Ho Chi Minh – Dalat: Phuong Trang bus or Thanh Buoi bus
The bus transport from Ho Chi Minh city to Dalat and vice versa is popular for budget tourists instead of expensive airlines or the tourists prefer to experience of sightseeing on the way with a lot of landscape such as coffee & tea terrace, native cultural symbols along the street.
I write this review is assisting the tourists have the good choice for transport services. My review is from experiencing myself, not promote or advertise for any brand.
At present, there are 02 bus companies which tourists & native people always prefer for Ho Chi Minh – Dalat route are Phuong Trang bus (brand name is Futabusline) and Thanh Buoi bus. However, almost foreign tourists are familiar to Phuong Trang bus (Futabus) meanwhile almost native people are familiar to Thanh Buoi bus.
Thus, why have the tourists been going with Futabus?
The significant reasons for this difference, I think they caused from: the marketing advantage of Phuong Trang bus is better one of Thanh Buoi bus. Beginning from name, you have seen Phuong Trang bus with brand name is “Futabus”, it’s very easy to remember “Futabus” with impressive orange color. Besides that, Futabus is the big company with their large extension from North to South of Vietnam, meanwhile Thanh Buoi bus has served for only market of Dalat, HCMC, and Can Tho. The second reason, I think it is the most important element of all, that’s location of station, Futabus has the convenient location of station in HCMC (located 272 De Tham street, Dist.1, HCMC), the central of Ben Thanh market & Backpacker area.
Inside of Phuong Trang bus (Futabus)
Thus, why have the native people been going with Thanh Buoi?
Because Buses of Thanh Buoi are newer & better buses of Phuong Trang. Inside of the buses of Thanh Buoi, you have never seen the scratched seats (i can’t always guarantee, but I had gone with them 03 times, latest time is 26th May 2014, they’re all new ones). I highly recommend Thanh Buoi bus for the tall tourists, I have been easy & comfortable for stretching my legs in the bunk bed of sleeping bus, meanwhile I can not do well with Futabus (My tall is near 6 feets). Besides that, Thanh Buoi has variety of regular trips, every trip per each 30 minutes included both the seating bus and the sleeping bus.
Inside of Thanh Buoi bus
Comparing Phuong Trang bus and Thanh Buoi bus:
| Phuong Trang Bus (Futabuslines) | Thanh Buoi Bus |
| In HCMC: Central location (Backpacker area) | In HCMC: Location in Dist 3 (5km from Backpacker area) |
| In Dalat: Dalat bus station (4km from center) | In Dalat: Thanh Buoi bus station (4km from center) |
| Free Transfer Service inside of Dalat | Free Transfer Service inside of Dalat |
| Every trip per each hour | Every trip per each 30 minutes |
| Moving time: 7 – 8.5 hours | Moving time: 7 – 8 hours |
| Supporting around Vietnam | Supporting for HCMC, Dalat, Can Tho |
| Same Cost | Same Cost |
By Ho Lam
Margaret Hall, 6 years ago
What is the price per person from Ho Chi Minh to Dalat for the bus
Travel Advisor, 6 years ago
hi, you can be easy to check the rate at bus booking page futabus.vn
Alaitz, 7 years ago
Hello! Maight I know the timetable from Dalat to Nah Trang and where can I cet the tikets? Thank you!
Moe, 7 years ago
DO NOT take Puta bus. The terminal in Ho Chi Minh City is SO far out of the city that it’ll cost you another 200,000 to get back to district 1. The shuttle service to Le Hong Phong that was promised upon buying the ticket at the Da Lat terminal was just a blatant lie. There were no shuttle service whatsoever. So do not make the same mistake I did.
thuong le, 8 years ago
Phuong Trang service is really bad, bought a ticket from Dalat to Saigon at 7a.m, window bed. They picked me up at 6.30 a.m, when i got there, they said the bus just left. I have a flight to catch from Saigon , It’s so annoying. One of their staff named Yen was very rude and asked me to call her manager. They put me on the next bus at 7’30 a.m which had last bed, vey uncomfortable, never take this bus again.
zurien, 8 years ago
Hi, sorry for disturbing u. How can i booked dalat trip.. I want go on 2 nov until 3nov. I will arrive to HCMC on 2 nov around 11.30 am. So can u guide me how to booked ticket for dalattrip? Or i can booked from u? And how much for 3 people?
Chew, 8 years ago
May I know what is the different between open bus system and night bus, thanks.
Cyzr82, 9 years ago
Futa buslines (Phuong Trang) is very bad.
I am a tourist from Singapore, my wife is a Vietnamese.
I book a ticket back to Ho Chi Minh with my hotel, Huong Kim Resort in Mui Ne.
I paid 600,000 dong for 2 tickets but ended up in a very bad state. Actual price for ticket 135,000 dong each.
I was not given a seat no. by the hotel.
I was only told we were given seats at level 1 of this sleeping bus.
When the time is up for us to board the bus, we were told to wait for the next bus.
It was then I started to be puzzled.
When the next bus arrived we board the bus a took up 2 of the middle row seats at level 1.
The bus took us to the next stop and more people board the bus.
The actual owners of the seats we have take board the bus and we were told to make way.
Then to the next stop, the owners of these 2nd seat we took requested the seats from us again.
We felt hopeless as the only seats left were the 2 seats at the end of the bus, and what’s worse, they were on level 2.
I then ask my wife to check with the bus attendant what’s going on.
The bus attendant told us that we have board the wrong bus.
The bus we booked was at 1.30pm and this bus we are on is 2pm.
We told the attendant that we were arranged by the station crew to take this bus instead.
So he call back to Mui Ne station.
After a long conversation between them, we were told that those 2 seats left were the only seats available.
If we do not want to go with their arrangement then we will have to alight the bus.
I do not want to give in to such nonsense hence me and my wife alighted at Phan Tiet station.
At Phan Tiet station, we call back to our hotel which we booked out tickets.
We want a refund but the hotel staff say they have arranged for us to board the next bus and the seat no. is B03 & B04. (These seats are 2nd row on the 2nd level)
I gave in by accepting this arrangement although they are on 2nd level.
Bus arrived and we took our seat. This bad incident did not come to an end…
We were once again told that we are on the wrong seats, we are allocated to the end of the bus again.
This has became intolerable…. I was fumed and request for justice even though my Vietnamese was bad.
The manager of Phan Tiet station stepped in to help.
He managed to get my wife a seat at row 1 level 1.
But he only managed to get us one.
I was being ask to take the seat of the bus attendant until someone alight at the stopover which is 2hrs from where we board.
I agreed to given in further and accept his arrangement.
So we board the bus and continue our journey.
When we reached the stopover, my wife ask the bus attendant again for my seat.
The worst of the whole incident begins….
The bus attendant told my wife no one will be alighting in another 2hrs time where Ho Chi Minh is only 1hr away from where that passenger alight.
I decided to continue seating at the attendant seat throughout as a form of petition…
This is so that I have proof to show the station master of Ho Chi Minh how I was treated.
*all the above were typed during my journey on the bus attendant seat.
**important piece of advice…confirm your seat no. during purchase, ask for official receipt with seat no. written.
***i bet my ass which hurts throughout the journey, I will never engage their service again.
dalattrip, 9 years ago
Hi,
Thank you for sharing your experience to coming tourists. In Vietnam, you should not book & pay to the hotel, they will charge you higher than the actual price.
Peng, 9 years ago
I want to know whether there is a night bus from dalat to HCM.
dalattrip, 9 years ago
Hi Peng,
Futa Bus from Dalat to HCMC departs every 30 minutes, the first trip is 08:00am, the last trip is 01:00am. You can visit bus station for make the reservation or ask your hotel to call them for reservation.
Armi, 9 years ago
Hi..Phong, May I know your email address, I will book da lat and Mui Ne travel. I will trip on 28 January 2015.
Thanks
armi
dalattrip, 9 years ago
Hi Armi,
you can send me an email at phong.nguyen@dalattrip.com
Vicky, 9 years ago
I will never travel with Phuong Trang Futa Bus Lines ever again. I traveled with kids on the night bus from Bien Hoa to Nha Trang. I understand that the night bus has limited stops. However, if travel time exceeds the estimated time, then the driver should at least be considerate and visit rest stops at reasonable intervals. Aside from one pit stop at the beginning of the trip, there was never again a rest stop for the remainder of the trip, which exceeded 6+ hours. Imagine two kids and a belly of water. We pleaded to the driver to quickly make a pit stop, but they refused. They were making up for lost time at the expense of their customers by continuing pushing forward and refusing rest stops. My child ended up wetting his pants as a result. My poor son sat 6+ hours with wet pants. I was furious. Towards the end of the trip I simply had it. My family immediately told the driver to just drop off us off and that we will continue the rest of the way ourselves. We ended at one of the offices. I complained to whoever was there and asked us to please call us a taxi. Instead of a taxi, they got us another one of the buses. After the new driver made a rude comment about my dirty slippers being on his clean bus (mind you, it was raining and muddy and we are bound to get a bit of dirt on his bus), I immediately pulled my kids off the bus again and asked the girl at the office to get me a taxi. I WILL NEVER use this service again. Horrible customer service. HORRIBLE COMPANY. HORRIBLE PEOPLE.
Insik2040, 9 years ago
We plan to travel from HCMC to Dalat by bus. Do we need to do advance booking? or not?
dalattrip, 9 years ago
Hi,
You do not need to book in advance (except for Public Holidays)
Елена, 9 years ago
I was traveling with friends from Muyne to Ho Chi Minh City. Our bus departed at 23.00. Our seats were in the last row of the second tier. We fell asleep almost immediately. And in 00.30 minutes woke up on that at a sufficiently high speed (about 70 km/h) bus ran into some obstacle on the road, like a curb or lying politsiyskogo, from which it was thrown sharply. We woke up from a sharp blow – first we bounced up and we hit the ceiling, and then me and another passenger from the reset from the second tier of the aisle. We cried out in pain, I had a broken jaw and a broken right hand. We called the driver and asked for help, but the staff Futabus (driver and co-worker) do not even responded! Not checked the passengers, despite the fact that we continued to scream in pain. I note that the driver drove the bus so that we felt it either drunk or not at all knowing how to drive – he repeatedly violated the rules of the road as if it’s okay for him !!! Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, we turned to the office Futabus a complaint, but even the manager came to us. None of administaratsii did not deal with our question. We were amazed by this humiliating disregard for duty, but on his own goodness of the soul did not say to the police.
If you value your health, DO NOT USE THE SERVICES Futabis !!!!
DNY, 9 years ago
Hi.
If I were to travel from HCM to Dalat to Mui Ne to HCM.
Do I buy all the bus tickets at one place?
And where is it located at HCM?
Phong N, 9 years ago
You should buy the open bus tickets of Sinh Tourist
yonghao, 9 years ago
may i know the address or street name of the boarding point for Thanh Buoi buses in Ho Chi Minh City?
Phong N, 9 years ago
Hi,
Thanh Buoi bus in HCMC at: 266-268 Le Hong Phong, Dist.5, Ho Chi Minh city
Tel: 08 38 306306 – 08 38 308090