You can purchase tickets from the official North–South Vietnam Railways website 👉 Vietnam Railways (dsvn.vn)
Tip: switch the site to English by clicking the flag icon in the top-right corner.
1) Choose your train and seat
- On the homepage (top-left), enter From / To / Date.
⚠️ For Ho Chi Minh, select “Saigon” (not “Ho Chi Minh City”). - Matching trains (e.g., SE8, SE22) will appear in a list.
- Check the departure/arrival times and pick your train.
- A seat map shows availability:
- White = available
- Red = sold
- Green = selected by you
- Hover over a seat to see its price (fares can differ by seat and coach).
- Click a seat to select it → it turns green and goes into your cart → click “Buy ticket.”
⚠️ The cart has a 600-second timer. If it expires, your selection is reset and you’ll need to start over.
2) Passenger details & payment
- Enter your full name and passport number.
- Select Adult / Student / Child (discounts may apply).
- Phone number required (10 digits only).
Note
My Japanese mobile number has 11 digits, and the system gave me an error. Since Vietnamese numbers are 10 digits, I tried removing the last digit—and it worked.
It’s unclear if the first three digits must match a Vietnamese mobile prefix, but my number starting with “070” went through fine.
Keep this number handy—you’ll need it later to download the e-ticket.
Payment (as of Sept 2025)
Choose VNPAY to pay with overseas-issued credit/debit cards (VISA / MasterCard).
I was able to pay with a VISA debit card issued by a Japanese bank.
3) Confirmation & Booking Code
- Click “Agree to confirm,” complete payment, and a Booking Code will be issued.
- You’ll also receive a confirmation email with details.
4) Download your e-ticket
- Open the link in the email (your Booking Code is already filled in).
- Enter your registered email address and the phone number you used.
- Select your journey from the list.
5) Download the PDF e-ticket.
Hit the download button and you’ll get a ticket with a QR code.
You can print it, or just take a screenshot and use it on your phone.
In addition to the official website and station counters, you can also buy Vietnam Railway tickets through Google Maps or agency sites such as 12go.
Here are the two methods:
Booking via Google Maps
Since 2024, it has become possible to book tickets directly from Google Maps.
Step 1: Search your route
Open Google Maps and enter your departure and destination.
Step 2: Look for “Vietnam Rail”
In the public transport results, check if “Vietnam Rail” appears.
Step 3: Tap “Buy tickets”
Select your preferred train → scroll down → tap “Buy tickets.”
Step 4: Redirected to the official site
You will be taken to the Vietnam Railways booking page, where you can complete your purchase.
Pros
- Book directly from Google Maps
- Google Pay available
Cons
- You can choose seat class, but cannot select a specific seat
Booking via agency sites (e.g., 12go)
Another option is to buy tickets from 12go, a popular site among international travelers.
12go is based in Singapore with operations in Bangkok, and it specializes in trains, buses, and ferries.
Pros
- Overseas credit card payments are stable
- Multilingual support makes it easy for foreign users
Cons
- More expensive than the official site (agency fee included)