Staying Near Hanoi Railway Station

Hanoi Railway Station has two names. Maps call it Ga Hà Nội; older Hanoians still say Ga Hàng Cỏ, the name from the days when the French built it at the start of the last century. The central hall was bombed in 1972 and rebuilt, so today two French-era wings frame a plain concrete block. Old and new side by side, which is very Hanoi.

Narcissus Le Duan is about 300 m away: a five-minute walk with a suitcase, past tea stalls, a bánh mì counter and the old trees of Le Duan Street.

Two gates, two kinds of train

• The main gate at 120 Le Duan serves the Reunification Express south to Vinh, Hue, Da Nang and Saigon.
• The Tran Quy Cap gate, behind the station, is usually used by trains to Lao Cai, the overnight route to Sapa.

Check your ticket before you leave. The wrong gate means a long loop around the station, and that loop feels endless fifteen minutes before departure.

Arriving at dawn

Night trains from Lao Cai often pull in before the city is awake. Check-in is from 2:00 PM, but the front desk is open 24 hours: drop your bags, ask whether a room is free early, and go find your first bowl of phở. Leaving on an evening train? Ask reception in advance about a late check-out.

Which room for a rail trip

For one night before an early train, the Standard room is all you need. Travelling as a family or group, the two-storey Duplex has a big living room and a mural of old Hanoi trains, a small nod to the neighbourhood.

Where next

The Temple of Literature is under 1 km away, the Imperial Citadel about 1 km, Hoan Kiem Lake ten minutes by taxi. Flying in? Bus 86 from Noi Bai Airport ends right at Hanoi Station; see Noi Bai Airport to central Hanoi.

Find the map and directions to Narcissus Le Duan, or call the front desk with your arrival time.