China to Hanoi

[ironmonkey]

I'm planning to travel from Beijing to Hanoi, any advice on how to go? I only have 10days for the trip, including roundtrip travel time from/to Beijing. I'm willing to take the train, but if I can find a plane ticket for relatively cheap ($300-$400) then I'd rather fly. Any advice you have is much appreciated!

[VamosRM]

I suggest you not to go there by train because it takes a long time to get to Hanoi(about two days) and you'll spend four days on the train..In addition, the train goes to Hanoi only two times a week(Monday and Friday) .

Here's a website to buy plane tickets, maybe it will help.

http://www.elong.net/

[HashiriKata]

I also advise you to go by air.

Just buy a ticket to depart from Beijing. I wouldn't be surprised if you need to change in Guangzhou (or some other places).

[langdon]

Do you have your visa already? If not you can get it in Nanning, in Guangxi.

Another alternative is to Fly to Nanning, from Nanning you can take a bus or train to Pingxiang, or to Dongxing. Both are Chinese border towns in Guangxi. From Pingxiang you can take a taxi or a motorcycle taxi to the border, walk across and take a minibus to Hanoi.

There is a train from Nanning to Hanoi, however it is quite slow. As well, it crosses the border at like 2 am and there is a several hour wait to change trains due to a different gauge of track. Not great in the middle of the night.

I went to Hanoi and came back via minibusses etc. Sounds like alot of work, but so many people go back and forth you don't need to look for transport, it finds you.