Train Ticket Booking

International Trains Between Vietnam and China

What is the most affordable and comfortable way of traveling between Vietnam and China? Maybe it’s international train. Vietnam has two international railway lines linking with China: Hanoi–Nanning and Haiphong–Kunming.

Hanoi–Nanning

Train numbers: MR2 in Vietnam, T8702 in China
Sections: Hanoi–Dong Dang in Vietnam, Pingxiang–Nanning in China
Operators: Vietnam Railways and China Railway Corporation
Day of departure: every day
Duration: approximately 12 hours
Departure station: Gia Lam Railway Station (in Vietnamese: Ga Gia Lam)
Arrival station: Nanning Railway Station (in Chinese: 南宁站)

Hanoi–Nanning Train Schedule

Updated on May 15, 2021

MR2/T8702 Gia Lam, Hanoi–Nanning
Station	Arrive	Depart	Travel Day
Hanoi (Vietnam)		21:20	1
Bac Giang (Vietnam)	22:11	22:14	1
Dong Dang (Vietnam)	00:55	02:50	2
Pingxiang (China)	04:41	06:15
Chongzuo (China)	08:04	08:10
Nanning (China)	10:07

Please note: The timetable uses local times.

Good to Know

The train leaves Vietnam from Dong Dang at around 02:50 in the morning.
It enters China at Pingxiang at around 05:00 in the morning.
At Dong Dang and at Pingxiang, all passengers need to take all their luggage and belongings and go through customs. So you might not have much of a rest on the train.
There is only soft sleeper on board. Soft sleeper compartments are private compartments with four berths in each, and lockable doors. The price of the upper berth and lower berth is the same.
The train has no restaurant car. It would be a good idea to bring some food and snacks for dinner on the train.

Where Can I Buy Tickets?

Vietnam Railway and China Railway’s official websites do sell domestic train tickets, but not international ones. You can buy international tickets online or offline.

Online

You can buy international train tickets online with a reliable travel agency like Train Spread. Tickets for the Hanoi–Nanning train or vice versa can be booked on our website. After tickets are successfully issued, they will be delivered to your hotel or personal address in China.

Tickets are available for purchase 20 days prior to departure. But you can make reservations on Train Spread before ticket sales begin. Our team of experts will then start the purchase as soon as tickets are available.

Booking tickets online in advance increases the probability of obtaining them, and is a good way of saving you time and hassle. Besides a ticket-booking service, we also provide a consulting service and after-sales support for your train travel.

Offline

International tickets can also be brought to designated train stations. Hanoi to Nanning train tickets can be purchased at Gia Lam Railway Station or Hanoi Railway Station. There are international ticket offices in Gia Lam and Hanoi Stations. You can buy tickets from Nanning to Hanoi at the Number 1 window in Nanning Railway Station.

Staff at train stations can barely speak English. You are recommended to write a note with your travel information in Vietnamese or Chinese, including the train number, departure date, and the number of passengers, etc.

Bank cards are not acceptable at train stations. You can pay in Vietnamese Dong or US dollars at Hanoi or Gia Lam Stations. Only Chinese yuan are acceptable at train stations in China.

International tickets often sell out quickly during holidays and peak seasons. So, during those times, it is not recommended to try to buy tickets at a train station.

Children’s Tickets

Children under 12 years of age can buy children’s tickets, at half the full fare.

Changing or Canceling Tickets

Changing or canceling international train tickets can only be done with the original passports. We are therefore unable to change or cancel international tickets for you after they have been issued. You can make the changes or cancel at the train station yourself.

Transportation to Gia Lam Station

Please note that train MR2/T8702 departs from Gia Lam Railway Station, not Hanoi Station; although tickets can be purchased at both stations.

Gia Lam Station is in the suburbs of Hanoi, around 5 km from the city center. It takes half an hour by taxi from Hanoi Station to Gia Lam Station. Alternatively you can take bus numbers 11, 40 or 43 to Gia Lam Station.

Hanoi to Kunming International Train

Another international railway connecting Vietnam with China is the Vietnam–Yunnan Railway from Haiphong to Kunming. Actually, most people prefer to take trains from Hanoi to Kunming, which involves two train trips: Hanoi–Lao Cai and Hekou–Kunming. Lao Cai and Hekou are border cities of Vietnam and China respectively.

Hanoi to Lao Cai Train schedules

(updated on June 15th, 2018)

Station	Depart
	SP1	SP3
Hanoi	21:35	22:00
Yen Bai	01:40 the next day	02:20 the next day
Bao Ha	03:49 the next day	04:24 the next day
Pho Lu	04:31 the next day	05:06 the next day
Lao Cai	05:30 arrive the next day	06:05 arrive the next day

Hekou to Kunming Train Schedules