Вокзал Нячанга

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.