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Overland from HK to Hanoi



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 25th, 2003, 02:33 AM
Doug Pearl
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Default Overland from HK to Hanoi

Is it possible to travel by train from Hong Kong to Hanoi? If so, any
idea how long this trip takes? Don't really want to have to stop in
China so I might fly from HK to Hanoi. I'm doing a multi-country trip
and don't want to have to deal with another currency and another visa.

So far I'm going to Japan, Hong Kong, Hanoi... then on to Europe

Thanks,
Doug
  #2  
Old November 25th, 2003, 07:56 AM
Kris
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Default Overland from HK to Hanoi

Sure it is possible. The fastest way would be I guess, from HK to
Guangzhou and then an overnight train to Nanning. From Nanning to the
Vietnamese border. HK-Guangzhou takes an hour on the fast train.
Getting tickets to Nanning in Guangzhou might be a problem; you might
have to wait a few days. The trip will take at least 24 hours (maybe
someone else knows exactly??). From Nanning to the Vietnamese border
isn't too far. Border to Hanoi would be another long trip I guess,
although I've never done it myself.

So timewise you had better fly. Experience-wise, it would be
interesting of course. Even the very fast trip through China would be
fascinating.

All depends how much time you have.

Kris


On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 17:33:32 -0800, Doug Pearl
wrote:

Is it possible to travel by train from Hong Kong to Hanoi? If so, any
idea how long this trip takes? Don't really want to have to stop in
China so I might fly from HK to Hanoi. I'm doing a multi-country trip
and don't want to have to deal with another currency and another visa.

So far I'm going to Japan, Hong Kong, Hanoi... then on to Europe

Thanks,
Doug


  #3  
Old November 25th, 2003, 05:49 PM
Jess
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Default Overland from HK to Hanoi

I think flying is the best option. It'll take you ages to arrive at Hanoi
from Hong Kong if you travel by train.

"Doug Pearl" ?????
...
Is it possible to travel by train from Hong Kong to Hanoi? If so, any
idea how long this trip takes? Don't really want to have to stop in
China so I might fly from HK to Hanoi. I'm doing a multi-country trip
and don't want to have to deal with another currency and another visa.

So far I'm going to Japan, Hong Kong, Hanoi... then on to Europe

Thanks,
Doug



  #4  
Old November 26th, 2003, 07:37 AM
Peter Neville-Hadley
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Default Overland from HK to Hanoi

Doug Pearl wrote:

Is it possible to travel by train from Hong Kong to Hanoi? If so, any
idea how long this trip takes? Don't really want to have to stop in
China so I might fly from HK to Hanoi. I'm doing a multi-country trip
and don't want to have to deal with another currency and another visa.


There's no crossing China without a visa and using Chinese currency, of
course, so that's a problem you'll have to fly. To do it overland with
minimum delay, you might want to consider a combination of luxury bus
and train. There's now a luxury bus service direct from Hong Kong to
Guilin, far quicker than going to Guangzhou and changing train, and pick
up the twice weekly train service from Beijing to Hanoi. Leaving Guilin
in the morning you reach Nanning the same day in the late afternoon. You
are set free to have dinner while the train is reordered (only two
carriages go on to the border), and continue in the early evening
crossing the border in the middle of the night, and alighting on the
Vietnamese side for a change of train to narrow gauge early in the
morning. You arrive at Hanoi later in the morning of the day.

If you're on a tight budget the drawback of picking up the Beijing to
Hanoi train is that on the China side the only seat available is soft
sleeper. If you catch other trains to Nanning then hard berths are
available, and after an overnight in Nanning you could pick up a train
to the border and cross it on foot, completing the journey by bus or
train. But the Beijing-Hanoi train does make the process simpler. There
are also border bus services from Nanning, I'm told, but I don't have
any personal experience.

The bus runs from Hong Kong's Tsimshatsui on Saturdays at 4pm and
arrives in Guilin the next morning around 7am. CTS in Kowloon should be
able to sell you tickets, and the freuqency may have increased by now.
There's a stop in Yangshuo if you want to try out the well-known banana
pancake paradise. The Beijing to Hanoi train is the T5 which leaves
Guilin at 10.29 on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and would reach Hanoi at
06.50 on Wednesday and Sunday (remember there's a substantial time
difference between China and Vietnam). Incidentally, the T5 becomes
successively the T905, T909, and M2 as it proceeds to Hanoi.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html
 




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