While researching where else we should explore in Vietnam besides Ho Chi Minh City for our 12 day trip, I came across Nha Trang and the Vietnam sleeper train. It sounded pretty interesting to experience a local overnight train. Plus, my kids were keen to go snorkeling again and Nha Trang is a great place for that. So I thought, why not? After discussing it with my hubby, we decided to go for it.
Why We Chose Vietnam Sleeper Train
There are various modes of transport from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang either by plane, sleeper bus, sleeper train, or private car.
After weighing all my options, I decided to go with the sleeper train. Besides wanting a real local experience, I also felt the train schedule would be more reliable. And since we would be travelling during our sleeping hours, we wouldn’t be “wasting” daytime on the road.
Of course, the daytime scenery is quite tempting but maybe we will save that for our next Vietnam trip.
Our Experience of Sleeper Train
SNT and SE Sleeper Train
To be honest, when I boarded the first train, I had a bit of culture shock because the train was quite old. Luckily, there wasn’t any weird smell, and the bedding, bedsheets, pillow, and blanket was clean and fresh. The only hiccup was that my son’s bed was occupied by a local auntie, so we had to politely ask her to move back to her top bunk.
At the start, we could also smell someone smoking, but thankfully the smell faded after a while.
For luggage, we had three 32” suitcases and two 20” suitcases. We managed to place two 32” and one 20” in my 4-berth cabin (shared with my three girls). The rest of the luggage was with my hubby and son, who shared their cabin with two other passengers.
I didn’t use the toilet on the first train, but according to my girls, it wasn’t very clean so I avoided it.
On the way back, the train was a pleasant surprise! It looked much newer, and everything felt so much cleaner including the washing area and the toilet. It also came with a water dispenser. The only small downside was that we had to set up our own bedsheets, but honestly, that was a minor issue.
Apparently, the first train we took was an older train (code SNT), while the return train to Ho Chi Minh City was a newer model (code SE). I will explain more about the differences later in this post.
For both trains, when you are nearing your destination, there will be announcements in both Vietnamese and English plus Vietnamese songs to wake you up. Kind of interesting.
Even though we took both trains at around 9pm, the night view outside was still really nice especially when we passed street vendors and or busy towns.
Overall, the experience was okay and we managed to sleep quite well. The only thing was that the first train was really cold even with jackets, socks, and the provided blanket, it still didn’t feel warm enough.
SNT2 Sleeper Train
SE3 Sleeper Train
Both trains were quite noisy because of the railway tracks, but all of us still managed to sleep. Thankfully, we didn’t encounter any noisy passengers. For me and my girls, since we sleep in one cabin together, we locked our cabin and turned off the lights completely, which helped a lot.
Train Code and Types Of Cabin
Vietnam Sleeper Train code
When I first booked our tickets, I honestly didn’t know the train code mattered. I simply picked the departure and arrival timing that fit my family’s schedule.
Only after taking both trains myself then I realise there’s a difference. Our SNT2 was older, while our SE3 is newer and cleaner.
Some online guides mention that SE trains can be faster on certain routes, but for my HCMC to Nha Trang route, SE3 and SNT2 had similar travel times based on the schedules we took.
For our journey, SE3 was around S$7-S$19 more per bed compared to SNT2, but the pricing also depends on the cabin, types of bunk bed and timing you choose.
You may notice that some trains carry the same train code, but the company logo looks different. That’s because some services are operated by private companies that pay to attach their own carriage segments to the main train. As for the service differences, I can’t say for sure because we didn’t try enough variations to compare.
Take note: Everything in this section, train code, route, timing, and pricing is based on my own experience taking SNT2 and SE3 between Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang. Your experience may vary depending on the destination you are going and the train code. I read that some SE code train provides free snacks and mineral water to certain destinations (which are further).
Sleeper Train Cabin Type
There are 4 types of sleeper cabins, 4 berth, 6 berth, 2 berth and Soft seat premium and here’s the breakdown
1) 4-berth sleeper cabin
- Best for families who want more comfort + less crowding
- Layout: 4 beds in one compartment (usually 2 upper + 2 lower), can sit straight upright.
- Why choose this: more privacy, easier to manage kids/luggage, generally feels cleaner and quieter than a 6-berth
2) 6-berth sleeper cabin
- Best for budget travellers who don’t mind sharing
- Layout: 6 beds in one compartment (typically 3 levels), have difficulty sitting straight upright.
- Why choose this: cheaper per bed, but more people = more movement/noise; luggage space can feel tighter
3) 2-berth sleeper cabin
- Best for maximum privacy (couples, light sleepers, or if you want your own space)
- Layout: 2 beds in one compartment
- Why choose this: most private and usually the most comfortable option, but availability depends on the train/route and it’s usually pricier.
4) Soft seat Premium
- Best for who: Daytime travellers, short–mid routes, anyone who don’t want to pay for a sleeper bed.
- Layout: Open seating carriage (not a cabin). Plush/reclining “soft” seats in rows, air-conditioned, shared space with other passengers.
- Why choose this: More comfortable than standard seats, and cheaper than sleeper cabins.
A 2-berth sleeper cabin is relatively rare, not every train has it, and availability also depends on your route and destination.
For our round trip between Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang, I booked one full 4-berth sleeper cabin, plus two lower berths in another 4-berth cabin. If you want to minimise the drama I experienced, I strongly suggest booking all 4 berths in a 4-berth cabin so the whole compartment is yours.
We paid about S$35 per person from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang under SNT2 train and S$45 per person from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City under SE3 train.
How To Book Vietnam Sleeper Train
You can book your tickets 2 to 3 months in advance, especially if you are travelling during peak season. It gives you a much better chance of getting the cabin type and berth you want.
Have your passport ready too, because you will need the full name and passport number for each passenger when booking.
Step 1: Where to buy your tickets.
You can buy tickets through a few platforms, like the official website, Klook, or Baolau. In my case, the official website showed a card payment option, but my foreign card couldn’t go through. Klook was convenient, but it didn’t allow me to choose the exact berth I wanted. So I went ahead with Baolau, which made berth selection much more straightforward.
Step 2: Destination selection.
Go to baolau.com and choose your destination. Remember to choose round trip.
Select your preferred timing and do take note of the train model if you prefer a newer train.
Step 3: Type of berth
Chose the type of berth you want. If you are not sure, can click on the berth and see the photos.
Step 4: Seat Selection, Particulars & Payment
Once you have chosen your preferred timing, you can key in your passenger details and proceed with payment. I suggest ticking the options to create an account and receive an invoice, so you can easily refer back to your booking anytime especially if you run into any issues during check-in.
You can try booking here
Boarding Guide and Tips
Because we were not familiar with the Vietnam railway system, so we arrived about three hours early, to get a feel of the area, and also to have dinner first.
The station was very simple. There were about two fast-food options, one cafe, and two minimarts. We also saw a staff member helping passengers checking tickets and advising what to do. She asked if we wanted to use the VIP waiting room, which cost 20,000 VND (about S$0.98) per person. Since we had a few hours to kill, we decided to go for it and just settled in there.
Saigon Railway Station VIP room
The VIP room was actually quite comfortable, it had sofas, air-conditioning, WiFi, and a clean toilet. There was also a small cafe inside selling simple food and drinks, plus one bottle of mineral water per person.
We ordered simple Pho and stir-fry noodles for dinner. Nothing fanciful, enough just to fill our tummy.
We didn’t go for the VIP room in Nha Trang because we arrived one hour earlier from our departure time, so we just wait stand around and wait at the lobby.
Boarding
The boarding usually starts about 30 minutes before departure. I simply showed my tickets to the staff at the entrance, then followed the signboards to find the correct platform for our train.
If you are not sure, just ask any of the staff around. They are really very helpful.
What To Pack
Must Pack Essentials
- Passport & your booking confirmation. No screenshot, but mobile pdf is fine.
- Toiletries: like toothbrush facial wash and basic skincare
- Wet wipes: To clean the area and your feet if you want.
- Ear plugs & eye mask: if you are sensitive to noise and lights.
- Warm layers: Like jacket or socks. The aircon can be very strong for some train.
- Water bottle
- Power bank or travel adapter and usb wire
Comfortable upgrades (if you want)
- Disposable bed sheet or sleeping liner
- Travel pillow: it helps me because the pillow is too soft. So I used both.
- Slippers: easy to go toilet
Food & Kids survival Kit
- Snacks: we bought more food and snacks so the kids can eat before they sleep
- Motion sickness medicine: if anyone is sensitive to movement.
- Simple entertainment: My kids had did word puzzle in the train and play card games in the VIP room while waiting.
- Small trash bag for rubbish.
Summary
Overall, taking the Vietnam sleeper train from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang was a memorable experience for our family. It’s definitely not “luxury travel,” but it’s a very real way to see how locals travel and it helped us save daytime for exploring instead of sitting on the road. If you are travelling with kids, I recommend booking a full 4-berth cabin if your budget allows, packing warm layers, and book early so you can choose the cabin you want.
Will we do it again? Yes. In fact, my kids are totally game to take an even longer train route next time, just so we can enjoy Vietnam’s daytime scenery along the way.
If you have any questions about the booking process or which cabin to choose, feel free to drop a comment. I will try my best to help!
