In a nutshell
- Vietnam is a fantastic destination with natural highlights like Ha Long Bay, beautiful cities like Hội An and Hanoi, incredible food, and genuinely friendly people.
- It’s still a bit under the radar in Southeast Asia — in many ways less crowded than Bali or Thailand, and even a little more affordable.
- The best time to go is February and March, when a two to three week road trip through the whole country is totally doable.
- All our tips and first-hand experiences are right here — so you’ll be perfectly prepared for your Vietnam trip.
Our Vietnam Travel Tips at a Glance
- Trip duration for a road trip: two to three weeks
- Best time to visit for a road trip: February and March
- Costs: about 55 to 70 euros per day + 700 to 900 euros for the flight
- Flight duration: 11 hours (direct flight) or 17 hours (with a stopover)
- Getting around: mainly buses and domestic flights
- Safety: Vietnam is a very safe travel destination
- Highlights: Saigon, Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc, Hội An, Da Nang, Hue, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Cat Ba, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Fansipan, Ha Giang Loop
More tips on the most beautiful sights in Vietnam:
Our Tips for the Best Time to Visit Vietnam
The best time to visit for a vacation in Vietnam is February and March. During those months, temperatures across the entire country stay between 64 and 86°F and it’s dry everywhere.
January and April are also solid options — you just have to accept a few weather compromises. In January, parts of Vietnam can drop to just 50°F, while April can push up to 95°F.
Vietnam stretches a long way from north to south, spanning three climate zones. Outside of January through April, at least one of those zones will always be in rainy season — which makes a road trip through all of Vietnam pretty uncomfortable.
All the info on the best time to visit Vietnam can be found here:
Getting to Vietnam and Entry Requirements
There are direct flights to Vietnam from several major European hubs. On a direct flight, you’ll be in the air for about 11 hours.
If you prefer to fly with a stopover, you can reach Vietnam from a wide range of airports — you’ll be traveling for roughly 17 hours in total. We once did a stopover in Singapore, which we really enjoyed.
Your best bet is to fly into Saigon or Hanoi — those are the two ideal starting points for a road trip through Vietnam. We’d recommend landing in Saigon and flying home from Hanoi. This comes down to the different weather patterns across the country. Our guide on the best time to visit Vietnam explains this in more detail.
We always search for flights on Skyscanner — it shows you the best deal available, and you book directly with the airline.
To enter Vietnam, you’ll need a valid passport. If you’re staying up to 45 days, no visa is required. From 46 days onward, you’ll need a visa, which you can apply for through the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Note: Before your trip, always double-check the latest visa requirements with your country’s foreign ministry — these can change quickly.
Getting Around Vietnam
In Vietnam, the main ways to travel between cities are by plane and comfortable long-distance buses.
The buses are usually sleeper buses — and they run during the day too. You get a partitioned, reclining seat with more legroom than on regular buses. For just 2–3 euros more, you can upgrade to VIP buses with your own screen and curtains.
For longer distances — say, between Saigon, Da Nang, and Hanoi — a domestic flight is also a great option. Flight connections between these three cities work really well.
Trains do run in Vietnam, but they’re generally less comfortable and slower than the buses. So they don’t make our list of Vietnam travel tips.
Getting Around Vietnamese Cities
In Saigon and Hanoi, we used public buses a lot — they worked great and are a fantastic way to save money, especially if you’re backpacking.
You can find stops and routes on Google Maps. Buses usually come every five to ten minutes. You wave one down, hop on, and buy a ticket from the attendant on board. They usually cost just a few cents.
In Saigon, you can also easily take a public bus from the airport into the city center. The airport is super centrally located — you’ll only be on the road for about half an hour.
Alternatively, Grab is a great option in the cities. You can book regular taxis or motorbike taxis through the Grab app at fixed prices — no haggling needed.
Vietnamese Traffic
Especially in the larger cities, the streets are absolutely packed with scooters. They ride in what looks like total chaos and barely follow traffic rules — instead, they constantly honk to signal their presence. And somehow, this whole chaotic system always works.
For pedestrians, there are usually no crosswalk signals, and nobody stops at crosswalks either.
When you want to cross a street, wait until traffic thins out a little, then walk slowly and steadily across. The scooter riders will simply swerve around you. In our experience, this has always worked fine. If you stop suddenly or start running, you’re far more likely to cause an accident.
How Much Does a Trip to Vietnam Cost?
Vietnam is a seriously affordable destination — even by Southeast Asian standards. You can get by comfortably on about 55 to 70 euros per day, which already covers accommodation, food, transportation, activities, and entrance fees. Add 700–900 euros for round-trip flights on top of that.
As a backpacker, you can manage on less than 55 euros a day. And if you want to splash out on affordable luxury hotels or upscale restaurants every now and then, there’s plenty of room to spend more too.
Good double rooms in cities like Hanoi and Saigon start at around 20 euros — and in less touristy areas, even cheaper. A meal typically costs 3–5 euros. Activities are by far the biggest expense — budget from 30–40 euros per activity.
One more thing: Vietnamese people aren’t accustomed to tipping. That said, you’re always welcome to leave something if you want to.
Vietnamese Currency
In Vietnam, you pay with the Vietnamese Dong. 1 euro is roughly 28,000 Dong.
In larger cities, you can often pay by card. Everywhere else, cash is usually the only option.
ATMs are available in every city. Most of the time, though, you can only withdraw 2 or 3 million Dong per transaction — that’s about 80 or 115 euros. Each withdrawal typically comes with a service fee of 2 to 5 percent. If you have a travel credit card, you won’t pay any additional fees.
Our article on the best travel credit cards
Is Vietnam a Safe Travel Destination?
Vietnam is a very safe place to travel. Even as a solo female traveler, you can explore the country without worrying about your safety.
Minor issues like pickpocketing can happen in Vietnam, of course — but they occur far less frequently here than at many European destinations.
Medical care in Vietnam meets international standards, especially in larger cities and at private hospitals. At private hospitals, most doctors also speak English.
There are no required vaccinations for entry. A hepatitis A vaccination is generally recommended. For longer stays, vaccinations against dengue fever, hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies, and Japanese encephalitis are also advised.
Food and Drink in Vietnam
Vietnam is best known for Pho (noodle soup with vegetables and meat) and Banh Mi (a filled baguette). Pho is Vietnam’s national dish and is most commonly eaten for breakfast. Beyond that, you’ll find Vietnamese spring rolls (usually not fried), rice with chicken, and a huge variety of seafood.
Vietnamese people love street food. Every evening, small, colorful plastic tables and chairs pop up on sidewalks all over the city, serving up local dishes. Most street food stalls only offer two or three options — if nothing grabs you, just move on to the next one.
But it’s not all street food — there are also plenty of sit-down restaurants with more variety, including international dishes.
Vietnam also has a huge coffee culture. There are small cafés on every corner, and Vietnamese coffee is seriously strong. If you prefer something milder, try one of the many creative variations — Vietnamese people get really inventive with it. Think egg coffee, avocado coffee, and coconut coffee.
Communication in Vietnam
Vietnamese people speak Vietnamese — but most can manage at least some English. Especially in tourist areas like the larger cities or Halong Bay, you’ll get along just fine in English.
Only in more remote areas like the Ha Giang Loop will you find fewer English speakers. For those situations, we used the Google Translate app, which worked perfectly.
Internet, SIM Cards, and Outlets in Vietnam
Internet quality in Vietnam varies quite a bit. In the cities, the connection is great. In more remote areas like the Ha Giang Loop, we unfortunately had no signal at all. That said, virtually every accommodation and restaurant in Vietnam has Wi-Fi that you can use.
For your trip, you’ll want a Vietnamese SIM card or an eSIM. SIM cards are available directly at the airport, or you can set up an eSIM before you leave home.
We bought a SIM card from Viettel at the airport with unlimited data. For three weeks, we paid 10 euros and were completely happy with it.
Stay connected on the go: With an eSIM from Saily
Make sure to travel to Vietnam with an eSIM from Saily. You buy the eSIM from home and install it easily through the app. Once you land in Vietnam, it activates automatically.
Saily is affordable, super easy to use, and perfect for a trip to Vietnam.
- Fixed data packages and unlimited data available
- 200 destinations
- Top security features
Use the code 22places to save 10 percent on your eSIM from Saily.
Outlets are no problem in Vietnam. Standard European plugs fit in almost all Vietnamese sockets. We brought a travel adapter just in case, but never actually needed it.
