Hanoi to Hong Kong over Land: The Journey
Yes – that’s Hanoi, Vietnam, all the way to Hong Kong. Didn’t know it was possible eh?
How it Began:
Let me rewind back to a random weeknight, two weeks ago, over MSN.
A friend, DS, wanted D and I to join him in Vietnam after his biz trip for the coming long weekend. Sure, why not? Next thing I knew, what started as a potential relaxing beach holiday turned into this crazy idea of traveling from Hanoi to Hong Kong over land…in THREE days. Honestly, when DS proposed the idea, he really wasn’t expecting us to go for it – it’s not exactly the kind of trip you go on with couples… But we said…EFF it! Let’s do it.
The Planning:
Things we needed -
1. Plane tickets to Hanoi: There are several direct flights a day from HK. Ours were pricey due to one way and the long weekend.
2. Visas: Required for most passports. I thankfully got a visa with less than 6 months validity left on my passport. Apparently you need only 3 months for one way entry to Vietnam.
From left to right: Hanoi-Nanning, Nanning-Guangzhou, Guangzhou-Shenzhen tickets
3. Train tickets for the return trip: You can travel from Hanoi to Hong Kong over land (through China) either by rail or by bus. We chose the more comfortable (but not necessarily faster) option of trains.
The original plan was to purchase tickets as we go, which wouldn’t have been so complicated if it weren’t for National Day Golden Week in China, aka the-time-when-travelling-within-China-is-nightmarish. All of China will be on the move, either to go home or go on vacation – we had to get Nanning-Guangzhou tickets ASAP before they disappear. To make matters worse, there are no sophisticated online booking systems in China. Just as I thought we had to cancel the trip, I managed to pull some strings through work to secure 3 tickets for that leg (had a colleague in Nanning purchase tickets from the station). Phew.
For Hanoi-Nanning tickets, you’ll have to show your travel documents (including China visa) when you purchase tickets. Best to get hotel to arrange if they can.
4. Hotel for first night in Hanoi: We stayed at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel for a pretty good rate (low season).
5. Packing: Backpack, sleeping bag, pillow case, wet wipes (lots), toilet roll (very important!)…and other things. Avoid bringing anything valuable. Lots of pick-pocketers near the stations.
The train journey, in photos:
Sept 30, Thursday: Arrive in Hanoi in the afternoon, overnight stay at Sofitel Metropole Hotel
Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi
Oct 1, Friday: Spend day in Hanoi. Depart Hanoi via the daily overnight train to Nanning, China.
Ga Gia Lam, the starting point. The station is only 20 minutes away from Hanoi city center, but our taxi driver took us for joy ride around town and tried to con us. So pissed!
Inside our berth. Not bad at all! Sheets were quite clean, though I still used my sleeping bag.
This train wasn't full, but the NN-GZ was PACKED.
3am arrival at Dong Dang Station - Vietnam border control point.
1st passport control, 2nd one at Pingxiang, China
Getting back on the train. Surreal and so tired.
Oct 2, Saturday: Arrive in Nanning at 10:12 am. Spend (an exhausting) day in Nanning. Depart via the overnight train to Guangzhou.
Nanning Station
The hard seat section on the NN-GZ train. These guys were standing as there weren't enough seats to go around. They did it for 12 hours straight...
Oct 3, Sunday: Arrive in Guanzhou at 7:50am. Depart for Shenzhen right away via the 8:12 am train. Spend day in Shenzhen. Return to Hong Kong by rail in the afternoon.
Guangzhou-Shenzhen trains. Runs frequently. Trains are very new and clean.
Restaurant car
After thoughts:
I went into this trip with mixed emotions: mostly excitement, some paranoia (over not making it back in time) and very low expectations of the trains, so I am happy to say I came back pleasantly surprised. Yes, we ran around a lot, didn’t get to see much of each of the cities and spent more money than we would’ve liked; yet, it was still fun and I’m glad we did it (and pulled it off!). Besides, the journey wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be, though I must give myself credit for all the planning – without a doubt, we would’ve been stranded in China if we didn’t buy tickets ahead of time.
Okay, so it wasn’t a groundbreaking, soul-searching kind of trip, nor was it “epic”. BUT, it’s something I’ve never done before and sure beats another boring weekend bumming at home. We’re already researching on the next train trip. Hong Kong to Tibet??? Hmmm….
The Summary:
Route: Hong Kong (香港) –> Hanoi, Vietnam –> Nanning (南寧), China –> Guangzhou (廣州), China –> Shenzhen (深圳), China –> Hong Kong
View Larger Map
Distance Travelled: Over 1,344 km or 835 miles (Excluding HK-Hanoi flight)
Time: 3.5 days
Total $$ spent on commute: $335 (one way tix to Hanoi) + $100 (trains) = US $435 per person
Experience points gained: Priceless
The Highlight:
Waking up to this as we approached Nanning. Beautiful. Wish I had better pictures.
For detailed information on train schedules and fares:
Vietnam-China : seat61.com
Within China : chinatravelguide.com
fantastic post!
Wow! What a great trip! The sleeping berth is really not bad.
I would do the HK to Tibet train with you
Or the Trans-Siberian