Chapa Express Train

Chapa Express Train

Chapa Express Train
4
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
About
The Chapa Express Train started operations in June 2014, making it one of the newest trains in Vietnam. Make the overnight journey between Ha Noi and Lao Cai in style and comfort in one of our 14 compact yet fully-equipped cabins featuring air-conditioning, reading lights, comfortable beds and Sapa-inspired décor. Choose from shared Deluxe 4-berth cabins or VIP cabins, Suite 2-berth cabins.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

See what travellers are saying
  • Maggiemum2
    Holmfirth, United Kingdom138 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highly recommended
    We opted for a VIP cabin which meant we had it to ourselves- and paid twice the price. Coaches are well equipped and comfortable. Staff friendly providing complimentary welcoming drinks / snacks and extra bedding on request. No heating! It's a night train so you miss out on the views (but save on hotels)
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 February 2024
  • Passport41260485
    4 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good combination of travel and relaxation
    After reading all the reviews from the different offers, we vere really sceptical about this train ride. We booked the VIP double room with Chapa Express from Lao Cai to Hanoi and honestly, it was much more than we expected after the reviews. The welcome lounge offers a clean toilet, a shower and you could order food even and the room was small but cozy and clean. Free snacks, water and a beer were offered, the toilet was clean and the ride was smooth and punctual. We even managed to sleep a bit. I recommend taking a sleeping mask and maybe earbuds or noise cancelling headphones due to normal train noise, otherwise a really good way to travel and meanwhile also get some relaxation or even sleep.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 28 March 2024
  • TaylorT
    Anchorage, Alaska21 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good transportation option
    We had a good experience with Chapa express. We booked a VIP cabin, and slept as well as could be expected on a train. The train departed and arrived on time, and we were only awoken around 5:00 am for coffee service, which seemed appropriate as we arrived at Lao Cai station 20 minutes later.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 April 2024
  • Edgar W
    Singapore, Singapore5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Exceptional service, nice train.
    Exceptional service by the agent. Arranged everything smoothly without a hitch. Train was clean, quiet and comfortable, service on board was great as well. Our transfers were also arranged smoothly, and when some other tourists tried to take our seats on one of the transfers, our agent stepped in and swiftly settled it for us within 15 minutes.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 April 2024
  • Martin C
    Melbourne, Australia14 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely cabins, not so the lounge.
    They have put a lot of effort into decorating the cabins to make them warm and inviting. The toilet and wash basins at the end of the carriage were clean and similarly decorated. It’s a bit of a slow bumpy ride, but that’s to be expected and we still slept well. I actually wish it went a bit slower as we arrived back in Hanoi at 5:15am. The Chapa Lounge is nothing to get excited about. It’s just a room with some tables and chairs. The meals there are pretty average. I would skip them next time. Similarly the showers are a disappointment. Nowhere to put your clothes and a bottle of shower gel stuck to the wall is sorely lacking. A shower without soap or shower gel is almost pointless. We skipped a shower there on the way back.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 July 2024
  • In viaggio con i Cipolli
    15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Chapa Express Train il top
    We slept on the Chapa Express Train (not to be confused with Chapa Express which is not the official company but a third party retailer) on the Lao Cai-Hanoi route in a 4-berth compartment. I was a little skeptical at first but once I got on board I had to change my mind. The carriage is very cozy, in black and white with paintings on the walls (it seemed better than Chapa's other carriages in black and red, darker colors). The bunks are spacious and comfortable with two pillows and duvet (much better than Italian train bunks). Water, soft drinks, tea, chips and snacks, earplugs, toothbrush and comb are offered. There are lights to read in every bed and electrical outlets. The air conditioning vents can be closed. The cleanliness, even of the bathroom, is truly amazing. We travelled well, clearly to take into account bumps and some noise.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 August 2024
  • John Fernandis
    Singapore, Singapore694 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Overnight train to Sapa
    Book the VIP cabin, 2/cabin. Same size cabin with zero additional amenities. Better to book the 4 beds per cabin and hope only 2 person is assigned to the cabin. Many did that. A much more economical option. Cabin is the same size and decor. Chapa has a pleasant waiting room on trip from Sapa to Hanoi. It’s air conditioned and has toilet as well as a restaurant within. Did not see any waiting room in Hanoi train station tho.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 September 2024
  • NotTheLastJedi
    Melbourne, Australia455 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Chapa Express Train - Private Suite Cabin - Private Car 7 seaters from Lao Cai station to Sapa center
    We travelled overnight from Hanoi To Lao Cai and also organised the private transfer to Sapa City Centre with Chapa Express Train. Chapa Express Train - Private Suite Cabin - Private Car 7 seaters from Lao Cai station to Sapa center The whole check in experience at Hanoi Train Station was seamless. The Private Suite Cabin was fantastic, very nicely appointed, and also seems very new. It seem Chapa Express Train had the whole carriage, and each Cabin was either 2 bed (Private) or 4 bed (you book all 4 beds or possibly shared with another couple). There were 2 toilets, one at each end of the carriage, that was also well maintained and seemed newly renovated. There was also toiletries in the toilets and water in the cabin. Whilst you cannot do anything about the rail infrastructure, the service on board was excellent, with free drinks prior to bed time and early in the morning on arrival. The Private Car 7 seater transfer from Lao Cai station to Sapa Center was also a private car, we did not have to share with other people from other cabins, they had their own car. The only thing was that the driver did not choose to pay for the toll road and hence we went the slightly longer windy road up the mountain towards Sapa. There is a tolled road offering that apparently is abit faster and straighter, but apparently most drivers (and transfer service) did not include the toll road as an option. The driver was also nice enough to offer to stop for coffee or breakfast or taking photos as requested. We opted to get some coffee takeaway for the car ride and also stopped at a scenic spot for pictures. Our driver stopped us at a nice spot which also happened to be a local Red Dao family's backyard, and we bought some little souvenirs to thank them for letting us stop.
    Visited October 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 November 2024
  • Nimmi G
    Wellington, New Zealand4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth it
    Very good and comfortable train. Had a good sleep. Staff friendly and helpful. They wake you up half an hour before arriving the station. We took train from Hanoi to Sapa and return and booked the VIP cabin for two. Clean and comfortable.
    Visited November 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 November 2024
  • Calbie
    Singapore, Singapore13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Comfortable and cosy
    I booked the VIP 4 bedder - it was comfy and cosy enough! I’m 5’08” though and even then my feet were touching the walls of the berth if I fully stretched, accounting for the pillow and all so those more vertically blessed, be warned. A duvet is provided, as was toiletries. Air conditioning was cold, but not cold enough to be uncomfortable. Of course it was noisy, buts that’s to be expected from a train ride. Altogether it was a good experience!
    Visited November 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 22 November 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles80 reviews
Excellent
42
Very good
16
Average
9
Poor
7
Terrible
6

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

justinl604
Taipei, Taiwan15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Friends
Chapa Express went above and beyond. We did a round trip this week with them (Deluxe). The cabins are so nice and the beds are super comfortable. Cabins have air conditioning and we received complimentary snacks and drinks on departure. The lounge in Lao Cai for Chapa Express is nice. Bathrooms on the train were really nice. Full toilet and clean. Their hotline was so accommodating and attentive. The best part was someone in our party lost their phone and the staff and customer service looked for our phone through the cabin, laundry, and we finally found it in the garbage bin over half an hour later with their help. My point is that they were super helpful and went the extra mile with customer service on top of an already great value. FYI they sold us on transportation from Lao Cai train station into Sapa. The private car was around 650 VND for 5 of us. This is like 100 VND more expensive than taking a Grab but there are no Grabs that can fit 5 people there from when we tried (and it's about a 1 hour drive). I would prebook that private car again as it was really convenient and you're not battling every other passenger on the train at 6am.
Written 2 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shanna24
Borex, Switzerland104 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
We were 3 people so I booked and paid for a 4-person berth to avoid getting a 4th person with us. For us everything went smoothly from the booking via email to the train ride itself. I was a bit worried it would be old and worn down, but the berths were really clean and well maintained. I didn’t use the bathroom but my husband said they were clean in the morning. The train to Sa Pa left on time and same for the return. You get a banana and some crackers in the evening. Coffee in the morning is not complimentary. The train shakes a lot so we didn’t grt a lot of sleep because of that. Weirdly we were able to sleep coming back from Sa Pa.
The only point for improvement is that on the way to Sa Pa they knocked on our door an hour before arrival to see whether we wanted tea/coffee, I am bot sure that was necessary. I was nicely surprised they asked me for feedback via email after our trip. I was very happy with Chapa Express overall.
Written 30 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laurie6102
Canmore, Canada11 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Friends
I read reviews on here which mentioned incessant knocking on the cabin door from people trying to upsell tourist trips and other interruptions, so was anticipating a potential bad night. It couldn’t have been further from my experience.

We had a nice welcome on board, with tea and FREE snacks (chips, nuts and pop). No one knocked on our door to sell anything, the bathrooms were clean and I slept well, lulled by the rocking of the train. Yes, the train made noise but it was fairly constant, so became part of the background. We booked a private cabin meaning there were only the two of us in a four berth cabin. We could get our rolling duffles under the bottom bunks, just barely. Bedding was fine and mattress was ok. They gave us bananas and water for overnight.

It was fun going through Hanoi, with inches to spare in the streets of the historic district.

I’d do this trip again.
Written 28 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hong P
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Family
We booked a 4 person overnight cabin for our family. It costs us almost $800 for 5 tickets (one if us shared a cabin eith 3 other people). It includes transportation to & from between train station & our hotels. All the reviews and information on the website stated that this was the newest train from Ha Nội to Sapa. Most gave raving reviews about nice, clean and comfy. Totally disappointed to experience in person. The cabin smells like cigarette smoke. Air conditioning hardly worked. Room felt damp and muggy. Mosquitoes were everywhere. Sheets didn't smell fresh. Seems like it was already slept in. They offered coffee & hot chocolate which turned out we had to pay for them. They were from packaged coffee. I got sick after drinking it. It was so bad we ended up not taking the return train and booked a private car back to Hà Nội. They would nite refund for our unused tickets. I would not recommend using this train at all.
Written 11 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeannie
Sydney, Australia167 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Couples
The 8hrs overnight train ride was comfortable as we took the VIP cabin for two. The train noise as read on other reviews was really very bearable. We did not have to put on the ear plugs.

The train service included complimentary bottled water, can drinks, bananas and snacks.
Written 30 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brenda M
Glasgow, UK47 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Friends
Shake, Rattle & Roll

The overnight very slow sleeper train from Hanoi to Sapa is an experience - and one not necessarily enjoyed!

Was the train old? YES. Was the VIP cabin dark, dingy and basic? YES. Was the trip noisy with banging all night? YES. Did the carriage rattle? YES. Was the bed brick hard and most uncomfortable? YES. Was the one carriage toilet clean? YES. Was there air conditioning? YES. Would I travel it again? Not in a Million!!

No food or beverage carriage - free wine/beer/soft drinks offered prior to departure and then nothing available after that. No lounge carriage so you are in your small cabin for the whole journey. VIP only means 2 persons per cabin instead of 4.

To top it all - Sapa is then an hour away by car from the arrival station of Lao Cai….
Written 14 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

H R
Ghent, Belgium77 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
The train is not much different from the “basic” sleeper trains we have taken in other parts of the country. The mattresses are a bit thicker and the carriages are decorated more (albeit a bit amateurish). All in all a good option to travel to Sapa, but take into account that the quality of the tracks is much less than what we have experienced between other Vietnamese cities - which makes for a bumpy and noisy ride. I usually sleep very well on a train, but it was much more difficult this time because of the loud banging sounds every few minutes.

(!) Do not accept a proposal from the train personnel to book a taxi to Sapa. It is a scam. Heavily overpriced. They make you pay in advance and once in Sapa they ask for extra money to bring you to the hotel. There are plenty of taxis (and Grab) at the railway station that get you to Sapa at a reasonable price. Bus to Sapa costs VND 55.000. Tickets right in the railway station hall.
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SuperTraveller79
Florence, Italy183 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Friends
The agency had suggested the Chapa Express and in fact it provides an excellent service: you can stay in a shared bunk (4 people) or private (1-2 people spending around thirty dollars more each).
The compartment is quiet, the bed is quite comfortable and the stewardess comes by to wake you up. There is wi-fi (apart from some disconnection due to lack of line) and they also give free biscuits, a bottle of water and a toothpaste/toothbrush kit. Definitely the best way to leave the capital and wake up among the rice fields of Northern Vietnam!
Google
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emily F
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
We stayed in a VIP cabin and it’s brilliant. Fairly comfy bed for a train and clean (including toilets) and they gave us some lovely free snacks. On our train to Sapa it was a little warm but we didnt mention it, on our way back to Hanoi we asked for the aircon to be cooler and they instantly changed it for us. It’s a train so sleeping is a little difficult because it’s loud and moves very quickly but if you’re going to book the train then highly recommend Chapa!
Written 25 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Senvin
Gold Coast, Australia28 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
Amazing and fantastic experience aboard the chapa express sleeper overnight! We booked a VIP cabin for two and in fact were upgraded to their higher premium suite for free! Clean cabin, space for luggage, nice functioning air conditioning, great complimentary drinks and snacks with thoughtful touches as well as a quiet cabin which allowed us plenty of rest. My girlfriend and I really enjoyed the experience on board and would highly recommend going again (of course price being the main issue we wouldn’t be able to do it too often ;)
Written 7 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 74
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

CHAPA EXPRESS TRAIN (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

All Hanoi HotelsHanoi Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in HanoiHotels near Chapa Express Train
All things to do in Hanoi
Day Trips in Hanoi
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday HomesTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire