Getting Around Vietnam: Transport Guide for Slow Travelers and Long-Term Stays
Vietnam is a long, thin country — 1,650km from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, about the same distance as London to Istanbul. It’s diverse, densely packed with interesting places, and very affordable to move around in. Getting from one end to the other, or between any two points, involves a genuine set of choices with real trade-offs.
This guide is for people planning longer stays — not the tourist moving on every 3 days, but the person who wants to understand their options for moving between cities, exploring a region, and doing it in a way that fits a remote work life.
The Main Options
| Mode | Best For | Typical Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic flights | Long distances (Hanoi ↔ HCMC) fast | $30–100 USD | Multiple budget airlines |
| Overnight train | Mid-to-long distances with time to spare | $20–60 USD | The best slow travel option |
| Open Bus / Tourist Bus | Budget travel, meeting other travelers | $10–30 USD | Slow, variable quality |
| Private bus (sleeper) | Mid-distances in modest comfort | $15–35 USD | Good for overnight stretches |
| Motorbike (own or rental) | Freedom and exploring locally | $200–500 (own) / $60–120/month (rent) | The true Vietnam experience |
| Grab | Cities and local travel | $2–10 per trip | Essential app for every visitor |
| Train (daytime) | Coastal route sightseeing | $15–40 USD | Slow but beautiful |
Domestic Flights
For distances over 400–500km, flying is often the rational choice. The budget airline market in Vietnam is competitive — VietJet Air and Bamboo Airways offer fares from $30–80 on most routes when booked in advance.
Key routes:
– Hanoi ↔ Da Nang: ~1.5 hours, $35–80
– Hanoi ↔ Ho Chi Minh City: ~2 hours, $40–90
– Da Nang ↔ Ho Chi Minh City: ~1.5 hours, $35–75
Tips:
– Book 2–4 weeks in advance for best prices on VietJet, Bamboo, or Vietnam Airlines
– VietJet’s base fares often don’t include luggage — read carefully before booking
– Budget for airport transport (30–60 mins and $5–15 USD in most cities)
The trade-off: Flights are fast but they remove you from Vietnam’s landscape. The coastal rail journey, the mountain road, the Mekong Delta ferry — these are experiences that flying skips entirely. For nomads staying long-term and wanting to understand the country, mixing flights with slower transport is worth considering.
The Overnight Train
Vietnam’s national rail network (VR — Vietnam Railways) runs the length of the country on a single main line, with branch lines to some highland destinations. The route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City takes 30–35 hours — obviously not competitive with flights on speed, but a completely different kind of experience.
Why the train is worth considering
The overnight train solves two problems simultaneously: you travel while you sleep (no accommodation cost for that night), and you wake up somewhere different. The scenery along the coastal route — particularly between Đà Nẵng and Nha Trang — is extraordinary, running along clifftops above the sea.
Comfort grades:
– SE (Soft Berth, Air-conditioned): 4-berth or 6-berth sleeper cabins. Comfortable enough for a good night’s sleep. This is what most long-term residents use.
– Hard Berth: Cheaper, less comfortable but serviceable for shorter journeys
– Soft Seat / Hard Seat: For day journeys or short hops; not recommended for overnight
Booking: The VR booking website (dsvn.vn) accepts international credit cards and is generally reliable. Third-party booking services (Baolau, 12go) offer the same inventory with an English interface but add a small fee.
Practical segments:
| Route | Duration | Recommended | Cost (SE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi → Đà Nẵng | ~16 hours | Overnight | $30–45 |
| Đà Nẵng → HCMC | ~18 hours | Overnight | $35–50 |
| Hanoi → Hải Phòng | ~2.5 hours | Day trip | $5–8 |
| HCMC → Nha Trang | ~8 hours | Day or overnight | $20–35 |
Buses: Budget and Mid-Range Options
Open Bus / Hop-On-Hop-Off
Budget bus networks (Sinh Tourist, Futa, The Sinh Tourist) sell “open bus tickets” allowing travel between major tourist destinations with flexibility to hop off where you choose. The Hanoi-to-Ho Chi Minh City open ticket covers major stops including Ninh Bình, Hué, Đà Nẵng, Hội An, Đà Lạt, and more.
Price: $30–60 for a full open ticket, or individual segments for $8–25 each.
Reality: Quality is variable. The buses are functional; the seats are fine for daytime travel. For overnight journeys, the sleeper buses (flat-bed configuration) are more comfortable than basic coach seats.
Best use: Budget travelers who want flexibility and don’t mind slow travel. For remote workers on long-term stays, the inflexibility of predetermined stops is often frustrating. Individual segment tickets or private buses are usually better.
Private Sleeper Buses
For inter-city journeys of 4–8 hours, VIP or sleeper bus companies offer 40-seat coaches with flat or semi-flat beds. These are significantly more comfortable than standard buses and cover most routes.
Examples: The Hanoi → Sapa bus (6–8 hours), Đà Nẵng → Huế (3 hours), HCMC → Đà Lạt (7 hours).
Motorbike: The Full Vietnam Experience
Long-term residents and nomads who’ve been in Vietnam more than a month or two almost universally recommend getting comfortable on a motorbike. It’s the national transport mode, the way locals move, and the way to access places that no bus route or Grab driver will take you.
Options:
Renting: Major cities have motorbike rental shops (look for xe máy cho thuê signs). Typical rates: $60–120/month for a basic semi-automatic (Honda Wave, Yamaha Sirius). A 125cc manual bike costs $80–100/month and is more suitable for mountain roads.
Buying: For stays of 3+ months or for the full north-to-south journey, buying makes sense. Reliable used motorbikes (Honda Win, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Yamaha Exciter) cost $200–600 depending on age and condition. You can sell at the end of your stay at a similar price. Markets in Hanoi (Đống Đa area) and HCMC (Bình Dương) are where most buying and selling happens.
Requirements: You technically need a Vietnamese motorcycle license or an International Driving Permit (IDP) endorsed for motorcycles. In practice, most short-term riders are never asked to produce one in major cities. For rural areas and if you’re in an accident, having the right documentation matters more.
The honest advice: If you’ve never ridden a motorbike, learn before you try Vietnamese traffic. Start with a small automatic bike in a quiet area before attempting city traffic. Vietnamese traffic looks chaotic but has its own logic — the key is smooth, predictable movement, not aggression.
Grab: Essential for Cities
Grab is Southeast Asia’s dominant ride-hailing app. In Vietnam it covers car rides (GrabCar), motorbike rides (GrabBike), food delivery (GrabFood), and package delivery. Download it before arrival.
Why it’s invaluable:
– Fixed prices quoted before you confirm — no negotiation, no overcharging
– English interface with maps
– Works in all major cities and most tourist areas
– Safer and more consistent than hailing xe ôm (motorbike taxis) on the street
Typical costs:
– Airport to city center (Da Nang, Hanoi, HCMC): $5–12 USD for a car
– Short city trips: $1–3 USD on GrabBike
– Longer city journeys: $3–8 USD by car
Getting Between Da Nang and Hoi An
This is one of the most common short-distance journeys in Vietnam, worth specific guidance.
Options:
– GrabCar: ~200,000–250,000 VND ($8–10) each way, 40–50 minutes
– Local bus: Extremely cheap (~15,000–20,000 VND), slow, can be confusing to navigate
– Motorbike (self-drive): 40 minutes on the coastal road past Marble Mountain — one of the best drives in Vietnam
– Taxi: Similar to Grab price; negotiate or ensure meter is running
The motorbike coastal road between the two cities is genuinely special — clifftop views above the sea, the Marble Mountains, the Son Trà Peninsula. If you have any confidence on a bike, ride it at least once.
Getting to Less-Accessible Places
For nomads who want to explore Vietnam beyond the main tourist trail — the Central Highlands, the Northwest mountains, the Mekong Delta — the options get more varied:
Sapa and the Northwest: Sleeper bus or overnight train to Lào Cai, then local bus or taxi to Sapa. Or hire a private driver.
Hà Giang (motorcycle loop): Accessible by overnight bus from Hanoi. The Hà Giang loop is one of Vietnam’s most spectacular motorcycle journeys — typically done over 3–5 days on a rented manual bike.
The Central Highlands (Đà Lạt, Gia Lai, Kon Tum): Flights to Đà Lạt from major cities, or sleeper bus. More remote highland areas require motorbike or private driver.
Mekong Delta: Half-day bus from HCMC to Cần Thơ or Châu Đốc. Best explored by motorbike once there.
Practical Planning Tips for Long-Term Nomads
Don’t move too fast. Vietnam rewards staying in one place long enough to learn it. The nomads who move cities every week end up knowing how to get around but not actually knowing anywhere. Consider a minimum of 3–4 weeks in any base city.
Night buses and trains save accommodation costs. For journeys of 6+ hours, overnight options mean you travel while you sleep. Budget accordingly.
Book train tickets in advance. Peak season (Tết holiday, summer months) can see trains sell out weeks ahead. If you’re on a schedule, book early.
Download offline maps. Maps.me or Google Maps offline for the regions you’re in. Vietnamese roads aren’t always well-signed and 4G coverage can drop in mountains and remote areas.
→ Vietnam Visa Guide | → Cost of Living Guide | → Best Coworking in Da Nang
