Vietnam Airport Transfer: Complete Guide to Book a Car

The fact that too many transports are available in Vietnam Airports will sometimes confuse you on your first trip to the country. To save yourself from being scammed, booking wrong transportation, or getting into unwanted troubles, you should read our following guide to book a Vietnam Airport Transfer.

First, let’s get started with a story. It began when my friends flew to Vietnam for the first time. Due to the late flight, they could hardly find a way to get to their hotel and were overcharged by a scam taxi. In the end, they had to pay VND 600 000 (~ US$ 25.8) for a one-way transfer, while the standard fare is just US$ 10 to US$ 15. After knowing the truth, they got really mad and were hesitant about coming back. So far, it has left them with a pretty bad impression of the trip. As a local tour guide, I hope this will not happen to you or your friends. That is why in the topic today, I will guide you through the way to book Vietnam transportation at the 4 big Vietnam international airports so that you will never step on the mistakes of my friends.

 

Hanoi Airport transfer (from Noi Bai International airport)

Hanoi Airport (officially Noi Bai International Airport) is only 30km from Hanoi Old Quarter. However, among the 4 biggest airports in Vietnam, this is the one that stays far from the city centre most which makes the transfer between Hanoi Airport and the city centre become the most costly. Luckily, like most of the other airports in Vietnam, there are only 2 terminals in Noi Bai Airport: the Domestic (Terminal 1/T1) and the International (Terminal 2/T2). As these terminals are not so big and located right next to each other, you not only can move between them easily but also have more chances to get the best transportation to the city center.  

In general, you would have three main choices of transportation to transfer from Hanoi Airport to the Old Quarter: public bus, shuttle bus, and taxi or private car. Depending on your budget and your demand, you may consider the below information to choose the best one. However, it is suggested that you should take a taxi or book a private car as it is the most convenient choice.

On the other hand, considering your budget, you may want to use the public bus to travel from Noi Bai Airport to the city center. It should be fine, but please note that the bus is not allowed to get deeply into the Old Quarter; therefore, after hopping off, you may have to walk or catch a taxi to get to your hotel there. To save money, you may consider the shuttle bus as it is not much more expensive than the public bus and also more convenient.

Means of Transport	Duration	Cost
Public Bus	1 hour	US$ 0.4 - 1.5
Shuttle Bus	1 hour	US$ 1.7
Taxi/Private Car	45 minutes	US$ 10 - 15 (for the 4-seat car)

 

Hanoi Airport transfer

 

Ho Chi Minh airport transfer (from Tan Son Nhat international airport) 

Ho Chi Minh Airport (also called Tan Son Nhat International Airport) is only 8km far from the city center, which helps to save the transfer cost a lot. As this international airport is really small and extremely crowded, if you want to get out of it and get to your hotel as soon as possible, taxis and private cars are the best options. 

You can also save your money by using the public bus with 2 bus stops inside the airport: 1 at the international terminal and 1 at the domestic terminal. Normally, the buses would bring you to the city center in about 15 minutes. The only problem is that the traffic jam usually happens around the airport, which would make your trip with the public bus so exhausting, and you may need many more 15 minutes to get to the city center.

Another interesting way to get to Ho Chi Minh City Center from the airport is walking. 8km to Ho Chi Minh city center is exactly the distance from the airport to Ben Thanh Market - the symbol of this city. In fact, the center district is just nearby Tan Son Nhat, therefore, you may just have to walk about 4km to reach the crowded city center district - a suitable distance for those who love exercising. However, you should try to walk when arriving here in the early morning as most of the other times, the street is full of dust and vehicles’ smoke, and it is not safe to walk late at night. 

Means of Transport	Duration	Cost
Public Bus	15 minutes	US$ 0.25
Taxi/Private Car	5 – 10 minutes	US$ 2.5 (for the 4-seat car)
Walking	NA	NA

 

Tan Son Nhat Airport

 

Da Nang Airport transfer (from Da Nang international airport)

Da Nang Airport owns the best positions among the 4 biggest airfields in Vietnam. The airport is only 3km to the city center, 23km to Ba Na Hills, and 30km to Hoi An ancient town, which means you don’t have to pay much to get to those tourist areas and transportation is always available. 

If you stay in Da Nang city center, public bus, taxi, or even walking are all the possible choices. The most convenient transportation is absolutely the taxi. However, if you don’t have so much luggage you may consider using the public bus to save money; or else, for exercising, walking sounds pretty good.

On the other hand, the best way to get to Ba Na Hills and Hoi An Ancient Town is definitely the private car. Some people must think about using the taxi; however, the cost would rise pretty high while there might be a risk that you will get scams. Therefore, if you are planning to travel to Hoi An or Ba Na directly from Da Nang Airport, the private car is perfect! 

Means of Transport	Duration	Cost
Public Bus	25 minutes	US$ 0.25
Taxi	15 minutes	US$ 2.5 (for the 4-seat car)
Walking	NA	NA

 

Da Nang Airport transfer

 

Hue Airport transfer (from Phu Bai airport)

Hue Airport (officially called Phu Bai Airport) is just 15km away from the city center. You can choose to get to the Hue city center from the airport by taxi, shuttle bus, or public bus. With a group of 3 people or more and carrying a lot of luggage, although the taxi is quite expensive, it seems like the most possible option.

Public bus is absolutely the cheapest choice. The bus stop is just nearby the airport so you can get to it easily; however, the biggest problem of traveling by public transport from Hue Airport to the city center is the waiting time which is about 30 - 60 minutes for each bus ride. If you still want to save money, you can count on the shuttle bus with the cost of about 50,000 VND/person. Although, you still may have to wait for the shuttle bus in 30 - 60 minutes, at least you can have a more comfortable experience than using public transport.

Means of Transport	Duration	Cost
Public Bus	40 minutes	US$ 0.3
Shuttle Bus	25 minutes	US$ 2.2
Taxi/Private Car	30 minutes	US$ 10 - 12

 

Hue Airport transfer

After all of the suggestions, maybe you have got something about booking a car or getting around when in Vietnam. If you are a newbie or just visit the country for the first time, I recommend you have a third party to help you with this. Usually, it is us, Bestprice Travel that offer the service. You can go to our website at bestpricetravel.com or call +84 39 700 5895 to have all your work done. Besides, on booking one of our Vietnam tours, you can sometimes get a discount and included all airport transfers too. Let’s contact us and enjoy your vacation!

MinKJ

Image Source: Internet