All about transport in Vietnam, what to move

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Public and tourist transport in Vietnam is well developed, and allows you to independently get to any place in the country, and comfortably and inexpensively move around cities and resorts. In general, the cost of public transport in Vietnam is lower than in the Russian Federation, but this is only if you know how to use it correctly. If you do not know some of the nuances, it is very easy to overpay even for the simplest trips, because tourists here are often perceived by the rich, from whom you must take more money than from the locals.

Read on about all types of transport in Vietnam for tourists, and how to use them:

Aircraft

Hanoi airport

Air traffic in Vietnam is well developed, including low-cost carriers (low-cost carriers). The largest state - owned airline is Vietnam Airlines. It is an excellent company with excellent services, but also high compared to others operating in the country. Much cheaper flights within the country can be made on "state employees":

• Jetstar
• VietJetAir or VietJetAirAsia
• AirAsia
• VASCO
• Bamboo Airways

From Russia to Vietnam can be reached by Vietnam Airlines, Aeroflot, Nordwind Airlines, Orenburg Airlines, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad airlines, Turkish Airlines, China Southern and many others. Read more about Vietnam Airlines here...

The route network is not very large, but covers all the main tourist places: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Phu Quoc Island and Kon Dao, Dalat, Hue, Haiphong. Some resorts are not directly accessible by plane, you will have to fly to the nearest airport, and then go on the ground by train or bus.:

• Sapa. Fly to Hanoi airport, and then take a bus or train (see how to get to Sapa).
• Halong. Fly to Hanoi airport, and then by bus or train (see how to get to Halong).
• Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. Fly to Ho Chi Minh City Airport, and then take a taxi, bus with a transfer in Ho Chi Minh City, or train (see how to get to Mui Ne and Phan Thiet).
• Hoi An. Fly to Da Nang Airport, and then take a taxi or city bus to (see how to get to Hoi An from Da Nang).
• Cat Ba. Fly to the airport IslandHaiphong, and continue by bus or ferry (see how to get to Cat Ba).
• Vung Tau. Fly to Ho Chi Minh City Airport, and then by bus (see how to get to Vung Tau).

Find and book flights to the cities of Vietnam, including automatically select the most profitable routes with transfers, you can use the search form:

Trains

Da Nang railway station

The railway network in Vietnam is not very developed. There is a railway line connecting the north with the South (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City), and passing through all the major cities and resorts of the center of the country: Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hue, Vinh. From Hanoi, there are branches to Laocai (to get to Sapa) and Haiphong (to get to Catba island or Halong Bay). Also from Hanoi the railway goes to China and further even to Russia and Europe up to London.

However, traveling by train is one of the most comfortable ways to travel around the country. Train tickets are cheaper than planes, but almost twice as expensive as buses to the same destinations. During the period of the Vietnamese New Year Tet, which is January and February, train fares increase up to 4 times.

Train tickets for Vietnam can be bought at the railway station (cheapest), via the Internet (a little more expensive), or in tourist areas at travel agencies (with a large mark-up).

For tourists, the most relevant Purchase is via the Internet, since it is best to buy tickets for long-distance trains in advance. Unfortunately, buy official e-tickets on the railways website https://dsvn.vn/ it is not yet possible for tourists, since payment is triggered only for plastic cards of Vietnamese banks, but you can try your card. It is much easier and more convenient for foreigners to purchase tickets through the website 12go.asia. This site has a Russian-language interface, the purchase is paid for with a plastic card, and as a result you will receive an electronic ticket to the post office, which you can print out and safely go on a trip with it.

Learn more about trains in Vietnam and how to use them here...

Intercity and international buses

International bus from Laos

The bus network is very well developed, and this is the most "popular" and inexpensive form of Transport for moving between cities. It is perfect for tourists, especially since there are even special tourist buses. There are also international flights to Laos, Cambodia and China.

The cost of travel on buses is about two times lower than on trains, but also less comfort. Fortunately, for long distances between cities in Vietnam, there are special "slipping basses" (Sleeping bus), equipped with recumbent seats specifically for long-distance trips up to a day. For example, flights to Laos or Cambodia take more than a day. In such buses, you move in a completely supine position. Usually they are equipped with three rows of such "beds" in two levels (lower and upper). If possible, we recommend to occupy the upper rows, they are more comfortable. Some buses have a toilet on board, and those that do not have one make frequent stops along the way for trips to the toilet and meals.

There are buses of small private companies and large public carriers. Depart and arrive from bus stations, and sometimes use their offices as places of departure and arrival, it all depends on the direction and firm. Tickets can be purchased at bus stations, Company offices and travel agencies on the street or in hotels. Moreover, if you buy tickets from travel agencies or hotels, the cost is slightly higher, but it includes the delivery of you from the hotel to the place of dispatch, which is much more convenient. It is also now possible to purchase search and book bus tickets to Vietnam online through the service 12go.asia. You can check schedules and costs using the search form:

Water transport

Halong cruise boat

Water transport is not very common in Vietnam, but in some places you can not do without it. For example, do not get to Cat Ba island, or do not tour the Mekong Delta in the South. Boat tours in Halong Bay are also very popular.

However, it is not very convenient for tourists in Vietnam to use boats and ferries independently, that is, as a separate mode of transport. It is usually easier and cheaper to use ready-made solutions in the form of excursions or a comprehensive bus+ferry transfer to get somewhere. If you decide to use it yourself, you will have to solve problems in order to first get to the right Pier, yell with the schedule (where everything is only in Vietnamese), and then somehow get to the right place from the pier.

Tourist transfers

Slipping bass tourist transfer

At the popular resorts in Vietnam in travel agencies and hotels you can find ready-made complex tourist transfers on sale, and this is one of the most convenient and inexpensive ways to get to the right place. Pick up tourists right from the door of the hotel. Sometimes it can even be transfers-excursions in one direction. For example, you can get from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh (Cambodia) by boat and bus in 2 days, and during this time visit several interesting places in a group with a guide.

Transfers can include moving on private minibuses, buses, ferries, trains and planes with a small mark-up, but in fact they can end up cheaper than an independent trip, since you do not have to spend money on individual transfers by taxi or minivan to the place of departure, during transfers, etc.

Urban transport

Hanoi city bus

In the major cities of Vietnam, there is a system of city buses. The most developed networks are in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, in other cities they are limited to a dozen routes, or even less. In small towns there are no buses at all. Sometimes urban routes are also suburban, such as bus No. 1 In Da Nang, which costs only 17,000 VND (13.66 USD, see currency in Vietnam and exchange rate) you can drive from Da Nang to Hoi An. The city fare starts at 4000 VND (0.16 USD).

City buses run on established routes according to the schedule (they do not always adhere to it), stop at equipped bus stops, or places marked with signs indicating route numbers on them. Payment of the ticket is made to the conductor in Dong, a ticket is issued. In large cities, it is best to install official applications for their use, for example, in Hanoi Tim Buyt, In Da Nang DanaBus.

The metro in the cities of Vietnam is not yet available, but is now being built in Hanoi. It is planned to launch in 2019.

Taxi and mototaxi

Hanoi City Taxi

Taxis in Vietnam are a very common mode of transport, especially in major cities and tourist destinations. A trip on the counter for short distances (1-2 kilometers) will cost an average of 25 000 VND (0.98 USD) . On all official taxi cars, prices for the trip are indicated on the side door or glass, for example: landing and the first 500 meters – 12,000 VND, then for each kilometer – 9,000 VND.

All official taxis are equipped with meters, but tourists have problems with its use: taxi drivers want to get money from foreigners in full, and do not always agree to travel by meters, and instead offer a trip at a fixed price, which can be several times higher. It is better to refuse such offers, but if there is no way out, then at least bargain. Sometimes there are "twisted" counters that work faster than expected.

One of the largest taxi companies in all of Vietnam is Mai Linh Taxi, and for many years it was believed that this is one of the most reliable companies where you never cheat. But now there are clones of it with a similar name and even fake cars with similar logos, so this is not a guarantee.

Grab in Vietnam

Fortunately, now there is a good alternative – order a taxi through the Grab app. This is an analogue of Uber for Asian countries, and Uber itself does not work in Vietnam. Grab is better to install in advance at home and activate it using your phone or log in through a Facebok or Google account. After that, everything is about the same as in Uber: specify the point of departure and destination on the map, choose the type of taxi, get the cost and place an order. Payment is made at the end of the trip to the driver in cash. Both a regular car taxi and a motorcycle taxi are available, which is half the price. Learn more about how to use Grab in Vietnam here...

Transport rental

Rented motorcycle in Vietnam

Since 2014, in Vietnam, on completely legal grounds, you can drive a rented vehicle on an international driving license (IDP) that meets the requirements of the Vienna Convention on road traffic (Read more about renting a motorcycle and a car in Vietnam). You can get such an Idi in the traffic police. Repeated exams are not required.

However, the price for renting a car in Vietnam is still quite high-from $50 per day. Book cars best through the Internet, you can here.

But the situation is much simpler with renting motorcycles. Low-power scooters Automata or semi-Automata are offered everywhere at a price of 80 000 VND per day. For their management, too, international rights are required and the presence of Category "A" is mandatory, but in practice tourists are touched very rarely, unless they violate the traffic rules. For rent, only a passport is required as a deposit, and sometimes you can do with a photocopy of it. Read more about renting transport in Vietnam here…

But before you rent a vehicle, especially a two-wheeled one, look at the traffic and weigh your strength. Perhaps not everyone will like the chaotic, almost without rules, traffic on the roads of Vietnam. Also read our article about the features of traffic in Vietnam.

Buying a motorcycle

Motorcycle sales in Vietnam

Despite the apparent complexity, buying a motorcycle and making a Moto trip to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia will not be difficult. The most important thing for this is to be able to manage two – wheeled vehicles well. Moreover, we are not talking about the usual scooter Automata or semi-Automata that can be rented at any resort in Southeast Asia. For long-distance travel, it is better to purchase a device with a fully manual transmission, since they are more reliable and easier to repair.

Buying a motorcycle by foreign tourists in Vietnam is a fairly common thing, and locals have long been selling and buying used motorcycles specifically for this purpose. For sale are offered, as a rule, Honda motorcycles. The Honda Win model is especially popular, and it is better to buy it, because it is a very reliable and easily repaired device that can be repaired even in the most remote wilderness. Do not chase other brands, and even more so for semi-automatic or automatic.

Learn more about buying a motorcycle for traveling in Vietnam here...