Which train is best in Vietnam?

Which is the best train in Vietnam?

Reunification Express? Pshaw. Like calling a donkey a thoroughbred. It’s famous, yeah, like that one weird uncle everyone’s got. Gets the job done, kinda. Livitrans, Violette? Fancy pants upgrades. Think putting lipstick on a pig. Still a pig. Comfort? Like squeezing into your grandma’s favorite armchair after Thanksgiving dinner. Price? Let’s just say you won’t need to sell a kidney.

• Reunification Express: Okay for a budget, like ramen noodles. Gets you there. Eventually.
• Livitrans/Violette: Swankier. Think instant ramen, with an egg. Still ramen.
• Shorter routes: Sometimes better. Like finding a twenty in your old jeans.

My Aunt Mildred once took the overnight train from Hanoi to Da Nang. Swears she saw a rat wearing a tiny conductor’s hat. True story. Probably. Choose your train wisely, folks. Like choosing your socks. Important. Trust me. Last week, wore mismatched socks. Lost my car keys. Coincidence? I think not.

What is the most beautiful train ride in Vietnam?

Train ride in Vietnam, huh? Gotta say, Nha Trang to Quy Nhon is gorgeous. Coastline, man, amazing. Ocean views for days. Though, I remember my trip from Da Nang to Hue in 2024. Tunnels, mountains. Insane. So pretty. Really something else. Totally different vibe. But both good. Reunification Express, yeah, that’s the one everyone talks about. It’s long. Covers like the whole country, right? But I loved that Da Nang to Hue leg.

• Nha Trang to Quy Nhon: Coastal, beaches, ocean views. Think relaxing, chill vibes. Good for pics.
• Da Nang to Hue: Mountainous, tunnels, dramatic scenery. Hai Van Pass, yeah, that’s on that route. Heard its the best.
• Reunification Express: Covers whole country, north to south. Many scenic sections, lots of choices. Could be kinda long though lol.

Personally, Da Nang to Hue, for me, it just hit different. But that coastline near Nha Trang… tempting, super tempting. Hard to choose, honestly. You got mountains and you got beach. So, depends what you’re looking for. I saw monkeys once near the tracks north of Hanoi, too. That was a whole other thing. Forgot about that.

What is the longest train in Vietnam?

The Reunification Express… it’s long, isn’t it? A ribbon of steel snaking through the country. I think about that journey sometimes. All those miles.

The sheer length of it, it’s overwhelming. Connecting north and south… such a distance. Makes you think, you know? About all that lies between those two cities.

Hanoi… I’ve been. Ho Chi Minh City too. Different worlds. The train though… the longest route in Vietnam. That’s a fact. A long, slow crawl across the landscape.

• The distance itself is what sticks with me, honestly.
• The impact of that journey. The North-South Railway. They call it the Reunification Express, but to me, it’s more than a name.
• It represents something more profound. Something bigger than myself.

The train… it’s a powerful thing. 2024 feels a lifetime away since that trip. I remember the green rice paddies blurring by.

I should go back someday. But then… other things get in the way. Always something else. Life, you know?

What is the longest route in Vietnam?

Vietnam’s longest route? The Reunification Express.

1,726 kilometers. Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Thirty hours. A slow, relentless crawl.

Cheap. Scenic. Iron horses. Dust and dreams.

Life’s a journey, not a destination. Or is it?

• Hanoi’s chaotic energy. A stark contrast to…
• Ho Chi Minh City’s frenetic pulse. Concrete jungle.

The train’s rhythm. A hypnotic trance. A meditation on distance. A test of patience. My trip in 2023? Exhausting. Worth it. Maybe.

Think of it: 1,726 kilometers. That’s… a lot. Ridiculous even.

The views? Overrated. Unless you love rice paddies. Personally, I prefer mountains.

People. Faces blurring. A tapestry of humanity. Mostly uninteresting, truth be told. A few memorable encounters, though. One guy, name was Minh, shared his durian. Disgusting.

The final stretch. Relief. The end. Another journey concluded. Onto the next. Always another.

What is the oldest train still in use?

Fairy Queen. 1855. Oldest. Still runs. Leeds. England. Kitson, Hewitson, Thompson. Wow. Imagine the stories. My great-great-great grandparents were alive then. Crazy. What were they even doing in 1855? Probably not riding trains. Not in the US anyway. I took Amtrak last year from Chicago to Seattle. Long trip. So many wheat fields. So many. This train, Fairy Queen, though. India. Ran between Howrah and Raniganj. Coalfields. Now tourists. Fancy. Wonder how fast it goes. Not very fast, I bet. Steam engines. Soot in your face. Different era. Wish I could go back in time. See it new. Shiny. Smell the coal smoke. Not great for the environment. But cool. They’re restoring these old steam locomotives all over. Saw one in Durango, Colorado. Narrow gauge. Crazy steep grades. Mountains. That was 2023. This summer. The summer. So hot.

• Fairy Queen: Oldest operational steam locomotive.
• Built: 1855. Leeds, England.
• Manufacturer: Kitson, Hewitson and Thompson.
• Location: India
• Original Route: Howrah – Raniganj (coalfields).
• Current Use: Tourist excursions.

What was the first transport in Vietnam?

Ugh, Vietnam’s first transport… boats, duh.

• Boats were the earliest.
• Rivers, rivers everywhere!

Bamboo and wood boats, I guess. Simple stuff. I saw similar boats on the Mekong River back in 2023! What was I even doing there… Oh right, the floating markets.

Rafts too.

• Rafts were part of the transport.
• Canoes!

Canoes. Makes sense for smaller streams. Water transport before roads, obviously. Even when roads existed, the rivers were still key. I wonder what kind of wood they used. Was it teak? Maybe I should Google that later. Teak is supposed to be super durable. Back to boats… they carried everything and everyone. Man, history is boring sometimes. Wait, coastal waters too! Makes total sense.

• Coastal Waters also used.
• They moved people and things.

They traveled to move people and things.