WHERE IS CHIANG MAI?
From Bangkok, we decided to go North and head to the largest city in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is a mountainous city, retaining rich history and culture and is popular amongst tourists for its abundance of historical temples and scenic views.
WHY TAKE A SLEEPER TRAIN?
A common and super budget friendly way to travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is via a sleeper train. The train typically leaves approximately 7pm from Bangkok and is a 12.5 hour journey, arriving around 7:30am. I’d recommend to book in advance (we booked 2 months in advance) if you can as the 1st/2nd Class cabins book out relatively quickly. We booked 2nd Class which consists of open-plan berths with A/C. When booking on 12Go, we made sure to select a top and bottom bunk as this generally guarantees you will be booked together in one berth. Once you arrive at the train station, you then to get your tickets printed at the ticket counter. This was super easy and there were no complications.
PRO’S AND CON’S OF TAKING THE SLEEPER TRAIN?
The sleeper train experience had its pros and cons. The train was way cool and felt like we were boarding the Hogwarts Express. A toilet was on-board which was an anxiety relief! You were able to order dinner if you wish, pre-order breakfast and outside food was allowed on-board. The berths start out as seats, with the top bunks stowed away and then an hour into the journey, the attendants come around to make up the beds. You’re provided a thin blanket and pillow, with curtains along each bunk for privacy.
The cons….The A/C was cold! Which you know, is great, considering i’d rather have cool air than be sweating in a hot box. But you cannot adjust or turn it off so it gets cold, do the smart thing and bring a jumper! The lights are kept on all night so if you are sensitive to light, bring a sleep mask. Lastly, the ride is rocky! I mean, swinging and bloody swaying non-stop. This made it almost impossible to sleep and if you experience motion sickness, ensure you bring some Kwells! Look, for the cheap cost, a place to lie down and standard facilities, you really can’t complain. I’d do it again.
Come morning, the attendants came around early to revert the berths back to seating position. Once this was done, breakfast, tea and coffee was brought around and shortly after, we arrived in Chaing Mai.
TRANSPORT FROM CHIANG MAI RAIL STATION
At the Chiang Mai train station, there are plenty of taxi’s and tuktuks readily available but to avoid the hassle in bartering, we opted to order a Grab. Obviously, with the arrival of a sleeper train, the station was busy! Cars were coming and going and therefore the wait was longer than normal. However the Grab drove up right to the front of station and we were quickly on our way!
