Hanoi Flights

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We flew from Hanoi to Danang with Vietnam Airlines. The flight was very smooth (Irish pilot) and we were very comfortable during the hour long flight.

The flight cost $US 60 and was organised through a local travel agent.

Would recommend flying if you are short on time.

Taking a plane to Hanoi will bring you to the Noi Bai International Airport, 35 km (45-60min) north of the city. Domestic flights are handled by Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines. Many international airlines service Hanoi. The cheapest option is Air Asia from Bangkok. I got a one way ticket for 1500 Baht after taxes.

Taxis that travel from Noi Bai Airport to the city cost a fixed price of $10 USD. These guys will drop you in front of a hotel of their choice so the driver can collect a commission from the owner. However, if you tell them that you have confirmed reservations they will give in.

You can take public buses number 07 and 17 to the city center from Noi Bai airport. They cost 5000 VDN and will take about 1 hour. Bus number 07 crosses Thang Long bridge and takes you to the western part of Hanoi. Bus number 17 crosses Chuong Duong bridge and takes you close to the old quarter.

Shuttle-buses to the Airport depart opposite the Vietnam Airlines Office on Quang Trung (see below). Tickets cost $2 USD and are sold in the building in front of which the vans are parked.

At Noi Bai Airport you will have to pay a service charge of 14 US$ if you are on an international flight.

Budget air Tiger Airways now flies three times a week from Singapore to Hanoi. A return ticket can be as low as S$100 (inclusive of tax and surcharges) if you book during promotion periods. However, as with all budget airlines, you do have to put up with narrower seats, which can make the three hour flight quite uncomfortable. Also, be prepared to queue as seating is on a first come first serve basis.

The Tiger flight typically arrives in Hanoi at 6pm and you will probably arrive in the city centre by 7-7:30pm.

Don't be surprised when you are flying out of Hanoi and you have to pay US$14 departure fee! We had no clue and no one bothered to mention to us until we were through security and going through customs... We almost missed our flight, backtracking to pay this tax. Not to mention they wouldn't let us carry our bags back out through security, so we let them sit in the middle of the airport with thousands of people milling about. Not a pleasant experience.

Hanoi Airport is new and modern, quite a contrast from HCMC's Vietnam War-era airport. The only problem is its location, quite a long drive from the city. Not as many airlines fly into Hanoi as into HCMC, so you may have more trouble getting here. We flew Vietnam airlines from HCMC to Hanoi, then again from Hanoi to Seoul. The hour-long flight sure beats the day-long train trip.

Be aware of the exit tax when you depart the country!

The airport tax over here in Hanoi is more expensive compared to the one down south. Remember to reserve $14USD when you're exiting out of Hanoi. Yes, these folks accept dong too. So that's roughly...224 000D.

After two transfers in Los Angeles and Seoul, we arrived in Hanoi 20 hours later (a day and a half with the time difference.) We used our United miles and flew on the Korean airlines, Asiana.

Fortunately for us, we arrived in the evening, and after so many hours in the air, we were ready for some sleep! This allowed us to get up early the next morning with minimal jetlag.

Travel by air can be considered the fastest and of course costing the most as compared to train & buses.

If you can't stand the numb butt for travel by bus for 12 hours or more, travel by air is the best option.

I fly Malaysia Air Line (MAS) to Saigon & the moving up north by busses (Saigon-Hue) & train (Hue-Hanoi).