When I first went traveling solo (2012), I found it quite exciting. Read how I experienced my first trip to Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island. On that trip, I really learned how things worked and how I could easily arrange everything, like the famous sleeper bus in Vietnam. From that trip, I took the sleeper bus in Vietnam and traveled from Hanoi to Hue.
It’s a wonderful way to travel, and in the weeks that followed, I would take that sleeper bus in Vietnam many more times!
I had never been in such a sleeper bus before, let alone knew they existed. I was waiting for the bus, not knowing what to expect. Soon I was picked up by a jeep and taken to the bus station. After a number of stops in the jeep, a couple I had met on the boat in Ha Long Bay also got into the jeep. The couple was on their way to Hoi An, where later on this trip I would also spend a few days with great pleasure!
The traveler’s world is quite small and you run into each other again quickly!
My First Night in a Sleeper Bus in Vietnam
At the bus station, it was busy. The sleeper bus was already there and the busy traffic of Hanoi was rushing past. We could board immediately and I chose a spot. On the bus were only tourists; I didn’t see any local Vietnamese.
In the sleeper bus in Vietnam, there isn’t really room to put down your backpack. Since I had a bed on the bottom, I could fortunately put it next to me in the aisle. If you’re lying on top, you have to put it next to you or on the shelf above your feet, where you can also put some food or drinks.
Your large backpack is of course placed underneath the sleeper bus. So you don’t need to worry about that anymore.
I tied my small backpack to a steel pole next to my bed so that if I fell asleep, it wouldn’t slide away when we braked or went around a corner. The sleeper bus was completely full when we finally left. A German woman was lying in front of me. I had the last bed, so I had no one behind me. Next to my predecessor, I also saw a girl reading a book. She had very cleverly attached a lamp to the book and could still read in the dark.
After a while, we had a short stop. We could still buy some snacks or treats, but I didn’t see any shops at all, so I just stayed in the sleeper bus. The German woman in front of me did go outside for a moment. When she came back, I saw that she had bought a whole pineapple that was already cut into pieces. Everyone around her got a piece, and so did I. How delicious! I thanked her and was super happy with it because actually, I didn’t have much food in my bag… So I wasn’t really prepared yet 🙂 #lessonlearned
We had been on the road for a while and then the lights went out. It was time to go to sleep.
With the Sleeper Bus in Vietnam from Hanoi to Hue
In each bed was a blanket. Since I wasn’t wearing long pants, I used the blanket to lie on. My small towel that I always have in my backpack as a blanket. I also had an inflatable pillow and I could use it well when I lay on my side, under my hip so it was a bit higher. The bed isn’t completely flat, you see, and is mainly designed to lie on your back.
Everyone was quiet and seemed to be going to sleep or at least trying to get as much rest as possible when I suddenly saw someone coming from the front of the bus. It was an employee of the sleeper bus itself. He opened a hatch in the aisle and stepped into the gap… while we were still driving! I heard the sound of the engine coming in through the hatch and it seemed like we were still driving just as fast as before…
My First Night in the Sleeper Bus
I saw the man standing in that gap and looked in amazement… With this amazement, my mouth also dropped open when he turned around and just really disappeared under the sleeper bus. So he was now just hanging under the moving sleeper bus! I’m just assuming that it was really necessary to fix something at that moment… when the man came back into the bus, he looked at me once with a smile. He closed the hatch and walked back to the front.
Haha we all looked at each other like: REALLY?!?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough out of my amazement to grab a camera and take a picture hahaha!
I woke up early that morning and saw that the sun had just risen. I had slept quite a bit and could actually handle another day. But I was looking forward to a real bed to sleep in 🙂
It wasn’t long before we arrived in Hue.
I had survived my first night in a sleeper bus in Vietnam!
What a wonderful adventure my first solo trip in 2012 was!
How Does the Sleeper Bus in Vietnam Work?
You can book an open bus ticket with different stops that you indicate in advance. I eventually booked stops in Hoi An, Dalat, and Mui Ne from Ho Chi Minh City. If you indicate a day in advance that you want to continue traveling, they’ll check for you when there’s space on the bus.
Since the bus passes by 3 times a day, there’s every chance you can get on to continue to your next destination. I found it a pleasant way to travel precisely because sometimes I wanted to stay longer at a destination and the next time I wanted to continue immediately. Everything is possible with this open bus ticket.
I used the sleeper bus in Vietnam from Hanh Cafe. There are several companies like The Sinh Tourist or Vietnam Transports that arrange open bus tickets for your transport through Vietnam during your trip. Of course, you can also just buy individual bus tickets if you don’t want to plan your entire trip in advance.
Tips I Can Give You for the Sleeper Bus in Vietnam:
Always Have Something to Eat and Drink with You
You sit/lie in the evening reading and relaxing. A snack or something else tasty is not wrong at all. It’s also nice that you can share something if you also have such a nice German woman in front of you like me who also shares!
Wear Long Pants
It’s not cold, but I would have found it much more comfortable if I hadn’t had bare legs. Fortunately, I had a towel with me, but of course it’s nicer if you’re just covered and the air conditioning or other fresh air doesn’t blow past your bare legs. In addition, I also missed having socks… You stick your feet into such a hole and you don’t know what’s lying there. Then it’s nice to have socks on!
Read here more tips about Travelling Safely in Bus or Train
Want to see what I did in Hue?
Want to read more about Vietnam?