When I started planning our family trip to Vietnam, one of the things that required a little more thought than usual was transportation.
Getting around once we were in a city was easy enough. Public transportation was available in most places, walking was sometimes an option, and rideshares were inexpensive. But moving five people from one city to another required a little more planning.
So, like every vacation planner eventually does, I turned to Instagram and YouTube. And over and over again, I saw people talk about two options for traveling around Vietnam overnight: overnight buses and overnight trains.
The train sounded fun.
The bus…not so much.
Why We Chose the Overnight Train
I spent some time learning about the overnight buses, and I eventually decided they weren’t the right choice for our family.
I heard about drivers smoking throughout the night, bathrooms that were either nonexistent or questionable, and the general reality of spending the entire night in a small space with a bus full of strangers.
People snoring. People farting.
Yeah. No.
The overnight train started sounding considerably more appealing.
Our route would take us from Da Nang to Ninh Binh, and the train would allow us to travel overnight while also eliminating the need to pay for another hotel night.
It wasn’t cheap by our usual Vietnam transportation standards. We paid $493.55 for all five of us. And yes, that sounds like a lot, but when I looked at what we were actually getting, it didn’t seem quite as bad.
The train replaced a night in a hotel, got all five of us from one city to another, and saved us the time we would have otherwise spent traveling during the day.
For us, it was worth it.
Booking a Sleeper Train With Five People
This is where traveling with a family of five gets a little interesting.
When you book a bed on the overnight train, you have the option to purchase an individual bed and share a room with other passengers, or you can book an entire sleeper compartment.
The compartments are the same size whether you book two beds or four. The difference is simply how many beds are made up.
And with five people in our family, that presented a problem. If we booked one four-person room, we’d have to purchase one additional bed in another room or potentially have a stranger sharing our four-person compartment.
Absolutely not.
I am a light sleeper under the best of circumstances. There was no way I was going to spend the night trying to sleep while a random man snored above me.
So, we booked two private compartments.
We booked one private room for four and one private room for two, and yes, that meant paying for an extra ticket.
It was worth every penny.
The compartments are small. And when I say small, I mean tiiiggghhhttt.
With five people, five backpacks, and beds taking up most of the space, I cannot imagine willingly adding a stranger to the mix.
If you’re traveling as a family, I’d strongly consider paying for the private compartment if your budget allows it.
Boarding the Train in Da Nang
We arrived at the train station way earlier than necessary.
I had no idea how long security and boarding would take, and when you’re responsible for five people, I’d rather be ridiculously early than frantically late. But as it turned out, everything was incredibly easy.
I don’t even remember security being much of a thing, which probably tells you how quickly the whole process went.
That left us with plenty of time to do what our family does best when we have time to kill: eat and people-watch.
There were a couple of snack shops near the waiting area, and we spent about $10 USD stocking up on food for the family before boarding.
Eventually, it was time to get on the train, so we showed our tickets, climbed aboard, and found our rooms. Easy.
What the Sleeper Train Was Actually Like
I’ll admit that I had some preconceived notions about what the train would be like. I’d seen stories about dirty train cars and even roaches, so I was prepared to be a little grossed out.
Instead, I was pleasantly surprised.
Our rooms were tiny, but they were clean.
The beds were already made, and brown-bag dinners with drinks were waiting for us on the table.
The bathrooms were located down the hall. I tried not to spend more time in there than absolutely necessary, but they were clean too.
No complaints.
The staff was friendly and checked on us to see if we needed anything.
Don’t Expect a Quiet, Smooth Ride
If you’ve never taken an overnight train before, there’s something you should know:
It is still a train. This isn’t going to feel like sleeping in a hotel.
The train rocked, rattled, bumped and swayed throughout the night.
One of my daughters, who rarely complains about motion sickness, got a little queasy. Although, in fairness, she was also using an iPad, and that combination is basically a recipe for motion sickness anywhere.
And then there was the middle-of-the-night incident… At some point, we were jerked awake by what felt like the conductor slamming on the brakes.
Hard.
I have no idea what happened. An animal on the tracks? We’ll never know.
Whatever it was, the conductor certainly seemed to do his best to avoid it.
It was a little scary when you’re suddenly ripped out of a dead sleep in the middle of the night, but thankfully that was the most exciting part of our journey. The rest of the night was relatively uneventful.
The Best Part Was Watching Vietnam Go By
During the trip, we spent some time looking out the windows at the scenery. Sometimes we’d pass through small towns and see people going about their lives. Sometimes we’d pass another train and wave at the passengers.
It was one of those simple travel experiences that reminded me why I love traveling this way.
We weren’t just being transported from Da Nang to Ninh Binh.
We were getting to see a little bit of Vietnam along the way.
Did We Sleep?
Well… Sort of.
Nobody had the best night’s sleep of their life.
The beds were comfortable enough, but between the movement of the train, the unfamiliar surroundings, and the general excitement of doing something we’d never done before, we didn’t exactly wake up feeling refreshed and ready to run a marathon.
But we did sleep. And more importantly, we arrived safely in Ninh Binh. So, the train had done exactly what we needed it to do.
Would We Take the Overnight Train in Vietnam Again?
In a heartbeat!
For our family, the overnight train was more than just a practical way to get from Da Nang to Ninh Binh. It was an experience.
We got to try a completely new form of transportation, while seeing a different side of Vietnam, and we saved ourselves the cost and time of traveling during the day.
Would I recommend booking a private sleeper compartment for a family? 100%.
Can you expect a perfectly quiet night’s sleep? Probably not.
But would I do it again? Without hesitation.
If you’re traveling through Vietnam with kids and you’re trying to decide between an overnight bus and an overnight train, the train was an easy choice for our family.
And if you’re looking specifically for an overnight train from Da Nang to Ninh Binh, we traveled on the Lotus Train and had a great experience. We booked direct, but you can find other train rides here.
It wasn’t the fancy train experience you may have seen on YouTube, and certainly not the most restful sleep, but we made a memory, saw a little more of Vietnam, and gave our kids an experience they’ll remember.
And really, isn’t that why we travel? Travel more, make the memories, and always take the kids.
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