Hanoi - Lao Cai (for Sapa)

The Slow Train to Sapa...

If you want to head for the hills at Sapa, take the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai.  Sapa has no railway station, but it's about 40km from Lo Cai rail station and easily reached from there by tourist bus (US$2), jeep (US$4-5 per person) or hired motorbike.  There are both daytime and overnight sleeper trains between Hanoi & Lao Cai.

Train timetable...

 Hanoi ► Lao Cai (for Sapa)

 

 Lao Cai ► Hanoi

   LC3 SP7 SP1 SP3 LC1   LC4 LC2 SP8 SP2 SP4
 Hanoi depart  06:10 20:35 21:10 21:50 22:05  Lao Cai depart 09:15 18:45 19:30 20:15 21:00
 Lao Cai arrive 16:35 05:00 05:25 06:15 07:20  Hanoi arrive 20:15 04:00 04:30 04:35 05:10

Trains LC3, LC4:  Daily.  Soft seats & hard seats, not air-conditioned.

Trains LC1, LC2:  Daily.  Air-con soft sleepers, air-con hard sleepers, hard sleepers, soft seats, hard seats.

Trains SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4:  Daily.  Air-con soft sleepers, air-con hard sleepers, hard sleepers, air-con soft seats, soft seats, hard seats.  These regular seats & sleepers are similar to the ones shown here.  These trains also have several privately-run deluxe sleepers attached, see the section below.

Trains SP7, SP8:  Privately-run 'Livitrans' sleeping-cars, book through www.livitrans.com.

Hanoi to Lao Cai is 294 km (183 miles).

Which station in Hanoi?  The trains to Lao Cai depart from a separate section of Hanoi's main railway station, sometimes called the 'B' station, usually platforms 10 or 11.  Road access is on Tran Quay Cap street, on the opposite side of the tracks from the main 'A' station at 120 Le Duan street, so make sure you make this clear to your taxi driver.  Or you can enter the main 'A' station and walk across the tracks on a walkway, but allow time to do this as it's a bit of a trek.