Are you traveling to Vietnam? This post includes the most useful Vietnam travel tips and the most important things to know before going to Vietnam.
Best time to visit Vietnam
This is one of the most important Vietnam travel tips I have for you, as it will definitely affect your time in the country!
While it is safe to say that you can visit Vietnam year round, generally speaking the best time to visit Vietnam – especially if you want to travel across the entire country – is in the spring, between March and April.
That means milder temperatures (not as cold as in the winter in the North; and not as hot as in the summer in the South); and less chances of rain. It’s also the best time to visit Vietnam if you want to go hiking!
I visited Vietnam between the end of February and mid March and can attest that the weather varied a lot between the North and the South.
Hanoi is generally pleasant but it can also get terribly humid and misty, and so is Ha Long Bay, where you may not get the picture-perfect clear sky (which makes the water turn of a beautiful emerald green).
Sapa Valley is typically sunny at that time of year, and the temperatures during the day are nice and mild, but it can get cold at night (something you want to keep in mind in case you want to do a homestay).
Get your Vietnam Visa online
Depending on your nationality, you can easily get a Vietnamese visa on arrival. Keep in mind that if you want a Vietnam visa on arrival you can only get a 15 days visa waiver, and you will also have to show proof that you will leave the country within that period. This kind of visa is completely free.
However, if you want top spend a bit more time traveling around the country (after all, there is so much to see!), you will need to apply for a visa beforehand.
Consider going on a guided tour of Vietnam
Traveling around Vietnam can be a bit of a hassle, what with the trains, buses, planes and all the travel planning you may have to do if you have limited time.
So here’s one of the best Vietnam travel tips for you: join a guided tour! Just leave the planning bits to the experts: you’ll only have to pack your bags (in fact, they will even tell you what to pack!).
Know the Vietnamese currency
The official Vietnamese currency is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). The exchange rate is currently around 23,000 VND to $1 USD; 25,000 VND to €1 Euro and 29,000 VND to £1 GBP. Dollars are accepted in all hotels and even in some shops, but to save on the exchange rate you are better off using the local currency.
If you plan to exchange money, make sure to check the exchange rate beforehand and go with a precise idea of what you must receive in return: bank tellers pretend to “forget” about giving you the lower denomination notes (I suspect they may try to cash it themselves).
Cash is king in Vietnam – not to mention, paying by credit card means adding up to 3% in fees. So you will have to withdraw frequently.
The good news is that your dollar will go a long way; but the bad news is that most ATMs in Vietnam will dispense a mere 2,000,000 VND (that’s around $85 USD), and only a few give up to 3,000,000 VNM. Furthermore, ATMs also charge a transaction fee which can be of anything between $1 and $5 USD.
Some banks won’t charge you any international ATM fee – ask yours if they do. I have had an account with N26, which is specifically designed for travelers so that they can avoid unwelcome extra fees.
Vietnam is super cheap
You don’t have to be rich to treat yourself in Vietnam – this is one of the most budget friendly countries in the world. A budget of no more than $40 USD per night will get you a nice boutique hotel; while a mere $20 will secure a room in a mid-range place – and breakfast is included in both cases.
You can expect to pay $2 USD for a full meal if you opt for street food; and $20 USD will get you a dinner at a fancy restaurant, with drinks and dessert (that’s how much my sister and I paid at the fanciest restaurant in Hoi An).
Pick your accommodation wisely
You will have all sorts of accommodation options in Vietnam, and the good news is even a small budget can go a long way and you will hardly have to sleep in dorms. Any town or city will offer a selection of budget hotels, mid-range and luxury ones; guest houses; hostels and even home-stays.
If you opt for a home stay in a more rural area, keep in mind that the conditions may be beyond basic – sometimes guests are placed literally under the (unfinished) roof where there is no glass on the windows, so it can get very cold at night.
Is Vietnam safe?
Vietnam is a safe country, even for solo female travelers. You will need to keep your eyes open for pickpockets and thieves that may try to steal your backpack – so make sure to keep your important items safe and to never leave your backpack or suitcase unattended.
Decide how to move around the country
Vietnam is connected to the rest of South East Asia by various budget airlines, so you are probably better off flying to Bangkok (to where you can get a cheap flights from most countries) and from there to either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
Once you get to Vietnam, you have to decide how to cover long distances. Words can’t describe the kind of absurd modes of transportation you may see. Anyways, back to the useful stuff for you.
Given the crazy traffic, one of my top Vietnam travel tips is to move across the country by plane, rather than by bus.
I know this will make many environmentalists shriek, but frankly the traffic is so bad, the driving so mad (and dangerous), the honking so constant, the buses and minivans so uncomfortable (no leg room, bags and suitcases all over, falling off at every turn) and everything so slow (5 hours to cover 150 km – 93 miles – just to give an example) that you are infinitely better off hopping on a budget flight.
Just make sure to check for hidden fees and to weight your luggage as baggage restrictions are often applied to the letter.
In some cases, you may want to move around by train – in fact, the night train is the best way of getting from Hanoi to the Sapa Valley. You will actually travel to Lao Cai, from where typically minivans pick up travelers to reach Sapa and other places in the region.
Don’t panic when crossing the street
Crossing the street in Vietnam is no piece of cake – at least until you get used to it. Traffic is absolutely insane, with cars, trucks and especially scooters and motorbikes zipping everywhere and seemingly never stopping. In fact, they actually never stop – at least not for pedestrians.
Forget about looking for zebra lines or pedestrian crossing as drivers don’t seem to care about them. The only way to cross the street it to look for a (minor) break in traffic and move along confidently.
You will find that scooters will slow down to let you cross, or just drive around you. By all means stay well alert as some drivers are even worse than their reputation would suggest.
You should also use caution walking along the street in any Vietnamese city. You will see that there are pavements, except they are not for pedestrians to walk on.
Pavements are used as parking spots for scooters, motorbikes and bikes; they are used by shop owners to hang their merchandise; they are packed with tiny tables and stools for customers of the many street food stalls.
In other words: anyone can use a sidewalk, but an actual pedestrian. You will just have to walk on the street and dodge the scooters as best you can.
Get a local SIM card
Literally all hotels and restaurants in Vietnam have decent working Wi-Fi, but if you want to navigate all the time (ie to use apps to call taxis etc) you are better off getting a local SIM card. Even places like Sapa and Ha Long Bay will have 4G reception.
Obviously, your phone has to be unlocked to accommodate a new SIM card. There are shops in every town that sell them for more than reasonable prices – especially if you only need data. You can pick among various companies including Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone. Viettel has by far the best service.