Vietnam motorcycle and car rental

As in most Southeast Asian countries, the motorcycle called in Vietnam "Motobike" is the most common mode of transport. For tourists, this is also a great way to get to know the country better, see more and feel completely free in terms of movement. But renting a motorcycle in Vietnam is associated with some specifics. Which one, read on:

Fearless foreign tourist driving a motorbike in Vietnam

What rights are needed to rent a motorcycle or car in Vietnam

Since 2014, in Vietnam, on completely legal grounds, you can drive a rented vehicle with an international driving license (IDP) that meets the requirements of the Vienna Convention on road traffic. Previously, it was necessary to obtain temporary local rights for this, and no others were recognized in the country. Now you can safely drive on a driver's license issued in Russia. True, the price for renting a car is still quite high, from $ 50 per day.

Idi can be obtained in the traffic police of the Russian Federation on the basis of existing national (i.e. ordinary Russian) rights without exams. You just need to apply to the traffic police or MFC. The traffic police will have to visit to get ready-made Rights. But do not forget that IDUs are valid only upon presentation of national rights, i.e. you need to take both documents on a trip.

Categories of vehicles in the IDU are exactly the same as in the National IDU. Importantly, to drive a motorcycle or even a low-powered scooter you need Category A, having only B or above will not do. Therefore, take care in advance of opening the desired category, and only then issue an IDP.

Of course, it is impossible not to take into account the local realities of the country. Many police officers still do not know the new laws or pretend not to know, and act in the old-fashioned way, trying to take a fine from tourists or a bribe for driving without a license. You should be prepared for such a development of the situation and prove your case. To do this, it does not hurt to carry a printout of the following law in Vietnamese:

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Law on the recognition of Idi in Vietnam

Where and how to rent a motorcycle, car

Rent a motorcycle (Motobike, low-power scooter) in Vietnam, tourist areas are available at every turn. Almost all hotels, rental companies on the street, travel agencies and shops are engaged in renting. Do not believe the information sometimes found on the Internet that finding and renting a motorcycle in Vietnam is more difficult than in Thailand. On the contrary, it is easier. A deposit here is almost never required, and will be content with a copy of your passport or simply ask for the name of your hotel. However, the situation is gradually changing due to the fact that cases of theft of motorbikes from foreigners and foreigners have become more frequent (while the distributor, it turns out, remains with nothing), and in some places they ask to leave a passport as collateral. If you do not want to leave the document, just go to another distributor.

Sometimes it is difficult to rent a motorcycle for a few days to travel to other cities. But this problem is also easily solved by finding another distributor, such as a private trader. Ask about renting from the first taxi driver or moto-taxi driver, they will organize everything for you for any period and in the best possible way.

Rent a motorcycle in Vietnam

Before you finally agree to take this or that Motobike for rent, be sure to check its performance. Very often, motorbikes in Vietnam do not have a speedometer (not a big problem, but an urgent need if you drive long distances on the map), there are no or dangling rear-view mirrors (without mirrors, driving in a dense stream is very uncomfortable and dangerous). It happens that the brakes do not even work or the engine stalls only having time to start. A working sound signal is very important, it can really save you from an accident. Ideally, before renting, you should do a small test drive, riding a motorcycle at least a couple of hundred meters.

Car rental in Vietnam is still a non-widespread service, because it was allowed to rent a car only recently. Therefore, prices are quite high-from $ 50 per day. But in the country there are already offices of World rental offices, and you can book a car in Vietnam here.

How much does it cost to rent a motorcycle in Vietnam

Rental prices vary from rental company to rental company, so if the price seems high to you, walk 20 meters and find it cheaper. It makes no sense to overpay. Motorcycles with manual transmissions and semi-automatic machines are cheaper than automatic machines, while they are more reliable and more powerful. For long-distance travel, it is better to take a manual or semi-automatic.

Here are the minimum prices we found for renting motorbikes (per day or light day) in popular cities of Vietnam in 2025:

• Mui Ne - 150,000 VND / 5.77 USD, see Vietnam currency, exchange rate.
• Nhatrang - 120,000 VND / 4.62 USD
• Dalat - 100,000 VND / 3.85 USD
• Hoi An - 100,000 VND / 3.85 USD
• Da Nang - 100,000 VND / 3.85 USD
• Sapa - 100,000 VND / 3.85 USD

On average, the price rarely exceeds 150,000 VND (approximately 5.77 USD). If more expensive, then just look for another rental.

Where and how to refuel a Motobike

Motorbikes 92 or 95 are fueled with gasoline. It is designated in Vietnam in the same way as in our country - just numbers.

You can refuel at large gas stations, the same as ours. Service personnel work at gas stations, who themselves refuel your equipment. They are also given money for refueling, you do not need to go to any cash register.

It is possible to refuel at "private" gas stations along the roads, which are a large bottle of gasoline or fuel poured into plastic containers, but it is more expensive to refuel there.

Tank capacity of motorbikes-3-4 liters.

The cost of a liter of gasoline in Vietnam - from 21 000 VND (approximately 0.81 USD).

Refueling in Vietnam

Where to park your motorbike

If you are worried about the safety of rented equipment, it is better to park the motorcycle in paid parking lots. The cost of parking is from 2,000 to 10,000 VND. In some places, parking is just a local who looks after the bikes and you pay him in hand, and in some places it is parking with coupons that you get when you put the bike and return when you pick it up. Sometimes the locals will not even let you put a motorcycle until you pay them, although this is not legal. You can, of course, drive 20 meters and put the bike nearby, but there is no guarantee that in your absence it will not be damaged on purpose.

At night, the Motobike is best put in the hotel parking lot, which in most cases is absolutely Free.

Motobike parking in Vietnam

A little about traffic and rules in Vietnam

It should be understood that a motorcycle is the most dangerous type of wheeled transport, and in Vietnam it is doubly dangerous. Traffic here is very chaotic, almost no one follows the rules, everyone climbs on the oncoming lane, no one ever misses pedestrians.

Nevertheless, the movement as a whole is slow and not so dangerous, it is easy to adapt to it. Most importantly, restrain yourself and do not drive, do not exceed the average flow rate.

There are a lot of equivalent intersections that do not look equivalent at all. At such intersections, even local residents do not always know who should be allowed to pass (and those on the right should be allowed to pass), and everyone merges into a single stream and somehow leaves. The advice here is one: at each intersection, be extremely careful and let everyone pass. In general, there are almost no "Main road" and "Make way" priority signs, and priority is usually determined by the "Intersection with secondary road" or "Secondary Road junction" signs that are installed well in advance of the intersection.

When entering and driving on the "Rings", there is also a rule to let everyone on the right pass, even when you are moving on the ring. And the Vietnamese are very fond of organizing one-way traffic, so carefully watch the signs "traffic is prohibited" (" brick").

And yet, motorcycle drivers should always go on the right side of the road. At any moment, a bus or truck can jump out on the road, and he does not care that a motorcycle is riding on the oncoming lane, he will just signal you to get out of the way. Therefore, it is better to always keep the right side. In some places, by the way, a separate lane is allocated for motorcycles, and on some roads, motorcyclists are forbidden by signs to go to the second lane and beyond.

And finally, one more tip for safe driving on a motorcycle in Vietnam: remember that the most important button on a motorcycle is a beep. In Vietnam, everyone honks on the roads, and not just because they are in a hurry somewhere. Since there are enough careless drivers and pedestrians on the roads who, moreover, do not know the rules, everyone honks to warn about their movement. And do not be modest: honk in any case, when it seems that the situation on the road may threaten. This will really help make traffic safer. Read more about features of traffic in Vietnam...

You should also be aware of some of the features of local traffic rules regarding movement on a motorcycle (also a motorcycle or scooter), for which you can be fined:

• No more than two passengers are allowed.
• The speed limit is not more than 40 km/h in the city, and 60 km/h outside the city. Speed is measured by radar, as in Russia.
• There is a penalty for an untidy retractable stand (footrest, or side stop) for parking.
• It is forbidden to sound the alarm at night.
• Aggressive driving in the form of frequent lane changes is prohibited.
• It is forbidden to talk on the phone while driving.
• Driving without a helmet is prohibited. Although the fine is small, only 30,000 VND, but this way you will attract the attention of the police, and they will surely "turn all your documents inside out" to find more violations.
• Do not place motorcycles when driving on the roadway next to each other, if this prevents the passage of other vehicles. For example, if you want to ride poison with your friends to have a little chat, you might get fined. You need to go only in a chain, one after the other, and not side by side.
• Do not tow or push the bike (using another vehicle).
• You can't ride on one wheel.

Traffic policeman in Vietnam