Bike, Flight, Bus or Car through Vietnam?
How the heck do you decide? Well, let me help with a little pro/con list. FYI, we decided on motorbiking, but it isn’t for everyone and by the time I finished my trip, I’d have to say, I am not sure I would take a motorbike again!
Flight
Definitely the fastest form of travel to city hop and relatively cheap in comparison to North American flights, but they are more expensive than renting a bike or taking the bus and you miss the scenic routes entirely (which would be a shame).
Bus
Bus tips are generally inexpensive and direct, you have A/C and are protected from weather, but they are long hours and inflexible on where you can stop and take pictures or rests. Backpackers often choose this option for a least a day trip to go to Mui Ne because the cops are known for pulling over tourist and extorting them for their money. (We avoided Mui Ne altogether, but heard there are routes you can take which avoid the cops.)
Bike
This is the most leisurely way to travel through Vietnam. It gives you the flexibility of not only time but of direction. It is also the most stunning. It allows you to have intercity transportation as well as intracity transportation; if you want to go and see sights, you do not have to rent a bike for the day or get a Taxi, Grab or Uber there, you can just hop on your own bike and trek to wherever you please. It is, however, the most dangerous, with your biggest dangers being other bikers, weather such a wind and rain and pot holes. You must be wary of weather such as strong cross winds and be prepared to ride in rain, but in my opinion, it was worth the ride! CHECK OUT Rent or Buy A Bike In Vietnam.
Car
Car rentals can be very hard to come across and can be more costly. Most tourists go against this options because of the above options, however, I have heard that you can hire a driver and that will likely be the most expensive option, but a good way to see everything you want. Car must also pay tolls, I am unaware of how much tolls are.
This is not to say that you can’t do a combination of any of the above. I did. I rented a bike to go to Da Nang, shipped it back to Ho Chi Minh for about CAD$40 (Check out Rent Or Buy a Bike in Vietnam) and flew from Da Nang to Hanoi to catch the rest of my trip. I do hear that there are some absolutely stunning spots to stop between Da Nang and Hanoi, but our route from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang was just stunning! Make sure you have all the information by click on Everything You Need To Know About Motorbiking Through Vietnam
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