How To Travel Around Hanoi
Hanoi has 1,370 streets and roads with a total length of over 2,300 kilometers (1,429 miles); and 573 bridges including 483 medium or small bridges; thirteen light vehicle overpasses; seventy pedestrian bridges and seven main bridges. These are Chng Dng bridge, Vnh Tu bridge, Thanh Tr bridge, Nht Tan bridge, ông Trù bridge, Thăng Long bridge and Phùng.
In addition to three major tunnels that are under construction (Sông Hng Bridge tunnel, Hàng Rươi – Lò Sũ tunnel and the TBD second branch of the Hàng Cót – Thip tunnel), the city has built 115 tunnels with a combined length of nearly fifty three kilometers. Of these nine are major tunnels. As of the end of 2020 transportation had occupied about ten point three percent (10.3%) of the city’s land area. The total interior waterway is about fifty three kilometers in length if it includes sections of streams such as Yn stream in Gia Lâm District , Hai stream in Ba Vì District , Cà Lo và áy river in Ba Vì District .
Noi Bai International Airport is located in Soc Son District about fifteen kilometers north of Hanoi. In January 2015 a new international terminal called T2 was put into operation by Japanese contractors after several years of construction work. At the same time a new roadway from airport to Nhat Tan cable-stay bridge connecting to downtown also opened at once (via Thang Long bridge) making it easier for people to travel between airport and downtown. Before getting into a taxi it is advisable that you negotiate with driver about fee.
Six train routes operated by Vietnam Railways either begin or end at Hanoi among which two routes on Reunification Express start or finish here with an aggregate route length of one hundred sixty two kilometers (101 miles). There are stops on this route between Hanoi station (formerly Hang Co station) and cities, towns and provinces where trains back up or change direction. For instance there are also many regular trains to Hai Phong region as well as other cities and provinces in the north. The Reunification Express road was built between nineteen ninety nine and nineteen thirty six after it had been under construction for nearly four decades since French colonial administration. The train runs 1,726 kilometers from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in about thirty-three hours. In 2005 Vietnam railway network had two hundred seventy eight stations of which one hundred ninety one were located on the north–south route.
The main means of transportation in Hanoi are motorcycles, buses, taxis and cars, with motorcycles being most prevalent among them by far; they have significantly outnumbered bicycles over past few decades. On the other hand use of cars has soared during last five years as many Vietnamese people bought their first car during that period. As a result increasing number of cars in those old areas where roads and infrastructure were not designed with them is currently causing traffic congestion. In order to reduce pollution, traffic jams, encourage public transport development and usage on July 4th 2017 Government of Hanoi agreed to ban all motorbikes by 2030. As of July 2022 there were more than seven million six hundred thousand registered vehicles including more than one million automobiles and over six million four hundred thousand motorcycles and one hundred seventy nine thousand electric bikes in city excluding military-used or embassy-used vehicles in areas across city from center to suburbs etc.
The first of two metro lines planned for Hanoi’s future metro system is now under construction. On Nov. 6, 2021 the line2A opened while Line3 is set to operate next year.
On the other hand “xe ôm” (literally “hug bike”) can be hired by people alone or in pairs to weave through traffic quickly or go on strange detours at odd hours of the day. However, it is still unclear whether it is legal to rent motorcycles from an agent in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
Get Around - By taxi
Hanoi is perhaps one of the easiest and safest Southeast Asian cities in which to travel by cab, although there are a few potential hazards to be aware of.
Taxis are available around the city. If you’re not traveling during a busy period, acting like a lost tourist will attract a number of cabs; if this fails, wave at every taxi until one stops. In most cases, cabs are also available at upscale hotels and shopping centers, so you might also use one of these.
Taxi fares are established by taxi firms, thus they vary, although the lowest fare is often 10,000VND (which will get you a few hundred yards) and 9-15,000 each kilometer thereafter. You’re paying more for a bigger taxi, and for being less likely to get ripped off. Whether you believe spending an additional 50 percent to avoid being ripped off is worthwhile is up to you.
Instead of using the meter, some taxi owners in Hanoi may seek to negotiate a flat rate in advance. This is usually an excellent idea if you have a decent notion of how far you’re traveling or how much you’re willing to spend. Turning around and walking away nearly certainly changes the driver’s mind if he refuses. It’s all part of the negotiation routine, so don’t worry.
The majority of taxi drivers know little English, thus it is advisable to have your hotel write the name and address of your destination in Vietnamese for the taxi driver to see, and to have a business card from your hotel in case you get lost.
Tipping a taxi driver is not required, although it is often appreciated.
Taxi Scams
To avoid any dangers it is better to use only reliable and well-known taxi services. However, the question is what these are? Taxigroup (white cabs with red and blue) groups together 5 companies including CP & Hanoi taxi commonly mentioned while ABC (white and pink) as well as Mai Linh under government control belong to others.
Several people drive taxis that seem to lose a lot of money frequently. Just try to give up to nearest 5000. And some don’t like change even if it is just thousand short for being whole.
At other times, people who drive in notorious taxi firms may “fix” their meters so they read faster leading to an increased bill. You can have meters running faster than a digitally displayed clock or may be quicker than that. For instance, the trip from one side of downtown Hanoi to another could take around ten minutes at $30. Keep observing the meter while you ride yet console yourself on how locals as well as tourists are having the same experience thus minimizing its cases.
Eliminating the thousands separator by applying black marker pen is quite easy way of “fixing” meter. In this case a journey of 1-2 km which should cost say 30.5 (or in order words 30500 VND) might seem like costing either 305 or maybe 305000 VND instead. Furthermore, sometimes interpreter look forward taking advantage of your ignorance instead of asking for additional money.
Another common taxi scam can be when the driver takes you on a longer sightseeing tour for financial gain. If you catch him doing these things – e.g., circling Hoan Kiem Lake twice – demand that he stop, get out without paying anything.
Be very careful with taxis using meters in Hanoi city centre because there are reports that some doormen lock passengers inside their vehicles until they pay huge sums of money before setting them free again.The driver can threaten to have you beaten or taken away if you do not yield but they will let you to go if you make enough noise.
Be careful with taxis. A driver can get out of the car upon arrival and drop some of your items. He runs off with other bags as you are putting on a backpack.
Taxi Apps
Uber is a new service that has recently became accessible in Hanoi for UberX and Uber Black at costs that are generally a little less than those of cabs and the same or even higher. There are two possible means of payment, namely credit cards and cash. It should be noted that Uber Black drivers can communicate in English on a basic level.
There is also a local competitor known as GrabTaxi with typically more available rides.
Get Around - By motorbike taxi
The bikes for hire (called ‘xe om’) are found at almost every corner in the Old Quarter. You might be asked a few times for a ride by different people even within a half-block. Hence, make sure you negotiate before leaving or just move away in case you don’t like their offer. They know that the number of drivers is way more than that of the tourists. Perhaps, if they don’t get any other fare today yours will be the only one.
To avoid misunderstandings you may want to write down the agreed amount leaving out any zeros.”
Even when you speak Vietnamese fluently, a driver may understand it as “50,000 dong” and not “15,000 dong.” In case there is a disagreement about how much to pay after the ride, stay cool and remind them what was initially agreed on (remember who has the power). On average, 10 minutes fare must not go beyond 15,000-20,000 vnd. Some drivers will also accept cash in US dollars.
At the end of your trip, some guys will offer you their services for getting around town again. The best thing to do is either warn them off making another journey or asking first how much it would cost me please? Otherwise, you could be amazed when this driver demands millions of Vietnamese Dong for waiting.
Beware! Don’t let these motorcycle thieves rob your money and speed off with it.
Get Around - By cyclo
Bargain first, or simply avoid using the cyclos services. A ride shorter than 100 meters (330 feet) will cost you 200,000 dong ($12). After your tour ends, a few people will come to you pretending to translate then demanding fees in an insincere manner.
Most hotels are able to organize motorcycle rentals for about USD 6-7 per day. This is good for single people or couples who plan on moving around the city multiple times; but beware: Hanoi’s traffic is very hard for practicing motorbike skills. Park on sidewalk near other bicycles and lock the front wheel. Locals will help arrange their bikes near their establishments. Numerous shops with bike attendants can give you a parking ticket when you give them your bicycle. It may involve such charges that typically range between 2,000 and 5,000 dong. Either this number may be written somewhere on your bicycle ticket or alternatively it shall be numbered and the same number scrawled all over your bicycle. Customers arriving at such places are informed not to lock our columns of steering or else our front wheels because attendants may ask us to reorganize bikes.
Get Around - By Electric Vehicle
There are currently three ‘green’ electric vehicles that follow the same three routes within the Old Quarter; these vehicles take tourists through the central market towards several ‘old buildings,’ St Joseph’s Cathedral and in front of an opera house. The trips charge 200,000 Dong for 35 minutes or 300,000 Dong for one hour and begin and end at the northern side of Hoàn Kim Lake.
Get Around - By bus
The buses in Hanoi are quite fast and incredibly comfortable, despite being devoid of scams, affordable as well as cryptic when one first sees them. You can get a map with bus routes on it at Trang Tien Street (book street by the Opera House) and spend some time finding more than sixty bus lines, locating your stop, waiting for a bus, paying seven thousand dong (as it was in October 2015) and you are on your way. If you do not know the city well enough just tell this helpful conductor where to stop. Alternatively use your smart phone’s GPS and Google Maps which work perfectly with Hanoi buses.
Get Around - By car
In Hanoi, the traffic is very chaotic as it has endless traffic congestion, a huge number of almost suicidal people driving motorcycles and bicycles and countless pedestrians. Vietnamese drivers are among the most aggressive worldwide, barely leaving any lanes. In conclusion, you should avoid ever mounting yourself on a car in this city when you need to move from one place to another; instead, leave such matters with people who know much about them.
