Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [17]
That said, there’s plenty of room for improvement, particularly as regards road transport: buses are often packed to the gunnels; driving standards leave a lot to be desired; and passengers – not just foreigners – are sometimes overcharged or forced to change buses and pay a second time. It’s therefore not surprising that an increasing number of tourists, and the more affluent Vietnamese, are opting for internal flights, privately operated “open-tour” buses or organized tours. Public transport shouldn’t be rejected out of hand, though: many visitors have their warmest encounters with the Vietnamese within the chaos of a bus or train.
Security is an important consideration. Never fall asleep with your bag by your side, and never leave belongings unattended. On trains, be especially vigilant when the train stops at stations and ensure your money belt is safely tucked under your clothes before going to sleep and that your luggage is safely stowed.
Getting around |
By plane
Flying comes into its own on longer hauls, and can shave precious hours or even days off journeys – the two-hour journey between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, for instance, compares favourably with the thirty to forty hours you would spend on the train, and costs from around 750,000đ with Jetstar. Other useful services from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City fly to Hué, Da Nang and Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc Island. Note that you’ll need your passport with you when taking internal flights.
The Vietnamese national carrier, Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com), operates a reasonably cheap, efficient and comprehensive network of domestic flights. The company maintains booking offices in all towns and cities with an airport; addresses and phone numbers are listed throughout the Guide. If you’re booking international flights with Vietnam Airlines, it’s worth checking their domestic fares at the same time as they sometimes offer good discounts as part of a package; otherwise, it’s generally cheaper to buy tickets in Vietnam. Two other airlines also operate domestic flights: Jetstar (www.jetstar.com), which flies from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Nha Trang, and from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, Haiphong, Vinh and Da Nang; and Vasco (www.vasco.com.vn), from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao and Ca Mau.
Getting around |
By rail
Vietnam Railways (www.vr.com.vn) runs a single-track train network comprising more than 2500km of track, stretching from Ho Chi Minh City to the Chinese border. Much of it dates back to the colonial period, though it’s gradually being upgraded. Most of the services are still relatively slow, but travelling by train can be far more pleasant than going by road – though prices on the coastal route can’t compare with buses, you’re away from the busy (and often dangerous) Highway 1, and get to see far more of the countryside.
The most popular routes with tourists are the shuttle from Da Nang to Hué (2–3hr), a picturesque sampler of Vietnamese rail travel, and the overnighters from Hué to Hanoi (11–16hr) and from Hanoi up to Lao Cai, for Sa Pa (8–9hr).
Getting around | By rail |
Services
The country’s main line shadows Highway 1 on its way from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, passing through Nha Trang, Da Nang and Hué en route. From Hanoi, three branch lines strike out towards the northern coast and into its hinterland. One line traces the Red River northwest to Lao Cai, site of a border crossing into China’s Yunnan Province, and just an hour by bus from Sa Pa. Another runs north to Dong Dang, and is the route taken by the trains from Hanoi to Beijing. The third branch, a shorter spur, links the capital with Haiphong.
Six Reunification Express services depart daily from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and vice versa, a journey that takes somewhere between thirty and forty hours. On the northern lines, two trains per day make the run from Hanoi to Haiphong (2–3hr) and two to Dong Dang (6hr). There are also three night trains (7–8hr) and a