How to: Get your motorbike on the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai
Take a motorcycle road trip In the north of Vietnam, this meant choices. Bringing the motorbike with us from Hanoi was one of them. The reason is simple, it seemed easier to me to have the motorbike with us from our arrival in Lao Cai, the starting point of our journey, and to use it until the return, which was planned in any case, to Hanoi.
This saved us from renting a motorbike in each town, and travelling by bus between each, thus missing out on being able to stop wherever we wanted to admire the scenery and meet the locals. Not for me.
In addition, it would have required making loops locally to be able to return the bike and would therefore have required too many days, which we did not have.
As I found little information and even less in French, here is a little summary of what there is to know for loading your motorbike from Hanoi and thus start your trip from Lao Cai.
During a photo break (and just a break for the buttocks).
Put your motorcycle on the train via the rental agency or by yourself?
Since I knew which agency to go through to rent the motorbike, I asked them in passing if they could also book the train and at the same time, take care of the transfer of the motorcycle.
The answer being yes, I didn't really hesitate to give them the green light. I went through the agency Flamingo Travel, which I had read good things about on an English-language blog.
The small agency doesn't look like much but provides great service!
So yes, it is cheaper to do it yourself. With the agency, it cost me $30 to get the bike on the train. But the good thing is that I didn't have to do anything except pick it up once I got to Lao Cai.
Once at the agency and the payment completed (I had only paid 30% for the motorcycle reservation, the train and the motorcycle to put on the train being to be paid on site), I was given the keys as well as the helmet (my wife having taken hers) and a receipt with the information of the motorcycle (model, registration plate).
Flamingo Agency Street.
Normally, once you arrive in Lao Cai, you have to show the receipt in question and you are good to go (in practice, I didn't even have to show it... They assume that if you have the keys, you are good to take the motorbike in question...)
If you do it yourself, it should cost only about $15, you must ask the agency where you will rent the motorcycle for the receipt in question establishing the information concerning the motorcycle.
Once at the station with your motorcycle, you must take your tickets for you and the one for the motorcycle separately. Once you have your tickets, hand the motorcycle over to an agent on site, with the ticket + receipt. Knowing that the motorbike must travel empty, you will have to siphon off the petrol if there is any left. So remember to take a small bottle to be able to collect the petrol and put it back once you arrive in Lao Cai.
Hanoi train station.
WAITING ROOM.
In case it is the agency that takes care of it, it will therefore be empty on arrival, so you will have to push the motorbike to the nearest gas station (which is what I had to do...).
Our tickets cost us $ 33 per person for a bunk bed (4 per cabin). It is specified that you have to show up at the company office about 30 minutes before departure (something like that), the one from Orient Express is located between the main building (which faces the courtyard) and the waiting room (which is on the right side) in the background.
Hanoi train station platforms.
Once the train is ready and available, we can go and board. The motorcycle being loaded for us, so we don't have to worry about it.
Guys might take your train ticket to the platforms to guide you to your train... don't be fooled, these guys don't have uniforms and have nothing official, they will just ask you for a tip for having "kindly" guided you to the train (which is well signposted so impossible to miss...)
Knowing that generally (depending on the company with which you are going to make the train journey), the motorcycle will not necessarily be loaded in the same train. So you have to wait for it once it arrives.
Our cabin.
On arrival, 5:30 a.m., it hurts a little to the eyes, especially since we thought we would arrive at 6:30 a.m....
2 km further, it’s the border with China!
Still to cite my case, I wanted to travel with the Orient Express company (for all the information concerning the trains, I went to the site Seat61.com which is super comprehensive and helped me make my choices), so we took the SP1 train, while the motorcycle arrived via the SP3.
As a result, we arrived at 5:30 in Lao Cai, but the motorbike arrived only an hour later. Time for us to watch with amusement the controllers smoking their opium pipes right next to us.
At Lao Cai station.
Waiting for the bike…
Our train is approaching.
And here is our traveling companion for the next 2 weeks!
To summarize :
- Rent your motorbike through an agency in Hanoi (for me it was Flamingo Travel with a Honda Future X 125cc.
- Either the agency takes care of it (you will pay extra), or you ask for the receipt specifying that you are going to take the motorcycle on the train.
- Go to the station with your tickets (preferable to have in advance, taken for my part with Flamingo also but I almost used this site too: Vietnam Impressive, they speak French and can deliver the train tickets to your Hotel in Hanoi) and the receipt for the motorbike in your pocket, take a ticket for the motorbike.
- Make sure the bike has no gas in the tank (if you're going to put the bike in yourself) and hand it over to one of the guys at the station, showing your ticket for the bike.
- Spend a short night on the train of your choice.
- Once the train with the motorcycles arrives, you can normally pick it up directly, if asked, show the receipt. If the motorcycle arrives before you, it will be waiting for you in front of the platform.
In front of the platforms of Lao Cai station.
For the station, we found it by asking the locals several times. A guy in a car even offered to take Jitima who was walking while I was pushing the motorbike… Well, in practice it’s not far from the station, it’s just 500 m.
Because I'm nice, here's a little map to help you find your way when you arrive in Lao Cai.
Does this all seem clear to you? Next step for us, Sapa!
Rom Vietnam
You can do it yourself, it's not that complicated. The workers at the station help you to assemble the mopeds, so you have to take the moped to the moped wagon. Well, it's easier with an agency, but if you work a little, you save 15 USD
Roman
This is exactly what I explain in the article 😉 When I was preparing the trip, I just wanted it to go smoothly, as long as my agency could take care of it, why deprive myself? Of course, and I explain it too, by itself it allows a saving of $15.
Camille
Hello, thank you for this nice article. I am considering the same itinerary to do Lao Cai – Ha Giang – Lake Ba Be – Cao Bang – Ban Gioc Falls – Hanoi
How long did it take you?
Do you think it is possible to leave our suitcases somewhere in Lao Cai in a safe place (locker or other)?
Thank you very much
Roman
Hello,
With the detailed itinerary in the dedicated article: http://www.thailande-et-asie.com/nord-vietnam-itineraire-moto/, you need to count 15 days, if you skip Sapa, still count about twelve days to complete the itinerary.
Why keep your suitcases in Lao Cai? If your final destination is Hanoi, no need to return to Lao Cai… Moreover, if you are leaving for more than a week, you will also need to transport your luggage…
Basile
Hello Romain
Thank you for this great article, very complete!
We are leaving in April with my wife to Hanoi and we would like to do a motorbike tour in the North. Passing through Sapa. But we would only have 5/6 days there. Is there a 5/6 day itinerary that you think we could do?
Thank you for your help !
Basile
Roman
Hello,
Thanks for your message! So on a shorter time like that, minimum I would say 6 days, there is the loop to the west which is normally doable more quickly, it gives the following stages:
Sapa, Lai Chau, Sin Ho, Muong Lay, Son La and Mai Chau
Juliette
Hello, great article!
I am going to Vietnam in July and we are going to buy a motorbike in Hanoi and do a loop in the north then go to Ho Chi Minh. The goal is to go back down to Dong Hoi to visit the Phong Nha-Ke Bang park, we would like to do the train trip from Hanoi to Dong Hoi at night with the motorbike. Is it possible?
Thank you
Roman
Hello Juliette,
Until proven otherwise it is quite possible on the same principle of journey as explained in my article. Do not forget to siphon the gasoline before (keep it in a bottle for example).
Fill out the papers with:
license plate number
Brand and model
Train code and schedule
Pay
Normally there will be staff there to take care of the bike afterwards
If it's like the journey I made, it's not impossible that the bike will travel via the front or the next axle, so it's likely that you'll have to wait a bit for the bike on arrival.
Juliette
Great, thank you !
A question, do you know the prices for transporting the motorcycle on the train?
Roman
As explained in the article, it should cost $15, depending on your journey.
Juliette
Thanks Romain :)!
Hanh
The other time you can travel by motorbike from Hanoi to Sapa taking the photographers' route which passes the superb rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai :D.
By the way, now you can book train tickets online: https://lavieauvietnam.com/voyage-en-train-au-vietnam-horaires-prix-comment-reserver/
Roman
If I come back to Vietnam, I would like to visit the north-western part this time. There is also the Mekong Delta 😉
Ayana
Hello
I just saw the article on motorcycle transport in Vietnam. I am indeed looking to return to the northwest but this time by plane. The 5300 km of the last round trip 15 days ago have exhausted me a little. So I have a base and an address with you, it will remain to find a price and especially modalities for loading and protections. because the mirrors are not removable without dismantling the entire dashboard, the windshield is imposing and its 320 kg are scary for handling on a simple board…
Thank you for these details, I hope you can come back, and if I can recommend some fabulous landscapes, look for the "Ha Giang loop" you will not regret it.
NB bamboo pipes are not smoked with opium, they are small balls of chopped local tobacco, which only allow 2 or 3 puffs.
Roman
320 kg! What a beast, what kind of motorbike is that? I know the Ha Giang loop since that's where I went 😉
Ayana
A 750cc cruiser with lots of options and comfort, (actually I live in VN 130 km south of Saigon)
The I Ty loop (between Sapa and Ha Giang) is also superb and the name is not a joke!
I hate tourist zoos, and I look for the less visited areas, because they are a little more difficult to access.
Right now it's heaven!
Roman
Given the email, I suspected that you were there, and indeed, it must be very quiet even if usually, the roads are numerous enough not to come across colonies of motorcyclists. Have you been in Vietnam for a long time?
Ayana
About 20 years, 6 months a year at the beginning, and by putting my arm into it everything went!
I volunteer for an association that helps educate little girls in the delta, I ended up deciding to stay there.
A few returns to France (preferably short) in normal times, here since September 2019, and probably no
return before May 2021 at best.
Roman
A long "love" story from what I see! Personally, I have only returned to France 4 times in 13 years here, but if I could come back a little more often, I wouldn't be against it, this feeling of being on an exploration while you are in your home country, I find it quite amusing and special. And then there are still friends and family.