stevehaigh

Thanks Steve I am looking forward to reading your trip report, as I am interested in Sapa too. What's the easiest way to get there from Hanoi, and how long does it take to get there?

The easiest and probably most stress free way is to go by the overnight trains

Almost every travel agent sells the daily tickets there and there are various categories available

I believe the fanciest carriage belongs to the Victoria Resort but I have also used the $40-$50 ones and they are very well appointed in wood / nightlight and very comfy beds

I suggest an overnight bag for the 1-3 nights you stay at Sapa...most hotels on Hanoi will store your luggage for you for free even if you are not returning for a stay after your Sapa trip.

The journey starts at about 9-10pm and will drop you at about 5am to Lao Cai ...my suggestion is to buy some bread for the journey to Sapa as you possibly hungry ...at 5am it's crazy to try to book one of the mini vans ( you will see tons of them shouting at you as you alight with your luggage)

From there , most of the hotels you book will provide the transfers thru beautiful winding roads and it takes about an hour before you reach downtown Sapa where most hotels are

Dear Riley'sLife

As other's advices, Sapa is a great place for you to beat the heat in Vietnam in summer. There is no doubt to say that in Sapa the weather is defenitely cool, natural scenery is marvelous and you will be addicted to delicious local dishes here. However, because of rough road, you need to take some hours to go trekking in Sapa to reach beautiful villages.
Because you said that "want more of a relaxed style", hence I suggest that Dalat is another best choice for you to relax with your wife.

You can go to some travel agents below that offer reasonable- price Dalat tours
http://www.bestpricevn.com/Tours_Da-Lat-Tours/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/central-highlands/dalat

To Rebeccadang:

Thanks for your e-mail. I am thinking now to fly into Hanoi and then fly to Delat. I am trying to convince my wife now, but she is hard to agree to Delat, because we were there before and she felt it was boring and nothing to do there during the day. I also agree that Sapa might not be so comfortable to travel to as others have mentioned.

Sapa is a world of different experiences ...if you check out the Victoria Sapa Resort...it's a fantastic experience

From the check in at the train station and the luxury bed to the transfer ...it's a stunning and relaxing experience

The journey from Lao Cai train station to Sapa is about 45 mins and you an opt to upgrade your ride if you like ...if not the driver of the van drives safely and there is an occasional pothole here and there but the ride is not uncomfortable and really scenic

Once you are at the resort there are lots of options to do an easy trek or even have a good walk in the city and nearby attractions

Food is beautiful at the setting of the mountain views