Vietnam forum

If you want the least bit of comfort, I suggest the Livitrans private carriage service - a few dollars more, but it's at least clean and comfortable. Suggest you contact any travel agent in Vietnam - those berths go fairly quickly and this is a heavy demand period.

From personal experience, the regular soft sleeper is none too clean and none too comfy - roaches in my compartment!

Are you aware that the most scenic train trip in Vietnam is the one from Hue to Danang right above the ocean cliffs.

thanks so much for your quick response and advises! OK i think we will go for Livitrans..do u know any liable travel agent to book for the tickets? I checked on livitrans website, they ask for photocopy of credit card and security code which i don't feel secure to give.

About Danang, Yea it's in our itinerary too. We are still deciding whether to take bus from Hue to Hoi An or train to Danang.

Below is our initial plan, maybe you can give us some comments?
We will spend 7days in Vietnam.
Start from (day1)Hanoi--(day2)Halong Bay,overnight cruise
(day3)back to Hanoi, night train to Hue
(day4)morning bus to Hoi An, stay at Hoi An, (day5)Day tour in Danang, back to hotel at Hoi An.
-OR- (day4)morning train to Danang, check in hotel in Hoi An. (day5) Day tour at Danang, back to hotel at Hoi An.

(day6)morning flight to Ho Chi Minh from Danang.
(day7) Ho Chi Minh --fly home

Hmm.. it seems kinda hectic. What do u think? Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Holy cr*p - that doesn't sound like a relaxing time in Vietnam at all. One of the best things to do in Hanoi , Hue , Da Nang , and Hoi'an is sit around in the morning and drink coffee, chatting with locals, and then sit around in the afternoon drinking beer talking with locals . . . you get the idea.

As daawgon says, cut HCMC out - or just fly there from Da Nang to get your connecting flight home . . . though I expect it would be cheaper to book round trip tickets in-and-out of Hanoi and instead fly from Da Nang back to Hanoi. I actually did a similar 9 day trip but didn't include Ha Long Bay or HCMC and only spent one night in Hue (wish I could have spent more but had friends living in Da Nang that I'd gone to visit) . . . though it looks like you aren't even spending a full day in Hue?

Perhaps it would be better with such limited time to cut Hue out of your itinerary and simply take the train direct to Da Nang - if you take the later night train it'll be light by the time your train passes Hue and heads through the scenery to Da Nang. Then just spend a night in Da Nang (great bar scene by the river, rent motorbikes and ride up Monkey Mountain for a wonderful view of the city - chill on the beach for the afternoon). The next day catch transportation down to Hoi'an and stay there as you like until heading back to Da Nang to catch an onward flight . . . perhaps.

Posted from within Vietnam.

in the beginning of July is the peak time for travelling in Vietnam because university examination so the demand for travelling of student to arrive in big cities is very high. It is very difficult if you don't book ticket from now