How to get to Vietnam

Nowadays, Vietnam is proud of many land crossings with all Vietnam’s neighbours as well as international flight connections to the USA (among others), Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Russia, Malaysia, Laos, Hong Kong, Germany, France, China, Cambodia and Australia. Moreover, you are able to visit Vietnam by train from China or by boat from Cambodia.

How to get to Vietnam

Vietnam Airlines

Requirements

To come to Vietnam, you need a passport with as little as 6 month validity as well as visa. Most of international tourists visit Vietnam with a tourist visa which has to be issued before arriving.

A typical visa is valid within thirty days. Depend on the consulate issuing your visa, it will start expiring from that issued day. It’s possible to extend your Vietnamese visa when you are in Vietnam.

You can stay Vietnam within 30 days without a visa, if you come from Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Laos and Indonesia. Meanwhile, staying Vietnam within 15 days without visa for people from Sweden, South Korea, Norway, Japan, Finland, Denmark.

Airports

There are 2 hub international airports in Vietnam: Tan Son Nhat airport in HCM City and Noi Bai airport in Hanoi capital. In Danang, there is also the third airport – Da Nang Airport. This just accepts some far smaller international flights. Scattered across Vietnam is over a dozen of other domestic ones.

Airlines

Vietnam Airlines is the Vietnamese national carrier with a comprehensive domestic network even a developing international one. Meanwhile, Jetstar – the second domestic carrier has a more limited network.

The following international carriers are proof for a fast development:

Aeroflot (Hanoi)
Air China (HCM City)
Air Asia (Hanoi)
Air France (Hanoi, HCM City)
ANA (HCM City)
Bangkok Airways (HCM City)
Asiana (HCM City)
Cathay Pacific (Hanoi, HCM City)
China Airlines (Hanoi, HCM City)
China Southern (Hanoi)
China Eastern (HCM City)
EVA Air (Hanoi, HCM City)
JAL (Hanoi, HCM City)
Hong Kong Airlines (Hanoi, HCM City)
Jetstar (HCM City)
Lao Airlines (Hanoi)
Korean Air (Hanoi, HCM City)
Lufthansa (Hanoi, HCM City)
Malaysia Airlines (Hanoi, HCM City)
Qantas (HCM City)
Philippine Airlines (HCM City)
Qatar Airlines (HCM City)
Royal Brunei Airlines (HCM City)
Singapore Airlines (Hanoi, HCM City)
Silk Air (Da Nang, Hanoi, HCM City)
THAI (Da Nang, Hanoi, HCM City)
United (Hanoi, HCM City)
Tiger Airways (Hanoi, HCM City)
Vladivostok Air (Hanoi)

Ticketing

Although you may have a good rate for a long haul fare when shopping in the Internet, it’s still worthy for you to try traditional agents. Whilst there are many international airlines flying into Vietnam, Singapore and Bangkok still have the main gateways.

In case you come from a further place like North America or Europe, you should buy a long-haul ticket into one of hubs of Southeast Asia for your more effective trip after that go on travelling to Vietnam by a budget carrier.

While Air Asia flies from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi, both Jetstar and Tiger Airways fly from Singapore to HCM City. In case you are checking with an online agency like Kayak.com, below is what you’re needing – airport codes. Note that there are not much international airlines serving Danang.

Overland crossings (Train)

In Vietnam, there are 2 crossings involving trains. Both of them are with China but only train is on every side of border. From Hanoi, the Dong Dang crossing is merely distant over 160km so train is the most appropriate choice.

Its trainline goes on running into China and finally to Beijing. To go from Beijing to Hanoi, you can try the thrice weekly train. The border’s Chinese side is the Ping Xian’s town.

So in Hanoi, you are able to purchase a ticket to come to Bejing. It’s cheaper than when buying a ticket to Dong Dang. You ought to get this reduced rate just by taking a motorbike taxi over the border and purchasing a new ticket in China.

In Lao Cai near Sapa, the northwest Vietnam, that’s the second train crossing. Hekou’s Chinese town is another side of border. However, you have to arrange alternative coming back China because there isn’t train on the side of China.