Orient Express Train Hanoi – Sapa
Orient Express Train Hanoi – Sapa
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3.0
109 reviews
Excellent
13
Very good
30
Average
28
Poor
16
Terrible
22
Asingle-Room
340 contributions
Feb 2020
We booked the VIP 2 berth cabin and the trip was nice. It is nicer than we thought or read from the other reviews. The cabin was clean and we had some freebies to enjoy during the trip. Staff are friendly and in good mood. We were warned not to take the morning coffee from the lady but we did and paid for it since it is just a small amount and she is quite polite and friendly. Highly recommend this train to everyone!
Written 15 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave A
Auckland Central, New Zealand13 contributions
Apr 2021
I love train travel, and I've travelled in a sleeper car in Vietnam before. But this was a really nice experience. the inside of the carriage was nice, with a toilet at each end of the carriage. But the cabin was beautiful, with nice dark timber panelling, power points, nice lighting, and enough space.
Don't expect it to be a smooth ride all the way though. It's an experience :)
Don't expect it to be a smooth ride all the way though. It's an experience :)
Written 5 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DPN
2 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
Very unhappy with poor service and disorganisation. Because of miscommunication between rail staff we were not picked up by our train which we had already bought VIP tickets for. We then had to buy further tickets for the next train with a different company. Oriental express customer service has refused to accept responsibility for the error and refused to provide compensation or refund. We confirmed with customer service officer Trung over the phone 4 times that we could be connected at the Ga Gia Lam station instead of the Hanoi station. He was confident that we could access our VIP berth, and would arrange for an train customer officer to bring our tickets. We followed all his instructions to get to the station and were there ready and waiting. However, no officer came out to give us our tickets, and the train departed without us. We took the next train that came with a different company, however we had to pay again for a private seperate room even though we had already paid top price for our VIP room. My wife had woken up with a swollen face from the uncleanliness of the room. After a further 4 phone calls with Trung, no compensation has been offered for the service that was not provided. We would not use this service again and would not recommend it.
Written 19 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
emilyhopkinson
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia44 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
So before we got on the train, we’d read horror stories about cockroaches, ants, awful toilets and people turning up in your room in the middle of the night. I’m happy to report that we had no issues at all and we were really impressed with this service.
There were 2 of us but we booked all 4 tickets/beds to ensure we were alone in the carriage. On both journeys we were given all 4 tickets to make sure that no one else could join us. The cabins are snug so I’m not sure how 4 adults would go on sharing 1. My advice is to book the whole cabin if you can afford it.
We had no issues collecting the tickets at either end. There was a little shop at either end to buy supplies from. There’s not much else near the train station in Hanoi so eat before you go. There is a little cart just before you get on the train and they go back and forth up the carriage whilst it’s moving so you can buy snacks/ drinks. There’s a little ‘mini bar’ in your carriage that is free, which is cute.
The beds are small, as you’d expect, and relatively hard. The duvet is nice and necessary when the air con (fan?) gets going. We didn’t sleep that well on the way to Lao Cai but after a few beers on the return journey, we slept well.
The cabin door locked on both journeys. We tried the doors from the inside and out and you couldn’t get in. However, to be on the safe side we were careful with the bag that had the valuables in it.
I got down on my hands and knees with a torch (yes really) to check under the beds. There were no creatures of any kind and I must admit, the floor was cleaner than under some hotel beds!
The toilets were fine. They were a bit smelly I suppose towards the end but really fine. If you’ve ever been to a public toilet/ toilet in a bar/ food court toilet in Asia (or Europe for that matter!) you’ve had much worse. There was toilet roll, which was restocked, but of course we had our own. The toilet at Hanoi station was far worse than the one on the train. Of course as you’re in Asia, you’ll have hand sanitiser anyway.
The trains were perfectly on time both ways. No issues at all. There was no drama at all across the whole trip- everything worked perfectly.
One tip- when you get back to Hanoi at 4.35am you need somewhere to go. The lake is a good place to people watch but if you’re shattered, time goes painfully slowly. I wish we had booked a hotel for a few hours before our trip to Halong Bay. It sounds dramatic but those few hours sleep would have helped! The cafe by the lake- “The Little Kitchen” was a Godsend, opening at 6am.
There were 2 of us but we booked all 4 tickets/beds to ensure we were alone in the carriage. On both journeys we were given all 4 tickets to make sure that no one else could join us. The cabins are snug so I’m not sure how 4 adults would go on sharing 1. My advice is to book the whole cabin if you can afford it.
We had no issues collecting the tickets at either end. There was a little shop at either end to buy supplies from. There’s not much else near the train station in Hanoi so eat before you go. There is a little cart just before you get on the train and they go back and forth up the carriage whilst it’s moving so you can buy snacks/ drinks. There’s a little ‘mini bar’ in your carriage that is free, which is cute.
The beds are small, as you’d expect, and relatively hard. The duvet is nice and necessary when the air con (fan?) gets going. We didn’t sleep that well on the way to Lao Cai but after a few beers on the return journey, we slept well.
The cabin door locked on both journeys. We tried the doors from the inside and out and you couldn’t get in. However, to be on the safe side we were careful with the bag that had the valuables in it.
I got down on my hands and knees with a torch (yes really) to check under the beds. There were no creatures of any kind and I must admit, the floor was cleaner than under some hotel beds!
The toilets were fine. They were a bit smelly I suppose towards the end but really fine. If you’ve ever been to a public toilet/ toilet in a bar/ food court toilet in Asia (or Europe for that matter!) you’ve had much worse. There was toilet roll, which was restocked, but of course we had our own. The toilet at Hanoi station was far worse than the one on the train. Of course as you’re in Asia, you’ll have hand sanitiser anyway.
The trains were perfectly on time both ways. No issues at all. There was no drama at all across the whole trip- everything worked perfectly.
One tip- when you get back to Hanoi at 4.35am you need somewhere to go. The lake is a good place to people watch but if you’re shattered, time goes painfully slowly. I wish we had booked a hotel for a few hours before our trip to Halong Bay. It sounds dramatic but those few hours sleep would have helped! The cafe by the lake- “The Little Kitchen” was a Godsend, opening at 6am.
Written 21 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caterina P
3 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
We booked a VIP Berth for 2 and cost it $70 each for each way. So $280. We got on there and cabin had cockroaches scuttling around in it. The air conditioner was turned off an hour into the trip. It was a humid sweat box and made you feel like you could barely breath. We didn't even bother taking the train on the way back. We booked $17 bus tickets and it was so much better ! You may think it's cheaper booking the train because you don't have to buy a night for the hotel , but you have to get early check in which is usually 50% of the room charge anyway because you arrive at 5am. Save your selves. Get a bus or get a van , a van is $50 round trip per van. Learn from our mistakes
Written 14 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dilia186
Perth, Australia123 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
It all started with an idle question to our guide, "Will we need extra toilet paper onboard?" "Oh no," he said, " It should not be a problem, although it is a public area, so bring extra just in case!"
Public area??, did that mean we would have no en suite bathroom? A truly unexpected setback for our upcoming trip by train from Hanoi to Lan Cao, gateway to the mountainous town of Sapa in North Vietnam.
We are Seniors, well travelled but on our first trip to Vietnam. A Deluxe Cabin was booked for us by our travel agent in Perth for the 8 hour night trip. It certainly was not what we expected. Dropped at an hotel adjacent to the Ga Ha Noi we gathered anticipating a pleasant ride through the night ready for a touristy day in the mountains
A small drink to greet us and a comfortable lounge area before we were collected by the Vietnamese guides for the journey. A good start! It was pouring with rain so umbrellas were hastily gathered for each person for the short walk across to the station, OK so far until we walked to the end of the platform, where is our train? Oh, you have to cross the crisscross of lines to get to our train isolated on another platform, still poring rain!
A welcome face wash, a steep climb on board and we were led to our cabin. Oh my goodness, we had noticed already that the carriages were very old, and it was a narrow gauge railway. Enter the box - ahead of us a small wooden table between the beds, warning us not to sit on same! 2 singles beds about 60 cm wide and less than 6 feet long.
We are both tall, it did not look good. To be fair, the box looked clean and the duvets and pillows were clean too. The mattress however was about 3 cm thick, all of the above was not looking encouraging for our older bones.
It certainly was not! A wake up call at 5am was suggested with a cup of tea? OK, but not the best.
Now the ablutions? "Down the corridor, do not use until moving train!" The door to the toilet and wash basin was a split door rather like on an aircraft, but not so well fitting! Spaces between the joins gave a delightful view of oneself abluting if those waiting for its use so wished to glance that way! Again, to be fair, the toilet was at least clean to start the journey. I was not willing or needy enough to check at the end of the journey.
Our night began, 10pm departure, rush to get first toilet use and to bed. Over the night we both tried to get some kind of comfort from the meagre bed linen, but to no avail. The actual air conditioning did work, but was so loud it even beat the noise of the train movement which was rickety, rocketey, clackering, swaying, and there were many sudden movements for stopping and starting. Being narrow gauge it often felt as if the carriage would sway off the rails at time.
Suffice to say, sleep was at a premium and we were duly "woken" and a cup of tea was presented with a somewhat doubtful pastry, both of which we consumed. At least get something from the trip!
Our local guide met us at the station at 6am as promised.
Apparently, the local guides have long been trying to persuade their travel agents to direct guest/clients to take the trip by road instead of train because of the dreadful journey. A new road has been built and takes about 5 hours. All individual guides have to take the same journey as their clients so know now bad it is, dreading another long, tedious and tiring journey with clients expecting their guides to be refreshed and ready for the touristy day ahead. It was not to be, and for the guides it has been a nightmare.
Considering our options for the return journey, we discussed with our guide who sensibly agreed to rebook a private car and hotel accommodation in Hanoi, a much more comfortable option but an additional expense of course.
This has not been written to elicit sympathy, but to tell fellow future travellers and travel agents that the journey by train on the Victoria Railway from Hanoi to Lan Cao is not the way to go. Backpackers may relish the thought of a cheap trip, but honestly they will be more thankful to take the regular sleeper bus.
An experience nonetheless.
Public area??, did that mean we would have no en suite bathroom? A truly unexpected setback for our upcoming trip by train from Hanoi to Lan Cao, gateway to the mountainous town of Sapa in North Vietnam.
We are Seniors, well travelled but on our first trip to Vietnam. A Deluxe Cabin was booked for us by our travel agent in Perth for the 8 hour night trip. It certainly was not what we expected. Dropped at an hotel adjacent to the Ga Ha Noi we gathered anticipating a pleasant ride through the night ready for a touristy day in the mountains
A small drink to greet us and a comfortable lounge area before we were collected by the Vietnamese guides for the journey. A good start! It was pouring with rain so umbrellas were hastily gathered for each person for the short walk across to the station, OK so far until we walked to the end of the platform, where is our train? Oh, you have to cross the crisscross of lines to get to our train isolated on another platform, still poring rain!
A welcome face wash, a steep climb on board and we were led to our cabin. Oh my goodness, we had noticed already that the carriages were very old, and it was a narrow gauge railway. Enter the box - ahead of us a small wooden table between the beds, warning us not to sit on same! 2 singles beds about 60 cm wide and less than 6 feet long.
We are both tall, it did not look good. To be fair, the box looked clean and the duvets and pillows were clean too. The mattress however was about 3 cm thick, all of the above was not looking encouraging for our older bones.
It certainly was not! A wake up call at 5am was suggested with a cup of tea? OK, but not the best.
Now the ablutions? "Down the corridor, do not use until moving train!" The door to the toilet and wash basin was a split door rather like on an aircraft, but not so well fitting! Spaces between the joins gave a delightful view of oneself abluting if those waiting for its use so wished to glance that way! Again, to be fair, the toilet was at least clean to start the journey. I was not willing or needy enough to check at the end of the journey.
Our night began, 10pm departure, rush to get first toilet use and to bed. Over the night we both tried to get some kind of comfort from the meagre bed linen, but to no avail. The actual air conditioning did work, but was so loud it even beat the noise of the train movement which was rickety, rocketey, clackering, swaying, and there were many sudden movements for stopping and starting. Being narrow gauge it often felt as if the carriage would sway off the rails at time.
Suffice to say, sleep was at a premium and we were duly "woken" and a cup of tea was presented with a somewhat doubtful pastry, both of which we consumed. At least get something from the trip!
Our local guide met us at the station at 6am as promised.
Apparently, the local guides have long been trying to persuade their travel agents to direct guest/clients to take the trip by road instead of train because of the dreadful journey. A new road has been built and takes about 5 hours. All individual guides have to take the same journey as their clients so know now bad it is, dreading another long, tedious and tiring journey with clients expecting their guides to be refreshed and ready for the touristy day ahead. It was not to be, and for the guides it has been a nightmare.
Considering our options for the return journey, we discussed with our guide who sensibly agreed to rebook a private car and hotel accommodation in Hanoi, a much more comfortable option but an additional expense of course.
This has not been written to elicit sympathy, but to tell fellow future travellers and travel agents that the journey by train on the Victoria Railway from Hanoi to Lan Cao is not the way to go. Backpackers may relish the thought of a cheap trip, but honestly they will be more thankful to take the regular sleeper bus.
An experience nonetheless.
Written 29 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lydia B
Assen, The Netherlands16 contributions
Nov 2018 • Friends
Don’t go with Oriental Impress to Sa Pa. We went from Hanoi to Sa Pa with this train in the night and had an awful experience. Everything was very dirty, there was a cockroach IN our cabin and the beds where very very hard even though we booked a soft sleeper. The personell was very unfriendly and can’t speak English at all. It was terrible. We didn’t get any sleep and didn’t dare to go to the toilet because it was so dirty. On the way back from Sa Pa to Hanoi we went with the Sapaly Express train which was 10 times better!! It was clean, we could use the bathroom without being scared and the beds where soft. The personell at Sapaly is very friendly as well so please book with them and NOT with Oriental Impress.
Written 24 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Broads31164
Nottingham, UK65 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
Don’t be conned thinking you have booked a bargain because of the low costs in Vietnam. It’s cheap because it’s fake! The cabins are cramped, the toilets stink and there’s nothing deluxe about it. Sa Pa is great as was the trekking but avoid this train at all costs!
Written 4 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wayne F
Blairgowrie, Australia39 contributions
Feb 2018 • Solo
After a bit of a mix up on where to get our tickets from we boarded the Oriental Impress from Hanoi to Sapa. We were lucky enough to get the 2 berth sleeper on Carriage 6 Train SP1. The sleeper is not spacious but the beds were comfortable and were presented on the table with a free basket full of goodies. The mattresses are on the hard side but when you travel all day you still sleep well. A lady not long after leaving brings her trolley along with food, drinks, sweets and alcohol. It is a slow train trip, a bit bumpy and rock n roll in parts but I enjoyed every bit of it and would do it again at a drop of a hat. Thoroughly recommended.
Written 23 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris H
Brisbane, Australia16 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
We just did a 2 day 1 night trip to sapa via the Orient Express trains. After reading some of the reviews on Trip advisor we were a little apprehensive,we were very lucky that our hotel had organised the trip for us so they took us to the train right to the carriage so we didn't get lost.
We spent the extra money to get a 2 birth cabin ( same as 4 birth but top bucks folded away against wall) we were very impressed from the start nice cabins beds were a little short but I am 6 foot 3 so I was expecting that.
Yes there were doors banging throughout the night but that is other travelers not the train we found the toilets basic but always clean we did it in Vietnam winter so we left Hanoi after dark and arrived at sapa before the sun came up we would have loved to see the scenery.
If anything we found the trip too short it was our first overnight train so we were excited but we found it very comfortable and more fun than flying.
After reading other reviews I don't know if we were lucky or if some travelers expect too much from a poorer nation.
We spent the extra money to get a 2 birth cabin ( same as 4 birth but top bucks folded away against wall) we were very impressed from the start nice cabins beds were a little short but I am 6 foot 3 so I was expecting that.
Yes there were doors banging throughout the night but that is other travelers not the train we found the toilets basic but always clean we did it in Vietnam winter so we left Hanoi after dark and arrived at sapa before the sun came up we would have loved to see the scenery.
If anything we found the trip too short it was our first overnight train so we were excited but we found it very comfortable and more fun than flying.
After reading other reviews I don't know if we were lucky or if some travelers expect too much from a poorer nation.
Written 3 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there. I am in the planning phase of my trip to Vietnam next year. If you could do it all over again, which train company would you please recommend to travel through Vietnam or parts of it? Thanks so much in advance.
Written 29 October 2019
Orient Express is an overnight experience to Sapa but is overrated.Vietnam Rail is an option but internal flights or bus or private bus/,car are another option
Written 1 November 2019
Hello, if we would like a private cabin for 2 people. Which one do we need to book? VIP or 1st class? Many thanks!
Written 12 May 2019
Hola donde has comprado los tickets para el tren ????
Written 28 February 2018
Is the orient express the same as Victoria express?
Written 26 September 2017
Yes it is. I booked through Victoria express which had a carriage on the train. It was an experience. Sapa was well worth the journey.
Written 26 September 2017
Hola quiero reservar billetes en el orient express de hanoi a Lao Cai y he entrado en la web orientexpresstrainsapa. Me indican hay descuento y esto me ha hecho dudar sobre la fiabilidad de la web. Alguien la conoce? mil gracias.
Written 21 April 2016
Nosotros reservamos en Orient Express y tambien nos hicieron descuento. Te dejo los enlaces a traves de donde contratamos.
booking@orientexpresstrainsapa com
orientexpresstrainsapa. com
Buen viaje¡¡
Written 22 April 2016
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