Best 5 ways to go between Sapa between Hanoi

Getting from Hanoi – The most popular departure destination to go to Sapa

In this article, there are some ways to get to Sapa from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. If you decide to depart from Ho Chi Minh City or any city in Vietnam, the easiest way that you must travel to Hanoi first.
From Ho Chi Minh city, you can get to Hanoi by train, by bus or by plane.

Read more: How to get around Sapa, Vietnam

Getting to Hanoi by train

The first way is that you can book the train ticket to Hanoi train station at Saigon train station. The ticket fee is various, from 35 US$ and above.

Getting to Hanoi by bus

While traveling by bus is incredibly cheap, chaotic road conditions provide less scenery and far less sleep than you would get on the train.
Buses are also the slowest option for getting around. While they do provide some convenience, many tourist companies will collect you right at your hotel and tickets are easy to book, you must spend hours waiting in Vietnam’s terrible traffic to collect other passengers and get out of the city. It always takes an hour or more to the estimated arrival time to compensate for rest stops and traffic.

Getting to Hanoi by plane

Lastly, the most expensive way to travel to Hanoi from Ho Chi Minh City absolutely by plane. The flight duration is about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The plane ticket is various, from 53 US$  and above. Jetstar is usually the cheapest carrier between the two cities.

Getting to Sapa from Hanoi

After arriving in Ha Noi, you can choose suitable means of transportation to get to Sapa. In recently, Vietnamese young people tend to go by motorbike trip to enjoy all of the fantastic scenery along the road. But the distance from Hanoi to Sapa is quite far. Therefore, if you do not have long-distance motorbike experience, it is not a good idea. Besides, you have lots of options, you’ll have to choose between a train, a shuttle bus or a private car.

Read more: Weather & Best time to travel in Sapa, Vietnam

Getting to Sapa by train – The most common way

How to book a train ticket:
There are many ticket levels. The cheapest chair is the hard chair with the price of about 7 US$ /person and the most expensive is cabin high-class with the price approximately 90 US$ /person. To get train tickets, you can ask your hotel or travel agent in Hanoi for help. They can give you all the details concerning the timing and the different cabins that are available.

Sapa is a tourist attraction so the status of the tickets quickly is sold out, especially at the weekend, guests buy at regular stations just can buy a hard chair. Therefore, to get a good seat on board, you can book through the agency. Moreover, train tickets from Hanoi to Lao Cai are easy to buy, but the reverse is difficult to buy, it is best to prepare in advance.

Arrive at Lao Cai Station, take a bus to Sapa town (30km) about 2-3 US$ /person, there are many cars waiting out of the station. To save money, you can take the bus, usually 1 US$ /ticket but you have to walk a segment. The most expensive way is to take a taxi ride, from Lao Cai station cost about 1 US$, you can just go sightseeing and breathe fresh air.

Advantages and disadvantages of getting to Sapa by train:

Most visitors choose to get from Hanoi to Sapa by overnight train because it is more comfortable and safer than a bus or motorbike, and a lot cheaper than hiring a car. And trains have a variety of chairs, such as soft chairs, air-conditioned beds, etc which suit many people.
However, the train is quite noisy and it is a rushing vehicle and you can stop for sightseeing anytime. Also, the train is limited by set schedules.

Getting to Sapa by bus – The cheapest way 

How to book a bus ticket:
There are also lots of kinds of buses for you to choose: shuttle bus, express bus, sleeper bus. It is easy to book these buses, you can book directly through your hotel receptionist in Hanoi for ease or you can get a ticket at almost any travel agency. You can also try booking online. The price ranges from 10 US$ to 20 US$, depending on the condition of the bus (wifi, outlets, water and snacks, toilet, etc.)

Some popular bus company information:

Advantages and disadvantages of getting to Sapa by bus: 
The strong point of this option is it is cheap, easy to book but it has a non-stop ride, hard to take pictures of the scenery. It is also important to note that sometimes the minibusses or shuttle buses circle around Hanoi for around an hour to gather more passengers before actually taking off.

Getting to Sapa by private car – The most comfortable option 

You can arrange a private car through any travel agency in the Old Quarter of Hanoi or check with your hotel’s reception. Remember to ask for the price before booking one. One of the best services for arranging a private car is Viettrapro, the price depends on the quality of the car. The price is about 132 US$ for a 4-seater car and 176 US$  for a 7-seater.
Address: 02 Luong Su B, Quoc Tu Giam, Ha Noi
Hotline: (+84) 98 155 3226
Booking site: Click here

Advantages and disadvantages of getting to Sapa by private car:
The private car option is as comfortable as it gets, so of course, it will be much more expensive than the other options. If you are traveling in a group or with your family, this will be the most comfortable option because getting a private car pickup is available at any time whereas other transports are limited by set schedules.