Traveling by bus

Flying is quick, but a ticket Ho Chi Minh City - Ha Noi will cost almost as much as the taxi rides to and from the airport. The train is slower, the toilets ... well, take care that you do not need them. The ride itself, the atmosphere and the views are fantastic. Especially between Hue and Da Nang where the mountains winding down towards the sea at high altitude just about missing the sea, which you will see deep down under. In able to travel, you can take a taxi or rent a car or motorbike. Long distance taxis are very expensive and most driver licenses are not valid in Vietnam. Renting a car is not difficult. You only drive uninsured. Luckily, there are loads of buses, in all shapes and sizes and still no public transport ticket problems.

The tourist buses:
There are luxury buses driving from major cities to all major tourist sites. For tickets and seat reservations you book with a good travel agent or at your hotel. By telephone or over the Internet, is possible too and it can be adventurous. If you are traveling with a group you might be better off just renting a luxury bus. I myself was once invited to travel along with a group that went from Ho Chi Minh City to visit the E De, a minority people near Dak Lak.

All arranged very luxurious and after each outing your bus awaits again. During the trip you stop at good locations for refreshment.

Vans carrying mass tourism are usually good, often they stop somewhere in a fixed location where the driver gets free food and where the toilets and prices are reasonably geared to Western audiences. One bus after another stop there because eventually you arrive with dozens of buses at the final destination. In my case the Mekong. A huge parking lot full of buses, hundreds of tourists are then transferred from there into smaller boats to an island. After a short walk we did arrive at an open workshop where workers created a nature product which you can buy there. Then stroll along stalls where more local products can be purchased. Can be purchased because the prices are equivalent to the European market, so why should you carry it from there? The market ends at a small stream. There are small boats waiting each for four tourists. It's probably an idyllic stream but you only see full boats that empty coming back. Those buses full of tourists must finally by four in those boats. It's so tight that you have to keep your fingers inside board because between the boats is no more room. In the future, they think probably that the empty boats can also be filled.

There are also smaller buses, which will pick you up at your hotel or near it and drive you straight to Ha Long Bay or any other place you absolutely must have seen. That is true. It is ultimately a unique experience to share every day with many thousands. Along the way they also happily make a stop at a beautiful location where you can eat and get acquainted with the local products.

Public transport:
There are also regular buses driving between cities, there you can buy a ticket on the spot. You can not reserve a seat but you will make pretty easy contact with fellow travelers such as in the train.

There are numbered seats in the train. Luxury buses are luxury and limit making contact usually to your neighbor. In ordinary buses and the train you will easily make contact, wanted or not. Fortunately Vietnamese are in general very pleasant companions that will treat you rather than bother.
My first trip in such a public bus was from Ha Noi to Thai Nguyen. The city has a beautiful classic style museum of Ethnic Cultures in Viet Nam And of course a war museum with very friendly guides.

museum of Ethnic Cultures in Thai Nguyen

Finally there are the larger city buses. You go somewhere where a bus is coming along that runs in the right direction, you swing a bit with your hand and you will be automatically hoisted.

At some moment you may pay and you pay as a tourist no more than anyone else. Fine place to make contacts, with a bit of luck there is someone next to you who speaks English. Otherwise they will try their best. They will help you reading the name of your destination. They friendly inform you when you have arrived your destination and need to exit.

The buses are often so full that you can not fall over.