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Sapa - How to get there?
Lao Cai Travel Distance:
Located 300km from Hanoi, Lao Cai can be reached by car or train. There is National Highway No.70, 279, 4D linking Lao Cai to Yen Bai, Lai Chau and Ha Giang, China in turn. There are two trains depart from Hanoi daily to Lao Cai.
Take a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai. Many minubuses are waiting at the train station for Sapa. They are offering the service with 25-50,000D but local price is 25,000D but the bus always moves around the station to catch up customer for full seats before leaving for Sapa. Bargain hard and kepping on bus.
Many people visit Sa Pa on an organized tour from Hanoi , and this is certainly the most hassle free way to make the trip. The most popular route is by train to Lao Cai, and then the connecting bus to Sa Pa. The bus stops at Sa Pa's main post office leaving you with a couple of minutes walk into town.
The Victoria Hotel organizes sleeper carriages departing from Hanoi at 21.30 on Thursdays and Fridays, returning 18.30 Sundays. The round trip costs about $90 plus an extra $12 if you wish to be pickup in Lao Cai.
The tourist bus back to Lao Cai leaves from outside Sa Pa's church. Most hotels will organize a jeep back to Lao Cai for around $2 to $3 (they will also organize the train tickets). Tickets for sleepers and soft seats on the night train are in short supply so book in Sa Pa before leaving for Lao Cai station.
Once in Sa Pa motorcycle taxis can be arranged through your hotel or guesthouse, or pick one up at the top of the market steps.
Arriving Lao Cai station
When you arrive from Lao Cai, the minibus stops at the area where many hotels are clustered. This is not the center. The minibus continues to travel. You may ask the driver to take you to the market or Royal Hotel, both are good starting points to look for a room. Or you may get off at the church and a foot ball field. Facing to the church facade, walk to right, small street between the church and the football field, you will see steps. Go down the steps and turn left before you enter the market. This is Cau May Street, where most budget accommodation can be found. More GHs are behind the market. Go down the same steps to the bottom and walk through the market.
The altitude and steep mountainous terrain make getting around Sa Pa hard work for anyone who isn't in reasonable shape. Renting a motorbike is a good option with less danger from other road users, because more hazards from mother nature herself are quite common.
The roads, tracks and paths of the northwestern mountains can be treacherous. Landslides and washed-out sections are not uncommon, especially during periods of heavy rain.
By Train from Hanoi (evening train)
Rail is still slow and adventurous. The rail network is limited. Lines run between Hanoi-Saigon, Hanoi-Lao Cai-Hekou (China)-Kunming (China), Hanoi-Lang Son-Beijing (China). Trains to China depart from Hanoi train station. You can join the train to Kunming at Lao Cai, but you can only join the train to Beijing from Hanoi. The train stations for some Vietnam travel destinations can be literally in the middle of nowhere. The rolling stock is generally serviceable, but old and spartan by western standards.
The Ha Noi - Lao Cai train stops at Lao Cai Station, some 40 kilometres from Sapa and stops at Sapa's main Post Office (Buu Dien). Each way cost about VND30,000-35,000.
The tourist bus back to Lao Cai leaves from outside Sapa's church, but it usually will pick you up at your hotel - inquire with the hotel staff for getting a bus ticket back to Lao Cai Station.
Vietnam train tickets, Train tickets to Sapa
Sapa train tickets at a glimpse
The Ha Noi-Lao Cai tourist trains run nightly, departing from Ha Noi Train Station B (behind 120 Le Duan Street). The following trains from Ha Noi to Lao Cai (SP1, LC1, LC3; AM: LC5) and from Lao Cai to Ha Noi (PM: SP2, LC2, LC4; AM: LC 6) daily. The daytime trainsets offer only hard seats, whereas Travelers enjoy soft-sleepers, air-conditioned, four-berth cabins on the night trains.
Sapa Tourist Carriages:
Victoria Carriage, Victoria train
Victoria Express train is the best in terms of comfort and service from Ha Noi to Lao Cai, Victoria Hotel’s "Orient Express" train offers one restaurant and two luxury sleeping carriages, all with air-conditioning. This is part of the normal run (LC5 and LC6) between Ha Noi and Lao Cai. Victoria train service
Tulico Carriage, Tulico train
Tulico train offers comfortable, air-conditioned soft sleepers. While this is not a luxurious train, it offers good alternative transportation to Sa Pa from Ha Noi. It has soft sleepers, A/C and four-berth cabins. You are provided with one bottle of water, a small snack and a napkin.
2 beds-cabin (soft sleeper)
Ratraco Carriage, Ratraco train
In the LC5 and LC6, there are Victoria Cabins, Tulico Cabins, Friendly Cabins, and Ratraco Cabins. All of these are alternatives for Travellers to Sa Pa from Ha Noi. Ratraco train is one of the best trains to Sa Pa with wooden cabins.
Ratraco - soft sleeper
Friendly train, like the Tulico train, is not a separate train, but offers soft sleepers, A/C and clean four-berth cabins in 2 carriages which go with local trains (LC5 and LC6) between Ha Noi and Lao Cai. You are provided with one bottle of water, a small snack and a napkin.
Royal Carriage, Royal train
To serve tourist requirements, the Royal Train is also part of a regular train with 2 carriages in SP1 and SP2 which offers A/ C, soft-sleepers and clean four-berth cabins.
TSC Carriage, TSC train
The TSC Express Train is wooden carriage, soft sleeper A.C cabin with soft 4 berths and two toilet at either ends. Each berth is equipped with individual reading lights, baggage storage and spacious trunk for suite case and hand luggage. The train provide also water and cold tower.
Fansipan Express Carriage
The brand new Fansipan Express has just been introduced to operate routing Hanoi - Lao Cai - Hanoi with 4 fully decorated carriages with high standard soft sleepers with airconditioning wooden cabins. Each berth is equipped with reading lights, baggage storage, flower, mineral water and napkin.
More on transfer Lao Cai station - Sapa
The Ha Noi - Lao Cai train stops at Lao Cai Station, some 40 kilometres from Sapa and stops at Sapa's main Post Office (Buu Dien). Each way cost about VND30,000-35,000.
The tourist bus back to Lao Cai leaves from outside Sapa's church, but it usually will pick you up at your hotel - inquire with the hotel staff for getting a bus ticket back to Lao Cai Station.
All train carriages to Sapa inclduing timetable and train ticket cost - click here
How to book a ticket?
Just email: sales@vietnamhomestay.net
Useful Tips to Sapa, Sapa travel tip
During the winter the temperature in Sa Pa can drop to under zero. Warm clothes are necessary.
Some hotels have charcoal burners in their rooms. Be aware of carbon monoxide poisoning during the winter. Do not close all the windows and doors to your room if you are using a charcoal burner to keep warm or you will be asphyxiated. Many travelers make this mistake since they are not familiar with using such old heating methods.
No visit to Sa Pa is complete without taking a walk through the minority villages. Most numerous are the H'Mong and Red Zao. A friendly lot, they will be the first people you will notice, as they try and flog their wares and souvenirs.
There is excellent hiking around Sa Pa, catering to all levels of fitness, from an easy stroll through the villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van, to serious hikes up Mount Fansipan, at 3,142 m the highest peak in Indochina.
See some reviews and experience in Sapa:
Hanoi to Laocai by train, then bus to Sapa
Most of the tourists who visit Sapa travel from Hanoi to Laocai (a town at the border with Yunnan province of China, seperated by a river and the other side is the town of Hekou of China) by overnight train. Usually, they will book their trip at the many tour operators in Hanoi, especially at the Old Quarters. The trip will include everything, from meals, transport, accomodation, trekking guide etc (a 2 day trip costs about US$80, and there are trips with longer days and you can even climb Mount Fansipan, the highest mountain in Vietnam).
For the overnight train, tourists will get first class soft sleeper beds (4 beds to one room) and there are several trains usually leaving between 8.30pm to 10am at Hanoi train station and arrive at Laocai train station at about 5am the next day. Night train is good because it saves travelling time and accomodation, but it may not be easy for some people to sleep because of the vibrations (and the train toilets are not very good). For those of you who can afford, there is the luxurious Victorian train which costs a lot more (normal train costs about US$20 but Victorian train is a few times more).
After reaching Laocai, there will be mini-buses to transport you from Laocai to Sapa (about 1 hour, the road condition is surprisingly OK). It is important to look for your name on the many signboards at the Laocai train station because there are many tourists ariving at the same time. Overall, I think the train journey is OK and please don't compare with train standards in Europe or North America.
Train from Hanoi to Lao Cai (Sa Pa)
The best way to go to Sapa from Hanoi is to take the train. There are no flights and road journey is considered uncomfortable, long and less safe. Best to book the train, both ways from a reputable travel agent from Hanoi to Lao Cai near the Chinese border and the transport by van from Lao Cai to the hill station of Sapa. The train runs along the Red River. All trains leave at night from Hanoi and arrives at Lao Cai in the early morning. Trains also leave at night from Lao Cai and arrives in the morning at Hanoi. And so you save two nights of accommodations.
It is better to stay one night in Sapa though it is possible to come back the same day if your flight is the next day. There are different types of coaches of different prices. The standard is 4 bunk beds in a cabin. So shop around. It was a bumpy ride but after awhile I slept well perhaps all the walking around the Lake in Hanoi and woke in anticipation. After all the walking, the journey back, I could slept verywell too. Best to quickly book train tickets as early as possible upon arrival in Hanoi. Then go to Halong or travel around Hanoi before going to Sapa.
Walking around the town
The Sapa town is really small. With the cool climate, it's an easy & pleasant walk to all the various restaurants or hotels in the area. There are NO taxis plying the roads, so the only over options to walking is to take a motocycle taxi or to have a private car.
Motorbike to go beyond Sapa town
For excursion further out of Sapa, you can hire a self-driven motorbike for about USD6 a day or take one with a rider for about USD10.
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