Sleeper trains

In order to get around Vietnam, I travelled by sleeper train all the way up the coast. This was my first time being on a train for so long (around 12 hours), and it was overall a really neat experience. This is what a "soft sleeper" (it wasn't really all that soft), lower berth bed looks like on a Vietnamese train:

Not too much personal space! Each bunk has a power outlet and a light, plus an overhead light and air conditioner for the unit. They also give you a pillow and a blanket. It is very close quarters, but the hard sleepers sleep six per compartment, so I think I will stick to the soft sleepers that only have four! You are definitely at the mercy of your bunkmates, but both trains I took in Vietnam I got very lucky. The only real issue was how early the Vietnamese wake up (around 5 am), but overall all of my bunk mates were super nice. The first train I shared with three female family members, and they were very kind and made sure to notify me any time we passed a beautiful sight. They are the reason I was able to get a glimpse of the ocean from the train, which can only be seen for less than a minute:

On the second train, I decided to brave a Vietnamese train meal (rice, marinated tofu, some pork strips and a piece of fried chicken) who gave me some delicious home-made seasoned salt for my chicken.

Here are some more views of the beautiful countryside:

I had also met some English guys on the first train, and we decided to check out the "dining car" to grab a beer. While it was not what I expected, we had a really nice time. For reference, when I think of the dining car of a train, here is what I think of:

Here is the actual dining car of the train:

The dining car did not meet expectations, but overall I really enjoyed travelling by train. It is far cheaper than flying, and you get to meet some really interesting people and see some great sights that would be missed by simply flying, not to mention there is a huge increase in personal space. The downside is, of course, the train can take much longer. As long as you are prepared with food, activities and an open mind, it is a wonderful way to travel. I did another overnight train in China to go to Huangshan, but that will be another post!