Je pense que je vais arriver à trouver un ou 2 ténors du forum VN pour m'aider à déchiffrer les différentes catégories dans les trains !
Ouf en France on a que 2 classes.
J'ai compris pour les cabines de 4 et 6 , pour les niveaux , mais pas entre " doux" et " souple" etc.
Merci de m'éclairer
AnLT1Situé conditionné Niveau doux 1₫ 668000AnLT2Climatisation doux Situé au 2ème étage₫ 627000ANT1Sols souples Situé à 1₫ 549000Ant2Sols souples Situé à 2₫ 511000BnLT1Bien difficile de réglementer 1er étage₫ 593000BnLT2Bien difficile de réglementer le 2ème étage₫ 555000BnLT3Bien difficile de réglementer au 3ème étage₫ 471000BNT1Étages bien dur 1₫ 487000BNT2Situé au 2ème étage dur₫ 443000BnT3Étages bien dures 3₫ 377000Caroline du NordAssis dur₫ 274000NCLAssis difficile à réguler₫ 373000NMAssis logiciel₫ 317000LNMDoux conditionné assis₫ 414000 (Les tarifs sont compris de l'assurance et taxe sur la valeur ajoutée)
Jamais entendu parler de "doux" et "souples", uniquement de "dures" et "molles". C'est très simple : les 4 couchettes sont en couchettes "molles" (à préciser quand meme lors de la résa), les 6 couchettes un petit enfer de plate-formes en alu "taillées" pour les locaux, qui sont petits, avec un matelas plus que mince. Couchettes molles s'imposent ! Il faut savoir que derrìere une locomotive sont attachés toutes sortes de wagons, de nulls à confortables ; pour le Hanoi-Lao cai par ex., les meilleurs rains (sans mentinner le deluxe Victoria réservé aux clients du Victoria Sapa) sont Sapaly (géré par Best Western - un peu plus cher 40$ au lieu de 35 mais impec) et Livitrans , après, sont bons Tulico, King Express et unou 2 autres que je ne connais pas ; je prends toujours Sapaly sinon Livitrans).
Attention pour les trains de jour comme le Hanoi-Ninh Binh : demander des 1ères classes sinon vous avez droit à des sìèges en bois et vos sacs sous les pieds vu tout ce que transporte le petit peuple ici ! 😕
Méfiez-vous de la vie, car les ratés ne vous rateront pas!
En fait c'est un copier-coller des tarifs du site officiel , ça été traduit en français par Google d'où peut être la confusion.
En fait ce sont les sigles styles ANT ANTL etc , serait-ce une histoire de climatisation ?
bonjour Claude,
je joint une photo des compartiment couchette du Sapaly que j'ai pris entre Hanoi et Lo Cai (de nuit) et il faut bien ça en confort car ça bouge dans tout les sens méme a 40km/h😉
"le véritable coeur de Rome ne se situe pas dans le marbre du sénat, mais dans le sable du colisée"
Ah ça, pour bouger, ça bouge ! En fait, on passe la nuit à tanguer sur la couchette quel que soit le train. C'est la raison pour laquelle je conseille maintenant de passer 3 jours à Sapa : un en arrivant, relax, avec visite sans guide de Sapa, montée au Belvédère (très belle vue mais ça grimpe !), cascade de Cat Cat (pleine de touristes mais joli cadre) et de ne commencer le trekking que le 2e jour. 15 km de trekking le jour de l'arrivée quand on a mal dormi, c'est pas pour tout le monde !
Méfiez-vous de la vie, car les ratés ne vous rateront pas!
Pour les trains vietnamiens il n'y a pas de classe à proprement parler mais plutôt des niveaux de confort aui sont par ordre croissant (de confort):
- sièges ordinaires: banquettes en bois dans wagon non climatisé. Dans les trains lents pour la campagne, il y a même des wagons avec banquettes latérales pour laisser l'espace central aux marchandises (volailles, etc.)
- sièges de type pullman, "mous" avec dossier inclinable dans wagon climatisé
- couchettes "dures" dans compartiment de 6 couchettes et wagon non climatisé. Le prix de la couchette et l'espace vertical octroyé diminue avec le niveau (1, 2, 3) de la couchette. Personnellement j'aime bien le 3e niveau même s'il est plus petit en hauteur car on n'est pas dérangé pendant la journée par les passagers qui ont envie de s'asseoir au niveau 1. En plus on est au niveau du rangement supérieur pour les bagages ce qui est assez pratique. Un drap, un oreiller avec taie et une couverture sont fournis pour chaque couchette.
- couchettes dures mais dans wagon climatisé (BnLT1 = couchette dure - catégorie B - climatisée, niveau 1. Le L dans le code signifie "froid", lanh en vietnamien)
- couchettes "molles" = matelas de 8-10 cm avec drap, oreiller et couverture, dans compartiment de 4 couchettes, wagon non climatisé. Le niveau 1 coûte un peu plus cher que le niveau 2.
- couchettes "molles" mais dans wagon climatisé (AnLT2 et correspond à "couchette molle climatisée, niveau 2")
Ensuite les trains sont classés par rapidité: les plus rapides ont des tarifs plus élevés mais ont la priorité la plus élevée : la voie ferrée au VN étant unique, les trains ne peuvent se croiser que dans les gares ou à des sections spécialement préparées à cet effet. Les trains non prioritaires doivent attendre à ces sections que le train plus prioritaire arrive et passe sur la voie unique. Les trains lents du type omnibus qui s'arrêtent à toutes les petites gares n'ont pas tous les types de places énumérées ci-dessus et pour les plus confortables d'entre eux (exemple le train LC lent Lao Cai Ha Noi) le niveau le plus confortable sera le plus souvent des couchettes dures climatisées ou non et des sièges mous climatisés, en nombre limité (1 wagon).
Donc si je veux par exemple pour aller à Lao Cai une couchette molle SANS CLIM comme ca:
couchettes "molles" = matelas de 8-10 cm avec drap, oreiller et couverture, dans compartiment de 4 couchettes, wagon non climatisé. Le niveau 1 coûte un peu plus cher que le niveau 2.
Oui Jacques,
Mais tu as vu dans les molles tu as 2 catégories : avec ou sans clim.
Et sur le trajet Hanoi Lao Cai fin novembre est-ce indispensable sachant que les billets ( pris à la gare ) coutent respectivement 600 000 et 355 000 vnd ?
Donc si je veux par exemple pour aller à Lao Cai une couchette molle SANS CLIM comme ca:
couchettes "molles" = matelas de 8-10 cm avec drap, oreiller et couverture, dans compartiment de 4 couchettes, wagon non climatisé. Le niveau 1 coûte un peu plus cher que le niveau 2.
Je dois prendre quel symbole ?
Merci
AnT1 (A= catégorie; n=couchette; T=étage/niveau ici c'est 1): couchette molle niveau 1 -wagon ordinaire
AnLT1 (A= catégorie; n=couchette; L=climatisé; T=niveau ici c'est 1): couchette molle niveau 1 - wagon climatisé
Pendant que j'y suis
NC = Assis (N) Dur (C)
NM = Assis (N) Mou (M)
NML = Assis, mou, climatisé (L)
J'ai oublié de préciser que les couchettes dures sont pourvues aussi d'un matelas de 2-3 cm d'épaisseur, ce qui est un gros progrès par rapport aux années 90.
Je rappelle aussi qu'une réduction de tarif (20%) est consentie aux personnes âgées de 60 ans et plus (càd = cao tuôi), sur présentation d'une pièce d'identité mentionnant la date de naissance, y compris pour les personnes de nationalité étrangère.
Selon une régulation déjà publiée en ligne, MAIS non encore appliquée à la date du 2 novembre 2014 (date à laquelle j'ai encore acheté des billets à tarif réduit "cao tuôi"), cette réduction ne serait plus appliquée qu'à partir de 65 ans et plus, avec seulement 10% de réduction.
Bonjour à tous,
tout d’abord, merci pour toutes les précieuses informations que vous partagez et qui sont très utiles.
Mon mari et moi nous rendons en Corée du Sud du 19 septembre au 6 octobre. Nous savons que la période peut ne pas être idéale du fait de Chuseok mais différentes raisons ne nous laissaient pas d’autres possibilités de date et en même temps cette période correspond à d’autres festivals (festival de la danse des masques à Andong, festival des lanternes à Jinju et le festival Hwaseong à Suwon) qu’il nous faisait envie de découvrir.
Voici le programme prévisionnel :
19/09 arrivée à Séoul
20/09 bus pour sokcho - visite ville ou petite rando
21/09 parc Soraksan
22/09 retour à Séoul
du 23 au 26/09 Seoul
27/09 bus ou train pour Andong - visite ville
28/09 Hahoe
29/09 au 01/10 Gyeongju
01/10 au 03/10 Busan
03 et 04/10 Jinju
05/10 bus/train pour Suwon
06/10 Suwon
Et voici donc ma question : étant donné que plusieurs de nos trajets vont se faire pour ou pendant des festivals, sera -t-il possible de ne réserver les billets de bus/train qu’une fois sur place ou cela risque d’être déjà complet ? notamment Seoul-Andong / Busan-Jinju / Jinju - Suwon
j’envisageais de tout réserver dès notre arrivé à Seoul le premier jour.
Et s’il vaut mieux anticiper, comment s’y prendre? Je n’arrive pas à accéder aux sites letskorail ou kobus.
Je vous remercie par avance pour vos réponses et votre aide ! et désolée pour le gros pavé !
I’m planning our very first trip to mainland France in January 2027. There’ll be 2 adults and 2 kids, and we’ll mostly be traveling by train.
Here’s our itinerary:
Paris
Rouen (Normandy)
Lyon
Aix-les-Bains (with day trips to Annecy and Geneva)
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (with Chamonix and a day in Aosta)
Back to Paris
Do you think this itinerary is well-balanced? Any tips, must-see spots, or mistakes to avoid for a first-time visit?
Hi! I’d like to make stops across France, starting from Reims, and travel by train using the Intercités. I want to discover the landscapes and picturesque villages, and make some stops along the way. Could you give me some tips? Thanks!
I can’t seem to complete the payment for my trip on the IRCTC (Indian Railways) site. No matter which payment method I choose, my Visa card isn’t accepted.
Has anyone here managed to do it, and if so, could you share the method you used?
Thanks in advance!
Charlie
I’m planning a family trip in a year. Our goal: traveling to China (and maybe Hong Kong) by train.
I’m all set with the route up to eastern Turkey.
However, I’m just starting my research for the rest of the journey—namely the Caucasus (no trains as far as I know, so buses and/or ferries), then Central Asia and China.
So, I’d love to hear any info or tips (general and forward-looking at this stage) about the train route through Central Asia and China to reach the east coast.
I’m particularly interested in details on:
- How far in advance to book / any potential difficulties with reservations
- Whether there are PASS systems (or equivalent) between countries and/or if some tickets allow stopovers, meaning you can hop on and off as you please
- Day trains vs. night trains (the latter option lets you explore cities between two legs of the journey)
- A rough idea of ticket costs
...
A huge thank you to anyone who can share some info or experiences. It’s also a great opportunity to chat about adventure after (way too) many years away from this forum.
I’m planning a trip around Italy using only trains or public transport in October (hoping the weather stays nice!).
I’d obviously like to see some tourist destinations, but I also want to get off the beaten path a bit, and I’m hoping to find some help here? I don’t plan to linger too long in the cities.
Starting in the north, I’d like to visit Lake Como or Lake Orta, pass through the Cinque Terre for some hiking, spend a few days in Naples and Rome, then head down to Sicily.
Hi there,
I’ll be traveling to Japan this coming August. We’ve finalized our itinerary and booked our flight tickets. Now I’m at the stage of buying train tickets for the few segments we’ll need to cover:
Tokyo - Hakone
Hakone - Kyoto
Kyoto - Osaka
Osaka - Tokyo
Here are my questions:
a) Is it possible to buy train tickets for these segments from Canada?
b) If so, which website should I use to do this?
c) And if it is possible, will we be able to print our tickets from Canada?
d) If it’s not possible, where in Tokyo should I go to buy these tickets when I arrive?
Hi everyone, I wanted to take the Paris-Berlin overnight train with a sleeper berth, the new service operated by European Sleepers.
24/05/2026 17:45 Paris-Nord (actually 16:00 from Paris Bercy Seine) -> 25/05/2026 9:59 (actually 7:30 in Berlin)
05/06/2026 18:31 Berlin (actually 20:00) -> 06/06/2026 10:00 Paris Nord (actually 12:30)
Part of the journey was operated by bus instead of the promised overnight train.
For 2 people: 340 € round trip
A total disaster. Never again. I was really looking forward to taking the overnight train, but we faced last-minute changes and truly unpleasant travel conditions. Here are the details:
1) 2 days before departure: email announcing a change of departure station for the outbound trip—Bercy Seine bus station instead of Gare du Nord.
2) Change of schedule: 4:00 PM from Bercy instead of 5:45 PM from Gare du Nord.
3) Change of transport mode!! A bus from Paris to Brussels, then an overnight train from Brussels to Berlin. No functional toilets on the bus. No children under 4 allowed on the bus.
4) On the sleeper train at 9:30 PM: no functional toilets in our carriage, so we had to go to other carriages, even in the middle of the night, to find working ones.
5) The onboard staff, though very friendly, were as lost as we were. In particular, they didn’t know how to handle the lower berths, so people using them had less space (armrests and backrests). Berth numbers weren’t respected, so some passengers had to move. The staff also didn’t know who was supposed to join the compartment during the journey.
6) Arrival at 7:30 AM in Berlin instead of 10:00 AM. No arrival announcement. Passengers had to search for staff to get breakfast and ended up with just a coffee (breakfast = 15 €, not bad for just a coffee).
7) Return trip: drastic schedule change announced by email on 26/05/2026—departure at 7:30 PM instead of 6:30 PM, with arrival between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM in Paris instead of 10:00 AM. No change in transport mode announced.
8) Change in transport mode announced by email on the same day (05/06/2026)!! Overnight train from Brussels to Berlin, then a bus from Paris to Brussels. No functional toilets on the bus. Children under 4 banned from the bus, and families in this situation were asked to find another way—after being notified the same day.
9) The overnight train arrived at Berlin station with a 30-minute delay on top of its initial delay (scheduled for 6:31 PM, then 7:30 PM, finally arriving at 8:00 PM). The heating was blasting in the compartment with no way to turn it off. No functional toilets in the carriage. From that point on, customer service stopped responding to my messages.
10) Woken up at 5:00 AM with an announcement in all carriages about arrival in Liège.
11) Woken up again at 6:00 AM to be told we’d arrive in Brussels at 7:00 AM.
12) Arrival in Brussels at 7:00 AM and a one-hour wait for the bus to Paris. No functional toilets on the bus.
13) Arrival at Paris Nord at 12:30 PM, so 2.5 hours late compared to the originally scheduled time.
14) The overnight trains used are very old—I recognized the carriages from 20 years ago!! No functional power outlets, no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning. Five people per compartment is a bit cramped, but I consider these conditions expected (especially the air conditioning), so I’m not complaining about that. There’s already plenty to gripe about with the travel conditions.
I have little hope of getting even a partial refund. Customer service emails acknowledge the discomfort but only offer to reimburse the cost of a coffee on board if we send them the receipt... a bit weak.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope it might help others.
Hi there,
I’d like to take the Train of the Clouds from Lima to Huancayo.
I’ve heard it only runs during certain periods.
Does anyone have info on this?
Thanks!
HuancayoHuancayo
As part of my professional thesis, I’m conducting a study on the evolution of long-distance rail transport in France, particularly since it opened up to competition.
I’ve put together a very quick (about 5-minute) and completely anonymous questionnaire. Your answers will help me better understand users' expectations regarding pricing, frequency, and environmental impact.
We’re planning a 15-day trip to Uzbekistan in March—classic independent itinerary: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. We’d like to take the train between each city, but I don’t want to lock down the whole trip before we leave.
So, my question is: is it absolutely necessary to book train tickets before departure, whether for the high-speed trains or the regional ones? Is booking really essential for the regional trains?
Hello,
We’re traveling as a family with two boys aged 10 and 12 to Cairo in February. During our trip, we’re planning to take an overnight train (with or without a sleeper) for the Cairo-Aswan route.
Do you know how I can book this remotely?
Also, I’m looking for:
- A local contact to sail the Nile by felucca for 3 days from Aswan
- A contact to guide us in Cairo
Looking forward to your tips, and thanks in advance!
Marie
Hi everyone,
I first traveled solo to Japan in 2019, exploring the Kyushu region (28 days), and I’m planning to return with my daughter (she’s an adult and it’ll be her first time in Asia) from April 25 to May 9.
I’m reaching out on this forum to ask for route ideas—this time north of Tokyo, but without heading to the Sapporo island (I’m saving that for a future trip).
I’d love to take advantage of the cherry blossom season and its festivities.
I’m looking to create a route that’s a little off the beaten path while staying within 5-6 hours by train from Tokyo to avoid spending too much time on transfers.
Thanks in advance for sharing your suggestions and experiences!
Michael
I'm heading to MEXICO IN NOVEMBER 2025. Since private guides and drivers are really expensive—over 300 € per day—I'm thinking of exploring the Yucatán by train. CAN YOU SHARE ANY INFO ON THIS? Thanks
Hi there!
We’re planning to visit Serbia (1 week) and then Montenegro (2nd week) with our kids from April 18 to May 4. We’d prefer to travel by train (overnight if possible), but we’re not sure which platform to book on or when to do it (is it too early?). If anyone has any tips, I’m all ears!!
I wanted to know if it’s possible to go from Tashkent to Almaty by train without passing through Kyrgyzstan. I’ve heard the border is often closed 😕 between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Thanks in advance!
Olivier
Hi there!
We’re planning to head back to Istanbul next year—obviously by plane—and then take the train from Istanbul to Antalya. Has anyone here already made this trip by train with TCDD?
I’d love any tips or info that could be useful for us!
I'd like to go to Montserrat on my own from Barcelona. Share your suggestions with me.
Which train should I take, where to get off, what to see once I arrive, etc.
I need to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Vientiane in January.
I found some ticket options on 12Go Asia, but booking doesn’t seem possible at the moment. I’ve tried simulations for several dates, but no luck.
I’m wondering if it’s already fully booked, if they’ve stopped selling tickets… yet 12Go still features it every day 😕
Has anyone else run into this issue?
Can I find tickets on another site? (I tried Baolau, but no sleepers left for January 8th.)
Hi there,
I’m a bit late to be worrying about this, but hopefully someone can help me before I leave.
Tomorrow afternoon, I arrive at Lyon Part-Dieu on the TGV at 5:50 PM and take the TER to Mâcon at 6:16 PM. Is a 26-minute transfer doable? Are the TGV and TER on the same departure board? And are they on the same platforms too?
I’ve been to Lyon before but never had to make a connection after arriving.
Thanks
Starting November 15th, I’ll be arriving in Thailand, and during my stay, I plan to visit the north, around the Chiang Mai area, then head south to the Krabi region.
After Krabi, I’m planning to take an overnight train to Bangkok. I was wondering if there’s a train that leaves from Krabi or Trang, or if I absolutely have to go to Surat Thani?
Also, which official website can I use to book my ticket?
Next, since I’ll be arriving at dawn in Bangkok, I’ve planned to spend 2 days in Kanchanaburi. What’s the most convenient way to get there—bus or train? And if you know any companies or websites, that’d be great.
Hi there,
Does anyone know if there’s a bus from Luang Namtha to Boten to catch the train coming from China to Vientiane? If so, what’s the name of the company? Also, how long does the bus take to cover that distance? What’s the condition of the road like?
Thanks for your help!
Tom
I just realized there’s only one payment method accepted for booking the Mombasa-Nairobi express train ticket online: M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service used in Africa. Would it be impossible to book as a European?
I’d love to know if any of you have recently eaten on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
We’ve always ordered food on the train, and it was really good (and super convenient).
But in 2022, we ended up feeling like total idiots (with our 4-year-old daughter...) when we boarded the train only to find out that this service was no longer available... (It was the first time we’d traveled right after COVID.)
That’s also when we saw once again how kind Thai people are—they all offered to share their food with us, even though we were mortified. In the end, we managed to buy some instant noodles, which was better than nothing. Anyway, that’s the little story behind it.
In the following years, we’ve always brought our own meals.
I’ve read online that meal trays are back in service (could you confirm this, please?), but that the quality is really poor. I’ve also seen multiple reports that, even though you can eat well everywhere in Thailand, the train meal was the worst food travelers had during their trip...
Could you give me a recent opinion on this?
We’ll be departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station—do you know if there’s anywhere to buy a meal there before boarding the train?
Thanks so much for your help,
and have a great Sunday!
We’re heading to Thailand in February 2026 and we’d like to take the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Can we book two first-class tickets? I’m only seeing second-class options.
Hi everyone,
For traveling in Rajasthan by train and bus, could you give me some info: where to buy tickets, cost, purchase locations, websites, etc.?
Any tips you have would be super helpful.
Thanks