Sixteen hours along the coast of Vietnam, with a dining car and no wifi — exactly right.
Sixteen hours down the coast
The Reunification Express is not fast and does not pretend to be. Between Hanoi and Danang it hugs the coast for the best stretch of railway in Vietnam, sliding past rice terraces, fishing villages and, at the Hai Van Pass, a sudden reveal of sea and mountain that has stopped conversation in the dining car more than once.
There is no wifi to speak of, which is the point. You watch the country go by at the pace it was meant to be seen.
How to ride it well
- Book a soft-sleeper berth for the overnight leg; four bunks, clean sheets, a shared flask of tea.
- Bring your own snacks but also try the trolley banh mi and the strong iced coffee.
- Sit on the seaward side for the Hai Van Pass and set an alarm so you do not sleep through it.
Trains here run late and that is simply how it is. Treat the timetable as a suggestion, and the slow train becomes the part of the trip you talk about most.
