning "The Reunification Railway." Named in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War, it symbolized the connection between North and South Vietnam. Like Russia’s Trans-Siberian Railway, which refers to a rail line rather than a specific train, the Reunification Railway is not a train but a route—serving as the backbone of Vietnam’s rail network.
Beautiful colorful houses in hanoi, vietnam © pixabay
