first-class compartment is overpriced. For more than 130$ you have very poor breakfast and hot soft drinks and beer (that should be cold actually), no toiletries, no towel, even no trainman in our coach.
AC works well.
Toilet is clear.
Wifi is promised but doesn't work.
If you ignore the rough tracks the train is driving on, it’s perfect. But thats everywhere the same. With a sleeping pill the time flies. Everything was good, other companies have nicer wagons, but it was clean and we got small bags with bananas and water. So all in all it’s good to travel with.
รถไฟ #SE3 รถนอนวีไอพี 4 ล้อ, NewLivitrans Express (SONG HONG RAILWAY TOURIST SERVICES COMPANY LIMITED), 28 ธ.ค. 2022
Checked in at Mango Hotel and waited in the hotel. Taken straight through to the train and shown to our cabin. 4 birth cabins, mixed sex. Beds quite comfortable. USB charging point by head of bead. Easy to sleep - very quiet. Croissant, banana and milk in cabin for breakfast and tea and coffee sachets. Communal hot water in the Isle. Staff very helpful. Only downside is the toilets.
All fine - and outstanding help from the woman in charge at Hotel Mango in Hanoi, who went out of her way to help me recover a phone I’d lost on the way. (Thank you so much again for this help.) Having such an excellent speaker of English and communicator in general is hugely helpful.
Carriage, compartment and definitely the toilet had seen better days. "VIP"? Not one bit.
รถไฟ #SE3 รถนอนวีไอพี 4 ล้อ, NewLivitrans Express (SONG HONG RAILWAY TOURIST SERVICES COMPANY LIMITED), 17 เม.ย. 2024
HM
Hannah M
This is a really good option for travelling from Hanoi to Hue, it was well organised and pretty comfortable for a train bed! There was a good selection of free things in the room and the food cart came round pretty regularly. It was on time and the toilets were clean, give it a go!
Could’ve been worse. Any 14h train ride I feel wouldn't be ideal, especially when you’re on the top bunk and you can barely see out the window. The beds weren’t soft beds (by Vietnam standards anyway) they just felt like hard mats but was able to get sleep anyway. Toilets were filthy. Make sure you bring your own toilet paper. Staff weren’t that helpful helping you board like they say they would but they do alert you when it’s your stop. Overall, a very average experience and definitely the maximum amount of time I would take the train.