Booked a sleeper bus in Vietnam and lost 8 hours of my trip

I took a cheap overnight bus from Hanoi to Sapa last month. The AC broke at 2am and they stopped for 4 hours to fix it, plus I got zero sleep. Anybody else get burned by those budget buses in Southeast Asia?

3 comments

3 Comments

max4152mo ago

Mint mobile or a local SIM with data would've let you rebook mid-disaster.

thompson.nathan2mo ago

Got scammed on a similar bus in Thailand a few years back. They told us it was a VIP bus with AC and blankets, but the AC barely worked and the seats were like concrete blocks. Ended up sleeping on the floor of a 7-Eleven for a few hours when we got dropped off in the wrong city. Gotta say, though, Vietnam's bus system is actually pretty solid compared to some other places I've been. Just gotta be careful with the super cheap options.

emma_clark2mo agoOG Member

Oh man, the 7-Eleven floor thing is too real, I've been there. First thing I learned is to take a picture of the bus number and the company logo before you even get on, because when they try to switch buses on you halfway through the night you'll at least have some proof. Also always carry a little cushion or an inflatable pillow because those "VIP" seats are never what they say they are. For Vietnam specifically, I always book through the hotel or a reputable travel shop and pay a little extra for the name brand companies like Hoang Long or Mai Linh, the super cheap options are almost always a gamble on whether you'll actually end up where you're going. And if the driver starts picking up extra people on the side of the road at 2am, that's your sign to just get off at the next stop and find somewhere to sleep until morning.