If you don’t want to wind up like a bug on a windshield, pay close attention to a few pedestrian survival rules, especially on the streets of motorbike-crazed HCMC and Hanoi. Foreigners frequently make the mistake of thinking that the best way to cross a busy street in Vietnam is to run quickly across it. This does [...]
The 2600km Vietnamese railway system, operated by Vietnam Railways (Duong Sat Viet Nam; tel 04-747 0308; www.vr.com.vn), runs along the coast between HCMC and Hanoi, and links the capital with Hai Phong and northern towns. While sometimes even slower than bvws, trains offer a more relaxing way to get around and more leg and body room than the [...]
We get loads of letters complaining about the quality of bottom-end budget tours being peddled in HCMC and Hanoi. Some are better than others, but remember the old adage that “you get what you pay for”. Tour-operator gimmicks like “one free beer” or “ten minutes of Internet” are not a good sign. Renting a car with [...]
There are many kinds of local transports in Vietnam at different prices. Bus The bus systems in Hanoi and HCMC have improved in the past few years but are light years behind Hong Kong and Bangkok and, in general, buses are not a practical way to get around town. Fortunately there are many other fast and economical options, such as meter [...]
Hitching is never entirely safe in any country in the world, and we don’t recommend it. Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a potentially serious risk. People who do choose to hitch will be safer if they travel in pairs and let someone know where they are planning to go. In Vietnam, [...]
Vietnam has an extensive network of dirt-cheap buses that reach the far-flung corners of the country. Traditionally, few foreign travellers have used them becaof safety concerns and overcharging, but the situation is improving with modern buses and fixed-price ticket offices at most bus stations. Bus fleets are being upgraded as fast as the roads, so the [...]
Vietnam has an enormous number of rivers that are at least partly navigable, but the most important by far is the Mekong River and its tributaries. Scenic day trips by boat are possible on rivers in Hoi An, Danang, Hue, Tan Coc and even HCMC, but only in the Mekong Delta are boats used as a practical means [...]
A great way to get around Vietnam’s towns and cities is to do as the locals do and ride a bicycle. During rush hours, urban thoroughfares approach gridlock, as rushing streams of cyclists force their way through intersections without the benefit of traffic lights. In the countryside, Westerners on bicycles are often greeted enthusiastically by [...]
Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com.vn) has a monopoly on domestic flights, as it owns the only rival, Pacific Airlines ( www.pacificairline.com.vn ), which flies the Hanoi-HCMC route and the HCMC-Danang route. Most travel agents do not charge any more than when you book directly with the airline. A passport is required to make a booking on all [...]