Have you ever wonder what means of transport we should use to travel in the new destinations? I think all of us have once. Each country, each region has different traffic habits and cultures. Therefore, today I will introduce all about transportation guide when traveling in Vietnam.
Usually when you land at the airport, you will probably hire a taxi to the hotel, right? You will probably stop in that city for at least a day and then move to another place. You can move in the inner city by renting a motorbike, renting a bicycle, catching a bus, taking a taxi, taking the train or using a car technology application. When moving to another place, you can use a plane, train, sleeper bus, or even ride a motorbike.
Here are the detailed instructions!
1. Airlines in Vietnam
If you want to travel a long distance as quickly as possible (eg from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, from the North to the South of Vietnam, more than 2000km but only in 2 hours), taking a plane is the right choice.
Vietnam has airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, Vietjet Air, Jetstar. The advantages and disadvantages of each airline have been summarized here: Overview about airlines in Vietnam. The way to book air tickets as well as the regulations of each airline are shown on the airline’s website which I have attached to the above article. I hope this can be a good transportation guide in relation to airplane in Vietnam.
About myself, I usually book flights from Hanoi to places like Da Nang, Hue, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Phu Yen, Ho Chi Minh City… Then from those places, I usually rent cars or motorbikes go to nearby within a radius of less than 100km.
2. Railways in Vietnam
If you want to travel long distances without worrying about losing a lot of time, and want to be both safe and enjoy the scenery, you don’t have to choose a plane, you can choose a train.
About why to choose to travel by train, about train ticket booking, how to get on the train, all the things about transportation guide in relation to train in Vietnam are here: Everything about traveling by train in Vietnam.
Train tickets are very cheap, probably only 1/10 of the price of air tickets. Buying train tickets is also easy, just show up 15 minutes before departure time.
Normally, traveling from Hanoi to neighboring provinces by train like Hai Phong takes about 2 hours. It takes about a day to go from Hanoi to the southern provinces.
3. Travel by motorbike in Vietnam
Traveling by motorbike is one of the popular travel experiences in Vietnam.
There are many reasons for Vietnamese people, especially young people, to like using motorbikes. Traveling by motorbike will help you take the initiative to go where you want to go. You will be able to fully see the scenery on the roadside if you travel by motorbike. You can also freely stop to take pictures and chat with the locals. In addition, using this vehicle also saves costs, and it also teaches us how to manage and solve unforeseen problems.
The main items to bring include:
- Protective gear, such as protective armor for motorcycle riders, knee and elbow protectors, standard travel helmets (should be full-face, off-road, .. .).
- The phone is always connected to 4G and turns on the GPS (or handheld GPS device) to find the way and plan the beautiful roads to explore.
- Light and airy clothes.
- Raincoats, waterproof umbrellas.
- Eye protection (or sunglasses) and face covering.
- Snacks on the go and drinks.
In addition, you need to check and maintain your motorbike in good function before the trip.
In any city, there are usually motorbike rental locations. You can ask the hotel receptionist where you are staying or search on Google.
Another thing to note is that you should rent a real motorbike to go on a trip instead of a scooter bike. At this point, if you choose to travel by motorbike, you must have some experience and knowledge about this. But I hope it’s not superfluous to repeat.
In Vietnam, many young people love to ride from Hanoi to Ha Giang which is one of the most difficult and dangerous places to ride because of the treacherous mountain road. In addition, if you want to travel by motorbike on the coastal road, going from Quy Nhon to Phu Yen is also a great experience.
I hope that the above transportation guide can help a little bit!
4. Traveling by bus in Vietnam
Buses here I want to mention two types: public buses in the city and buses for long-distance travel.
Traveling in the city by public buses
Buses are public transports that appear a lot on the streets of Vietnam and are used by a large number of people. This is a very useful method of travel because it is cheap and safe.
It is a fact that not all bus stations in Vietnam have shelters or road signs. There are even sections of the road where the bus stop is only recognized by the orange-yellow zigzag lines on the edge of the road where the bus will stop. Therefore, you should equip yourself with a map, which is sold a lot in bookstores. The map has the effect of indicating which route the bus will take on which road, where to find the station or when to arrive… you can use it to plan ahead for the entire trip.
In addition, some new bus stations are also equipped with a map dedicated to the trips on that road. Another way is to use lookup apps like BusMap, Moovit. They also work like a map, but fit neatly into your phone. I think this apps are the great transportation guide to the bus.
“Get on the front door, get off the back door” is considered an “underground law” when riding a bus in Vietnam. The jostling and shoving takes place a lot and often on the bus. Therefore, it is your responsibility to be careful when getting on and off the bus. Remember, when taking the bus, you have to get on by the front door and get off by the back door. Avoid the case of people getting on and off at the same door, causing confusion and delaying the bus. You should also yield to the elderly and younger children first. Do not push to get in the car faster.
Normally, a ride costs 7,000 VND for guests and 3,000 VND for students.
At rush hour, most of the buses in Vietnam are very crowded, people are crammed together. This is when pickpockets usually get out. They often stand close to you, when no one is paying attention or when the bus brakes, causing everyone to wobble, they will perform their theft.
The assets that pickpockets often target are phones and wallets. They are very quick and often go in groups, you only know you lose your items when they are gone. Always be alert when someone is standing close to you. You should also not put your property in your pants pocket, but put it in a pocket in your jacket (if you have one) or carry your bag or backpack upside down to avoid the situation that crooks have the opportunity to steal.
Long-distance buses for traveling
First, choosing a bus is also very important. You should choose high-quality passenger cars of well-known brands to travel safely. Usually, with these trips, the luggage of guests (if many) will be left in the basement. Therefore, in the process of preparation you will need to choose your valuables into a small bag and carry it with you.
You should try to book early or come early to get a good seat. If you are in a sleeper bus, you should choose the lower seat if you are a person who often suffers from motion sickness. In addition, if your destination is at the end of the journey, you should ask the driver to tuck your luggage deep into the basement to avoid others taking your luggage by mistake.
Of course, valuables like money, phones and important documents need to be put in the front pocket and pinned with a pin. The outfit in the car does not need to be luxurious, but it needs to be compact, dynamic and convenient. A small note, traveling by coach, you should not wear jewelry of great value because that easily evokes the greed of others, taking unnecessary risks on yourself.
About how to buy bus ticket, you can check here: Bus travel Vietnam 2022. This is also a blog I read on Internet about bus transportation guide in Vietnam.
5. About traveling by taxi and using technology car and bike apps
First, let’s talk about taxis.
Taxis in Vietnam are probably the same as Taxis in other countries. Vietnam has many taxi companies, each company will have a different price. Normally, the opening price of taxi companies is from 10,000 VND to 12,000 VND. And every subsequent kilometer will be about 15,000/km.
You should choose reputable taxi companies such as Mai Linh, Taxi Group, Taxi Noi Bai (in Hanoi), G7 Taxi. If you go to a car of an unscrupulous company, the driver may deliberately not press the meter and will ask you to pay a higher price than usual.
About using technology car and bike apps
There are some reputable apps you can use on your phone to book a motorbike/scooter rider or a car driver to take you everywhere. This way may be the most popular in big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang because you can choose the destinations right on the app and know clearly about the price and payment method before deciding to book.
The most popular apps are Grab, Goject and Be.
However, if you are in a small city such as Quy Nhon, there may be no car or bike you can catch. This is a disadvantage.
Yeah, I hope all the transportation guide above can help. Thank you for reading!
