Getting around Vietnam: apps, trains, buses and flights

For rides in a city, use a ride app. For long trips, compare the train, a sleeper bus and a flight by time, not only by price. We give no fares here. They change by date and by season.

• Grab is the app most visitors use. It books cars and motorbike taxis, and shows the price before you ride. Install it and add a card before you fly.
• Local apps. Other ride apps exist, and Xanh SM is a car and motorbike service we saw named in guides ¹. Which one has cars near you changes by city.
• Check the plate. When the car arrives, match the plate and the driver's name to the app before you get in.
• Pay in the app or in cash, as the booking says. Keep small notes for cash rides.

• Use the meter or an agreed price. Say it before you get in.
• Pick known firms. Guides name Mai Linh (green cars) and Vinasun (white cars) as the safe taxi firms ^1,2.
• Do not follow people who approach you. At Noi Bai airport, the airport itself told passengers to use only official taxis at the marked pick-up lanes, after a tourist was overcharged by a driver pretending to work for Grab ².
• Take a photo of the plate if a fare looks wrong, and report it. In that case the police later punished the offenders ².
• A fare that climbs while you drive, or a phone app that looks odd, is a sign to stop and get out somewhere busy.

Motorbike taxis through an app are quick and cheap in traffic. You sit behind the driver. The driver must give you a helmet: wear it. For longer rides with luggage, take a car.

If you want to ride yourself, read our [motorbike guide](/guides/motorbikes) first. Your licence and your insurance both matter.

The main line runs from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City along the coast, with stops such as Hue, Da Nang and Nha Trang. It is slow and relaxed. The full run takes about a day and a half ³.

• Sleeper berths are sold in cabins of four or six. A four berth soft sleeper is the comfortable choice.
• Booking. The railway sells tickets online at dsvn.vn. A guide says it takes international cards and opens about 60 days ahead, and longer around Tet. Check before you go ³.
• Booking sites such as 12Go sell the same tickets with a fee added ³.
• Prices differ a lot between sources. Check the site for your date.

• Sleeper buses have reclining beds and run overnight on long routes. They are cheaper than the train and less steady on bends.
• Book through the company or an agent you can name, and ask where the bus leaves and arrives. Stations and drop-off points vary.
• Small vans run short routes and may stop often.
• Check before you go: seat and bed sizes are small for tall travelers.

For Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang or Phu Quoc, flying saves a day. Check the baggage rules: low fares often include a small bag only. Book the airport transfer in advance for early or late flights.

• Grab or a marked taxi from the official pick-up lane is the plain answer on landing.
• Pre-booked cars cost more but name the price and wait for you.
• City buses run from some airports. Check the timetable on the day.
• Do not accept a ride from someone who calls to you inside the terminal ².

All pages were checked on Oct 20, 2026. Sources are travel sites and news. We found no official fare list, so we give no fares.

1. Tabiji and other travel guides on Hanoi taxis (Mai Linh, Vinasun, Xanh SM): tabiji.ai
2. Viet Nam News, "Two people caught overcharging foreign tourist" (Noi Bai airport advice, fake Grab driver case): vietnamnews.vn
3. Vietnam Tourism, "Vietnam by train: routes, tickets and the Reunification Express" (journey time, dsvn.vn booking, third party sites): vietnamtourism.com