Thanks to simple booking procedures and a comfortable space, many foreign tourists choose to travel by train to discover Vietnam.
In recent years, when cheap air tickets became common in Vietnam and train fares were still high and the time to the destination rather long, travel across Vietnam by rail was adversely affected. However, many tourists still love to explore the country by the North - South train.
Trains have many classes of seats, from hard and soft seats with air conditioning or sleeping compartments, with the lowest fare starting at 600,000 VND.
Staying in a cabin and looking at the view of the beautiful scenery through a small window is an experience many international tourists enjoy.
Travelling across Vietnam by rail is one of the most popular choices among international visitors.
There are some kinds of seats used for short trips such as wooden benches, as well as soft, padded benches.
For longer journeys involving overnight travel, visitors can select compartment with six berths, or a compartment with four more comfortable berths. Ticket prices cost between VND600,000 and VND1.8 million each for different itineraries.
Mr. James from France was surprised by the many beautiful scenes seen through the window. At the time, the rice fields were turning yellow, and the harvest was coming.
Mr. James said he had traveled to many places in Vietnam, but the most impressive site was the train crossing over the Hai Van pass, called "the most majestic pass in Vietnam".
The Hai Van railway runs through the mountainside, through 18 bridges and six underground tunnels, of which the shortest tunnel is 85m and the longest 600m. The majestic scenery of the forest, mountains and sea attracts many tourists.
A tourist happily showed his friend a photo taken at a winding curve as the train passed through Hai Van Pass.
"I chose to take the train from Hanoi to Da Nang to have a comfortable place to rest and work," one tourist said.
A group of foreigners are excited at sampling Vietnamese food whilst on the train.
For short trips, foreign tourists often buy soft seats to save money and enjoy the scenery.
Watching the sunrise through the carriage window is another favorite activity.