Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
There are no direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City from the UK, but there are several airlines offering indirect flights, including Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Thai Airways International, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Cheap flights to Ho Chi Minh City are available in late March or April, but the best time to book flights is during the dry season between December to March,
Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN)
Tel: (08) 3845 6654.
Website: www.hochiminhcityairport.com
Tan Son Nhat Airport is located around 7km (4 miles) northwest of the city center.
Airport facilities
These include bureau de change, duty-free, cafes, shops, airport lounges and a visitor information center. There are no car hire providers at the airport.
Transport to the city
The air-conditioned bus 152 (tel: (08) 3997 4207; www.saigonbus.com.vn) runs from the airport to Ben Thanh Market in the city center daily. Metered taxis wait outside arrivals to transport passengers to the city center (journey time - 30 minutes). A taxi fare into the city costs around £4.
Approximate flight times to Ho Chi Minh City
From London - 16 hours 30 minutes; from New York - 21 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles - 18 hours; from Toronto - 20 hours; from Sydney is 9 hours 15 minutes.
Getting There By Road
The road network throughout Vietnam is reasonable but the standard of the roads varies dramatically from good to appalling. In theory, traffic drives on the right but in practice drivers take the most direct path to avoid obstacles and oncoming vehicles. As car hire is non-existent, visitors to the country tend to go for the easiest option of hiring a car with a driver.
Emergency breakdown services
None.
Routes to the city
Highway 1 travels the length of the country from the very south to Hanoi. Major towns in the south of Vietnam on Highway 1 are My Tho, Can Tho, Phan Thiet and Nha Trang. Dalat is reached by Highway 20, Vung Tau by Highway 51 and the Cambodian border (Moc Bai) by Highway 22.
Driving times to the city
From My Tho - 1 hour 30 minutes; Vung Tau - 2 hours; Cambodian border - 2 hours 30 minutes; Phan Thiet - 3 hours 30 minutes; Can Tho - 4 hours 30 minutes; Dalat - 7 hours; Nha Trang - 12 hours.
Coach services
The buses throughout Vietnam range from fairly good to ramshackle. Some express services to Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Hanoi are offered in relatively modern air-conditioned buses. It is not possible to book tickets over the telephone and visitors should go to the relevant bus station the day before to check the schedule for the following day and purchase their ticket. Buses to Dalat, Buon Ma Thuot, Nha Trang, Danang, Hue and Hanoi depart from Mien Dong Bus Station, on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh in Binh Tan District. Call 1080 for English-speaking operators who can provide information on coach timetables. Regular buses to Cambodia, operated by Saigon Passenger Transport Company (tel: (08) 3920 3623; www.saigonbus.com.vn), depart from 309 Pham Ngu Lao Street for the seven-hour journey to Phnom Penh.
Getting There By Rail
Rail Services
Traveling by train on the route north from Ho Chi Minh City is picturesque but trains are the slowest form of transport with express services not living up to their name. As yet there are no rail passes available and it is advisable to book tickets as far in advance as possible. Soft class has seats with padding and four-berth cabins with thin mattresses, as opposed to hard class, which has wooden slatted seats and six-berth wooden berths.
Rail Operators
The Vietnamese railway company is Duong Sat Vietnam (tel: (08) 3843 6528 or 3931 8952; website: www.vr.com.vn). It is however better to go to the station, at 1 Nguyen Thong, District 3, to purchase rail tickets. There is one major route in Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City, via Nha Trang, Danang and Hue, to Hanoi.
Connections
To Hanoi – between 29 and 42 hours; to Hue – between 17 and 25 hours.
Getting Around in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Public Transport
Public transport in Ho Chi Minh City is becoming more developed and the government is trying to tackle rising traffic congestion and the bus service is improving with many routes across the city (tel: (08) 3997 4207; www.saigonbus.com.vn). You can buy tickets for single journeys on the bus.
Taxis
There are several taxi companies operating within the city and they are usually metered. Visitors are advised to check that the meter is turned on. Tipping is not necessarily expected but always welcome. Reputable taxi companies are Mai Linh Taxi (tel: (08) 3838 3838)and Vinataxi (tel: (08) 3811 1111).
Driving in the City
Most visitors to Ho Chi Minh City are quite traumatized when they encounter the traffic for the first time. The streets are crammed with darting bicycles and motorbikes. Bikes regularly travel the wrong way along a one-way street and appear out of side roads without even a cursory glance in the direction of the oncoming traffic. Motorbike riders remove their wing mirrors allowing them to squeeze through the smallest gaps. Happily, visitors are only allowed to hire cars with drivers.
Car Hire
It is not possible to hire a car without a driver but cars with English-speaking drivers can be arranged through travel companies. The following companies can arrange a car with a driver for the day: Exotissimo (tel: (08) 3827 2911; www.exotissimo.com), Saigontourist Car Rental (tel: (08) 3824 4554; www.saigontourist.net) and Vidotour (tel: (08) 3933 0457; www.vidotourtravel.com).
Bicycle Hire
A popular place for hiring bicycles is the area around Pham Ngu Lao, which is the backpacker hangout. Bicycles should always be parked in the areas set aside for them (gui xe). It is always worth taking a padlock for additional security.
