Traveling During the 2/9 Holiday: Advance Booking ‘Sold Out’, No Fare Increase for Trains and Buses

No More Tickets Left for the Long Weekend

In the Northern region: Mr. Hoang Van Tien from Vinh City, Nghe An Province, shared that he was surprised to find that all bus tickets for the upcoming September 2nd holiday were sold out when he went online to book his trip back home. Even the bus companies he frequently travels with had no available seats. Some bus companies offered to arrange for passengers to lie on the floor as all the sleeping berths were sold out.

Mr. Pham Van Tuan from Hanoi shared that his family had planned a trip to Than Uyen, Lai Chau Province, for the holiday. However, even though they booked ten days in advance, all three bus companies specializing in the Hanoi-Than Uyen route informed them that there were no tickets available for their preferred departure times. Unable to purchase tickets, they had to adjust their plans and instead booked tickets to Sa Pa, incurring an additional expense of 2.5 million VND for a round trip by car to Than Uyen.

Speaking to Tien Phong newspaper, Mr. Pham Son Tung, Deputy Head of Transport Operations at Van Minh Company, said that the company started selling tickets for the September 2nd holiday on August 8th. However, the number of customers booking tickets for the holiday has increased significantly compared to last year, by about 40-50% compared to regular days. As a result, all the company’s tickets were sold out just one week after they started selling. “We have planned to mobilize 100% of our staff to maximize the company’s capacity,” Mr. Tung shared.

Not only Van Minh Company but also many bus companies operating on the Hanoi-Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh routes have also announced that they have sold out their tickets. Representatives of An Phu Quy and Phuc Loi companies (Hanoi-Nghe An route) stated that there are no more tickets available as the number of bookings has surged compared to previous years.

On the Hanoi-Lao Cai-Sa Pa route, major bus companies such as Sao Viet, Ha Son Hai Van, and Futa Ha Son have also significantly increased their operating capacity. Mr. Do Van Bang, Director of Minh Thanh Phat Company, said that this year, the number of passengers booking tickets to Lao Cai for the September 2nd holiday has increased by about 50% compared to last year. The company has planned to increase the number of trips from 80 to 140 per day and deploy additional backup vehicles to meet the demand.

While bus tickets are in high demand, the railway sector has also seen a significant increase in bookings. In the North, according to our reporters, the Hanoi-Lao Cai route is fully booked for August 30-31. The Hanoi-Vinh route on August 30th is almost fully booked, with only a few sleeping berths available on the NA1 train, departing from Hanoi around 10 pm.

For the Hanoi-Danang route, there are only a few sleeping berths and seats left on the SE7 train on August 30th. The most expensive ticket is for a lower-level berth in a four-berth compartment, costing about 1.1-1.4 million VND per trip, depending on the train and the day of travel. In the South, as people are heading to tourist destinations, many trains to Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, and Tuy Hoa are fully booked in the sleeping compartments for August 30-31.

In the Southern region: On the afternoon of August 27th, through the railway sector’s booking system, our reporters found that most trains from Ho Chi Minh City to the central provinces during the peak days of August 30th and 31st were almost fully booked in the sleeping compartments. There are still some seats available, but not many. According to the representative of Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company, the routes to tourist destinations are always in high demand during holidays. As of August 27th, the railway sector has sold nearly 94,000 tickets, mainly from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other provinces on August 30th, 31st, and returning on September 3rd.

Meanwhile, a quick survey of some well-known bus companies at Mien Dong Bus Station (Binh Thanh District), Mien Dong New Bus Station (Thu Duc City) revealed that sleeping bus tickets for routes from Ho Chi Minh City to the central region and the Central Highlands during the holiday are almost sold out. For example, at the Chín Nghĩa company (Ho Chi Minh City-Quang Ngai route), sleeping bus tickets for the peak days of August 30th and 31st are no longer available. At Mien Dong Bus Station (Binh Thanh District), some bus companies operating on routes from Ho Chi Minh City to the Central Highlands (Pleiku, Gia Lai, Dak Nong, etc.), such as Duc Dat, Huu Khanh, Sau Ban, etc., also reported that sleeping bus tickets were sold out.

Train and Bus Services Increase Trips but Not Ticket Prices

On August 26th, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Tung, Director of Giap Bat Bus Station, informed Tien Phong newspaper that as of August 26th, the bus station had reviewed the service situation and fare rates of more than 600 trips/journeys operating stably at Giap Bat Bus Station. The bus companies and transport businesses committed to not adjusting the fare rates during the National Day holiday, from August 30th to September 4th, 2024.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Hoa, Director of My Dinh Bus Station, also stated that as of August 26th, My Dinh Bus Station, with over 700 trips/journeys departing daily, had not recorded any fare increases by the bus companies and transport businesses.

Mr. Pham Manh Hung, Director of Hanoi Bus Station Company, said that passenger traffic during the National Day holiday this year is expected to surge from the afternoon of August 30th to August 31st and then return to normal levels on September 1st and 2nd. After that, the demand will increase again from September 3rd to 4th. Currently, the number of passengers at Giap Bat Bus Station is expected to increase by 350% compared to regular days, while at Gia Lam Bus Station, it will increase by 250%, and at My Dinh Bus Station, it will increase by more than 350%.

Mr. Hung affirmed that during this National Day holiday, the buses at the three member stations mentioned above will not increase their fares. According to regulations, transport businesses must submit a written notice at least ten days in advance if they plan to adjust their fare rates. However, with only four days left until the holiday, no transport business has submitted such a notice, so fare rates will remain unchanged.

According to a representative of Mien Dong New Bus Station (Thu Duc City), the situation of sold-out sleeping bus tickets during peak holiday seasons occurs almost every year. “Transport companies do not invest in sleeping buses to serve only a few holiday days. Currently, there are still many seats available. During peak seasons, bus stations always have plans to deploy additional vehicles to serve passengers,” said the representative of Mien Dong New Bus Station, adding that transport companies have planned to provide nearly 40,000 sleeping bus tickets for the holiday.

According to Mr. Do Phu Dat, Deputy General Director of Mien Dong Bus Station (Binh Thanh District), the bus station will increase its fleet by about 100 cars during the National Day holiday to meet the travel needs of passengers.

Meanwhile, Mien Tay Bus Station has requested the Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center to consider granting the bus station 100 badges for additional vehicles to be deployed when there is a sudden increase in passenger demand. They are also ready to deploy more buses to support the bus station during peak days.

On August 26th, a representative of Vietnam Railways Corporation informed that to meet the travel demand during the National Day holiday, the Corporation has arranged to operate additional train trips on various routes. Specifically, on the North-South route, in addition to the regularly scheduled trains, the Corporation will operate one additional pair of SE9/SE10 trains on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route and vice versa. There will also be several additional pairs of trains from Saigon Station to Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, from Nha Trang to Danang, from Hanoi to Quang Binh, Lao Cai, Hai Phong, and more.

In the Northern region, on the Hanoi-Lao Cai route, there will be additional SP7 and SP8 trains. On the Hanoi-Thanh Hoa route, there will be additional TH1 and TH2 trains. On the Hanoi-Vinh route, there will be additional NA3 and NA4 trains. On the Hanoi-Hai Phong route, LP9, LP10, HP3, HP4, and HD2 trains will be added, with the latter departing from Hai Duong Station.

To meet the travel demand of passengers, in addition to the eight trains departing daily, the railway sector will deploy 11 additional trains from Ho Chi Minh City to Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh), Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), and Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan) during this peak season.

During this holiday season, the railway sector will continue to apply a return ticket discount of 5-7% and offer discounted fares for special beneficiaries, including Vietnamese heroic mothers, wounded soldiers, senior citizens, students, union members, and more.