Hong Kong
You cannot buy a through ticket, but it will cost around £70 or $110 one-way in total. It's a good idea to book the Hong Kong-Guangzhou & Guangzhou-Nanning trains in advance by email through an agency such as www.chinatripadvisor.com, www.chinatraintickets.net or www.china-train-ticket.com, or perhaps in person through a travel agency in Hong Kong. The other buses & trains can be paid for as you go along.
- Day 1, morning: Take a train from Hong Kong (Kowloon station) to Guangzhou (East station). There are a range of departures daily, including one leaving Kowloon at 11:17 and arriving Guangzhou Dong at 12:58. Fare about HK$190 (£17 or $28). A taxi from Guangzhou East to Guangzhou Main station costs about RMB 30.
- Day 1, evening: Take an overnight sleeper train from Guangzhou (main station) to Nanning, train number 2571 departing Guangzhou at 16:52 and arriving Nanning the next morning at 06:23. Soft and hard class sleepers are available. The fare is about 286 RMB (£29 or $43) in a soft sleeper, or 184 RMB (£19 or $29) in a hard sleeper. Spend the day in Nanning.
- Day 2, take the daily overnight train from Nanning to Hanoi, see the section above. It leaves Nanning in the early evening and arrives Hanoi next morning. Soft & hard sleepers available, fare RMB 229 (£23 or $37). Alternatively, there are several modern buses from Nanning to Hanoi every morning.