hunter
longtail driver
Posts: 7

#1 Posted: 15/7/2008 - 22:10


Researching alternatives for my last leg Hue to Hanoi
688 km found several options:

Bus 200,000 overnight, takes 12 hours
Train 470,000 overnight soft sleeper
Plane $ 74 one hour, VN airlines

managed to find the overnight train schedule from Hue

SE2 15.55 arr 05.40
SE4 16.38 arr 04.30

SE4 departs later but arrives earlier, is this possible ?

I have read the accomodation listings, but do you
have any rec hotel for Hue ?

daawgon
tout
Posts: 67

#2 Posted: 15/7/2008 - 23:19


I know this doesn't exactly help for Hue-Hanoi, but Jetstar is only charging US$28. for Danang-Hanoi.

CatBa2
tourist
Posts: 53

#3 Posted: 16/7/2008 - 05:51


The order in which a train leaves does not mean it arrives in the same order.

The rail line running from Ha Noi to HCMC is a single, narrow guage, track with a lot of bypasses - they run many trains aside from the Reunification Express along this single line and some express trains overtake slower ones.

If you decide to take a bus please take a Mai Linh Express as they employ trained drivers and new buses. The OpenTour alternatives seem to be driven by suicidal maniacs who are still to learn.

If you take a bus you arrive tired and lose time in a hotel recovering so rail is more attractive as you save on a hotel room.

hunter
longtail driver
Posts: 7

#4 Posted: 19/7/2008 - 01:27


Daawgon, thank you for your input on Jetstar option,
Danang-Hanoi $ 28 sounds very attractive.
Not sure if it is advisable to backtrack 5 hours
plus from Hue to Danang ? Has anybody done this ?

CatBa, your rec to use Mai Linh is noted with thanks.
The train sounds better than 16 hours by bus.
However I may consider to fly direct from Hue to
Hanoi depending on my budget then. I presume that
I can book the flight at Hue using credit card ?

redgum
motodop
Posts: 26

Located in:
Australia

#5 Posted: 20/7/2008 - 11:12


Hiya
Why not check out Vietnam Air? We paid bout $43 Hue to Hanoi, Jetstar no longer flies this route.

vrostoff
newbie
Posts: 4

#6 Posted: 21/7/2008 - 09:22


Hi, thanks to all for their info. redgum, just wondering about that $43 Vietnam Air flight to Hue. Did you book the ticket in Vietnam? How many days in advance did you book? I'm flying in from Luang Prabang and am trying to sort out august Vietnam travel.

vrostoff
newbie
Posts: 4

#7 Posted: 21/7/2008 - 09:26


Hi, thanks to all for their info. redgum, just wondering about that $43 Vietnam Air flight to Hue. Did you book the ticket in Vietnam? How many days in advance did you book? I'm flying in from Luang Prabang and am trying to sort out august Vietnam travel.

redgum
motodop
Posts: 26

Located in:
Australia

#8 Posted: 21/7/2008 - 10:21


hi vrostoff
yes i did get the tickets in vietnam, a tour guide we have booked got them for us, we just transferred the money to him. We booked them about 3 weeks ago & are flying on the 13 th august. Let me know if you want his email addy
good luck

vrostoff
newbie
Posts: 4

#9 Posted: 21/7/2008 - 14:09


thanks for the offer about the email addy, it would be great to have. I'm new to the boards and don't know the best way to share the info.

kongxh
backpacker
Posts: 13

#10 Posted: 22/7/2008 - 00:46


if you're on a budget, then bus is good. i took the sinhcafe overnight sleeper and found it wonderfully comfortable. the buses they use are much newer than the rest of the daytime fleet.

that said, train is the most comfortable if your budget isnt so tight

redgum
motodop
Posts: 26

Located in:
Australia

#11 Posted: 22/7/2008 - 09:20


HI vrostoff

his email is jasonrockstarguide@yahoo.com
You can also join trip advisor & do a search for jason, no-one ever says anything bad about him & highly recommends him.
If you need anything else feel free to message me again
red

vrostoff
newbie
Posts: 4

#12 Posted: 22/7/2008 - 20:04


hi redgum, thanks for the email contact, Jason has lots of postive feedback. thanks kongxh for the bus experience. I only have 9 days in Vietnam so I'm trying to pack in as much as I can.

I'll be in Vietnam around the same time as you redgum, let's hope that the rainy season isn't too bad this year.

thanks again,
vr

redgum
motodop
Posts: 26

Located in:
Australia

#13 Posted: 22/7/2008 - 21:24


Hiya again
Yes Jason is great, we booked a mekong delta tour with him as well as a city tour too. His tours are private so it suits us. He helped us book flights & a motel as well as putting us in touch with a tour guide in Hanoi to take us to Halong bay. He always emails straight back & sooo polite, cant wait to meet him. We are staying for for 14 nites & now i'm sorry we didnt book for longer.
As for the rainy season well i spose we'll have wait & see, lucky i love the rain!