Q: How to Get Around Vietnam?

Trains are a great way to travel through Vietnam. They may be slow, but you can see the countryside at your own leisure. Night trains are also a comfortable way to travel to places like Sapa from Hanoi. Another option is to take a bus , which is cheaper and faster than the train but not as scenic. In Vietnam, regular buses and sleeping buses with sleeper berths make overnight trips a bit more comfortable. You can book your bus ticket for Vietnam online here: Get your Vietnam Bus Ticket Online with 12GO . Watch out for thieves when you travel on an overnight bus! I have heard many reports of people having their money stolen from their wallets while they were sleeping on the bus. For traveling around the cities, motorbikes and scooters are great options to explore all the attractions in Vietnam at your own pace. You can rent a motorbike through your hostels/hotels in every accommodation in Vietnam, and it shouldn't cost more than 6 USD per day. If you are not a confident driver, I would advise against renting a motorbike or a scooter, as Vietnam's roads are known for being quite dangerous. Traveling through the country, you will often find injured foreigners everywhere due to road accidents. That said, if you want to try it out, I would recommend renting it in a calmer place like Hoi An, Ninh Binh, or Phong Nha, where it isn't as hectic as big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. If you are not so keen on exploring with a motorbike by yourself, most hotels/hostels will often provide you with a list of day tours you can take, so you can see everything without having to ride yourself.

Question 1

When to Visit Vietnam?

Accepted Answer

There isn't really any right or wrong time to visit Vietnam, except maybe during a typhoon, as it is a tropical country located by the sea, with highlands in the north. You will likely experience everything from the cold north to the high humidity of the lowlands.

That said, clear days are always better than rainy days as you will be able to do more outside, and the best time to visit to avoid rain is from January to March, when Southern Vietnam is in the mid-dry season, Central Vietnam has already passed the rainy season, and Sapa and the north are experiencing dry winter (temperatures should average around 5 - 15°C).

Visiting around this time should maximize the number of clear days you will have during your trip, all the while avoiding being melted by the high humidity and heat from metropolitan areas of the lowland.

Question 2

How to Get to Vietnam?

Accepted Answer

Vietnam is such a popular country that you will have no trouble finding a cheap way to get to Vietnam from your home country. More often than not, most travelers will include Vietnam as part of a big Southeast Asian trip.

If you are one of these travelers, the cheapest way is to fly into any nearby countries that are the most affordable for you (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Bangkok are big hubs) and then either travel by land through Thailand to Ho Chi Minh City or fly low-cost with AirAsia.

Getting from your home country to Vietnam, if you are from the US, you can fly with ANA Airline via Japan to get to Vietnam or one of the three big hubs in the region (Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur).

If you are from Europe, there are several European airlines (such as KLM and Air France) as well as Middle Eastern airlines (like Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad) that connect Europe to Southeast Asia.

If you are flying from Asia, AirAsia is the way to go, with several routes and schedules at a very affordable price.

For more information on which flights to take, I would recommend you browse through Skyscanner or Expedia to find the best affordable flight that fits your Vietnam itinerary.

Question 3

How to Get Around Vietnam?

Accepted Answer

Trains are a great way to travel through Vietnam. They may be slow, but you can see the countryside at your own leisure. Night trains are also a comfortable way to travel to places like Sapa from Hanoi.

Another option is to take a bus, which is cheaper and faster than the train but not as scenic. In Vietnam, regular buses and sleeping buses with sleeper berths make overnight trips a bit more comfortable.

You can book your bus ticket for Vietnam online here: Get your Vietnam Bus Ticket Online with 12GO.

Watch out for thieves when you travel on an overnight bus! I have heard many reports of people having their money stolen from their wallets while they were sleeping on the bus.

For traveling around the cities, motorbikes and scooters are great options to explore all the attractions in Vietnam at your own pace. You can rent a motorbike through your hostels/hotels in every accommodation in Vietnam, and it shouldn't cost more than 6 USD per day.

If you are not a confident driver, I would advise against renting a motorbike or a scooter, as Vietnam's roads are known for being quite dangerous. Traveling through the country, you will often find injured foreigners everywhere due to road accidents.

That said, if you want to try it out, I would recommend renting it in a calmer place like Hoi An, Ninh Binh, or Phong Nha, where it isn't as hectic as big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

If you are not so keen on exploring with a motorbike by yourself, most hotels/hostels will often provide you with a list of day tours you can take, so you can see everything without having to ride yourself.

Question 4

Is Vietnam Safe?

Accepted Answer

Vietnam is relatively safe, especially outside of big cities. However, when you are in big cities, particularly around touristy areas like Pham Ngu Lao district in Ho Chi Minh City, there are a few things you have to watch out for:

Do not walk around with your phone out when you are walking along the streets, whether it is during the day or night. I have heard many reports from friends that passing motorbikes snatched their phones from their hands.

Do not leave your things unattended on the bus or the train, especially overnight ones. Many of my friends had their money and bags stolen while sleeping on overnight buses or trains.

Do not crash your motorbike. This goes without saying, but this is where they will scam you out of more money than you should pay for a fix. So, it's better not to crash it.

That said, do not let these warnings deter you from visiting Vietnam, as these things could happen anywhere in the world, whether in Europe or South America.

I have experienced many random acts of kindness from the locals multiple times throughout my trip to Vietnam. For example, a guy drove me to the train station for free, and my guesthouse in Hoi An cooked lunch for me free of charge. Therefore, don't completely shut yourself off, but be mindful of these occasional annoyances.

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