Getting Around

With many transport options, you'll find good local travel agencies in every tourist stop in Vietnam, all ready to book your plane, bus, and boat tickets or to rent cars. Competition among service providers works to your advantage, and you can find affordable deals for getting around with just a bit of shopping.

By Car

If you've got the budget for it, going by car is the best and safest way to see Vietnam. Self-drive is unwise. There are rules on the road, but to the uninitiated, driving is chaotic. Your international driver's license holds up -- in fact, any piece of paper with English writing will do most of the time -- and right-lane driving might look familiar and easy to some, but that's where the similarity ends.

Turn it over to a driver, available for hire anywhere and for as little as $10 (£5.55) per day (cars run $30-$50/£17-£28). For car-rental options, look under "Visitor Information & Tours" in each destination section. Most hotels will rent wheels for day trips at inflated rates; budget hotels and guesthouses offer the best rates. Budget travelers often pitch in for a rented car between sites, from Hue to Nha Trang for example, where going by private car means you can set your own schedule and stop at places like Bach Ma National Park, Lang Co Beach, and atop Hai Van Pass.

"What's With All the Honking?" -- Ask an expatriate and they'll say, "What honking? Oh, that. You'll get used to it." And you will or you'll go crazy.

Drivers in Vietnam and Cambodia (and pretty much region-wide) use the horn constantly. Honking the horn doesn't mean a driver is angry -- in fact, sometimes it's a polite courtesy; honking is a reminder that your vehicle is approaching and that slower traffic should be aware and get out of the way. The more aggressive the honking, the more urgent the pass; and generally the louder the honking, the larger the vehicle, as big trucks and buses amp up the volume of their horns to high decibels. All-day bus rides with a constantly blaring horn, not to mention some of the craziest traffic as oncoming cars cheat death in a constant game of "chicken," are harrowing for the first-timer. If you're doing any self-driving, learn to play the horn and don't be shy with it.

By Plane

It's a good idea to fly the longer hops along Vietnam's length: from Hanoi to Hue; from Danang to Nha Trang; and from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City (or vice versa). Vietnam Airlines has a monopoly on domestic routes in Vietnam. That may sound like bad news, but in fact they cover a range of routes -- with new destinations being added -- and prices are fair. Domestic departure tax is included in most fares.

By Train

The Reunification Express runs the entire length of Vietnam's coast -- from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi, with routes out of Hanoi to the likes of Sapa, Lang Son, and to coastal Haiphong. Riding the length of the country takes nearly 40 hours. The most popular hops are from Hanoi up to Sapa, where special luxury trains with dining cars cover the route, or from Hanoi down the coast to the old capital of Hue and from there to Danang (less popular) or all the way to Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh. Improved road travel is making the train obsolete in most parts, except for the mountainous far north. There are a number of classes, from third-class hard seat to air-conditioned cushioned seat to sleeper, but in general the more comfortable seats are affordable. Be warned that you need to book trains a few days in advance, especially for weekend travel. Popular trips to Sapa are best organized through a tour company (for a small fee) from home or well in advance when on the ground in Vietnam.

By Bus

Local buses are either a nightmare or a delight, depending on your expectations. If you're prepared to be the main character in a piece of bad, chaotic performance, then your appetite will be pleased; if you want grist for the travel journal, you will find it; if you want to get somewhere efficiently and with all of your sensory nerve endings intact, you will be disappointed. I've had joyful and infuriating days on local buses in Vietnam, trips that ended with new friends or a visit to a family home and others that left me sweating, exhausted, and covered in chicken feathers (once I had a bottle of fish sauce spilt on my bag and reeked of nuoc mam for days).

Local buses depart from stations usually a good distance from the town center (it usually requires a ride on the back of a motorbike taxi to get there) and station touts are all over you, pulling you this way and that (this is the best piece of "bad performance art"), and buses leave only when full -- and full means that everyone is uncomfortable, two to a seat, produce hanging, bags under your feet and, bird flu be damned, chickens in bags and on people's laps. Just when you think the bus is completely full, when not one more person could possibly squeeze in, the driver pulls to the side of the road and, like a circus clown car, the bus swallows one more body. All buses honk wildly as they navigate the chaotic traffic of Vietnam's bumpy roads, and all transport travels at a lumbering 50kmph (31 mph).

In the bigger cities and on longer routes, you'll find regular schedules and bus stations with ticket booths and marked prices, but when you're out in countryside, you often have to negotiate a price with the driver or bus tout -- a frustrating operation when you just want to catch the @#%# bus. It is a real visceral adventure, and going by local bus is the best way to meet Vietnamese people and learn the local language, but it can be too overwhelming for some.

One good alternative is to buy a ticket with assigned seat on the small air-conditioned minivans that ply most major routes in Vietnam. Ask at any hotel front desk, and expect to pay often double the local bus price (still very affordable) and ride in relative style among locals but without the hassles.

The "open tour" ticket is a way to plan your overland travel all the way down the coast of Vietnam; it is a one-way, multistop ticket, and you can catch buses from each town going from Hanoi south, all the way to Ho Chi Minh City. It sounds like a great idea, and folks in the sales offices will regale you with tales of ease and comfort as you explore the length of the Vietnam coast, but don't be fooled: These are rock-bottom budget tours and, though the buses are usually in pretty good shape and have air-conditioning, it can be a pretty unpleasant cattle-herding situation among lots of complaining backpackers. Buses stop only at big tourist-shopping complexes, and you get little interaction with locals. That said, these tour buses are good for short hops between cities, but I try to mix it up, catching the train where possible (especially on long hauls from Hanoi to Hue or Danang to Nha Trang), and even getting together with fellow travelers and hiring your own car for a day along the coast (not much more costly). Don't be taken in by the easy "open tour" ticket as, for just a few bucks extra, you can buy individual journeys from each town as you head south.

By Motorbike

Motorbikes are dangerous, but as the chosen form of transport in the region, they are almost unavoidable (especially for budget travelers), and riding your own (or on the back with a driver) can be a lot of fun. If you follow some simple guidelines, renting a bike and buzzing the highways and byways of Vietnam and Cambodia is a real highlight. In fact, it is inevitable that you get on a bike at some time along the road, at least on the back of a motorbike taxi.

Motorbike taxis are available just about anywhere, and drivers catcall tourists on every street corner. It's a great way to explore a city. Expect to pay as little as 10,000 VND (65¢/£0.35) for short trips, and drivers can by hired by the hour for as little as $1 (£0.55) for city touring.

Renting your own motorbike is possible in just about every tourist destination in Vietnam. Expect to pay as little as $3 (£1.65) and as much as $8 (£4.45) per day depending on the regional price fix and type of bike. Below is some advice and information about getting around on motorbikes in Vietnam, an increasingly popular option.

A Brief Guide to Riding a Motorbike -- Wear a helmet. Few local motorbike drivers wear them themselves, but if pressed, most renters can produce one. You might get the helmet equivalent of a deserted gerbil cage, but take what you can. Some travelers even bring their own lightweight helmets from home. The downside is that wearing a bicycle helmet makes you look like one of the many Mormon missionaries who peddle around the region.

Go slowly and use your horn. Both Vietnam and Cambodia are right-side driving countries, and if you find yourself edging into the middle of the road and passing aggressively, you're going too fast. Things go bad in a millisecond on a motorbike, and slowing down adds to that precious time. Other drivers are very unpredictable, with oncoming traffic often merging head-on in countless situations -- when making a left turn; in rural parts where anything from chickens, water buffalo, and children are likely to jump out on the road; and in cities where roads are an absolute sea of fender-to-fender motorbikes, cars, and trucks. Use the horn to indicate that you are passing someone or proceeding through an intersection.

Take breaks. That's the beauty of having your own transport: You can stop wherever you like and click photos or talk with locals. Plus, it's important to stay alert and fresh because the road poses constant challenges and obstacles -- cars, trucks, motorbikes, bicycles, kids playing, large groups of cycling kids coming home from school, workers drying produce on the concrete, water buffalos, cows, goats, and poultry of all kinds. The mind reels after a while.

Take short trips. Look at a map of the region and you'll think you can trace the farthest lengths on a motorbike, but realize that rural roads are often dirt tracks and quite broken up, and high-speed highways are crowded with reckless drivers. Pick your battles. Make long hauls by bus or hired car and, when arriving in a central location, rent a motorbike to take you out into the countryside.

Hire a guide. Trips supported by a company with a guide and provisions can make your adventures a little more manageable.

Know about your bike. In tourist areas, you usually choose from a selection of 100cc scooters. These shift without a clutch and are easy for beginners. In some parts, you'll be able to rent good 250cc dirt bikes or larger street bikes; do so only if you have experience using them. In parts of Vietnam you'll find the Russian-built Minsk, a guaranteed break-down on wheels but fun to drive. Before choosing a bike, go through the checklist below.

In many circumstances you'll be asked to leave your passport. Do so only in the case of large, reputable dealers (some will not rent without it); with street-side renters, just leave a passport copy or another piece of ID. Avoid leaving any security deposit.

In case of an accident with another vehicle, know that it's more or less a bribe game, with no insurance claims or police involvement (even if you're not at fault). Haggle for the best price.

In case of damage to your own rented bike, it is a good idea to try to get things fixed at an outside dealer. Returning to a renter with a broken bike is tantamount to opening yourself to outright extortion and claims that broken parts need to be ordered from Japan. The problem is that the renter has you over a barrel. See if you can get it fixed yourself, and when talking with an angry renter, try to find someone friendly who can help you translate.

If you're safe about it, you can come home with great memories of buzzing through broad paddy fields, along sunny coasts, or over high mountain passes.

By Bicycle

Vietnam is a classic destination for rural cycling tours, and there are some great trips and excellent resources through tour companies to help you along the way.

The coast of Vietnam, except for a few exceptions like the Hai Van Pass, is mercilessly flat, and side roads among paddy dykes and rural villages are many. The Mekong Delta is also manageable by bicycle and has lots of hidden routes along canals and jungle waterways (best explored with a group or guide). For long independent rides, you'll want to bring your own bike and gear, but both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh have bike shops where you can pick up a used mountain bike, even modify it for the road, and take off on your own (if you are over 1.75m/6 ft. tall, you might not find a frame that fits though). In small tourist areas, just about anywhere really, you can rent a little city bicycle for as little as $1 (£0.55). But motorbike traffic in places like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh makes this impractical.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Vietnam, 2nd Edition Author: Sherisse Pham Pub Date: January 22, 2008 Price: $22.99				Related Titles: Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea Frommer's Beijing Day by Day, Official U.S.O.C. Edition, 1st Edition Frommer's Beijing, 5th Edition