WARNING! 5 Things To Avoid For Hanoi Train Street
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Warning ahead you could get KILLED in Hanoi Train Street! This blog post shows you the 5 things (dangers/scams) to avoid in Hanoi Train Street.
Hanoi Train Street is the most popular tourist icon in Hanoi Vietnam other than street food and other Hanoi icons. It is the best for photos, chilling, and “adventure”. However, it also has its dark side for safety. As a tourist, you may come across several common dangers and scams here, and in most serious cases, yes you may get killed or seriously injured.
We will be going through the five common things you should be careful of ranking the most serious thing first. You may also treat the below as Hanoi Train Street safety guidelines.
1. To avoid getting killed on the railway
You should be aware that several trains pass by the street daily (or else it wouldn’t be train street and you wouldn’t be there). So the first thing you must know is “Don’t get on the train rail when the train is approaching”.
But how do I know when the train is coming? First, all cafes on the train street are showing the schedule. Second, the café owners will warn the tourists when the train is about to arrive. Lastly, you should be able to see or hear that.
There was an incident where a tourist was trying to take a photo on the railway while the train was approaching. Although the tourist was lastly saved by the café owner, the café owner instead got fined 295 USD by the authority.
Remember being crushed by a train meaning you will get KILLED. Also the dangerous behavior not only puts yourself in danger, but it puts the locals’ livelihood at stake. The train street was shut down due to safety concerns in 2022 by the authorities, causing a serious impact on the cafes there. It was only open in 2023 again and has remained open in 2024.
Luckily, there has been no known death accident at Hanoi Train Street recently. But the danger is still there.
So remember your life comes first photo comes second.
2. To avoid serious injuries when the train passes by
Okay so now you are at a train street café or just standing at the sideway, experiencing the train passing by in a zero distance. While taking selfies, photos, videos, or whatever, you shouldn’t let your guard down. Why?
Because it is actually more dangerous during the train passing by than approaching. First, you are more likely in the relaxed mode. Second, unlike the time the train is approaching, the locals or café shop owners would not have the capacity to warn you during the train passing by.
If you are at the Northern Hanoi train street, it shall be okay. However, if you are going to Southern Hanoi Train Street, then you should pay extra attention. Because large trains pass by there, you will need to sit facing the railway like an L shape, otherwise your legs would be GONE.
3. To avoid entrance fee scams
With safety assured, the next thing is to ensure an enjoyable experience. First thing first, No FEE is required for entering Hanoi Train Street on both the Northern and Southern sides. Hanoi Train Street is open from early morning until around 11 pm. There is no fee required for entering the area.
As for how to get on the Hanoi Train Street, just getting in is fine. For location, the first one is on the Northen side near “P Tran Phu” or just search train street on Google Maps . Another one is on the Southern side near “D Le Duan” or by searching Hanoi 1990s TrainStreet Coffee on Google map.
The entrance fee scam usually happens during non-peak hour where some scammers may take advantage of you.
4. To avoid being forced to patronage a café
There are at least more than 10 cafes on each side of Hanoi Train Street. Of course, I recommend you to enjoy a cup of local café while watching the train passing by. As it is quite a unique life experience. On the other hand, your purchase also helps to support the continuity of the tourist spot. After all, the railway alone wouldn’t be that stunning without the shiny decorations, lanterns, and graffiti from the local cafes.
However, it is not a must to sit in any café there. And we should have a choice to pick on our own freely. I don’t like the feeling of being forced and I assume you do as well. So beware of this scam.
If you are looking for Hanoi Train Street Café information. Feel free to check out our other blog post for the Hanoi Train Street Café Review.
5. To avoid Hanoi Train Street fake police
Although, it is relatively rare nowadays, in the past there would be fake police at the train street asking for money from tourists. Nowadays, it could still happen during non-peak hours or at the less popular train sections.
In fact, except from the parts (Northern and Southern) that are open to the public almost full day (7 – 11 pm). Most of the parts of the railway are only open sometime in the day. The train street as a whole is also a residential area. For non-tourist spots, you shall see a notice board near the entrance with real security guards (in dark blue uniforms). The security guards there would only stop tourists passing by the residential areas. They would never ask for money.
For you not to wrongly go inside the area, just following where the cafes cluster are should be fine.
Conclusion
Hanoi Train Street is a must-visit icon. To ensure a pleasant experience, I hope this blog post for things to avoid in Hanoi Train Street will help you to have a safe and happy journey.
Please leave me a comment about your Hanoi visit.
