Miejsca które odwiedzimy: Sapa

Get in

By train

From Hanoi it is a 9-hour train journey to Sapa.

Vietnam Rail operates some of the cars, but other cars in the train are operated by private companies (Tulico, Ratraco, Fansipan, Orient Express, Friendly and Victoria Hotels, and many others). Some of these cars are significantly nicer than the standard cars. They cost approximately US$45 (July 2013) for a soft sleeper berth. You may need to arrange with a travel agency to get tickets on these tourist cars, but any traveller can purchase tickets for the VNR cars at the Hanoi train station.

Warning: several of these cars are not significantly better than standard Vietnamese sleeping cars though, and still substantially more expensive. Pumpkin second class is actually a VNR car booked via this company. Even Pumpkin first class only has a squat toilet (although a sign above the toilet door says: "western style toilet"!).

Cheaper tickets, especially in hard sleeper class, can be hard to come by at times, as tour companies and travel agents will snap up these to first on their own customers (too frequently a promised soft sleeper berth will turn into a hard sleeper when it comes time to board). To avoid rip offs better go to the train station by yourself and get the ticket from the ticket office. This is the only way to make sure that you will get what you have paid for. Travel Agencies in Vietnam are known for their bad business practice. Although one cannot be assured of finding a place, it is often possible to arrive at the station a short while before boarding time, as there are usually young men hanging around trying to hawk unfilled berths at the last minute. The price of these tickets will fall dramatically as departure time draws near.

Prices vary according to both the type of seat purchased and the season during which you are travelling. The times around Vietnamese holidays are particularly expensive and tickets cannot be assumed available for same day travel, so book ahead if possible. Travellers are highly recommended to purchase a berth in a soft or hard sleeper car, though the trip in soft seat class is not intolerable. For a bed, expect to pay in the area of 430,000-525,000 dong (one-way). For a soft seat, expect to pay 220,000 dong for one-way (May 2012). There is usually a dining car serving good, surprisingly affordable noodles (10,000 dong) and rice porridge (10,000 dong), but it's always wise to bring your own snacks and drinks as well.

If you have very rigid travel dates, are travelling on a public holiday, or can't be bothered to head down to the train station before your train you can book tickets online before you come to Vietnam. Tickets to LaoCai/Sapa can be booked at the fansipan website. Booking tickets online usually costs up to 25% extra, but they will pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi for free.

NOTE: If you have a prebooked ticket from Lao Cai to Hanoi with Fansipan, you have to pick up your ticket from the small and hard to find Fansipan travel office. To find the office stand directly in front of the Lao Cai station, then head directly left. You should see a small sign just past the end of the station building.

The train ends at Lao Cai. From there, dozens of shuttle buses will be waiting outside the station to take you the remaining distance to Sapa, usually at a 'fixed' rate of 50-60,000 dong or US$2.50-$3 (July 2013) or US$25 for a private case. It's often possible to bargain down to a lower price, depending on demand. The ride is about an hour of beautiful views (if the weather is good, it may be an hour of fog at other times) more than 1000 meters up into the mountains.

Note (Sept 2012) this road is prone to landslides, one of which recently caused a delay of a few hours.

You may want to book a return ticket when you buy your outward journey, as picking up tickets in Lao Cai is harder than in Hanoi. Ticket counter at the train station is open 8 to 10 am and from 2 pm. The staff do not speak as much English, and they possibly only sell tickets for travel on the same day so sleepers may already be sold out unless you go first thing in the morning. Pay attention to the time of your return train. Trains leaving Lao Cai around 20h00 will arrive in Hanoi at around 5h00 early in the morning. If you don't make prior arrangements to return at an early hour, you may find yourself sitting outside of your hotel, waiting for the desk to open.

Get out

If you are looking to take the train to Hanoi from Lao Cai, your hotel can probably organise to get you onto a minibus. If you're looking to pay less than the usual rate (60,000 dong, US$3, July 2013), you'll have to walk to the central park area where minibuses and vans cruise for passengers and are willing to bargain to a lower price. Be reminded that getting on an empty (or half-empty) bus will mean waiting for more passengers, regardless of whatever departure time is promised by the driver and his ever-present crew of buddies who're hanging around.

The local tourist office also sells sleeper buses (300,000 dong) from SaPa to Hanoi. The bus is new and luxurious, however the bus driver will drop you out in the western outskirts of Hanoi, despite the assurances that they will drop you at the airport or at the train station in Hanoi. If you should find yourself in this situation, there is a bus station around the block called Xe Ben Khach My Dien, where you can get on bus no 34 towards Hanoi centre for 5,000 dong. Alternatively, taxis will quote you 200,000 dong to take you to the Old Town. The representative at tourist office may tell you that all train tickets at Lao Cai are sold out. Be sure to check at Lao Cai, or even better in Hanoi before arriving in SaPa.

Small step-through Honda motorcycles can be rented in the touristy parts of town, as well as near the petrol station on the road leading to Lao Cai, for US$3-6 depending on the amount of time rented and your bargaining skills (i.e. determination). Day trips into the surrounding countryside can be very rewarding, although a good up-to-date map and a healthy dose of caution is required as roads are winding and populated with all manner of conveyance, and markings can be misleading as the North undergoes some odd town-relocation schemes.

You may be able to hire a guide, or join a group, to visit the various ethnic villages in the area by jeep and/or boat. The various travel agencies in town, or the people at your hotel, should be able to give details. A long time and serious agency you could try to contact is Vietnam Nomad Trails[14] (31 Fan Xi Pan street - on the way to Cat Cat village.)

 

For those looking to go farther afield, the road to Dien Bien Phu is simply stunning and makes for a fantastic 4-5 day return trip. Always give yourself plenty of daylight hours to return home, however, as highly changeable weather could strand you in dense fog without notice, especially during the winter months. There is also a bus to DBP which runs from the tourist office at 7.30am each day, and costs $11.

Try to arrive at the Lao Cai with a couple of hours to spare and you can zip to the border (5 minutes away) on taxis (cheaply). The locals do it regularly because it's like one big bazaar with carnival atmosphere overflowing with merchandise of everything under the sun.