In mid-April, Kim Anh, 27 years old, searched for oto tickets from Hanoi to Nghe An for the 30/4 holiday, but all her usual bus companies reported being fully booked. Shifting her search to train tickets, she found that all sleeper tickets for peak travel days, 25-26/4, were sold out. On regular days, only a few tickets remained, priced at 700,000 to 900,000 VND one-way.

"I had to work extra shifts to get nine days off, and now I cannot buy tickets because resale groups are full of people looking to buy, with no one selling," Anh said.

She also ruled out the option of catching an unscheduled bus at Nuoc Ngam bus station, fearing overcrowding and unauthorized passenger pickups along the way.

Kim Anh traveling by train from Hanoi station to Vinh station (Nghe An) during the Lunar New Year 2026 holiday, thanks to early ticket booking. *Photo: Contributed by subject*

Unlike Anh, Ha Thu, 22 years old, proactively booked her ticket to Ha Tinh in mid-March. After contacting five bus companies, she secured a double sleeper ticket for over one million VND, double last year's price. However, Thu has not yet been able to buy a ticket for her return trip to Hanoi on 3/5. "If I cannot find a bus ticket, I will rent a shared car, which will be more expensive," she stated.

According to a VnExpress survey, by 21/4, many major bus companies operating on the Hanoi to Nghe An and Ha Tinh routes had closed their online booking systems. Their hotlines were continuously busy due to being fully booked. A similar situation was observed in the railway system. Train services from Hanoi to Nghe An and Quang Tri on 24, 25, and 30/4 were fully booked, with prices ranging from 700,000 VND to 1.3 million VND per trip.

On the Nghe An - Ha Tinh train and bus ticket exchange forum, which has over 41,000 members, dozens of posts daily seek to buy resale tickets, focusing on return trips on 24/4 and outbound trips on 2-3/5. Occasionally, some people resell tickets for 250,000-350,000 VND, and these are immediately purchased within minutes.

Mr. Dung, director of Dung Minh bus company, which specializes in the Hanoi - Nghe An - Ha Tinh route, reported that all holiday tickets were sold out on the first day the system opened in March. The company had to mobilize 30 additional vehicles throughout the holiday period but still could not meet the demand.

According to Mr. Dung, because the Hung Kings Commemoration Day and 30/4 holidays are close together, customers tend to book long-haul round trips to enjoy the entire nine-day break. This year's passenger volume doubled last year's.

Explaining why tickets for many Central Vietnam routes are always scarce, Trong An, a bus assistant on the Hanoi - Nghe An route, said that residents of provinces near the capital, such as Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa, can flexibly travel by moto. In contrast, for distances over 300 km, sleeper oto are the optimal choice for people from Central Vietnam. Haunted by memories of overcrowding during holidays, passengers often prioritize booking high-quality bus tickets early.

At traditional bus stations, some tickets are still available at the counter, operating on a first-come, first-served basis.

Crowds boarding a bus at Nuoc Ngam bus station, Hanoi, during the 30/4-1/5 2025 holiday. *Photo: Nga Thanh*

Alongside scarcity, travel costs also increased. Vietnam Railways adjusted ticket prices by 10-15% due to fuel price fluctuations. By early April, over 44,200 tickets had been sold. Vietnam Railways increased short-haul train services on the North-South line and key routes such as Hanoi to Lao Cai, Hai Phong, Dong Hoi; and TP HCM to Nha Trang, Phan Thiet.

The aviation situation was equally challenging. Data from airlines showed that prime time slots for 29-30/4 and 3-4/5 were fully booked. Flights on off-peak dates and times were cheaper by approximately 1-2 million VND.

Thao Nhi, 30 years old, from TP HCM, recently had her request for a continuous nine-day holiday approved. She found that flight tickets to Nghe An on 25/4 had surged to 4 million VND one-way, nearly double the price during the Lunar New Year. When she looked for train tickets, the system only showed seating options.

Unwilling to travel long distances by sleeper oto, Nhi postponed her trip home by two days and planned to return to the city earlier. She accepted a late-night flight to purchase a ticket for 2-2.5 million VND.

Unable to buy a bus ticket, Quang Minh, 30 years old, originally from Nghe An, chose to stay in Hanoi. Currently, sleeper train tickets range from 800,000 to one million VND, comparable to Lunar New Year prices. "Travel costs are too high, and I dread the crowds at bus stations, so I chose to stay," Minh said.

Quynh Nga