The World's most incredible Train Journeys: Lonely Planet

Source: VNA, Lonely Planet, VnExpress, VietnamLife.TuoiTreNews.vn, Wikipedia

The British travel guide Lonely Planet has named The Reunification Express, or Vietnam's north-south railway, one of the most incredible rail trips in the world. From cutting through the countryside to connecting a country’s great cities, the world’s best railway journeys offer entirely new perspectives on a destination.

The railway stretches for more than 1,726 kilometers between the country's two biggest cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City over the course of two days.

«Some railways rattle through historic cities; others swoosh beside spectacular coastlines. A few have an epic history, and one or two are remarkable for the colourful characters onboard. The Reunification Express line fulfills all these criteria», said Lonely Planet.

The site also stressed that travelers cannot find a more atmospheric way to travel between Vietnam's two metropolises. «And there's no better way of exploring all the glories in between», it concluded.

The journey allows passengers to sit and enjoy romantic scenery and rural landscapes along coastal towns in the central region, including the former imperial capital of Hue, the Da Nang City Port which was initially built in the French colonial period, and the ancient town of Hoi An.

Other train journeys in the list are the California Zephyr of the U.S., Lake Titicaca Railway of Peru, Lhasa Express of China, Caledonian Sleeper of the U.K., Bergensbanen of Norway, TranzAlpine of New Zealand, and Tazara Railway of Tanzania and Zambia.

Train travel always delivers plenty of magic. Sometimes it’s in the cars, as you meet fellow travelers, or as you eat and sleep with the sound of wheels rolling on the steel rails beneath you. Sometimes it’s outside, in the landscape the train traverses – offering an adventure, an experience, an insight into the heart of a nation.

The Reunification Express, Vietnam: This is one of Southeast Asia’s best-loved railways – and one of the most epic overnight train journeys in the world. There is no more atmospheric way to haul into Vietnam’s twin metropolises as this train rattles through historic cities and swooshes beside spectacular coastlines.

They say the only way to experience Vietnam is to go slowly and feel it, not just see it. The Reunification Railway Network is at the top of the list if you want to experience and feel Vietnam in the same way local people have for decades. If you are traveling in Vietnam, make sure a train journey is part of your itinerary and you will experience something special.

History of Vietnam Railways

[by vietnamtraintickets.info] Railway transport was first introduced to Vietnam during the 1880s under the guidance of the French Colonial Administration. The first railway line was built for use by trams in 1881. The tram line ran from Saigon to Cholon – a nearby town some 10 km away. This first tram line became very popular very quickly and it was not long before the construction of a railway line between Saigon and the city of My Tho 70 km away, making it Vietnam’s first intercity train service. This line became operational in 1885.

The pace of railway construction in Vietnam then increased rapidly in 1897 when the Paris based French Government approved an ambitious plan proposed by the then French Governor-General of French Indochina, Paul Doumer, for the construction of a railway network linking Yunnan province in China to Hanoi, in Vietnam, and then carrying on down to Saigon. The railway line from Đồng Đăng—on the Chinese border to Hanoi was completed in 1902.

Running from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, the Reunification Express, also the north-south railway, is a simple but effective network that transports locals and tourists in-between cities spanning most of the country. The trains have a range of classes to support all people wanting to move around the country. Tickets can be purchased online at dsvn.vn – with prices varied based on the distance of travel, type of seat/bed and the time of the year you want to travel.

In peak holiday seasons, like Tết Holidays, the Lunar New Year, the price rises because there are exceptional amounts of travellers wanting to get home for the holidays. Additional staff and services are applied to accommodate the mass migration at these times of the year. There are four main levels of accommodation on each train, but some services do not carry all classes because of demand, especially on short intercity services like Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet.

In 2019, Viet Nam’s Thong Nhat-Reunification Express has been listed by the Russia’s Sputnik news agency among the ten most beautiful of its kind in the world.

According to Sputnik, traveling by train, tourists can explore Vietnam through romantic scenery, particularly that of the pristine seas in the central region. The express includes modern air-conditioned sleeping cars that take passengers on a two-day journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, said the Russian news agency.

Regulations on luggage of train passengers

Accordingly, the free carry-on baggage allowance of each passenger with a valid train ticket must not exceed 20kg; length does not exceed 800mm; width does not exceed 500mm; height does not exceed 400mm and volume does not exceed 160mm. In case hand luggage exceeds the prescribed weight and size, the passenger must purchase a ticket according to regulations. If such luggage obstructs the passenger's travel or causes unsafety in the passenger car, the passenger must put that luggage in the baggage car if there is space in the luggage car.

Hanoi Train Street is a narrow train bypass which sees a twice-daily train pass close to buildings on either side of the tracks. The track was built by the French in 1902 and is still an active rail line!

Nguồn: VnExpress, Wikipedia, Dân trí

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