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Getting There By Air:

Noi Bai Airport (HAN)
Tel: (04) 886 5053 or 5127.

The airport is around 35km (21 miles) north of the city. It is the second largest of three international airports in the country (Ho Chi Minh City being the largest) and it serves cities in Asia and Europe with regular flights to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The terminal is spacious and modern.

Airport facilities include bureau de change, duty-free shops and cafes. There are no car hire providers at the airport.

Vietnam Airlines operates a bus service into the city and its office on Quang Trung Street and there is a public bus to Kim Ma Bus Station. Metered taxis are also available.

Getting There By Road:

The road network throughout Vietnam is reasonable but the standard of the roads varies dramatically from good to appalling. Roads throughout Vietnam are designated by numbers and the main north to south route is Highway 1 connecting Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh City. In theory, traffic drives on the right but in practice drivers take the most direct path avoiding the many thousands of bicycles, motorbikes and animals wandering along the road. As self-driven car hire for visitors is non-existent, visitors to the country have to hire a car with a driver. Most will agree that this is the only way until the country introduces and enforces a system of road rules.

There are basic rules, such as you must stop at a red light and headlights must be used at night, but that tends to be as far as it goes. Long-term foreign residents are allowed to drive a car but few are brave enough to do so, preferring to employ a Vietnamese driver. It is safe to assume that if a foreigner is driving a car involved in an accident, he or she will automatically be at fault.

Emergency breakdown service: None

There are several bus stations around the city, each serving different destinations. The buses throughout Vietnam range from fairly good to ramshackle. Some express services to Ho Chi Minh City are in relatively modern air-conditioned buses, but films can play constantly throughout the journey. Services on short journeys depart when they are full and those traveling longer distances generally depart early in the morning.

It is not possible to book tickets over the telephone so you’ll need to go to the bus station the day before to check the schedule for the following day and buy a ticket. A very useful number is 1080 where English-speaking operators can give information on timetables.

Buses to Halong Bay and Haiphong depart from Gia Lam bus station on Ngo Gia Kham (tel: (04) 827 1529). Kim Ma bus station, Nguyen Thai Hoc (tel: (04) 845 2846), has buses to the northwest of the country including Dien Bien Phu. Towns south of Hanoi, including Ho Chi Minh City, are served by buses from Giap Bat bus station on Giai Phong (tel: (04) 864 1467).

Getting There By Rail:

Duong Sat Vietnam trains leave from Ga Hang Co, 120 Le Duan (tel: (04) 942 3697 or 3949 for e-ticketing; website: www.vr.com.vn), in the southwest of the city, the starting point for trains north to Lao Cai, east to Haiphong and south to Ho Chi Minh City. The entrance for northern services is on Tran Quy Cap (tel: (04) 942 3433 or 747 0308). There is only one major rail route in Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, with minor routes to northern towns from Hanoi. Internationally, there is a twice-weekly train service to Beijing.

You can buy tickets in person at the station where there is a special counter for foreigners. In addition, a very useful number is 1080 where English-speaking operators can give information on timetables. For long distances, it’s best to book soft class sleepers (four people in each cabin) or soft seats for shorter distances. The alternative hard class sleepers (six people in each cabin) and hard class seats are uncomfortable and crowded. The train is a popular way to travel in Vietnam and trains are heavily booked around public holidays like Tet.

Getting Around:



Public Transport
The public bus system in Hanoi is very cheap but confusing and few short-term visitors to Hanoi will attempt it. There are around 40 bus routes operated by Hanoi Bus (website: www.hanoibus.com). Monthly passes are available. There is a hotline for bus information (tel: (04) 843 6393).

Taxis
Taxi and cyclo are the best way to travel around Hanoi. Several taxi companies operate within the city and they are all metered. Restaurants, bars and hotels are quite happy to summon a taxi; otherwise vehicles can be hailed on the street. Visitors are advised to check that the meter is turned on. Reliable taxi companies are Airport Taxis (tel: (04) 873 3333), Hanoi Taxi (tel: (04) 853 5353) and Mai Linh Taxi (tel: (04) 822 2666). Cyclos often wait outside hotels and restaurants and a fare should be negotiated to your destination before setting off. Motorbike taxis can be found on street corners and these are a fast way of getting round the city.

Car Hire
It is not possible to hire a car to drive yourself but you can hire one with a driver from tour operators such as Exotissimo Travel, 26 Tran Nhat Duat (tel: (04) 828 2150; website: www.exotissimo.com), Vidotour, 57 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District (tel: (04) 734 5429; website: www.vidotourtravel.com), and Buffalo Tours, 94 Ma May (tel: (04) 828 0702; website: www.buffalotours.com).

Bicycle Hire
In a city that is home to thousands of bicycles, you can hire a bicycle for a day or longer period from a number of outlets on Hang Bac Street in the Old Quarter.

If you are confident on a motorbike you can hire them from shops, also on Hang Bac Street. You will need an international driving permit and a helmet is now compulsory.

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