Just like in Bangkok, in Saigon, you can choose one of many different methods to get around the town, and might have to take a couple of means of transport to get to somewhere you want to go. Let’s see how to get around Saigon! Visit Saigon with Indochina travel Vietnam
From the airport to the city center
You will arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport if you travel by air to Saigon. Taking a taxi is probably the easiest way to get from there to your hotel. Walk outside of the airport, take a left, and you can see the taxis waiting for you. There are several good brands to choose. To get from the airport to the Pham Ngu Lao area, expect to pay a little under 160,000 VND (~$6.95USD).
Before going to Ho Chi Minh City, you should have read some articles about how bad the taxis in this city are. Yes, it is also true, although there can be fakes, and occasionally drivers do some extra driving to rack up the meter, on a whole, the taxis in Saigon are quite reliable, and even some of the drivers are quite hospitable. Tours in Vietnam
However, when you take a taxi in Saigon make sure you take a reliable company and pay attention to confirm the taxi is an authentic brand. Also if you want to make sure that you are on the right track, it is wise to keep your phone GPS with the map open so you can follow where the taxi is going.
Here are the main best taxi companies:
- Vinasun: Not only being one of the largest taxi companies in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinasun is also one of the most reliable ones. Everywhere you go in the city can you see Vinasun taxis, with their green and red stripe. Just make sure to find the correct car with Vinasun logo and the phone number: 38 27 27 27 – written on the side of the taxi.
- Mai Linh – Together with Vinasun, Mai Linh is the other big taxi company in Ho Chi Minh City, which has gained many travelers’ hearts.
- Uber – Uber is the private cab service available in Ho Chi Minh City beginning to take off. Right after downloading the application, you will locate an Uber, and payment is all handled online. Thus, you will not have to bring cash with you. In spite of the application of technology, Uber costs you almost the same price, if not a bit cheaper than other normal taxis.
To get into the city center, you can also take the bus, which costs you just 12,000 VND – 20,000 VND (less than $1USD). After walking out of the airport, you will cross the street and look for the bus No 109, which will take you all the way to Ben Thanh Market.
Walk
Saigon is not quite as pleasant as a city for walking as somewhere like Tokyo due to the number of motorbikes that control the streets and even sidewalks. But that being said, you might like to think of walking in Saigon as sort of an obstacle course. You have to avoid oncoming objects, jump over encirclements, go around sprawling businesses, and go across the endless streams of motorbike traffic. If you can handle the traffic and heat (and traffic fumes), some of the central and most famous things to do in Ho Chi Minh City are located within walking distance. As you can stop whenever you like, and find stunning food along your route, walking is one the best ways to explore this city.
Motorbike scooter
By far traveling by motorbike (also known as the scooter) is the most noticeable way that everyone living in Ho Chi Minh City chooses to get around. With an astounding quantity of scooters in the city, it is not exaggerating to say that Saigon may very well be the scooter capital of the world. There are two ways for travelers to take part in the army of motorbike scooter traffic:
- Rent a motorbike – For those who have the confidence to rent and drive a motorbike themselves, there are a number of rentals agencies, especially situated in the Pham Ngu Lao area. Expect to pay about $10 per day.
- Motorbike taxi – On just about every corner of every street in Ho Chi Minh City, you can easily find men reclining on their motorbikes, sometimes tiredly sleeping, sometimes just gazing at the traffic and waiting patiently. Yes, these men are called motorbike taxi drivers. For a price, you will have them take you anywhere in the city you want to go, small journeys usually start around 20,000 – 40,000 VND (~$1-2USD).
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