Last updated July 2018 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle
This post was last updated 3 years ago. Please check the comments section for possible updates, or read more on my Updates & Accuracy page.
INTRODUCTION | GUIDE | MAP | RELATED POSTS
Over the years, I’ve travelled many, many times between Saigon and Phan Thiet/Mui Ne: by bus, bicycle, car, minivan, coach, but most of the time, by motorbike. I love the ride along the Ocean Road from Vietnam’s biggest city to one of its most popular beach retreats. But there is another way: put your motorbike on the train and let the rails carry your wheels. It’s cheap, easy, fun, fast, efficient and relaxing. Even if you’re not taking your motorbike with you, the train is a much better option than taking one of the buses along Highway 1. Below is my guide to taking the Saigon-Phan Thiet Express train, for passengers and motorbikes.
Load your motorbike onto the train, and let the rails carry your wheels
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GUIDE: SAIGON→PHAN THIET EXPRESS
This is a full guide to the daily Saigon-Phan Thiet Express, for passengers and motorbikes. Note that this is one of only a few rail routes in Vietnam that allows passengers to travel on the same train as their motorbike (another being the Hanoi-Lao Cai Express). Below, I’ve organized all the information into separate sections, and plotted the stations, relevant towns, rail and road routes on my map. *Please note: you can support this website by booking train tickets directly from this page: see below for details.
Click an item to read more about it:
- Route Map
- Search & Book Tickets
- Train Operators & Contacts
- Train Times & Schedules
- Ticket Prices & Booking
- Sending your Motorbike
- Departure & Arrival Stations
- The Trains
- The Journey
MAP:
Saigon to Phan Thiet Rail & Road Routes
- Black Line: train route
- Red Line: road route (via Highway 1)
- Blue Line: road route (via the Ocean Road)
View in a LARGER MAP
SEARCH & BOOK TICKETS:
*Please support Vietnam Coracle: you can search train times, prices, and make bookings directly from this page by using the Baolau.com search boxes & links throughout this guide. If you make a booking, I receive a small commission. All my earnings go straight back into this website. Thank you.
Train Operators & Contacts:
The Saigon-Phan Thiet express service is part of the state-run Vietnam Railways (VNR) network. Vietnam Railways have a decent English-language version of their website (www.vr.com.vn/en) where you can find up to date information. Or go in person directly to Saigon or Phan Thiet train stations, where some staff speak some English. Alternatively, check current train schedules, prices, information, and make reservations through Baolau.com.
The Saigon-Phan Thiet express train, about to depart from Saigon station
Train Times & Schedules:
There is one non-stop direct service in each direction every day. Although times are subject to minor changes, the general schedule has been the same for years. Journey time is roughly 4 hours. I’ve taken this train many times and never experienced any significant delays. For current schedules, prices, and bookings check Baolau.com and Vietnam Railways:
SAIGON→PHAN THIET:
- Train SPT2: Depart: 6.40am→Arrive: 10.28am (non-stop, daily)
PHAN THIET→SAGION:
- Train SPT1: Depart: 1.05pm→Arrive: 5.03pm (non-stop, daily)
Vietnam Railways staff roll Stavros off the train at Phan Thiet station
Ticket Prices & Booking:
Although ticket prices vary a little depending on whom and where you book, the discrepancies are fairly minimal, and the price list below is accurate at the time of writing (May 2018). Check current ticket prices and make bookings online at Baolau.com and Viet Nam Railways. It’s a simple process, and you will be issued an e-ticket by email. Tickets can also be purchased in person at Saigon or Phan Thiet stations, or through many hotels and travel agents across Vietnam. However, tickets for motorbikes must be purchased in person at the station (or, in some cases, through hotels and travel agencies) – see below for details. If travelling on a weekend or public holiday, it’s advisable to book tickets at least a day in advance, as trains can be full at these times. During the week, you should be able to get a ticket on the day of departure, although it’s still best to book in advance to avoid disappointment. All the following prices are one-way:
- Soft seat: 145,000vnd
- Soft seat premium: 160,00,000vnd (a more modern coach)
- Soft sleeper (a bunk in 4-berth compartment): 210,000vnd (top or bottom bunk)
- Motorbike: 170,000vnd (possible extra charge for motorbikes over 125cc)
Soft, reclinable seats, air-con and decent bathrooms in all carriages
Sending your Motorbike:
Unlike most other train journeys in Vietnam (read more about that here), the Saigon-Phan Thiet express service allows passengers and their motorbikes to travel on the same train. Buy your motorbike ticket directly at Saigon or Phan Thiet train stations; either a day or two prior to departure (advisable) or on the day of travel. This should be a fairly simple and painless process for most travellers, although in Saigon it may require a bit of queuing and patience. (If booking your train tickets through a hotel or travel agency, it’s worth asking if they can also book your motorbike ticket.) Passengers with motorbikes are required to be at the station 30-40 minutes before departure. In order to put your motorbike on the train, you must drive through the station gates and onto the platform. At Saigon station, the entrance is to the left of the main station building, signposted in Vietnamese as cửa đi – đón khách tàu Phan Thiết. At Phan Thiết station, the entrance is also on the left of the station building. Ride your motorbike along the platform (which is great fun, although station staff are starting to clamp down on this practice) to the back end of the train. Here you’ll find a few other motorbikes waiting to be loaded onto the freight car. Show your ticket to the handling staff (there’s sometimes a 10,000vnđ ‘handling’ fee) and they will give you a paper receipt for your motorbike: do not lose this. After leaving your motorbike with the staff, make your way to the passenger carriages and find your seat on the train; when you arrive at your destination, stroll along the platform to the freight car, show your receipt, and drive off.
My motorbike, Stavros, waiting to be loaded onto the freight car
Departure & Arrival Stations:
The Saigon-Phan Thiet train is an express service: there are no station stops between the the departure and destination stations. However, some trains occasionally make brief stops at Bien Hoa (45 minutes from Saigon) and Binh Thuan (10 minutes from Phan Thiet). Saigon and Phan Thiet stations could hardly be more different: the former is the busy terminus for all southbound trains; whereas the latter is a quiet, almost rural, station at the end of a spur line.
SAIGON TRAIN STATION: (Ga Sài Gòn); Address: 01 Nguyen Thong Street, District 3 [MAP]: In the busy back-streets of District 3, Saigon Station is a boring-looking terminus (although the old steam train at the entrance is impressive), but it functions pretty well. Passengers can enter the main building via several entrances; show your ticket at the gate in the waiting hall, and board the train. (See above for motorbike boarding). There are several cafes, shops, and fast food outlets inside the station building. A steady flow of taxis wait outside the front entrance.
PHAN THIET TRAIN STATION: (Ga Phan Thiết); Address: Phong Nam, Phan Thiet City [MAP]: A few kilometres northwest of the centre of town, Phan Thiet Station has a pleasantly provincial feel to it. It’s rarely chaotic and very easy to navigate. There’s generally only one train in the station, so there’s no chance of boarding the wrong one. Some light snacks are available from the shop. Taxis meet the trains when they arrive.
My motorbike outside Phan Thiet train station, a quiet, almost rural terminus
The Trains:
In the last couple of years, most of the carriages on the Saigon-Phan Thiet Express have been upgraded or, in some cases, are essentially brand new. All carriages are air-conditioned (in fact, it’s a good idea to bring a sweater) and all seats and sleeping berths are soft and comfy (chairs have reclinable backs). There are perfectly adequate toilets and wash basins in every carriage, and the general standard of cleanliness is pretty good. Passengers used to receive a complimentary snack bag containing a bottle of water and rice crackers, the best part of which was the design of the packaging – a good souvenir from Vietnam Railways. However, that endearing little tradition seems to have faded; instead, passengers are presented with a miniature bottle of water. Other endearing traditions, however, endure. For example, about midway through the journey, a steaming trolley of fresh, piping hot sweet corn is wheeled up and down the aisles; so too are freshly boiled chicken and duck eggs. Wonderful. Can you imagine that on a European train?
In the last couple of years, most of the carriages have been upgraded on the Saigon-Phan Thiet train
A dining car, towards the rear of the train, sports wooden chairs, large windows, and a surprisingly decent selection of Vietnamese noodles, stir-fries, soups and drinks, all of which are reasonably priced and pretty tasty. Regardless of quality, there’s always something romantic about sitting in the dining carriage of a train, with a bite to eat, a coffee, a book, and watching the scenery pass by. And another Vietnamese train tradition: the second half of the journey often sees Vietnam Railways staff relax with a crate of beer and a pile of freshly cooked seafood (from the fish markets of Phan Thiet, no doubt). As the beer flows and the food is consumed, the volume rises and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a raucous Saigon eatery on a Friday night.
The dining car serves pretty good food and drink
The Journey:
After rolling out of Saigon station, the train rattles through the city. The driver leans on the horn as the train passes through crowded local neighbourhoods, across busy intersections – the traffic piled up either side of the junction – over the Saigon River and out into the dusty suburbs. Life continues just metres from the tracks, offering a fascinating cross-section of the city: markets, cafes, offices, temples, homes, schools. I used to live in a house near the railway, and each time I heard the horn and rattling carriages, I longed to be on the train.
Beyond the industrial armpit of Bien Hoa City, the train makes its way east through an extremely lush landscape of crop fields, fruit orchards, and plantations: banana, coffee, jackfruit, cassava, cashew, mango, rubber, sugar cane, corn and rice all grow within a few feet of the train. Deeper into the journey, green hills begin to rise from the folds of the rolling fields. It’s tropical, exotic, exciting – everything a good train journey should be.
View from the train: lush scenery rolls by the window between Saigon and Phan Thiet
The first time I took this train, I was surprised at how lush and scenic the journey is. Usually, when I travel between Saigon and Phan Thiet, I choose to ride my motorbike along the quiet and scenic Ocean Road. The other alternative, which I do my best to avoid, is to take Highway 1; a horrible, truck-choked ride through an arid landscape, obscured by dust and scarred by concrete dwellings lining the road. The train line follows a similar course to the highway, so I was expecting similar scenery. But, because there is only minimal development surrounding the railway, the landscape is green, fairly clean, and sparsely populated. Never have I approached Phan Thiet from Saigon in such a serene, gentle and relaxed manner as by train. Seasons also determine what the landscape will look like out of your window: the late dry season months of April and May are often arid and parched.
There is a brief stop at Binh Thuan station, from where the train travels along a spur line to Phan Thiet. From here, it’s a short taxi ride to Phan Thiet city – an interesting coastal settlement with some great seafood – or the resort-studded coast of Mui Ne. Or, if you have your motorbike with you, you can hit the scenic Coast Road or head straight up to the Central Highlands on Road QL28 towards Juliet’s Villa and on to Dalat.
*Please support Vietnam Coracle: you can search train times, prices, and make bookings directly from this page by using the Baolau.com search boxes & links throughout this guide. If you make a booking, I receive a small commission. All my earnings go straight back into this website. Thank you.
Disclosure: I never receive payment for anything I write: my content is always free and independent. I’ve written this guide because I want to: I like this train route and I want my readers to know about it. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements here
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Unfortunately it seems that the Phan Thiet service only runs on weekends now. During the week you can go to Binh Thuan although it’s a bit far out the way.
Any idea the price to take a bicycle on the train?
Thanks.