The Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company (Saratrans) officially started selling train tickets for Tet Holiday on Tuesday. And only two hours after, the railway company had sold 10,274 tickets and earned at least VND16 billion ($643,700).
The railway network in the country is operated by the state-owned company Vietnam Railways and its subsidiaries Haraco (Hanoi Railways Transport JSC) and Saigon Railways JSC.
Saratrans intends to operate 356 trains with 176,046 seats during the extended holiday in January 2023 and up 130 trips accommodating 67,000 seats compared to the regular days.
As anticipated by the railway company, trips will peak from January 9 to 21 if you’re traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. And from January 22 to February 2 when going back.
The national government has yet to finalize the days for the Tet break, but the Ministry of Labor proposed a five-day break from January 20 to 26. This could be extended to two days more. The 2023 Lunar New Year’s Day falls on January 22.
Eighty-eight days before Vietnam’s biggest celebration, people are already flocking to the train sales office to secure seats. Most train routes in the country open their ticket sales 60 to 30 days before departure. However, booking as soon as possible is highly advisable if you plan to go somewhere during Tet Holiday.
Each passenger can book and buy a maximum of ten tickets per route.
Vietnam has three main train lines: the North-South route (connecting Hanoi and Saigon), the Northwest Route (connecting Hanoi and Sapa), and the Northeast Route (connecting Hanoi and Lang Son - bordering China).
Tet discounts and how to buy?
Getting from north to south takes about 35 hours; that’s quite a long time to spend on a trip. The good news is that the trains are air-conditioned and decently comfortable; some come with reclining chairs, bunk beds, and dining areas.
In time for the Lunar New Year occasion, Saratrans is offering discounts for its passengers.
- 5-10% discount if they buy tickets during the first ten days they go on sale. That’s valid until November 3.
- 8% discount for trains departing from Saigon Station on January 20, 2023, with a distance of 1,000 kilometers and over.
- Groups of 10 passengers and more will receive a 2-8 % discount
- Tour guides are entitled to up to 90% discount
- A 5% discount will be given to passengers who purchase return tickets
- 20% off to every student traveling from January 3 - February 28.
Moreover, Saratrans also offers special rates for people under the preferential treatment policy, including Vietnamese heroic mothers, war veterans, wounded soldiers, disabled people, the elderly, children, members of trade unions, and passengers with membership cards.
Train fares can be purchased online from Đường sắt Việt Nam, at the train stations, or from authorized ticket agents, through the Ticket Hotline and the Customer Hotline at 19001520.
You can also secure tickets using mobile apps such as Momo, Viettelpay, and Vimo.