warned the beds are quite hard, as there is not much of a matress (about half an inch thick), and it is placed over a plastic bench/seat. You can get other train types, but the little extra you pay is worth it several times over. It offers a wonderful travel experience. The traveler gets to sit, lie and sleep in a very small cabin for 23 hours with five other people (nearly always Vietnamese), eat four plain but tasty and filling Vietnamese meals, listen to a fine selection of Vietnamese pop songs on the PA, and see some incomparably beautiful countryside, particularly in the last section between Da Nang and Hue. It's an excellent way to see the country and meet ordinary Vietnamese, who are unfailingly friendly and helpful, even to travelers who have not bothered to learn a word of their language. The trip is especially recommended if you like babies.
Buy your tickets at the train station, it can be worth your effort. Hotels often over charge by doubling the prices (at least US$80 for soft sleeper), often using excuses like it's high season or that they have to buy it at the black market. On the other hand it saves you dealing with the surly station staff.
Train station is about 40min walk from most backpacker hotels (in Pham Ngu Lao) but it is straight.
Bus
Public buses from all the bigger cities (including frequent services to Hanoi and Saigon) connect to the main bus station (Bến Xe Phía Nam and Bến Xe Phía Bắc). Most open tour buses include Hue in their itinerary, connecting to Hoi An or Da Nang to the south (4-6 hours) and Hanoi to the north (13-16 hours). The overnight Hanoi route is popular with locals, but beware of motion sickness among them.
Sinh Café, 7 Nguyen Tri Phuong St, . Direct buses from Hoi An cost US$4 and leave twice daily: the 08:00-12:00 service stops at the Marble Mountains and makes the trip in 4 hours, while the 13:30-16:30
