How to get around Vietnam: fast, comfortable and cheap

Updated: April 16, 2024

All the transportation alternatives so you know how to get around Vietnam on your own, with prices, where to buy tickets and advice.

Vietnam is the ideal destination if you are looking for a cheap holiday in Southeast Asia with many very cheap transport alternatives.

Therefore, at this moment, Vietnam is one of the favorite destinations for backpacking.

In case you are planning your first trip to Vietnam, this guide with all Vietnamese public transport options, it will be good for you to find the one that best suits you.

If you don't have time to read the entire article, I recommend this search engine that shows you all transportation alternatives in Vietnam.

Table of Contents

How to get around Vietnam

1. Flights

One of the most common mistakes made by travelers visiting Vietnam is thinking that the best way to travel is by land.

Although, Vietnam has a good bus and train system which I talk about below, distances in Vietnam are too long and it will not serve you for all journeys. If you look at the map you will see that it is a narrow and very long country.

Besides, the most interesting places are spread throughout the country, both in the north, center and south of the country.

The best way to get around Vietnam is by plane for save a lot of time.

Regarding the price, internal flights in Vietnam are very cheap, generally cheaper than comfortable trains, although if you have just enough money, the bus will be a cheaper option.

In fact, there are several low cost airlines Vietnamese and Asian airlines such as Pacific Airlines, VietJet Air, Air Asia, Nok Air and others.

To give you an idea, I leave you one comparative table between the plane, train and bus with indicative prices for a journey and the time it takes between the most important cities:

		Hanoi–Da Nang	Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh	Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh
By Plane	Time	1:20 hours	1:25 hours	1:50 hours
	Price	24 euros	26 euros	34 euros
Train (comfortable)	Time	4:40 p.m.	—-	34:20 hours
	Price	72 euros	—-	121 euros
Train (national)	Time	4:40 p.m.	between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.	36:30 hours
	Price	24 euros	between 26 and 24 euros	36 euros
By Bus	Time	5:30 p.m.	20 hours	—-
	Price	16 euros	22 euros	—-

To obtain cheap flights in vietnam I recommend this search engine, I have always gotten the lowest prices there.

Vietnam airports

Vietnam has a total of 45 airports throughout the country.

Below I leave you a list with the 9 most important airports or near the most emblematic places, both on the mainland and on the islands, which will come in handy to prepare for travel to vietnam on your own:

At each airport I have left you in parentheses the IATA code, works well for small airports that sometimes flight search engines cannot find.

In northern Vietnam

Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) – Hanoi: It is the most important in the country, it is only 40 minutes by car from Hanoi, 3 hours from Halong Bay and 4.5 hours from Sapa.
Catbi International Airport (HPH) – Hai Phong- Has international flights in Asia and domestic flights, and is only a 50-minute drive from Halong Bay.

In the middle

Da Nang International Airport (DAD): It is the third most important airport, right next to the city, it serves you to visit Hoi An which is 50 minutes by car and Hue 2 hours away.
Phu Bai International Airport (HUI) – Hue: It is 28 minutes by car from Hue, 1:45 hours from Danang and 2:25 hours from Hoi An.
Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR) – Nha Trang: It is the main airport in the area, it is located 50 minutes from Nha Trang and 3:30 hours from Da Lat.
Lien Khuong International Airport (DLI) – Dalat: It is less than 40 minutes by car from Da Lat and 3:30 hours from Nha Trang.

In southern Vietnam

International Airport Tan Son Nhat (SGN) – Ho Chi Minh: It is the largest airport in Vietnam which is located just 30 minutes from the city.

Vietnamese Islands (south)

Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC)
Con Dao Airport (VCS)

👍 Friend's tip: If you are visiting either of these two islands and you are in the south of Vietnam, check out the alternative to going by ferry which is very cheap. For example, to go to Phu Quoc the ferry takes 1:15 hours and costs only 11 euros. In This website you can see the schedules, prices and book tickets.

2. Transfers from airports

Once you arrive at the airport, you have the option to go to the city with:

Taxi: the least recommended way, although not all taxi drivers are scammers, there are many who get too smart when they see a Westerner. Below I tell you in detail about taxis in Vietnam.
Transfers: Hiring a private transfer is very cheap in Vietnam and they wait for you at the airport. Also, if you go with more people it will be very worthwhile because the prices are per car. Below I leave you the transfers from the main Vietnamese cities: Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh.

3. Train

The train is one of the most popular ways to get around Vietnam, firstly because They have an extensive train network and second because it can be very cheap.

Although in my experience, trains in Vietnam it's good for short trips or medium distance, because cheap trains are very uncomfortable.

The main train line is the one that runs through the entire country from north to south, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, a scenic route that passes near the coast.

Then there are other lines in the north that will help you visit places like Sapa, the train route in Vietnam with the most beautiful landscapes.

Types of trains in Vietnam

In Vietnam there are different types of trains, on the one hand, there are the national trains (Vietnam Railways Corporation) which are very economical, but with very hard seats and in general the service is average.

These trains have different options:

Hard seats: they are very cheap, but it is not worth traveling with so much discomfort.
Soft seats: they are more like a bus, with reclining seats, although for many people they are still hard.
Compartments in sleeping cars for 4 people.

Then there are the trains. private companies, which have a higher quality service, are cleaner and sleeping is more comfortable.

Some of the best-known Vietnamese private train companies are Laman Express, Violette Train Express, Orient Express.

Popular train routes in Vietnam

Among the most popular train routes is the night train from Hanoi to Sapa, which I recommend doing with Laman Express.

Another very common route among tourists is the train from Hanoi to Hue at night. Personally, I think it's a pain to travel for so many hours by train when flights are so cheap. Of course, the experience of traveling by train is unique.

If you make this trip by train, I also recommend the Laman Express.

👍 My two cents: If you like soft mattresses, travel by bus, because sleeper trains in Vietnam and Asia generally have rigid mattresses. You'll thank me later. 😉

I had no problems sleeping on the train, but because I like hard mattresses and private trains like Laman Express were fine, they are not as hard as the mattresses on national trains.

Where to buy train tickets?

To buy tickets, the most practical way is on this website, where you can see the schedules, prices and book, or with the search engine below.

In addition, it shows you other transportation alternatives (bus, plane, boats) so you can compare and you can use it throughout Southeast Asia.

My recommendation is that buy tickets in advance, especially if you travel in high season.

4.Bus

The bus is the cheaper alternative to travel through Vietnam on your own between cities and for sleeping they tend to be much more conformable, with seats a little softer than train mattresses.

Although I have to warn you that buses in Vietnam can have a couple of drawbacks:

Some bus companies are famous for delays and not a few minutes, it can be an hour or more.
Hygiene is not always the best.

To buy bus tickets, you can use this same web page What I recommended for the trains.

The good thing about this website is that there you can also see the comments from other travelers and it is important that you do so if you are going to travel by bus in Vietnam, so as not to encounter unpleasant surprises.

👍 Tips to sleep well: If you are going to travel by bus or night train in Vietnam, take something warm because sometimes they put the air conditioning on full blast. And unless you sleep like a rock, some earplugs and a mask They make a difference at bedtime.

5. Local bus

To move within the cities of Vietnam and between nearby cities, the cheapest are local buses with prices ranging between 6,000 VND (0.23 euros) and 40,000 VND (1.54 euros).

The biggest drawback is knowing which bus works for you and the route. For this reason, on my trip to Vietnam I used it little, because there are other more practical and economical alternatives.

🚌 Fun fact: I have to confess that the first time I got on a local bus and saw people wearing helmets, with how fast they drive, I was a little scared. 😅😂 Apparently, in Vietnam, many people to get to work take part of the journey by bus and another by motorcycle, that's why They get on the bus with their helmets on and travel like that (photo above).

Recommendations for traveling by local bus in Vietnam

Carry small tickets to pay on the bus.
On the buses there is a driver and a conductor, To know where to get off, you can ask the conductor to let you know..
Local buses drive very fast like the rest of the traffic in Vietnam, too You must get on and off the bus quickly.
If you travel by local bus between two nearby cities and you leave from the station, check the prices, are generally printed and posted on the wall of the bus office. On the trip between Hoi An and Da Nang they tried to charge me almost triple, within the cities it never happened to me that they wanted to charge me more.
If you carry any large suitcase or backpack, it is normal that they charge you a additional charge, which can be almost as much as your ticket.

6. Tourist bus

In the big cities of Vietnam, the tourist bus is a means of very convenient transportation to move around, without complications and at a good price.

The best tourist buses in Vietnam are those from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, these links cost less than 15 euros and will last you all day.

7. Taxi

I think one of the worst ways to get around Vietnam is by taxi, because you will run the risk of being scammed.

This is not to say that all taxi drivers are scammers, but many are going to take advantage and the Western appearance does not help.

Therefore, my recommendation is that avoid taxis in vietnamIf you still want to try your luck, I'll leave you some tips:

In Vietnam there are several taxi companies, the most used by locals are Mai Linh (green cars) and Vinasun (white, with a red and a green line at the bottom of the car). Be careful, just because they are the most used taxis does not mean that they will not try to overcharge you.
Before getting on, ask him to set the taximeter, once you are inside the taxi it can turn a deaf ear.
Many taxi drivers accept card payment, But just in case, ask beforehand.
If you are going to pay with cash, it is better to bring small tickets.

Keep in mind that the taximeter is not a guarantee that you will pay a fair price, sometimes they have a fake taximeter.

8. Grab or Be

This is the best alternative to taxis, they work like Uber.

Grab is very popular in Southeast Asia and you can also use Be in Vietnam to order a car at a good price and avoid the language barrier.

Of course, you will need to have internet on your mobile by purchasing a SIM.

9. Traditional tricycles

The xich lo They are the typical Vietnamese tricycles that you will find in many places and they have that charm that makes it very tempting to get on one. 😍

However, as you can imagine this type of transportation, nowadays it is almost exclusive for tourists and they are the kings charging exaggerated prices.

If you feel like traveling in a xich lo negotiate the price beforehand and? be very clear what currency you are talking about.

I know, it sounds strange but you can come across some smartass who tells you that it costs 150, and you think that it means 150,000 VND (5.77 euros) but it really means 150 USD (140.56 euros). The problem will come when you arrive at the destination. 🙈

The Normal price for a 1 hour ride is between 150,000 and 200,000 VND (5.77 and 7.69 euros), but you will find higher prices of up to 50 USD or more reasonable figures rounded in dollars of about 10 USD.

Another alternative is that you make the reservation online for this Ho Chi Minh tour by Vietnamese tricycle, this way you avoid negotiating.

How to get to Vietnam

What companies travel to Vietnam from Spain?

To get to Vietnam there are no direct flights from Spain, whether you fly to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh you will have to make a stopover.

Some of the airlines with direct flights to Hanoi from Europe are:

Emirates
Qatar Airways
air France
Turkish Airlines
Vietnam Airlines
China Eastern

You will also find some Iberia flights, but they are usually operated wholly or partially by other airlines like Qatar or Vietnam Airlines.

What is the cheapest airport in Vietnam? And the cheapest airline?

In general It is cheaper to fly to Ho Chi Minh from Spain, if it is with a single stopover, if you don't mind making two stopovers you can get cheaper flights to Hanoi.

Likewise, I recommend that you look at the different alternatives with a flight search engine, because it may vary depending on where you depart from and the dates.

As for the airlines, in my experience the cheapest flights to Vietnam I have found them with Qatar or Iberia.

👍 Friend's tip: If you are going to visit the north and south of Vietnam, the best way to save money and time it is with the multi-destination flights that you arrive at one airport and return from the other. You can use the search engine below. 😉

Cheap flight alternative

In case you can't get cheap flights, you can alternatively look at flights to Bangkok.

Depending on where you depart from and the time of year, you can get flights much cheaper than to Vietnam, so you can enjoy a few days in the Thai capital.

Another nearby destination with cheap flights is Singapore.

Then, from either Bangkok or Singapore, you can find round trip flights to Vietnam for less than 100 euros with some Asian low-cost airline.

Final Thoughts

These are all the alternatives of how to get around Vietnam by public transport, which are many and at a good price.

If you have any questions, leave me a comment below and I'll help you as much as I can. If you found the article useful, share it with other travelers. Have a good trip! 😘

More about Vietnam and Southeast Asia

Andrea Rodriguez

Hello, I’m Andrea, the creator and writer of Viajeros Activos (Active Travelers). I’m a nomad, so I consider myself a full-time traveler. I’m passionate about good food and always looking for new adventures.