Transportation in general, Hanoi

#1 Never take advice from someone who has only 1 review. Most hotels write there own reviews, so make sure the review is from someone with 30 reviews or more. Yes arrive Hanoi take taxi to hotel for about 360,000 vnd or take mini bus for 40,000 vnd , after you arrive everyone sells tours, if you stay in 3 star hotel or higher , the price of tours is Higher. Do not commit on your hotel , shop around , you can find a tour to Halong bay for as cheap as 59.00 usd for 1 night and up , included return trip from Hanoi . Never take a overnight sleeper bus , It is very dangerous , the drivers play chicken with other drivers , if they die you Die too . And the payout to your loved ones for you is now at 248.00 usd , from Hanoi you can take Airlines flight or Sleeper train about 30 usd 1 way for hard sleeper slow but scenic . In Hanoi you have to Bargain all the time ..

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I used the services of a Xe Om driver that I had seen daily that was parked and hustling business not too far from the front door of the Heart Hotel, our “home away from home” in Ha Noi.

The last full day that I was visiting Ha Noi I wanted to get to two different attractions that were pretty far apart from each other, one being Tran Quoc Pagoda that’s located on the shore of West Lake, the other was the Temple of Literature or Van Mieu located in Ba Dinh District.

Using the Xe Om was both affordable and kind of exciting…take a look at the videos attached to the Page here. I don’t know exactly what the costs were, Im not good at writing logs or diaries but I know this mode of transport is less than half the costs of using taxis in Ha Noi.

The fellow was friendly and waited for me at my first stop, the Tran Quoc Pagoda. When I was finished there he took me then to Van Mieu for another low cost transit, and that is where I left him.

All of the rides I had with this gentleman were quite fun and were not quite comparable to riding in Canada, or for that matter, any “Western” country. We dodged traffic on solid lines and at one point ignored the concrete boulevards at an intersection to make a left turn.

EVERYONE drives about the same speed throughout the parts of the city that I was driven in and it all seems to work even with minimal traffic lights to organize flow. It seems a little hair rising but in fact I saw not one accident so it all seems to work I guess.

On my return to my hotel at the end of another day of walking I found another Xe Om and had a ride through THICK traffic to get back to the Hoan Kiem Lake District.

Cost was minimal and though it seems a little crazy and dangerous…it all works quite well here. Both drivers and all that I saw looking for business have helmets for you to wear while you’re riding!
Both drivers were open to some haggling on price although its so cheap to begin with I didn’t push it too far. They are after all just trying to earn a living.

For SANITARY reasons…I would suggest that you were a ball cap or some type of hat between you and the helmet that they offer you…it just might help prevent picking up some unwanted friends along the way. :O)

Don’t assume that you can get this map at the airport. Stock don’t get replenish fast at the airport. Got mine at Tourist Information Centre @ 7 Dinh Tieng Hoang Street (see the pink icon with the letter “i” on north of the lake).

Old Quarter is where almost everything is, the hotels, the places of attraction, the bustling traffic, the street vendors and a lot more.

Wondering what does these white lines translate to in actual distance?
Walking from one end to the other of the Hoan Kiem Lake takes around 5 minutes.

If the distance is too far to go by walking, take cyclo or taxi. BUT, always settle on the price before hoping on.

Cyclo (rickshaw alike) – sits two small built people
Taxi - never go by the meter! A lot of drivers are out to cheat.

Charges reference:
From Old Quarter to Ethnology museum – 100,000VND
From Old Quarter to Westlake – 40,000VND
Within old quarter – depending on distance, shouldn’t exceed 50,000VND.
Eg. From Hang Bac to Women Museum cost 30,000VND

Hanoi airport to city is a long way. Careful of the scammers.

As at November 2008, bus to city from airport 25,000 dong. By Taxi is 200,000 and up subject to your ability to haggle.

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The scam...

You step out of airport and immediately, you are pushed and man handled by transport touters. They point to buses and taxis and mini-vans. Very few speak English and those that do play dumb. When you cross the street to the waiting buses, girls with sashes will point you toward the bus.
Here comes the scam.... A man will take your luggage, but not to the bus, but to a mini-van behind it. A rough explanation comes that the bus has a central drop off and does not go to the Old Quarter, but the min-van takes you to your hotel for same money. You get in, take your seat and the luggage gets piled up in the doorway and is closed. A man reaches through the window asking for fare which is now 50,000 dong. Too much of a hassle to get out of the van, so you pay since you are being taken "straight to hotel". The 45 minute drive will see you dropped off at an obscure street. Amazingly, there just happens to be 6 taxi drivers waiting in the middle of nowhere. (mini-van driver made cell-phone call about 10 minutes before hand). It is too far to where you want to go, so taxi driver takes you there, and of course, it costs more. At least 80,000 dong if you insist on a meter taxi (but some are wound up to read more), but they will offer up front payment without meter of 150,000 dong.
They obviously have conspired together to get as much money as they can out of foreign visitors.
(by the way, the buses DO stop at the Old Quarter)

3. bike - a good way to get around, but also one of the more stressful ones... Imagine being the only biker among thousands of motorbikes! Bikes can be rented in many places in the Old Quarter (try Hang Bac street), as well as in some of the hotels. By the way: Don't expect anyone show consideration for you. You'll be the weakest part of the food chain...
4. by foot - definitely one of the best ways to get around in Hanoi. It makes it possible for you to truly discover the city - and its more hidden parts. When walking around, be curious: Check out the narrow lanes and hidden entries. You'll be surprised what can be found there.
5. by taxi - taxis are rather expensive, but this will quickly pay out when you go by more than two persons. Expect to pay about 30000-100000 VND for a ride in Hanoi. The prices are fixed, bargaining is not necessary.
6. by cyclo - cyclos (i.e. rickshaw) are only for tourists. In the Old Quarter, you'll here the ringing of their bells everywhere, but I would recommend not to go with them. Prices are too high (most drivers can easily recognize a naive tourist who is overwhelmed by all the exotic views of his first day in Hanoi). Cyclos are too slow for going to some place quickly, but too fast for taking pictures of the exciting street life around them. Furthermore, you'll sit on the height of all the exhaust fumes...
7. drive your own motorbike - this is certainly the best way to get around, if...
...you know the city.
...you're not afraid of millions of other motorbikes coming towards you from every direction without any traffic rules
...you like adventures!
Motorbikes can be rented at almost every hotel and in some shops in the Old Quarter, especially in Hang Bac street. Compare the prices and you'll be able to save some bucks. Most people choose a 110ccm Honda or Yamaha, but if you want to do longer trips, try to get a Minsk. This is a Belorussian motorbike that is nearly impossible to break down. It's good for tours in the countryside. Motorbikes can also be bought in Hanoi

Visitors of Hanoi have plenty of possibilities to get around in the city. Most of them have some advantages, but be careful with some!
1. Bus - Hanoi has a pretty good bus system that gets you almost everywhere for an incredibly cheap price (2500 VND, i.e. 0,15$) per ride. However, there are several drawbacks. First, buses are literally always overcrowded. When I'm talking about overcrowded, I don't mean the European or American way of overcrowdedness. I mean the Asian way, and believe me, that's not the most convenient thing... Second, there is no timetable - buses run frequently, but sometimes you have to wait quite long (just to find that your bus is completely overcrowded and it's almost impossible to get in!). Third, if you don't know Hanoi well, it is rather hard to find out where and when to get out of the bus. Bus stops don't have a name and are hardly visible in the hustling and bustling on the sidewalks. For those with a lot of time and the sense for some adventure, going by bus is a good idea.
2. motorbike - The first experience in Hanoi is some Vietnamese man shouting "Motobai?" at you. Just shake your head if you don't want to drive with him. If you want to go with him, tell him the adress (be sure about the correct pronunciation, or it will be impossible for him to find the place) and start bargaining. In any case, you'll pay much more than the average Vietnamese and you'll still think "How incredibly cheap this is!". A good price can be reached only through good bargaining skills - and these have to be developed! Try 5000VND for a short ride and 10000VND for a long ride. DON'T pay with dollars - you will definitely be ripped off! If the drivers don't agree with your price idea (and they certainly won't), just walk away - this will quickly change their minds... Pay with small money as most drivers don't have enough change for anything bigger than 10000 VND.
A motorbike taxi is called Xe Om (pronounce Se owm) and can be found easily everywhere. Late at night, it's more difficult and prices double.

The best part about Hanoi is almost all the tourist attractions are in Old Quarters. If you are staying in the vicinity, you can go about everywhere by feet. If you plan to travel out of Old Quarter, my best pick will be taxi. Get a taxi through the hotel concierge if you can. A 6km taxi ride cost around VND60,000 (~USD4). Anything more than that can be considered a rip-off. It will be advisable to plan the trip with a two-way taxi. It may cost slightly more but you can at least be sure that you don't get cheated.
Another mode of transportation is the cyclo. This is definitely a must-try for any tourist and the experience on the cycle is definitely unforgettable. However, be prepared to pay a hefty price for it. My family took 2 cyclos for a 3km ride and we ended up paying USD6 for the short ride!

Motorbike ride around Hanoi city is always VND10,000 to VND15,000 not more.
Make sure which Pho=Street you wanted to go.
Hanoi Bus is around VND3,000
Further trip to outer of Hanoi city, with mini bus may go up to VND40,000

Cheap way to get in the city is to take the Vietnam Airlines airport shuttle that goes from the airport and takes you in front of the Vietnam airlines office in Hoan Kiem district (and vice versa). Price is around VDN30,000 or USD2. Don't give in when the shuttle driver tells you that you have to pay USD3-4. It's a scam. You'll have to stand firm and tell them that you know it's only USD2. If you do decide to take a cab, go for the Mai Linh cabs (green coloured) as they are reputed for being the "honest" cabs by the locals.

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One of the best way to explore Hanoi is by walking around the city, especially during the cooler months between November and February. This is because most of the main attractions are located within walking distance of the famous Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of Restored Sword). For example, the Old Quarter is the northern part of this lake and the French Quarter is the southern part of this lake. Walking also enable you to really feel the sights, sound and smell of Hanoi and lots of photography opportunities. The streets of Hanoi are also quite safe to walk around, you just need to be careful of the chaotic traffic (see the warnings section of this VT page). However, there are some attractions which you need to get a taxi to reach e.g. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & surroundings, Temple of Literature and Temple of Ethnology.