You have already booked flights Vietnam? How can you get around this beautiful country?
Boat
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, Hué,
Tam Coc and even HCMC, but only in the Mekong Delta are boats used as a
practical means of transport.
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Boat
trips are also possible on the sea. Cruising the islands of Halong Bay
is a must for all visitors to north Vietnam. In the south, a trip to the
islands off the coast of Nha Trang is popular.
In
some parts of Vietnam, particularly the Mekong Delta, there are
frequent ferry crossings. Don’t stand between parked vehicles on the
ferry as they can roll and you could wind up as the meat in the
sandwich.
Hitching
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.
Car & motorcycle
The
relative affordability of vehicle hire makes the latter a popular
option. Having your own set of wheels gives you maximum flexibility to
visit remote regions and stop when and where you please.
Hire
The
major considerations are safety, the mechanical condition of the
vehicle, reliability of the rental agency and your budget. Don’t think
about driving a car yourself in Vietnam (a motorbike is challenging
enough) and moreover, hire charges for the car include a driver.
Motorbike
Motorbikes
can be rented from cafés, hotels, motorbike shops and travel agencies.
If you don’t fancy self-drive, there are plenty of local drivers willing
to act as a chauffeur and guide for around US$6 to US$10 per day.
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Renting
a 100cc moped is cheap from around US$5 per day, usually with unlimited
mileage. To tackle the mountains of the north, it is best to go with a
Minsk. The ‘mule of the mountains’, these sturdy Russian steeds don’t
look up to much, but they are designed to get you through, or over,
anything. They are available for rent from specialist shops in Hanoi.
For the ultimate experience in mountains of the north, consider joining a
motorbike tour to discover the secret backroads.
Most
places will ask to keep your passport until you return the bike. Try
and sign some sort of agreement – preferably in a language you
understand – clearly stating what you are renting, how much it costs,
the extent of compensation and so on.
Insurance
If
you are travelling in a tourist vehicle with a driver, then it is
almost guaranteed to be insured. When it comes to motorbikes, many
rental bikes are not insured and you will have to sign a contract
agreeing to a valuation for the bike if it is stolen. Make sure you have
a strong lock and always leave it in guarded parking where available.
Do
not even consider renting a motorbike if you are daft enough to be
travelling in Vietnam without insurance. The cost of treating serious
injuries can be bankrupting for budget travellers.
Bus & tram
Bus
Vietnam
has an extensive network of dirt-cheap buses that reach the far-flung
corners of the country. Until recently, few foreign travellers used them
because of safety concerns and overcharging, but the situation has
improved dramatically with modern buses and fixed-price ticket offices
at most bus stations.
Bus
fleets are being upgraded as fast as the roads, so the old French,
American and Russian buses from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s are becoming
increasingly rare. On most popular routes, modern Korean buses are the
flavour of the day. Most of these offer air-con and comfortable seats,
but on the flipside most of them are equipped with TVs and dreaded
karaoke machines. You can ignore the crazy kung fu videos by closing
your eyes (or wearing a blindfold), but you’d need to be deaf to sleep
through the karaoke sessions – ear plugs are recommended!
Figuring
out the bus system is not always that simple. Many cities have several
bus stations, and responsibilities are divided according to the location
of the destination (whether it is north or south of the city) and the
type of service being offered (local or long distance, express or
nonexpress).
Short-distance
buses, mostly minibuses, depart when full (ie jam-packed with people
and luggage). They often operate throughout the day, but don’t count on
many leaving after about 4pm.
Nonexpress
buses and minibuses drop off and pick up as many passengers as possible
along the route, so try to avoid these. The frequent stops make for a
slow journey.
Express
buses make a beeline from place to place. This is the deluxe class and
you can usually be certain of there being enough space to sit
comfortably. Such luxury comes at a price, but it’s very cheap by
Western standards.
It is also perfectly feasible (and highly recommended) to kick in with some fellow travellers and charter your own minibus.
If
possible, try to travel during daylight hours only. Many drivers refuse
to drive after dark because the unlit highways are teeming with
bicycles and pedestrians who seem oblivious to the traffic. However, if
you like living dangerously, there are some overnight buses.
Be
aware that luggage is easily pilfered at toilet stops unless someone is
looking after it. Bound to the rooftop, it should be safe from swift
hands, but try to keep the bags in sight. A distinct disadvantage of
having your gear on top is that it will be exposed to constant dust and
sometimes heavy rain. You may want to consider putting your luggage in
waterproof liners, if you can.
No
matter how honest your fellow passengers might seem, never accept
drinks from them, as there is a chance you may be drugged and robbed.
Reservations & costs
Reservations
aren’t required for most of the frequent, popular services between
towns and cities, but it doesn’t hurt to purchase the ticket the day
before if you’re set on a specific departure time. Most major bus
stations now have ticket offices with official prices clearly displayed.
Always buy a ticket from the office, as bus drivers are notorious
overchargers.
Costs
are negligible, though on rural runs foreigners are typically charged
anywhere from twice to 10 times the going rate. If you have to battle it
out with the bus driver, it is helpful to determine the cost of the
ticket for locals before starting negotiations. As a benchmark, a
typical 100km ride is between US$2 and US$3.
Open tours
In
backpacker haunts throughout Vietnam, you’ll see lots of signs
advertising ‘Open Tour’, ‘Open Date Ticket’ or ‘Open Ticket’. This is a
bus service catering mostly to foreign budget travellers, not to
Vietnamese. These air-con buses run between HCMC and Hanoi and people
can hop on and hop off the bus at any major city along the route.
Competition
has driven the price of these tours so low that it would practically
only be cheaper if you walked. Sample prices from HCMC are as follows:
Ho Chi Minh City–Dalat US$5
Ho Chi Minh City–Mui Ne US$6
Ho Chi Minh City–Nha Trang US$6
Ho Chi Minh City–Hoi An US$13
Ho Chi Minh City–Hué US$15
Ho Chi Minh City–Hanoi US$23
In
some ways they should raise the cost of the tickets and, by actually
making money on the bus fare, allow passengers some freedom of choice on
arrival at a destination. Unfortunately, they depend on kickbacks from a
very elaborate and well-established network of sister hotels and
restaurants along the way, making the whole experience feel like you are
part of the herd.
As
cheap and popular as it is, the open-tour deal is not the ideal way to
experience Vietnam. Once you’ve bought the ticket, you’re stuck with it.
It really isolates visitors from Vietnam, as few locals travel this
way. Buying shorter point-to-point tickets on the open-tour buses costs a
bit more but you achieve more flexibility, including the chance to take
a train, rent a motorbike or simply change plans.
Nevertheless,
cheap open-tour tickets are a temptation and many people go for them. A
couple of shorter routes to try are HCMC–Dalat and HCMC–Mui Ne Beach,
two places that are not serviced by train.
If
you are set on open-tour tickets, look for them at budget cafés in HCMC
and Hanoi. From the original Sinh Café concept a decade ago, there are
now lots of companies in on this game. Buses vary in size and standard,
so a good rule of thumb is to turn up and check out the bus before
committing to a company. Sinh Café still has some of the best buses,
closely followed by Hanh Café.
Bus
The
bus systems in Hanoi and HCMC have improved immeasurably in the past
few years. Get your hands on a bus map and it is now possible to
navigate the suburbs cheaply and efficiently. Some of the most popular
sights in Hanoi and HCMC are accessible by public transport, making for a
cheap visit. However, many travellers prefer other fast and economical
options, such as meter taxis, cyclos and motorbike taxis.
Train
The 2600km Vietnamese railway system, operated by Vietnam Railways
(Duong Sat Viet Nam; 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 buses, trains offer a
more relaxing way to get around and more room than the jam-packed buses.
The trains are also considered safer than the country’s kamikaze bus
fleet.
Vietnam’s
railway authority has been rapidly upgrading trains and facilities –
with air-con sleeping berths and dining cars available now on express
trains – and lowering the price for foreigners. Foreigners and
Vietnamese are now charged the same price, a big change from a few years
ago when foreigners were charged 400% more.
The
quickest train journey between Hanoi and HCMC takes 30 hours. The
slowest express train on this route takes 41 hours. There are also local
trains that only cover short routes, but these can crawl along at
15km/h, as there is only one track with many passing points and local
trains have the lowest priority. Vietnam is planning a massive overhaul
of its rail network in the next decade, including the introduction of
high-speed trains. Hoorah!
Petty
crime is a problem on Vietnamese trains. While there doesn’t seem to be
organised pack-napping gangs, such as those in India, thieves have
become proficient at grabbing packs through the windows as trains pull
out of stations. Always keep your bag nearby and lock or tie it to
something, especially at night.
Another
hazard is children throwing rocks at the train. Passengers have been
severely injured this way and many conductors insist that you keep down
the metal window shield. Unfortunately, however, these shields also
obstruct the view.
Bicycles
and motorbikes must travel in the freight car. Just make sure that the
train you are on has a freight car (most have) or your bike will arrive
later than you do.
Eating
is easy, as there are vendors at every station who board the train and
practically stuff food, drinks and cigarettes into your pockets. The
food supplied by the railway company, included in the ticket price on
some long journeys, isn’t Michelin-starred. It’s a good idea to stock up
on your favourite munchies before taking a long trip.
Odd-numbered
trains travel south and even-numbered ones travel north. The fastest
train service is provided by the Reunification Express, which runs
between HCMC and Hanoi, making only a few short stops en route. If you
want to stop at some obscure point between the major towns, use one of
the slower local trains or catch a bus.
Aside
from the main HCMC–Hanoi run, three rail-spur lines link Hanoi with the
other parts of northern Vietnam. One runs east to the port city of Hai
Phong. A second heads northeast to Lang Son, crosses the border and
continues to Nanning, China. A third goes northwest to Lao Cai and on to
Kunming, China.
Several
Reunification Express trains depart from HCMC’s Saigon station between
9am and 10.30pm every day. In the other direction, there are departures
from Hanoi between 5am and 6.40pm daily.
The
train schedules change frequently. The timetables for all trains are
posted on the Vietnam Railway website and at major stations. Another
excellent resource is the Man in Seat Sixty-One (www.seat61.com/vietnam.htm),
the top international train website. Most travel agents and some hotels
keep a copy of the latest schedule on hand. In HCMC call or visit the Saigon Railways Tourist Service (08-836 7640; 275C Ð Pham Ngu Lao, District 1) in the Pham Ngu Lao area.
It’s
important to realise that the train schedule is ‘bare-bones’ during the
Tet festival. The Reunification Express is suspended for nine days,
beginning four days before Tet and continuing for four days afterwards.
Classes
There
are four main classes of train travel in Vietnam: hard seat, soft seat,
hard sleeper and soft sleeper. The latter three are also split into
air-con and nonair-con options; presently, air-con is only available on
the faster express trains. Since it’s all that many Vietnamese can
afford, hard-seat class is usually packed. Hard seat is tolerable for
day travel, but overnight it is worse than the bus. Soft-seat carriages
have vinyl-covered seats rather than the uncomfortable hard benches.
A
hard sleeper has three tiers of beds (six beds per compartment).
Because of limited head room and the climb, the upper berth is cheapest,
followed by the middle berth and finally the lower berth. There is no
door to separate the compartment from the corridor. Soft sleeper has two
tiers (four beds per compartment) and all bunks are priced the same.
These compartments have a door.
Costs
Ticket
prices vary depending on the train, and the fastest trains are
naturally the most expensive. For all the details on trains from Hanoi
to Haiphong, Lao Cai and Lang Son, see the relevant sections.
Travel documents
Reservations
The
supply of train seats is frequently insufficient to meet demand.
Reservations for all trips should be made at least one day in advance.
For sleeping berths, it is wise to book several days before the date of
departure. You’ll need to bring your passport when buying train tickets.
Many
travel agencies, hotels and cafés sell train tickets for a small
commission, and this can save considerable time and trouble. It’s a good
idea to make reservations for onward travel as soon as you arrive in a
city.
Tours
We
are drowning in 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 ‘10 minutes of internet’
are not a promising sign.
Renting
a car with a driver and guide gives you the chance to design a
tailor-made itinerary for you and your companions. Seeing the country
this way is almost like independent travel, except that it’s more
comfortable, less time-consuming and allows for stops anywhere, or
everywhere, along the way.
The
cost varies considerably. At the high end are tours booked through
government travel agencies and upmarket tour companies, while budget and
midrange companies can usually arrange something just as enjoyable at a
cheaper price.
The
price typically includes accommodation, a guide, a driver and a car.
The cost of the car depends largely on the type of vehicle.
Once
you’ve settled on an itinerary, get a copy from the travel agency. If
you find that your guide is making it up as they go along, ignoring the
agreed itinerary, that piece of paper is your most effective leverage.
A
good guide can be your translator and travelling companion, and can
usually save you as much money along the way as they cost you. A bad
guide can ruin your trip. If possible, you should meet your guide before
starting out – make sure that this is someone you can travel with.
Travelling
with a freelance guide, you are usually responsible for their travel
expenses, but if you pay for a package through a company, any expenses
for the guide and driver should be included.
For
trips in and around big cities like HCMC and Hanoi, you’ll often find
women working as guides. However, it seems relatively few women are
employed as guides on long-distance trips.
The following are Vietnam-based travel agencies who offer premium tours throughout Vietnam and Indochina:
Buffalo Tours (04-828 0702; www.buffalotours.com; 11 Pho Hang Muoi, Hanoi)
Destination Asia (08-844 8071; www.destination-asia.com; 143 Ð Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan district, HCMC)
Exotissimo (04-828 2150; www.exotissimo.com; 26 Tran Nhat Duat, Hanoi)
Sinhbalo Adventures (08-837 6766; www.sinhbalo.com; 283/20 Ð Pham Ngu Lao, District 1, HCMC)
Sisters Tours (04-562 2733; www.sisterstoursvietnam.com; 37 Ð Thai Thinh, Hanoi)
Tonkin Travel (08-747 3239; www.tonkintravel.com; 8, 34A Ð Tran Phu, Hanoi)
Motorbike tours
Specialised
motorbike tours through Vietnam are growing in popularity. It is a
great way to get off the trail and explore the mountainous regions of
the north and centre of the country. Two-wheels can reach the parts that
four-wheels sometimes can’t, traversing small trails and traffic-free
backroads. A little experience helps, but many of leading companies also
offer tuition for first-timers. Mounting a Minsk to take on the peaks
of the north is one of Vietnam’s defining moments and should not be
missed.
Foreign
guides charge considerably more than local Vietnamese guides. Based on a
group of four people, you can expect to pay around US$100 per day per
person for an all-inclusive tour providing motorbike rental, petrol,
guide, food and accommodation. Some of the best companies running trips
in the north include the following:
Explore Indochina (0913-524
658; www.exploreindochina.com) Run by Digby, Dan and Thuan, these guys
have biked all over the country and can take you to the parts others
cannot reach. You can usually find them at Highway 4 , a bar on Pho Hang
Tre. Prices are around US$135 per day.
Free Wheelin Tours
(04-747 0545; www.freewheelin-tours.com) Run by Fredo (Binh in
Vietnamese), who speaks French, English and Vietnamese, this company has
its own homestays in the northeast, plus 4WD trips. Prices start from
just US$70 per day with a group of four. It’s located opposite Cuong
Minsk on Luong Ngoc Quyen.
Voyage Vietnam
(04-926 2373; www.voyagevietnam.net) A newer, locally run outfit, this
company is quickly earning itself a good reputation. Prices start from
around US$60 per day.
Local transport
Cyclo
The
cyclo (xich-lo), from the French cyclo-pousse, offers cheap and
environmentally friendly transportation around Vietnam’s sprawling
cities.
Groups
of cyclo drivers always hang out near major hotels and markets, and
many speak at least broken English. To make sure the driver understands
where you want to go, it’s useful to bring a city map. Bargaining is
imperative. Settle on a fare before going anywhere or you’re likely to
get stiffed.
As
a basic rule, short rides around town should cost about 10, 000d. For a
longer ride or a night ride, expect to pay double that or more. It pays
to have the exact change when taking a cyclo, as drivers may claim they
don’t have change. Cyclos are cheaper by time rather than distance. A
typical price is US$1 to US$2 per hour.
There
have been many stories of travellers being mugged by their cyclo
drivers in HCMC so, as a general rule of thumb, hire cyclos only during
the day. When leaving a bar late at night, take a meter taxi.
Xe om
The
xe om (zay-ohm) is a motorbike that carries one passenger, like a
two-wheeled taxi. Xe means motorbike, and om means hug (or hold), so you
get the picture. Getting around by xe om is easy, as long as you don’t
have a lot of luggage.
Fares
are comparable with those for a cyclo, but negotiate the price
beforehand. There are plenty of xe om drivers hanging around street
corners, markets, hotels and bus stations. They will find you before you
find them…
Air
Airlines in Vietnam
Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com.vn) has a monopoly on domestic flights Vietnam,
as it owns the only rival, Pacific Airlines
(www.pacificairlines.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, as they receive a commission. A passport is required to
make a booking on all domestic flights.
Vietnam
Airlines has come a long way and many (but not all) branch offices
accept credit cards for ticket purchases. The airline has retired its
ancient Soviet-built fleet (thank heavens!) and purchased new
Western-made aircraft.
Bicycle
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 locals who don’t see many foreigners pedalling around.
Long-distance
cycling is popular in Vietnam. Much of the country is flat or only
moderately hilly, and the major roads are in good shape. Safety,
however, is a considerable concern. Bicycles can be transported around
the country on the top of buses or in train baggage compartments.
Decent
bikes can be bought at a few speciality shops in Hanoi and HCMC, but
it’s better to bring your own if you plan on cycling over long
distances. Mountain bikes are preferable, as large potholes or unsealed
roads are rough on the rims. Basic cycling safety equipment and
authentic spare parts are also in short supply, so bring all this from
home. A bell or horn is mandatory – the louder the better.
Hotels
and some travel agencies rent bicycles for about US$1 to US$5 per day
and it is a great way to explore some of the smaller cities like Hué or
Nha Trang. There are innumerable bicycle-repair stands along the side of
the roads in every city and town in Vietnam.
Groups
of foreign cyclists touring Vietnam are a common sight these days, and
there are several tour companies that specialise in bicycling trips.
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