HCMC – Vietnam’s railway sector had sold about 227,000 train tickets for the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday as of January 19, with seats on peak travel days before and after Tet already sold out, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
The Tet travel period for the Year of the Horse runs from February 3 to March 8, corresponding to the 16th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 20th day of the first lunar month.
To meet the high holiday travel demand, the railways have mobilized nearly 800 passenger cars and scheduled 62 trains. These include 55 services on the Hanoi–HCMC route, three on Hanoi–Haiphong, three on Hanoi–Lao Cai, and one on Hanoi–Tu Son.
On the main Hanoi–HCMC corridor, operators plan 906 train services during the Tet period, offering around 384,000 seats for end-to-end journeys. This is about 7% higher than during Tet 2025, as the transport period is four days longer. High-quality SE61/62 tourist carriages will operate throughout the peak season.
During the official Tet holiday from February 14 to February 22, additional short-distance trains will be added to meet leisure travel demand. These include services from Saigon to Nha Trang, Tam Ky and Danang, and from Hanoi to Vinh and Danang, with a combined capacity of about 10,000 seats.
Tickets for Tet 2026 went on sale in mid-September 2025 through all channels, including the railway’s website, stations, ticket offices, agents, mobile applications, e-wallets, and call centers at Hanoi and Saigon stations.
According to the Railway Transport JSC, tickets for southbound services from Saigon to Hanoi during peak pre-Tet days from February 7 to February 14, and for northbound services after Tet from the fourth to the seventh day of the first lunar month, have sold out.
Seats remain available on some days before Tet, such as February 15 and 16, and on many post-Tet dates, especially for routes to Phan Thiet and Nha Trang and on the Hanoi–HCMC line from February 24 to March 8.
Average Tet ticket prices for 2026 are 5–10% higher than last year due to increased input and fuel costs. The railway sector has also refurbished and upgraded more than 100 passenger carriages to improve service quality during the peak travel period.
