Sapa is a small town and a tourist attraction belonging to Lao Cai prrovince, Vietnam. Though this is one of the hottest destinations in Vietnam and it’s about over 370 km in the distance from and to both Sapa and Hanoi, there are only three options to travel to: by bus, by train or by motorbike.

1. By train

Travel to Sapa by train is the most popular option for every tourists as it’s more comfortable and safer than other means of transport. You can easily buy ticket at train station. Firstly, train will stop at Lao Cai train station that is about 35 km from Sapa town and you have to catch a bus up to Sapa with a bus ticket costs about 50,000 VND to 60.000 VND. There are lots of bus lines waiting at the train station for you to choose.

There are many types and classes of trains traveling to Sapa from Hanoi for you to consider:

Tourist train

 This kind of train has four beds in each compartment that offers air-conditioner, reading lamps for bed, comfortable white pillows, blankets and mattresses. Moreover, it is also equipped 4 bottles of drink water and sockets for tourists to charging their mobile devices. You can find toilet at the end of each coach and it is pretty clean. Besides, you can order food or coffee at food coach. A tourist train ticket costs from 550,000 VND – 650,000 VND .
Tourist train usually has name code and schedules below:

SP1 – express train

• Journey time: 8 hours.
• Departure time from Hanoi: 21h10.
• Arriving time to Lao Cai: 05h25.

SP3 – express train

• Journey time: 8 hours.
• Departure time from Hanoi: 21h50.
• Arriving time to Lao Cai: 06h15.

SP5 – express train

• Journey time: 8 hours.
• Departure time from Hanoi:19h40.
• Arriving time to Lao Cai: 04h20.

SP7 – express train

• Journey time: 8 hours.
• Departure time from Hanoi: 20h35.
• Arriving time to Lao Cai: 04h55.

Return train schedules

SP2 – express train

• Journey time: 8 hours.
• Departure time from Lao Cai: 20h05.
• Arriving time to Hanoi: 04h35.

SP4- express train

• Journey time: 8 hours.
• Departure time from Lao Cai:20h45.
• Arriving time to Hanoi: 05h10.

SP6 – express train

• Journey time: 8 hours
• Departure time from Lao Cai: 18h55
• Arriving time to Hanoi:03h40

SP8- express train

• Journey time: 8 hours.
• Departure time from Lao Cai: 19h30.
• Arriving time to Hanoi: 04h05.

Normal train

This is a cheaper option for tourists that costs only 150,000 VND – 200,000 VND per seat. However, these kinds of trains usually run slower than tourist train, stop at many train stations and it also less comfortable and private.

Here are name codes and schedules of normal trains

LC1 – slow train

• Journey time: 9 hours.
• Departure time from Hanoi: 22h00.
• Arriving time to Lao Cai: 7h20.

LC3 – slow train

• Journey time: 9 hours.
• Departure time from Hanoi: 6h10.
• Arriving time to Lao Cai: 16h35.

LC2 – slow train

• Journey time: 9 hours.
• Departure time from Lao Cai: 21h20.
• Arriving time to Ha Noi: 6h55.

LC4 – slow train

• Journey time: 9 hours.
• Departure time from Lao Cai: 09h15.
• Arriving time to Hanoi: 20h15.

Tip:

– You should not travel to Sapa in some big Vietnamese holiday in April 30th or May 1st because it’s crazy crowded with a super high cost.

– If you want to travel to Sapa from September to October, you ought to book the ticket months in advance. Because this period is the peak season of Sapa when the terrace rice fields look extremely beautiful.

– If you travel with a group of 8 people or more, you can hire a car to move from Lao Cai to Sapa. It will be cheaper and more comfortable than moving by bus. This service costs only 50,000 VND per person.

– When arriving to Lao Cai train station, you should choose an almost full passengers bus to get to Sapa. If you choose to get on a bus that has many seats still have not been taken, you will have to wait for long time.

– Watch out your belongings and keep valuable things with you all the time.

– Wear comfortable outfit.

2. By bus

Other option to get to Sapa from Hanoi is by bus. Though it is faster and cheaper, it is considered more dangerous than moving by train. The way from Ha Noi to Sa Pa is not an easy and cheerful way. You will definitely feel uncomfortable when stay in a narrow unconcealed space for more than 6 hours. A bus ticket costs 230,000 VND – 300,000 VND and they also offer sleeper bus routes that can help you save time and hotel bill just like travelling by train.

A good point a traveling to Sapa by bus is that you can get to Sapa directly without using transit bus. Currently, there is a new highway route from Hanoi to Lao Cai that offers a shorter way and it takes you only 4 hours to get to Lao Cai and one more hour to move from Lao Cai to Sapa.

Look at this schedule for more details:

In case you travel to Sapa wih a group of people, you can rent a private car. The advantage is that you can reach to Sapa without using transit car like traveling by normal bus or train and directly move to hotels or any destinations in Sapa you like. There are several businesses providing car rental service to Sapa such as Thuexe.net (tel: 04 66.80.85.87), or Tuấn Linh travel (tel: 04-22168007), etc. The rental fee depends on the size of car and how long you are going to rent.

For example: Renting a 12-16 seats car for 3 days to Sapa costs 6,300,000 VND included gasoline, driver and road tax.

Tip:
– Safety tip: Secure your bags. Lock your suitcase carefully. Keep passport and money along with you.
– What to bring: Take earplugs just in case they decide to crank up the Karaoke and you aren’t in the mood for singing. They also help with the snoring, snorting and other assorted barn noises you might be subjected to.
– Wear comfortable, easily removable footwear and a pair of socks. Take a tub of Tiger Balm, Soothes headaches, travel sickness.
– You should go directly to bus lines office for purchasing the bus tickets because some travel agencies will charge you some extra fees.
– Once you arrive in Sapa, you can ask the receptionist make reservation for your return bus.

3. Motorbike

Normally, only backpackers and adventure lovers choose to travel to Sapa by motorbikes. You need to have a good health and a high skill of riding motorbike on hazardous road and passes.

Traveling to Sapa by motorbike is the cheapest option but it is the most dangerous way and it takes longest time to arrive.
There are many ways up to Sapa, however, most of the backpackers and adventurers love to follow these two main ways below:

• Hà Nội – Hòa Lạc – Sơn Tây – Trung Hà bridge – Phong Châu bridge – Phong Châu – Đoan Hùng – highway no.70 – Lào Cai – Sapa. This way is about 370 km in length.
• Hà Nội – Hòa Lạc – Sơn Tây – Thanh Sơn – highway no.32 – Sapa. This way is about 420 km in length.

Tip:

– Fill up your gasoline tank before depart.

– Take tire and tube with you because there are many stretches of road up to Sapa, which are in bad condition. Sometimes, there is no motorbike maintainance shops on your way.

– Clothing: If you are going to travel in winter, remember to take enough winter clothes that are soft and tidy with you like scarf, sweater, pullover,etc. In swimmer, the temperature is higher but it’s better to bring some warm clothing.

– Medicine: Berberine, headache pills, allergic pills, anti-mosquito cream, gauze, dressing of wounds.

Just choose your own way travel to Sapa and enjoy every passing day in this magnificent place.

Source: justgola.com