Many families choose to return home by train in the summer of 2024. Photo: TN
A survey of train ticket prices during the summer shows that prices have increased but not much, for example, a soft, cool seat from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet costs 235,000 - 267,000 VND, a six-berth air-conditioned sleeper to Nha Trang costs 500,000 VND (depending on the train brand and seat type). Some longer routes such as Ho Chi Minh City to Quang Ngai cost 716,000 VND for a soft, air-conditioned seat and more than 1 million VND for a sleeper (depending on the train brand and cabin type). Ms. Ho Huyen (living in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) shared: "My children have not been on the train, so this summer I decided to buy sleeper tickets for them to visit their grandparents. I see that the trains are now much cleaner and more beautiful than before, making it comfortable to move between compartments." Ms. Huyen calculated that in order to buy a train ticket, she booked it a month before the departure date, because tickets are often scarce during the summer, while airfares are sky-high. Thus, Ms. Huyen's family only spent more than 4 million VND on a sleeper ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Quang Ngai, while the flight cost more than 10 million VND. Mr. Le Anh Tuan, Director of Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company, said that from June 1 to June 15, the number of passengers departing from Saigon Station increased significantly compared to the summer of 2023. Specifically, the number of passengers boarding the train was 53,872/45,607 passengers, an increase of 18%. In particular, the number of trains also increased by 5% with a total of 159/151 trains in 2023. Notably, the number of passengers going to Nha Trang increased the most with more than 13,000 passengers. "In the summer of 2024, train tickets will increase by about 3% depending on the train brand, departure date and seat type. The railway industry also applies many incentive programs for train passengers" - Mr. Tuan said. According to Mr. Tuan, the average summer train ticket price increases by 11% compared to normal days. For example, the seats from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet increase by 11%, Da Nang increase by 10.8% and Nha Trang increase by 13.8%. Passengers who buy individual tickets for trains SE1/SE2, SE5/SE6, SE9/SE10, SE11/SE12 20-39 days before departure will receive a 5% discount; 40 days or more in advance will receive a 10% discount. Rail tourism skyrockets In the domestic market, due to high airfares, tourists tend to use rail and road transportation. Mr. Tran The Dung, General Director of Vietluxtour Travel Company, said that groups of several hundred to several thousand passengers will tend to choose road and rail tourism routes. Specifically, routes departing from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Vung Tau, Phu Yen, Quy Nhon... or Hanoi to Ha Long Bay, Sam Son, Ninh Binh...
Tourism agencies said that people choosing to travel by train increased in the summer of 2024. Photo: TN
With the railway industry, many travel companies can still book private train cars during good times if the group is large enough - similar to charter flights (chartering the whole trip) to have their own schedule. According to experts, there are many reasons why rail tourism is increasingly attracting tourists during the holidays, especially in the summer. First, the railway industry proactively builds new products, refurbishes train cars and even provides five-star services on the train. Next, rail tourism will not have traffic jams and depart on time. Finally, the ticket price is reasonable. Ms. Nguyen Thi Khanh, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, informed that the number of tourists traveling by train and car during the holidays from Ho Chi Minh City to neighboring or further destinations such as Nha Trang, Phu Yen, Quy Nhon, etc. has increased significantly in recent times. Ms. Khanh acknowledged that the connection between the association, travel companies and the railway industry in building tourism products, linking to create new tour products and routes. This connection has been effective but requires units to expand online sales channels so that tourists can access more easily. In the coming time, Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association will continue to discuss and work with Vietnam Railway Corporation and travel companies to jointly build reasonable and attractive tourism products that meet the needs of tourists. The railway industry is more flexible in ticket prices, diversifying routes and stages to give customers more choices. Passengers are “free” to choose their seats . Since June 20, Vietnam Railways Corporation has piloted a new ticketing method on trains HP1/2 on the Hanoi - Hai Phong route and SPT1/2 on the Ho Chi Minh City - Phan Thiet route using automatic ticketing and seat assignment, applicable seat type: soft air-conditioned seats. The railway industry applies a form of allowing passengers to choose their seats before boarding the train. Photo: DS Accordingly, when passengers buy tickets for these trains, the ticketing system will automatically select seats for passengers according to the number of people on the train. |
THY NHUNG - THU TRINH
Source: https://plo.vn/chay-ve-tau-hoa-cao-diem-he-post796523.html
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