Chapa express Train Hanoi to Sapa

Reliable & Good transport provider :) A21 was very responsive to my queries & was able to communicate with me via WhatsApp promptly throughout my stay in Hanoi. We booked 4x Chapa Express train tickets (2 way) to Sapa & Private car (2 way) to Halong Bay. It was a breeze using A21 & strongly recommend using their services. Their prices are also comparable to other local rates.

An experience! We did two trips with this company, overnight to and from Sapa to Hanoi. Both times we booked the VIP 2 berth sleeper cabin. This is a more costly option (US$170) but provides privacy and a bit more comfort. The cabin was nicely set up and lovely and quiet. Complimentary water, refreshing wipes and cookies as well as a drink on departure. As expected the train is noisy and there is a lot of motion but we slept surprisingly well. Staff were friendly and helpful. Added benefits of booking directly with the company (one way we did one way we didn't). - shuttle to hotel - complimentary ear plugs - much more attentive service. Overall a practical, safe and manageable way to travel.

Comfortable and safe ride. On arrival from Ninh Binh via train, we took the Chapa express to Sapa and was pleasantly surprised that it was clean, comfortable ride. Please note that to take the night train to Sapa, you’d have to walk about 10 minutes to the gate from Hanoi station. Gate is actually situated behind the main station, try google to find directions. Coming back to the cabin, the ride was a little noisy and shaky but we had a good night rest. Toilets were surprisingly clean and without smell of ammonia as some claimed. And compared to the Victoria express, which we took on our return leg to Hanoi, Chapa’s cabin was way more comfortable, bunks were a little wider and longer. To those that are undecided, I’d say choose Chapa express. You won’t regret saving that extra dollar that Victoria charges.

Shambles. The train itself was lovely, cosey and clean. But the organisation for the two women at Chapa Express was an utter shambles!!! First of all the one woman purposely waited till 9pm before she would give anyone a ticket,by which point there was a huge 'crowd'. There was no queing system in place and the two women would just wonder off mid way through speaking to you and ask another person to follow them. I witnessed one man be given four tickets, randomly, another man moan so the women took the tickets off the first guy and gave them to the second one instead. The tickets had not been pre allocated to people it seemed. And it didn't matter what your booking reference was. At 9.45 myself and another guy were finally listened to. By that point, each of us still wanting our two tickets, they said there was only two remaining tickets? The lady frantically flapped around and found two tickets with another company so no one was left behind. It just leaves a sour taste on a journey that turned out ok in the end. All of this could have been avoided if the woman was not such a jobs worth initially and if she had actually done her job in the first place and allocated each booking their tickets to just be handed over on the day.

8 hours - Overnight Train to Sapa. We booked directly online. Everything went smoothly. We were upgraded from superior to deluxe cabin that sleeps 4 people. So we had to share with another couple, which was fine because we all slept the whole way. There was free water or beer, bananas, chips, and free WiFi. The beds were very clean and even the bathroom were not that bad. It is an excellent way to go to Sapa and you save one nights hotel bill while traveling. If you get motion sickness be warned this train goes up and down and sways side to side, all at the same time, it is quite bumpy and noisy. Not to mention it makes a lot of stops along the way. Earplugs and Dramamine might help.

Fun and comfortable trip to Sapa! Not sure why there are so many mixed reviews on these overnight trains to Sapa, but my family had a wonderful time on Chapa Express. We were with two other families, for a total of 13 people. Each family was traveling with small children and we all had our own cabin with 4 beds in each cabin. The cabins were clean, the beds adequate, service was good, and the overall ride was not as bumpy as others have said. Would I do it again? Absolutely! It's a great way to get from Hanoi to Sapa without having to take a bus. The only benefit of taking a bus is you can go directly to your hotel in Sapa versus having to take a van from the train station. The trip from the station to our hotel took approximately 45 min. Other than that, I would highly recommend Chapa Express!

Fun trip What a great way to travel. Our taxi dropped us at the wrong train station, but Chapa were great and got us to the train. We had a 4 berth deluxe that I booked online. We got water, soft drink, chips, nuts, toothbrush, comb, face wipe and ear plugs. The top bunks had better air conditioning but it was very comfortable, there was wifi and we took portable fans that you charge which was perfect for the bottom bunks. Loved the rocking of the train, easy to fall asleep. The private Chapa lounge on the station at the end was very disappointing. I enquired before I left about a shower and breakfast and they said yes all free, when we got there nothing was opened so we ended up going straight to our hotel and paying extra to get an early check in which worked out better. Highly recommend travelling with this company. The train has many carriages all owned by different companies, we were very happy with Chapa.