Nha Trang Railway Station

Nha Trang station stands at 17 Thai Nguyen. Inside the city, about 1.5 km from Tran Phu beach. That is what sets it apart from most Vietnamese stations: you step off the train already in the centre, with no second leg in from the outskirts.

The building keeps its French-era shape: a low pale-yellow block, an arcaded colonnade running the length of the platform, a wooden ticket counter with the timetable board above it. Because it is a working station rather than a fenced-off monument, it has something a pure sight does not. People actually waiting for a train.

Practically: this is a stop on the North–South line, with trains to Saigon (roughly seven to nine hours) and Da Nang (nine to ten). On the Saigon run, the overnight sleeper is a genuine option. You save a night's hotel and arrive in the centre at breakfast time.

Do not expect a long visit. This is twenty or thirty minutes: the facade, a walk down the colonnade, a look at the timetable. It is a working station, so the platforms need a ticket. The forecourt and the waiting colonnade are enough for most visitors.

The Stone Church is a few minutes' walk from the station. To carry on under your own steam, see motorbike hire.