Vietnam Transports
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Flights
If you intend to visit only a few
cities in Vietnam, flying is the most convenient way to travel.
Vietnam Airlines flies to places like
Phu Quoc Island and Rach Gia that are difficult to reach by
other means. The major problem with flying is reserving a seat. It
is essential to book flights early especially on popular routes.
Internal flights are reliable but can be infrequent to the less
popular destinations. Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines are the
two carriers that operate domestic routes. Prices are fixed by the
National aviation Authority. Foreigners pay approximately double the
price locals pay for the same tickets.
Trains:
There is a regular
train
service between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and most cities in
between. Many people like to travel the length of the country by
this means. Tickets allow passengers to break their journey at the
major regional cities like
Hue, Da
Nang and
Nha
Trang. The trip from
Hanoi to
Ho Chi Minh City takes
between 36 and 48 hours non-stop, depending on which service is
used. Passengers can book a sleeping compartment, soft seat, or
economy class.
Buses
Vietnam has a regular bus service that connects even the remotest
areas of the country. it is very cheap but the emphasis is on
economy not comfort with people having to squeeze into seats
comparable to those found in kindergartens. No point in buying two
tickets to secure extra space. as seating is allocated to all
available space. Nevertheless, buses are a great way to meet the
locals.
Taxis
In the major cities the easiest method of transport are taxis. Most
are relatively new models of car and are air-conditioned. Prices are
very cheap and most trips within a city cost between USD2 and USD%.
Contrast this with the price of a cyclo trip (about the same), and
except for the novelty of the transport, taxis provide a better
service. Tourism authorities advise tourists not to take cyclos at
night.
Honda "Om"
On any street corner in
Vietnam, we can
find men with motorcycles willing to carry you anywhere. This mode
of transport it known as "Honda Om" or Honda embrace. It is usually
cheap and reliable although the fare should be negotiated before
commencing the journey. The biggest problem is explaining the
destination to the driver because pronunciation is everything in
Vietnamese. Carry a pen and paper or a map |
Travel Distance in Vietnam (km)
|
Ha Noi |
|
105 |
Hai Phong |
|
165 |
75 |
Halong Bay |
|
340 |
445 |
505 |
Lao Cai |
|
380 |
485 |
545 |
40 |
Sapa |
|
75 |
180 |
240 |
415 |
455 |
Hoa Binh |
|
150 |
255 |
315 |
490 |
530 |
75 |
Mai Chau |
|
309 |
414 |
474 |
505 |
465 |
234 |
159 |
Dien Bien Phu |
|
474 |
579 |
639 |
340 |
300 |
549 |
324 |
165 |
Son La |
|
92 |
197 |
257 |
432 |
472 |
167 |
242 |
401 |
566 |
Ninh Binh |
|
291 |
396 |
456 |
631 |
671 |
366 |
441 |
600 |
765 |
199 |
Vinh |
|
486 |
591 |
651 |
826 |
866 |
561 |
636 |
798 |
960 |
394 |
195 |
Dong Hoi |
|
658 |
763 |
823 |
998 |
1038 |
733 |
808 |
967 |
1132 |
566 |
367 |
172 |
Hue |
|
763 |
868 |
928 |
1103 |
1143 |
838 |
913 |
1072 |
1237 |
671 |
472 |
277 |
105 |
Da Nang |
|
793 |
898 |
958 |
1133 |
1173 |
868 |
943 |
1102 |
1267 |
701 |
502 |
307 |
135 |
30 |
Hoi An |
|
1277 |
1382 |
1442 |
1617 |
1657 |
1352 |
1427 |
1586 |
1751 |
1185 |
986 |
791 |
619 |
514 |
848 |
Nha Trang |
|
1488 |
1593 |
1653 |
1828 |
1868 |
1563 |
1638 |
1797 |
1962 |
1396 |
1197 |
1002 |
830 |
725 |
695 |
211 |
Da Lat |
|
1300 |
1405 |
1465 |
1640 |
1680 |
1375 |
1450 |
1609 |
1774 |
1208 |
1009 |
814 |
642 |
537 |
507 |
207 |
179 |
Buon Ma Thuot |
|
1527 |
1632 |
1692 |
1867 |
1907 |
1602 |
1677 |
1836 |
2001 |
1435 |
1236 |
1041 |
869 |
764 |
734 |
250 |
220 |
445 |
Mui Ne |
|
1724 |
1829 |
1889 |
2064 |
2104 |
1799 |
1874 |
2033 |
2198 |
1632 |
1433 |
1238 |
1066 |
961 |
931 |
447 |
310 |
489 |
197 |
Ho Chi Minh City |
|
1799 |
1904 |
1964 |
2139 |
2179 |
1874 |
1949 |
2108 |
2273 |
1707 |
1508 |
1313 |
1141 |
1036 |
1006 |
522 |
385 |
564 |
272 |
75 |
My Tho |
|
1893 |
1998 |
2058 |
2233 |
2273 |
1968 |
2043 |
2202 |
2367 |
1801 |
1602 |
1407 |
1235 |
1130 |
1100 |
616 |
479 |
658 |
366 |
169 |
94 |
Can Tho |
|
2025 |
2130 |
2190 |
2365 |
2405 |
2044 |
2175 |
2334 |
2499 |
1933 |
1734 |
1539 |
1367 |
1262 |
1232 |
748 |
611 |
790 |
498 |
301 |
226 |
132 |
Chau Doc |
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