How to get to Vung Tau from Ho Chi Minh City and the airport

Vung Tau is only 125 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, but the road can take from 1.5 to 4 hours depending on the chosen transport and traffic jams.

A brief overview of the ways to get there

If you need to get your bearings quickly, here is a brief comparative table of all the main ways to get from Ho Chi Minh City and the airport to Vung Tau:

How to get from Ho Chi Minh City Airport to Vung Tau

• Minivans from the airport

  In our opinion, this is the best option in terms of price/comfort ratio. When leaving the arrivals hall of the domestic terminal, you need to cross the road, and there are several counters selling minivan tickets to Vung Tau on the dividing strip.

  

  We went with the Hai Van carrier for 230,000 VND/person with delivery to the hotel door. Minivans are comfortable, they are called here "limousines" of superior comfort. There is a lot of space in such places, reclining seats almost to the reclining position, there is even a multimedia system and massage chairs.

  

  Important: Minivans run only during the day and depart conditionally on schedule, but in practice they often leave due to occupancy.

• Taxi from the airport

  If you have more than 3 people or you arrive late at night, a taxi may be more profitable than minivans. We used this option several times when we arrived at night.

  

  Ways to order a taxi:

  • Applications: Grab, Maxim, Indriver, Xanh SM from 1,200,000 VND. To order, you can buy a SIM card at the airport or use airport WiFi.
  • Drivers at the exit: You can arrange a trip when exiting the international terminal, but you need to immediately negotiate the price and bargain.
  • Transfer: If you are used to comfort, you can book a ready-made tourist taxi transfer at home. The driver will meet you with a sign at the airport and deliver you to the hotel door.

• Buses from the airport

  There is a regular intercity bus number 72-1. It runs from 08:00 to 22:30 every hour and a half, costs from 150,000 VND, departs from the parking lot of the international terminal and makes a stop near the domestic terminal. In Vung Tau arrives at the bus station, i.e. you still have to take a taxi or walk to the hotel.

How to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau

If you are already in Ho Chi Minh City, there are even more options. We use buses most often - it's cheap and reliable.

• Buses from Ho Chi Minh City

  Vung Tau is connected by frequent bus service to Ho Chi Minh City. This is the most popular destination, there are many flights, tickets can be bought right on the spot before departure.

  

  Our choice - Futa Buslines. They have offices in tourist area of Ho Chi Minh City and a bus departs from there (with a transfer at the bus station to a large bus). They go at least every hour, the ticket costs from 140,000 VND.

  There are also a lot of other companies from the tourist area, look for their offices on the tourist street Pham Ngu Lao.

• Speedboat from Ho Chi Minh City

  A hydrofoil speedboat runs from Ho Chi Minh City twice a day and back. In our experience, this is a good way to get to Vung Tau from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, but do not overestimate your strength: on a high-speed boat, it's not easy to get seasick, so it's better to take something for motion sickness before the trip.

  The cost starts from 290,000 VND for a non-refundable ticket, 320,000 for a regular one. Depart for Ho Chi Minh City from the Bach Dang pier, located on the river east of the tourist area (marina on the map of Ho Chi Minh City).

  In Vung Tau arrive/depart at the main port Ho May (port on the Vung Tau map). It's not very far from the center, but you still have to take a taxi from 30,000 VND to the hotel.

  

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