How to Get Around Vietnam

Fly between the regions. Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is two hours by air against 35 by train, and internal flights are inexpensive and frequent.

The Reunification Express runs the length of the country and is worth taking for a segment — the Huế to Đà Nẵng stretch over the Hải Vân Pass is one of the best rail journeys in Asia — rather than end to end.

Grab works in the cities for both cars and motorbike taxis, and removes the fare negotiation entirely. It is the single most useful app to install before arriving.

Crossing the road in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City is a genuine skill: step out at a steady pace and do not stop or run. The traffic flows around a predictable pedestrian and cannot avoid an unpredictable one.

Motorbike hire is cheap and the main cause of serious visitor injury. Most insurance requires a licence valid for the engine size, and an International Driving Permit alone is often insufficient.