Travelling by bus in Vietnam - What you need to know

Is travelling by bus safe?

A question that may come to mind when you think about buses in a country that is unfamiliar to you. Traveling by bus in Vietnam is absolutely safe! During all my bus trips, I have not felt unsafe at any time. To be on the safe side, I do lock my backpacks with a TSA Travel Lock.

The buses

There are several types of buses that will take you from A to B:

• Daytime travel: maximum 7-8 hours.
  Daytime travel is ideally done only for shorter distances.

  • Limousine van: a small van with about 20 seats. Only suitable for relatively short distances traveled during the day. I had one during the trip from Sapa to Hà Giang, prepare for a lot of stops along the way as the driver usually picks up and drops off locals.

  • Limousine van: the more luxurious version of the limousine van. It is similar to a normal bus in height and design, but has a smaller capacity due to its shorter length. I had this one when I traveled from Cat Ba to Ninh Binh.

  • Luxury bus: I call it a luxury bus for a moment because this bus has fewer seats than a regular one. Because of this, you have more comfort. Sapa Express bus is an example of this during your trip from Hanoi to Sapa.

• Nighttime travel: mostly 11+ hours

  • Sleeper bus - basic: Had one on 2 occasions. This bus is without curtains on both sides, but also with less space to stretch your legs. At 1.95m I am actually too tall for this country, haha!
  • Sleeper bus - plus: So apparently there is a difference in the non-VIP sleeper bus after all. I call it the plus sleeper bus for convenience. Surprisingly, this sleeper bus from Ninh Binh to Hue had much more legroom, a place to charge your cell phone and curtains on both sides.
  • VIP sleeper bus: not 3, but 2 rows and more reclining comfort. For comparison, this would cost about 200,000 Vietnamese Dong more.

Excellent quality

After all those bus rides, I can conclude one thing: the quality of the buses themselves is excellent! The ride in the limousine van from Sapa to Hà Giang was not very nice, but that was mainly because of the mountainous/humpy route. The van itself was not in brand new condition, but was fine. The roads around Da Lat are also not in the very best condition, but this is mainly because you are driving in the mountains.

Breaks

Don't worry about the amount of breaks, as you will stop at a stopping point with restroom facilities every 2-3 hours . There is usually also a small restaurant/shop to get something to eat/drink. On a night bus, you just don't have any breaks from about 11:00 pm onwards.

Buying bus tickets

I myself have traveled in the offseason (December-January), with space remaining almost during every bus trip. Buying a ticket a day in advance or on the day itself was then very easy. On some shorter routes you also have the advantage that the bus leaves several times a day.

Your hostel or hotel usually offers an option to buy bus tickets. A short question at the reception and you know exactly where you stand. In most places they will pick you up right in front of your hotel/hostel.

Prijzen

Average prices of a busticket (as of January 2023):

• Nighttime travel (+11 hours): About € 20,00 (500.000 Vietnamese Dong).
• Dagtime travel vary considerably, but assume about €10.00 (250,000 Vietnamese Dong) as a minimum.

Punctuality

Buses in Vietnam are not always punctual. You better be prepared for it, so you don't get unexpectedly frustrated when your bus doesn't arrive on time. I have had a few times that the bus left 30 to 75 minutes later than planned. This is calculated in, by the way, because usually you still arrive 'on time' at your next destination.

Package delivery/taxi:

There is really nothing to complain about the fact that people also use the bus rides to deliver goods here and there (especially at the final destination). Also, (especially the day bus) regularly stops to drop off locals somewhere for a small fee. Especially when I had the limousine bus from Sapa to Hà Giang, it was a big party. So don't be alarmed if your bus stops a little more often along the way.