Getting Around Vietnam

Vietnam is long and thin, so the distance between your stops decides how much holiday you really get. A well-chosen flight can hand back a day, and a badly chosen night bus can take two. This hub gathers every transport page, from the airport run to the island ferry.

Read the start-here list first. Then browse the groups by the leg you are solving, whether that is the airport, a city-to-city journey, a night route, or a boat.

Which pages should you read first?

Choose the line that sounds like your trip and read those pages before you book a ticket.

• First-timers: Using Grab in Vietnam as a First-Timer explains the app you already know, and Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City: Flight, Train or Bus covers the longest leg in the country.
• Families with children: Overnight Trains and Buses with Young Children tells you when a night journey works, and Late-Night Arrivals in Vietnam: Airport Transfer Planning plans the ride after a late landing.
• Seniors and elders: Night Trains and Buses for Seniors checks steps, berths and toilets before you book, and Island Access With Seniors and Small Children separates easy island piers from hard ones.
• Muslim travellers: Prayer and Halal Meals on Long Journeys plans prayer and meals before the wheels turn.

How do you get from the airport to the city?

One page per major airport, plus the Grab-or-taxi question.

• Airport Pickup, Grab or Taxi in Vietnam: Pick the Right One: You are tired, the queue is long and you want to choose once.
• Cam Ranh Airport to Nha Trang: Shuttle, Taxi or Private: Your flight lands and the beach city is still a proper drive away.
• Can Tho Airport to the City Centre and Cruise Piers: A short ride in, then an early start for the floating markets.
• Da Nang Airport to My Khe Beach: The airport sits close to the city, so a short ride should not cost like a long one.
• From Da Nang Airport to Hoi An: Landing tired with luggage and maybe grandparents, you want one clear way to the old town.
• Dong Hoi Airport to Phong Nha: Transfer Options: The caves are your reason to go, and a good transfer protects the first day.
• Lien Khuong Airport to Da Lat: The Mountain Transfer: The airport is close on the map, and the last stretch climbs into the hills.
• From Noi Bai Airport Straight to Ha Long: On short leave, going from the plane to the bay without a Hanoi stop can save a day.
• From Noi Bai Airport to the Old Quarter: You land tired in a new city, so pick the transfer that fits your hour and your bags.
• From Noi Bai Airport Straight to Ninh Binh: Landing in Hanoi does not mean sleeping in Hanoi, if Ninh Binh is the part you came for.
• From Phu Bai Airport to Hue City: Hue’s airport is small and close to the city, so the plan is simple, except for a late arrival.
• Phu Quoc Airport to Your Resort by Beach Area: The island is small, but where your resort sits still changes the ride.
• Tan Son Nhat Airport to Central Saigon: Your Options: You land tired with bags and want one calm, clear way into the city centre.
• Van Don Airport to Ha Long and Cat Ba Region: You want the bay without a long road day out of Hanoi first.

Are night trains and sleeper buses worth it?

How they work, what to pack, and whether a night on the move really saves a hotel night.

• Does a Night Journey Save a Hotel Night: A night journey saves a room only if you still have a good day after it.
• Is the Da Nang Sleeper Train Worth It: You are weighing a hotel-night saving against a very long ride, and short leave makes it harder.
• Hanoi to Ha Giang Sleeper Bus Explained: You want to start the Ha Giang loop fresh, not lose a day getting there.
• Hanoi to Hue Night Train: What to Expect: You want to reach Hue rested enough for the Imperial City, not lose a day to the journey.
• What a Private Train Carriage to Sapa Adds: You want the Sapa night train, but with more space and calm than a shared cabin.
• Hanoi to Sapa: Sleeper Train or Sleeper Bus: You want to wake up in the mountains without losing a hotel night or a day of leave.
• HCMC to Da Lat by Sleeper Bus: You want the hill city without a wasted day, and doubt the night bus.
• How to Choose a Safe Sleeper Bus Operator: You are putting your family on an overnight bus, and you want signs you can check yourself.
• Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang Overnight: You want to reach the beach by morning, and you want to know which night option feels safer.
• How Sleeper Buses in Vietnam Work: You have never ridden a bus with beds, and want to know what the night is like.
• Soft or Hard Sleeper on a Vietnam Train: One night on the rails goes better when the berth matches who is sleeping in it.
• A Carry Kit for Night Trains and Buses: Pack one small bag for the night, so the big suitcase can stay out of the way.

How do you travel between the big cities?

Flight, train or bus for each popular pairing, with the Hai Van Pass for scenery.

• Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City: Flight or Train: Beach days behind you and the south ahead: pick the leg that keeps your energy for the city.
• Da Nang to Hue: Pick Transport by Your Stops: Short leave and a few stops you want: choose the transfer that fits them.
• Hanoi In, Ho Chi Minh City Out: You have a few days of leave and do not want to spend one flying back north.
• Hai Van Pass: Drive, Train or Stop on the Way: The famous coast road is a choice, and not every group should make it the same way.
• Hanoi to Da Nang: Flight or Train: Short leave and a long country: choose the leg that costs you the fewest holiday hours.
• Hanoi to Hue: Flight, Train or Night Train: Imperial city next, with parents or on a heritage trip: choose the leg that keeps the day usable.
• Hanoi to Nha Trang: Flight or Train: A beach after the northern cold: choose a leg that does not cost you the first beach day.
• Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat: Flight or Bus: Cool hills after the city heat: choose the way up that you will still enjoy on arrival.
• Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang: Flight, Train or Bus: City days done, beach days next: pick the move that gets you to the sand with energy left.
• Hue to Hoi An: Which Stops Fit the Road: One road, many tempting stops, and a day that only stretches so far.

What should you know about trains and domestic flights?

Booking, classes, baggage and connection buffers.

• Domestic Flights in Vietnam: Baggage Rules and Add-ons: A cheap fare and a heavy suitcase: find out what the fare really includes before you buy.
• How Much Buffer Time Domestic Flights Need: Your leave is short, and one late flight should not wreck the days that follow.
• Scenic Train Stretches Worth a Daylight Seat: You have little leave and want the train views without sitting through the whole line.
• Vietnam Train Booking: Classes, Seats and Where to Buy: A sleeper berth for the first time: know what you are buying before you pay.

How do you reach the north from Hanoi?

Sapa, Ninh Binh, Ha Long, Cat Ba, Ha Giang and Phong Nha by road, rail and sea.

• Cat Ba and Ha Long Bay: Linking the Two Without Losing a Day: You want a Cat Ba stay and a cruise, and you do not want the link between them to eat a day.
• Hanoi to Cat Ba Island: How the Journey Really Works: You have a few days of leave and want to know what the trip to Cat Ba will really cost you.
• Ha Giang Loop: Bus Tour, Car or Self-Ride: The loop is spectacular, and how you do it decides how safe and how tiring it is.
• Hanoi to Cao Bang and Ban Gioc: The Long Road: A return visit to the far north is rewarding, but only if you respect the road.
• Hanoi to Phong Nha: Fly, Train or Bus: Caves are worth the trip, but the way there needs planning: choose the leg that protects your days.
• Hanoi to Ha Long: Expressway Time, Bus and Transfer Choices: The bay is a morning’s drive away, and the cruise will not wait for you.
• Hanoi to Ninh Binh: Train, Bus or Private Car: A short hop out of the capital: pick the one that works with suitcases and small children.
• Hanoi to Sapa by Road: Expressway and Mountain Leg: Parents, grandparents and a long drive ahead: here is what the road really asks of you.
• Hanoi to Sapa: Train, Bus or Private Car: Mountains ahead, parents beside you: choose the journey format that leaves energy for the views.

How do you leave Ho Chi Minh City?

Roads to the Mekong and the coast.

• Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho: Roads and Pickups: A Mekong overnight needs an easy start, so pick your pickup before your hotel.
• Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne: Bus or Car: Beach days are the point, so choose the ride that gets you there fresh.

How do you reach and move around the islands?

Ferries, flights, sea conditions and comfort on small boats.

• Cham Islands: Day Trip or a Night on Cu Lao Cham: You are in Hoi An and unsure if the islands deserve a whole day, or a night.
• Getting Around Con Dao Without a Motorbike: The island is small and quiet, and you would rather not ride a motorbike on it.
• How to Get to Con Dao Without Betting on the Sea: You want a quiet island, and you need a way to reach it that will not break your leave.
• Ferry and Small Boat Safety Checklist for Island Trips: You are boarding a boat with children or grandparents and want to know what to check first.
• How to Get to Ly Son Island From Da Nang: You have seen the volcanic island photos and now need to know how the journey really works.
• Ly Son Island: Sea Months and Cancelled Boats: You worry a rough sea could trap you on the island or stop you getting there.
• Nha Trang Island Boat Trips: Piers and Seat Choices: You are staying in Nha Trang and want a day on the islands without a confusing booking.
• Getting Around Phu Quoc Without Riding a Scooter: Nobody in the group rides a scooter, and you still want to see the whole island.
• How to Get to Phu Quoc from Malaysia: Flying direct is simplest, but the ferry has its place if your route runs through the delta.
• Seasickness on Vietnam Island Boats: Prevention and Planning: Someone in your group gets seasick, and a rough crossing is the part you dread.

What about getting around town safely?

Taxis, motorbikes and private drivers, with the traps to avoid.

• How Long Vietnam Road Legs Really Take: A map shows distance, not your actual day, so build in room before you commit.
• Renting a Motorbike in Vietnam: The Honest Picture: It looks easy on a friend’s photos, so here is what to check before you say yes.
• Private Car with Driver or Public Bus: Elders, children and luggage change the answer, so decide by who is travelling.
• Taxis in Vietnam: Meters, Fares and Scams: Arriving tired with bags is when a bad fare is easiest to accept, so know the signs.