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Hochiminh Transport
All information What you need to travel to Hochiminh - Vietnam
Accommodation | Tours | Maps | Weather | Attractions | Transport in Hochiminh
| Internet & Phone | Bank & ATM | Careful of your children |
Hochiminh do & don't
Getting in
• Airline:
Vietnam Airlines is the national airline and operates in more than 20 domestic and 39 international air routes. At present Vietnam Airlines is using a modern fleet of Western-built aircraft. Pacific Airlines is the second airline of Vietnam. It operates through a leased fleet of Boeing 737s and 767s. Tan Son Nhat International Airport, located 7 km away from the District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, is the largest international airport of Vietnam. Transfer facilities (bus & taxi) at affordable rates are offered by the airport authority to transfer the passengers to and from the airport.
• Boat
Hydrofoils depart for Vung Tau almost hourly from Bach Dang jetty on Ton Duc Thang Str. For more information contact Petro Express at the jetty. In Vung Tau you board the hydrofoil at Cau Da pier, opposite the Hai Au Hotel. Petra Express has an office in Vung Tau by the pier. Cargo ferries bound for the Mekong Delta depart from the dock (Tell: 829 7892) at the river end of Ham Nghi Str. Although service is sporadic, travellers with time on their hands can ask about departures to the provinces of An Giang and Vinh Long and to the towns of Ben Tre (eight hours), Ca Mau (30 hours). My Tho (six hours) and Phu Chau (Tan Chau). Buy your tickets on the boat. Simple food may be available on board. Note these ancient vessels lack the most basic safety gear, such as life jackets.
• Bus
Intercity buses depart from and arrive at a variety of stations around HCMC. Cholon bus station (Le Quang Sung Str.) is the most convenient place to get buses to My Tho and other Mekong Delta towns. It's one street north of the sprawling Binh Tay Market. Less convenient than Cholon, Mien Tay bus station (Ben Xe Mien Tay - Tell: 3825 5955) nevertheless has even more buses to areas south of HCMC (basically the Mekong Delta). This huge station is about 10km west of HCMC in An Lac, a part of Binh Chanh district. Buses and minibuses from Mien Tay serve most towns in the Mekong Delta. Buses to points north of HCMC leave from Mien Dong bus station (Ben Xe Mien Dong - Tell: 3829 4056), in Binh Thanh district about 5km from central HCMC on Hwy 13 (Quoc Lo 13), the continuation of Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Str. The station is just under 2km north of the intersection of Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Str., and Dien Bien Phu Str. There are bus services from Mien Dong to Buon Ma Thuot (12 hours), Da Nang (26 hours), Hai Phong (53 hours), Nha Trang (11 hours), Hanoi (49 hours), Hue (24 hours), Pleiku (22 hours), Vinh (42 hours), Quang Ngai (24 hours), Quy Nhon (17 hours), Nam Dinh (47 hours) and Tuy Hoa (12 hours). Most buses leave daily between 5am and 5.30pm. Buses to Tay Ninh, Cu Chi and points northeast of HCMC depart from the Tay Ninh bus station (Ben Xe Tay Ninh - Tell: 3849 5935), in Tan Binh district west of the centre. To get there, head all the way out on Cach Mang Thang Tam Str. The station is about 1km past where Cach Mang Thang Tam Str., merges with Le Dai Hanh Str.
• International bus
There are also international bus services connecting HCMC and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The cheapest tickets are sold at the travellers café’s in HCMC's Pham Ngu Lao area, or try Capitol Guesthouse (Tell: 023-364104) or Narin Guesthouse (Tell: 023-982554) in Phnom Penh. There are also direct services with Phnom Penh Sorya Transport (HCM 24 - 309 Pham Ngu Lao; Phnom Penh - Tell: 023-210359; PsarThmei). Services depart in either direction five times a day between 6.30am and 1pm. The big advantage with the direct service is that it avoids a change of bus at the border.
• Car & Motorbike
Inquire at almost any tourist cafe, travel agent or your hotel to arrange car rental. just remember, that your rental will include a driver as it's illegal for foreigners to drive in Vietnam without a Vietnamese license. The agencies in the Pham Ngu Lao area generally offer the lowest prices.
• Train
Trains from Saigon train station (Ga Sai Gon - Tell: 823 0105 - 1 Nguyen Thong Str., District 3; ticket office 7:15 - 11am & 1:00 – 3:00pm) serve cities along the coast north of HCMC. Train tickets can be purchased from Saigon Railways Tourist Services (Tell: 3836 7640; Fax: 3837 5224; 275C Pham Ngu Lao Str.,; 7.30 -11.30am & 1:00 - 4.30pm) or from most travel agents.
Getting Around
• Boat
It’s easy to hire a motorised 5m - long boat to tour the Saigon River. There’s always someone hanging around looking to charter a boat. Ask them to bring it to you (they can easily do this), rather than you going to the boat.
Interesting destinations for short trips include Cholon (along Ben Nghe Channel) and the zoo (along Thi Nghe Channel). Note that both channels are fascinating, but filthy – raw sewage is discharged into the water. Tourists regard the channels as a major attraction, but the government considers them an eyesore and has attempted to move residents out. The channels will eventually be filled in and the water diverted into underground sewerage pipes.
For longer trips up the Saigon River, it is worth chartering a fast speedboat from Saigon Tourist. Although these cost at least US$20 per hour, you’ll save money, as a cheap boat takes at least five times longer for the same journey. Although cruising the Saigon River can be interesting, it pales in comparison with the splendour of the canals in the Mekong Delta.
Since you hire boats by the hour, some will go slowly because they know the meter is running. You might want to set a time limit at the start.
Ferries across the Saigon River leave from the dock at the foot of Ham Nghi Str., and run every half-hour or so between 4.30am and 10.30pm.
• Bus
Few tourists make use of the city buses; they are safer than cyclos, though less aesthetic. Now that HCMC’s People’s Committee has resolved to phase out cyclos, some money is finally being put into the badly neglected public-transport system.
At present, there are only a few bus routes, though more undoubtedly will be added. No decent bus map is available and bus stops are mostly unmarked, so it’s worth summarising the main bus lines.
Saigon-Cholon buses depart from Me Linh Sq (by the Saigon River) and continue along ÐL Tran Hung Dao to Binh Tay Market in Cholon, then return along the same route. The buses running this route have air-con and video movies and the driver is well dressed! Buy your ticket on board from the attendant.
Mien Dong–Mien Tay buses depart from Mien Dong bus station (northeast HCMC), pass through Cholon and terminate at Mien Tay bus station on the western edge of town.
• Car & motorbike
Travel agencies, hotels and cafés are all in the car-rental business. Most vehicles are relatively recent Japanese- or Korean-made machines – everything from subcompacts to minibuses. Not long ago, classic American cars (complete with tail-fins and impressive chrome fenders) were popular as ‘wedding taxis’. Prestige these days, however, means a white Toyota. Nevertheless, some of the old vehicles can be hired for excursions in and around HCMC. You’ll also see the occasional French-built Renault or Citroën. The former Soviet Union chips in with Ladas, Moskviches and Volgas.
If you’re brave you can rent a motorbike and really earn your “I Survived Saigon” T-shirt. Many say this is the fastest and easiest way to get around the city – and to the hospital, if you don’t know what you’re doing. Even if you’re an experienced biker, make sure you’ve spent some time observing traffic patterns before putting yourself in it.
Motorbike rentals are ubiquitous in places where tourists tend to congregate – the Pham Ngu Lao area is as good as any. Ask at the cafés.
Saigon Scooter Centre (3848 7816; www.saigonscootercentre.com; 25/7 Ð Cuu Long, Tan Binh district; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat) is a reliable source for restored classic Vespa and Lambretta scooters, which are also rented out (as well as a range of other well-maintained bikes).
• Taxi
Metered taxis cruise the streets, but it’s often easier to phone for one. Several companies in HCMC offer metered taxis and charge almost exactly the same rates. Note that faulty meters are much less common here than in Hanoi.
The following contact details are for HCMC’s main taxi companies.
Ben Thanh Taxi (3842 2422)
Mai Linh Taxi (3822 6666)
Red Taxi (3844 6677)
Saigon Taxi (3842 4242)
Vina Taxi (3811 1111)
Vinasum Taxi (3827 7178)
• Motorbike Taxi
Far more prevalent and much faster than a traditional taxi is the “xe om” (sometimes called a “Honda om”), or motorbike taxi. “Xe om” drivers usually hang out on their parked bikes on street corners, looking for passengers, and will usually wave you down first. When looking for one, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have to walk more than 10 steps before being offered a ride.
• Cyclo
No longer the icon that it once was, the “cyclo” still makes its appearance along certain streets, particularly along Pham Ngu Lao Str., and around Dong Khoi Str. Although some Vietnamese still enjoy them, use has declined significantly in the day of the motorbike, and tourists are largely the beneficiaries of this poorly paid trade. In HCM, many of the drivers are former South Vietnamese army soldiers and quite a few know at least basic English, while others are quite fluent. Some drivers have stories of war, “re-education”, persecution and poverty to tell (and will often gladly regale you with tales over a bowl of “pho” or a beer at the end of the day)
In an effort to control HCMC’s traffic problems, there are dozens of streets on which “cyclos” are prohibited. As a result, your driver must often take a circuitous route to avoid these trouble spots (and possible fines levied by the police) and may not be able to drop you at the exact address. Try to have some sympathy as it is not the driver’s fault.
You should enjoy “cyclo” while you can, as the municipal government plans to phase them out, and it won’t be too long before the “cyclo” disappears entirely from the city’s streets.
• Bicycle
For brave, pedal-loving souls, a bicycle can be a great, if slow, way to get around the city. Bikes can be rented from a number of places – many hotels, cafés and travel agencies can help you.
A good place to buy a decent (ie imported) bicycle is at the shops near the New World Hotel on Le Thanh Ton Str., a short walk from the Pham Ngu Lao area.
Bicycle parking lots are usually just roped-off sections of pavement. Your bicycle will have a number written on the seat in chalk or stapled to the handlebars and you’ll be given a reclaim chit – don’t lose it! If you come back and your bicycle is gone, the parking lot is supposedly required to replace it.
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