Vietnam
Getting around Vietnam: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights
Fly between regions: Hanoi–Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City is 2 h 10 in the air, ₫1,200,000–3,000,000, and beats 33 h on the train. Use the Reunification Express for the Hue–Da Nang coast by day or one overnight leg, buses for short hops, and a car with driver when you carry bags to Ha Giang or Ninh Binh.
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GuideVietnam
Key facts
- Default between regions
- Plane: 2 h 10 air, about 5 h door to door, ₫1,200,000–3,000,000 (2026 estimate)
- Train end to end
- Reunification Express (SE) Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City: about 33 h; soft sleeper ₫1,500,000–2,500,000 (2026 estimate)
- Best train leg
- Hue–Da Nang: 2.5–3 h over the Hai Van coast; sit on the left going south
- Sleeper bus
- ₫800,000–1,200,000 end to end, 36–40 h; berths about 170 cm; highest road risk of any option
- Open-tour bus
- ₫1,000,000–1,800,000 for the full hop-on ticket (2026 estimate)
- Car with driver
- ₫1,500,000–3,000,000 per day; agree tolls, fuel and driver meals in writing
- Motorbike rentalcheck
- ₫150,000–250,000 per day; you need a Vietnamese licence or an IDP under the 1968 Convention plus a matching home licence
- Book ahead
- Train berths 3–7 days out in normal weeks; Tết sells out weeks ahead
- City transport
- Grab app in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang; metered taxis elsewhere; local buses are cheap but slow
By passport, month and price
Licence rules and weather decide more than price. Your passport sets whether you can legally ride; the month sets whether a coastal train leg is worth the daylight.
Prices below are 2026 estimates for one person, one leg unless stated.
- Nov–Apr (north): cool, misty — train and car legs are comfortable, Ha Giang loop needs warm layers.
- May–Aug: hot and wet — fly or take air-conditioned trains; buses on flooded roads run late.
- Sep–Nov (centre): typhoon season — check the Hue–Da Nang rail line before booking; it closes for storms (check).
- Tết (late Jan–mid Feb 2026): trains, planes and buses sell out weeks ahead and prices rise; book first, plan the trip around it.
| Passport | Ride legally? | What to book | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Ireland | Only with a Vietnamese licence or a 1968-Convention IDP plus a home licence for that class | Train or car with driver; skip self-drive | Train ₫1,500,000–2,500,000 soft sleeper |
| Any passport, no licence | No — riding unlicensed voids most travel insurance | Plane, train, bus, Grab | Plane ₫1,200,000–3,000,000 |
| Any passport, with IDP and matching home licence | Yes, for the class on your licence | Rental bike for day loops only | ₫150,000–250,000 per day |
| Any passport, group of 3–4 | n/a | Car with driver splits well | ₫1,500,000–3,000,000 per day |
IDP rules and rental-shop checks change; confirm with the rental shop and your insurer before paying (check).
Step by step
Decide the shape of the trip first. Most first trips pick two of the three regions — North, Centre, South — for 10–14 nights and fly the long legs. Hanoi is the northern base; Ho Chi Minh City is the southern one.
Book the long legs before you land. Domestic flights on the Hanoi–Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City spine are frequent and cheap if booked a few days out; budget carriers change times at short notice and charge for checked bags. Allow 5 h door to door once you add the airport run.
Use the train where the view pays. The Reunification Express (SE) runs the full 33 h end to end, but the leg worth paying for is Hue–Da Nang, 2.5–3 h along the Hai Van coast. Book a 4-berth soft sleeper on the official railway site for overnight legs; hard seats are for short daytime hops only.
Take buses for short hops, not the whole country. Sleeper buses cover 36–40 h end to end for ₫800,000–1,200,000, with berths around 170 cm and the highest crash risk of any option. Open-tour buses (₫1,000,000–1,800,000 for the full ticket) are flexible but often drop you at a partner hotel away from the centre.
Hire a car with driver when you carry bags or want stops. Day legs only, ₫1,500,000–3,000,000 per day; this is the sane choice for the Ha Giang loop, Ninh Binh and the Hai Van Pass. Put tolls, fuel and the driver's meals in writing before you set off.
In cities, use Grab. It works in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, prices are fixed in the app, and you avoid haggling. Metered taxis are fine elsewhere; local buses are cheap but slow and rarely worth it on a short trip.
| Mode | Time | Cost | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plane | 2 h 10 air; ~5 h door to door | ₫1,200,000–3,000,000 | Between regions (HAN–DAD–SGN) |
| Reunification Express (SE) | ~33 h end to end; Hue–Da Nang 2.5–3 h | ₫1,500,000–2,500,000 soft sleeper | Overnight legs and the Hai Van coast by day |
| Sleeper bus | ~36–40 h end to end | ₫800,000–1,200,000 | Single short hops when nothing else runs |
| Open-tour bus | Stop-by-stop, same roads | ₫1,000,000–1,800,000 full ticket | Flexible hop-on travel |
| Car with driver | Day legs only | ₫1,500,000–3,000,000 per day | Ha Giang loop, Ninh Binh, Hai Van Pass with bags |
| Motorbike (self-drive) | Day legs only | ₫150,000–250,000 per day rental | Only with a Vietnamese licence or a 1968-Convention IDP plus a matching home licence |
Notes
Licence and insurance are the trap. Without a Vietnamese licence or an IDP under the 1968 Convention plus a home licence for that class, you ride illegally and most travel insurance will not pay out. Check your policy wording before you rent anything with an engine.
Tết is the other trap. Trains, planes and buses sell out weeks ahead and prices rise; if your dates fall in late January or February 2026, book transport before accommodation.
Small things that save a day: carry tissues for rural bus stops and squat toilets, keep small notes for fares, and buy a local SIM or eSIM on arrival so Grab and maps work offline. Museums often close on Monday, so plan city days around that.
- Book train berths 3–7 days out in normal weeks; Tết needs weeks.
- Budget carriers change times at short notice and charge extra for checked bags.
- Sleeper-bus berths are about 170 cm — tall travellers should book two or take the train.
- Agree car-with-driver extras (tolls, fuel, driver meals) in writing.
- Grab works in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang; keep the app set up before you land.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What is the best way to get around Vietnam?
Fly between regions: Hanoi–Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City is 2 h 10 in the air, ₫1,200,000–3,000,000, and beats 33 h on the train. Use the Reunification Express for the Hue–Da Nang coast or one overnight leg, buses for short hops, and a car with driver when you carry bags.
Do I need a car in Vietnam?
No. Trains, planes, buses and Grab cover almost every route. A car with driver (₫1,500,000–3,000,000 per day) is worth it only for the Ha Giang loop, Ninh Binh or the Hai Van Pass with luggage.
Are there rail or bus passes for Vietnam?
No national rail pass; buy individual train tickets on the official railway site. Open-tour bus tickets (₫1,000,000–1,800,000) work as a hop-on pass along the main north–south route, but drop-offs are often at partner hotels away from the centre.
Can I ride a motorbike in Vietnam on my home licence?
No. You need a Vietnamese licence or an IDP under the 1968 Convention plus a home licence for that class. Without it you ride illegally and most travel insurance will not pay.
How far ahead should I book Vietnam trains and flights?
Three to seven days is usually enough in normal weeks. For Tết (late January to mid February 2026) book weeks ahead: trains, planes and buses sell out and prices rise.
Is it safe to take overnight sleeper buses in Vietnam?
They run everywhere and cost ₫800,000–1,200,000 end to end, but road crash risk is the highest of any option and berths are about 170 cm. Take the train for overnight legs if you can.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialVietnam National Authority of Tourism
- officialVietnam Railways (Đường sắt Việt Nam)
- secondaryWikivoyage – Vietnam