By plane
Vietnam Airlines is the first airline in the country and covers 45% of domestic flights. For the past ten years, it is part of Skyteam and service has improved. Besides, you have more and more other private companies like Jetstar, Vietjet air, or Bamboo Airway to choose from.
The planes of all airlines in Vietnam are modern ones. These are aircraft from Airbus or Boeing: A320, A321, A330, A350, Boeing 787 and others. For short flights, Vietnam Airlines use ATR 72.
By train
Rail lines and trains in Vietnam do not use cutting-edge technology. 100% of the locomotives are diesel and the maximum train speed never exceeds 100 km / h. Every night, several trains connect Hanoi to Saigon, Hanoi to Sapa or Hanoi to Hue. Vietnamese trains leave and arrive more or less on time. Still, traveling by train is slow. That said, will not be slower than travelling by bus, plus, it's safer and more comfortable. The rail line is quite unique; the train must stop several times to make way for an oncoming train but it doesn’t take that much time.
By car and by bus
Most foreign tourists travel by car or bus in Vietnam. This type of transport are popular and quite modern. Japanese (Toyota, Mazda, Honda, etc) and South Korean cars (Hyundai, Kia, etc.)are the top picks in Vietnam. Most of these cars are also manufactured locally. On the high end, Mercedes is a favourite.
By motorbike
Inexpensive, practical, allowing to carry a surprising number of people or quantity of goods, motorbikes are omnipresent in Vietnamese cities and countryside. With 96 million inhabitants, Vietnamese own nearly 45 million motorbikes, about two per family. The motorcycle and scooter market in Vietnam has experienced strong growth over the past two years. Yet a new consumer trend has emerged: scooters are being replaced by high-end scooters.
By moto-taxi or « xe om » in vietnamese
Born in the 1990s, Xe Om perfectly replaced pedicab in Vietnamese cities. This means of transport is obligatory and much more practical, especially during peak hours. It is common to set the price with the driver before jumping on it. The average price is 8,000 VND per kilometer. No need to carry a helmet with you: drivers always keep a spare one for customers.
By pedicab - cyclo
According to the records, rickshaws were born in 1868, during the Meiji era in Japan. In Vietnam, the first one appeared in 1883, Hanoi. The rickshaw is pulled by a man called "coolie" or "phu xe". Sometimes, he is assisted by a second man pushing from behind. At the time, rich people often traveled in rickshaw, accompanied by a little boy walking and carrying their pipe or their betel tray.
At the beginning of the 20th century, when the first bicycle appeared in the city, the population couldn’t believe it; a means of transport that simple, no need to be pulled by a man or horses, so easy and effortless. Bicycles have become a popular means of transportation within the city. It was not until 1936, when bicycles were already popular, that the first pedicab made its appearance in Vietnam and became an immediate success. It did not replace the bicycle but became a more civilized and faster version of rickshaws.
By taxi
For travelers, a taxi is the easiest way to get around Vietnam quickly and safely. As in Europe, Vietnamese taxis have meters. However, be careful because some may be fake cabs with tampered meters. Some drivers will offer a price before you get in, often much higher than the normal price, then turn off their meters. You will never agree to negotiate the price of the journey beforehand ! If the driver refuses to turn on the meter, do not hesitate to take another taxi.
The price varies depending on the size of the car. If you are only two people, without luggage, it is useless to take a seven seater taxi. Prices vary between 10,000 and 12,000 dongs per km for small cars and up to 15,000 dongs per km for large ones.
