Vietnam
shares land borders with Cambodia, China and Laos and there are several
border crossings open to foreigners with each neighbour, a big
improvement on a decade ago.
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| Fare to Vietnam |
There
are no ‘suspect’ stamps that will prevent foreigners from visiting
Vietnam, but some Vietnamese who live overseas may be given a harder
time by immigration and customs than non-Vietnamese visitors. Arranging a
visa remains essential before arrival in Vietnam, but these are easy to
obtain from embassies worldwide or through Vietnamese travel agents in
advance.
Shop around and it is possible to find a cheap ticket fare to Vietnam.
If there are no obvious bargains to Hanoi or HCMC, then consider buying
a discounted ticket to Bangkok or Hong Kong and picking up a flight or
travelling overland from Thailand on to Vietnam.
Discounted
flights with reasonable rate are available into Vietnam, but Vietnam
Airlines will not allow foreign carriers to sell cheap rate outbound
tickets from Vietnam. A ticket from Bangkok to Hanoi or HCMC costs
almost half the price of a Vietnam Airlines’ flight, if it’s purchased
in Bangkok. This also means that for anyone planning to purchase a
long-haul flight in the region, Vietnam is not the place to do it with
Bangkok just a short hop away.
It’s hard to get cheap ticket fare to Vietnam
or from Vietnam during holidays, especially Tet, which falls between
late January and mid-February. If you will be in Vietnam during Tet,
make reservations well in advance or you may find yourself marooned in a
regional airport along the way. The chaos begins a week before Tet and
can last for about two weeks after it.
Be
aware that Vietnam is not the only country to celebrate the Lunar New
Year, as it falls at the same time as Chinese New Year. Many people hit
the road at this time, resulting in overbooked airlines, trains and
hotels all over Asia.
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