Hanoi Transportation
Travelers to Hanoi can get in, around and out using a variety of transportation modes, each better suited for a particular schedule or budget.
Taxi
Taxis offer the greatest speed and convenience, but also cost the most.
Bike
Bikes can be rented at your hotel for as low as a dollar a day, but can be very dangerous for travelers unused to Hanoi's chaotic, anarchic traffic.
Cyclo
The cyclo is a bicycle rickshaw. This cheap, environmentally friendly mode of transport is steadily dying out, but is still found in Vietnam’s main cities.
Cyclo in Hanoi
Xe om
Xe om are Hanoi's motorcycle taxis. The name translates to "hug vehicle", and that's what it amounts to: you ride pillion on the motorcycle and hug the driver from behind, hanging on for dear life as the both of you whiz through the city's traffic.
You'll find xe om mainly around street corners; you can tell them by their green pith helmets. The price should be negotiable, and will depend on the distance you wish to travel.
Train
The train station can be found downtown at 120 Le Duan; you can purchase tickets for trains that can take you all the way south to Saigon, or north to Sapa.
Bus
A series of bus stations are located around Hanoi, each one dispatching buses that travel only in a particular direction. Call or visit these bus stations for updated fairs and schedules; as with the train, buy your tickets at least the day before you travel to ensure a seat.
