Sipping on raw egg coffee as a train soars passed your table is one of the weirdest and most talked about activities to-do in Old Quarter Hanoi. While Train Street should be on every Hanoi backpacking Itinerary visiting this famous street is no longer as easy as it once was. Now public access is invite-only, train times are less frequent, tours are banned, and popular cafés have lookalike copycats with higher prices and worse views. 

So, to calm the confusion, we’ve created this Hanoi Train Street guide to cover all you need to know to experience the very best of Train Street. From insider knowledge on the best egg coffee spots to need-to-know information on how to enter the main area and when the train times pass through Hanoi’s Train Street.  

When do the trains run in Train Street, Hanoi? 

Here is the train schedule the Train Street in Hanoi: 

Monday – Friday: 19:00, 19:45, 20:30, 22:00

Weekend: 06:00, 09:00, 11:20, 15:20, 17:30, 18:00, 19:00, 20:30, 21:00, 23:00

TOP TIP – Aim to arrive 30 minutes before the train arrives to get the best viewing spots especially a busier time over lunch and on the weekends. Don’t worry if the train is running late, most days it arrives around 10 minutes behind schedule. 

How to access Train Street, Hanoi? 

In recent years the local authorities have changed the rules on how to access Train Street, putting up blockades on the entrance of the tracks and enforcing them with train operators who will not let you through.

 Instead of arguing with the operator, simply: 

1)     Walk alongside the roadside shops opposite the tracks and before long you will be beckoned into a café. 

2)    This will get you into the main area of Train Street and sit you somewhere along the bending tracks. 

3)    If you aren’t happy with the café you’ve been led to, buy one drink as a form of entrance fee to avoid irritating the owner who smuggled you off the streets and into their café. Then freely explore this infamous street. 

Or if there’s a particular café you know you want to visit then get in touch with them over WhatsApp or phone call beforehand and arrange a meeting point outside the train street barriers. Here they will meet you and guide you through their backstreet entrance to the café.  

Where are the best places to access Train Street, Hanoi? 

–       Along Phung Hung street 

–       5 Trần Phú, Hàng Bông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

–       Ngõ 224 Lê Duẩn, Khâm Thiên, Đống Đa, Hà Nội (Further away from Old Quarter) 

What are the best café’s in Train Street, Hanoi? 

Best Overall Café? 

Railway Café: The most popular and arguably the best café in Hanoi’s Train Street is Railway Café. This well-decorated café is run by the lovely Tuan, who serves up homemade food and freshly ground coffees. The rice chicken and beef soup are particularly delicious dishes, and their signature coffee Crazy Train is a tasty alternative for those who can’t stomach the thought of egg in a coffee. 

Best egg coffee on Train Street?

Café Ga Dong Durong : For the much-contended title of best egg coffee on Train Street, Café Ga Dong Durong is the deserved winner. This thick creamy egg coffee was one of the best we had on our entire trip to Vietnam. 

Is Train Street, Hanoi safe? 

Yes, Hanoi’s Train Street is safe so long as you remain seated as the train passes by. Every café on Train Street arranges its tables to be a safe distance away from the tracks to avoid the possibility of any collision. 

However, the seating and a clear oncoming train warning whistle are the only safety measures provided and there have been incidents where tourists have sustained injuries from attempting to take selfies by leaning toward the tracks or even touching the train as it comes passed. 

So, be sure to stay as far away from the tracks as possible when the Train operators blow their whistles to announce the train’s approach. 

Is Hanoi’s Train Street open and why did it close? 

Yes, Hanoi’s Train Street is officially open to the public after a short period of being closed in 2019. Do not worry if it looks closed, the safety barriers prevent access to the cafés from the tracks themselves, but the street is open once accessed through café back entrances. 

After repeated injuries and deaths in 2018, local authorities deemed the railway tourist attraction a serious safety hazard. Now reopened with slightly increased safety measures it attracts hundreds of tourists each day and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. 

So, is Hanoi’s Train Street worth it? 

Hanoi’s Train Street is completely worth it. You don’t have to be a caffeine addict or train enthusiast to fall in love with this experience. Countless travellers list Train Street as one of the best things to do in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and once you visit you will soon know why. will These train track café will certainly be the most unique and dangerous caffeine kick of your life.