Guide: Lào Cai to Hanoi By Train
Lào Cai, a Vietnamese city on the border with China, has both daytime and night train services to Hanoi.
The Lào Cai-Hanoi route is popular not only with international travellers crossing overland between China and Vietnam, but also with those heading to the mountain resort town of Sapa, which is only 30 kilometres away from Lào Cai.
This guide shows you what it is like to take the Lào Cai-Hanoi train and explains how to book tickets online.
Trains from Lào Cai to Hanoi
There are multiple trains between Lào Cai and Hanoi, including both daytime and overnight services, so it is best to check the online timetable for the day you wish to travel to see which trains you can choose from.
The advantage of taking a daytime train is that it allows you to enjoy the scenic views of this mountainous part of Vietnam.
On the other hand, the night train offers the convenience of travelling overnight, saving a night’s hotel stay while you sleep comfortably in your own bed on the train.
You can book tickets for any of these trains between Hanoi and Lao Cai on reliable booking website 12Go.
Boarding the train to Hanoi at Lào Cai. ©AndyBTravels
Different operators
One thing to understand about the Lào Cai-Hanoi train service is that each train is made up of carriages from multiple operators.
Alongside the carriages of Vietnam Railways, the state-owned operator, each train also includes wagons from private operators.
These private operators have names such as Livitrans, Chapa Express, Family Express, and Damitrans, and most sell Hanoi-Lao Cai train tickets combined with a transfer from the railway station to Sapa.
When booking your ticket on online websites such as 12Go, you can see whether such a transfer is included and whether it is by big bus, minibus, or a luxury minibus.
The great majority of the operators offer 4- and 2-berth compartments on the train, which you’ll find on both the daytime and overnight departures.
Some operators even try to differentiate themselves by offering double-bed compartments in their carriages.
Bedding is included in the price of your ticket, and sometimes passengers are even given bottled water or snacks free of charge.
If you want private occupancy of a compartment, you typically need to book all berths in it, unless it is clearly specified that you are booking the entire compartment rather than just a single berth.
My compartment on the train to Hanoi. ©AndyBTravels
My experience on the Lào Cai-Hanoi train
I arrived in Lào Cai from China after taking the Kunming-Hekou high-speed train and walking across the Chinese-Vietnamese border between Hekou and Lào Cai, which is a very straightforward process.
I’ve detailed the process in my article about the Kunming-Hekou train, so click the link above if you want to learn more about this overland crossing between China and Vietnam.
Having spent the night in Lào Cai, I took the daytime train to Hanoi, choosing it over the night train because I wanted to see the scenery along the line.
I had booked an entire compartment for myself with private operator Livitrans, which was perfectly comfortable.
The views during the ride did not disappoint, as we passed mountains and rivers, rice paddies, and quaint Vietnamese villages.
Arrival in Hanoi was a highlight as well, as the railway line runs right through the city’s famous Train Street, where café and restaurant seats are placed just inches from the track.
View from the train. ©AndyBTravels
Riding through Train Street in Hanoi. ©AndyBTravels
Conclusion
If you want to travel between Sapa or the Vietnam–China border and the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, taking the Lào Cai–Hanoi train is the best option.
The train is comfortable and offers superb views from the window.
From Lào Cai, you can cross the Vietnamese–Chinese border on foot to Hekou, from where trains run onward to Kunming.
Lào Cai is also the gateway to Sapa, and train operators offer tickets between Hanoi and Lào Cai that include the bus ride to Sapa.
