Necessary Information When Travelling to Sapa by Train

One way price ticket from Hanoi to Lao Cai ranges from 11$ to 29$ per person depending on your kind of ticket (bed or seat)

Notes: Price of an LC1 ticket does not include the price for meals. LC1 train is a daily train which runs slowly and stops at most train stations on the route: Hanoi- Lao Cai- Hanoi.

The train runs from Hanoi station so you may not see Hanoi station. You could refer price ticket from Hanoi to other destinations on the route from Hanoi to Lao Cai. LC1 train includes mainly those kinds of tickets: NC, NCL, NML, BnLT1, BnLT2, and BnLT3. Other kinds of tickets are added in high season, Tet holidays.  

You should buy the ticket that provides a bed or soft seat. You could contact with the agent providing Sapa train tickets.

The train only runs at night; the earliest trip is at 19: 40, the latest one is at 23:00. It often takes 8 hours for a route from Hanoi to Lao Cai.

If you want to have an economical trip to Sapa, you could choose a hard seat. For those who choose a hard seat, they often prepare a small mat or something to spread out under the seat for sleeping. This will be an interesting experience when travelling to Sapa.

Travelling by train, you could only reach Lao Cai. To get to Sapa, you need to take a bus from Lao Cai to Sapa with the fare of 50.000dong per turn.

You could learn more some abbreviations noted on the ticket:

NC: hard seat- no air-conditioner

NCL: hard seat, air conditioner

NM: soft seat, no air-conditioner

NML: soft seat, air-conditioner

BnT1: Hard bed on the first floor, no air-conditioner

BnT2: Hard bed on the second floor, no air-conditioner

BnT3: Hard bed on the third floor, no air-conditioner

BnLT1: Hard bed on the first floor, air-conditioner

BnLT2: Hard bed on the second floor, air-conditioner

BnLT3: Hard bed on the third floor, air-conditioner

AnT1: Soft bed on the first floor, no air-conditioner

AnT2: Soft bed on the second floor, no air-conditioner

AnLT1: Soft bed on the first floor, air-conditioner

AnT2: Soft bed on the second floor, air-conditioner

GP: additional seat

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►Copyright: Brian Vu