Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Big_Bird]

I'm considering a couple of weeks in Vietnam. However the deal means flying into Ho chin Mi and out of Hanoi. Therefore my husband and i have to make our way overland between the 2 cities.

Normally this would be no problem - I've travelled overland countless times in developing countries. I'm used to rough budget travel.

However, this time I am a few months pregnant and want to take it very easy. Travelling on the dangerous roads is therefore out of the question.

What is the rail system like? I know I can get a train direct from one city to the other - but I'd like to stop off a few times in between. Is this possible?

How comfortable are the trains? How expensive?

Also - and very importantly - how easy is it to get a place. During the summer vacation in China you often had to wait days (sometimes 2 weeks) to get a seat for popular destinations.

What's the deal with the Vietnam railways?

[gypsyfish]

Definitely go by train. I traveled by train and bus last winter in Viet Nam, and train is the better of the two. A hell of a lot more comfortable and it seemed a lot safer, too.

The overnight trains are sleepers. The ones I traveled on were four bunks to a cabin, but I was never in a full one. Sorry, I don't remember the prices, but everything in Viet Nam is inexpensive.

Don't know if you can buy a ticket and get off and board at will, but there's no reason not to buy your tickets as you wend your way north. I did have trouble getting tickets from Nha Trang to HCMC, but this was around Tet. Don't know if the summer will be problems.

Safe travels.

[intergalactic]

Great idea Big Bird!

I would LOVE to do the same but I'm too far along...have to stick to a yogwon and some Korean mudflats instead I think, .

Anyway, a couple of years ago I flew into Hanoi and out of Saigon. As soon as I got off the plane in Hanoi I bought another plane ticket to Hue. It was around $120 I think? It is easy to find where to buy from, as the airport is just a big shed. I stayed the night in a guesthouse by the airport, not bothering to see Hanoi (which I regret) and the next morning flew to Hue (which is about mid-distance between the 2 cities)

From there I took the small gov' tourist minibuses from town to town. They were not uncomfortable and were only short trips. There was one section where I did take a train (from somewhere to Nga Trang) and even though I hate buses and love trains, the train seats were kind of uncomfortable for the overnight trip. I should have looked for a sleeper, but I was either penny-pinching or there were no sleepers, I don't remember.

Anyway, my point is, the flying down half the country was good for me then cause I didn't feel I had time to go overland for the whole trip. I had a month but I like to take it easy.

Have a great time! Don't miss Hoi An! And bring back loads of polar fleece that you can use as washable nappy liners!

Hope the pregnancy is going well, enjoy yourself!

edit: I just realised you are going the opposite way, in which case you would miss HoiAn etc if you flew to Hue. Oh well, grab the sleepers in the trains and ignore what I said.

[Big_Bird]

Thanks very much for both of your responses. Reading what you have to say makes me feel even more excited about it all!

Intergalactic - I have the option of flying into Hanoi and out Ho Chi min - or doing the opposite. It never occured that one might be better than the other.

I think I'll buy some baby clothes while I'm in Thailand. It's gotta be cheaper than Korea. I should also make a list of other things I might need for baby. I'm still pretty clueless about it all!

[Carla]

Make sure the prices for anything are posted or you specifically ask before you eat or drink anything so they can't multiply the usually cost later. And some places charge to use the toilet.

[nizpaz]

I used to live in VN. Travel is very very cheap. In Ho Chi Minh there is an area for travellers said as "fam u loa" (not spelt like that!) they have a heap of travel agents who speak English, much bigger better deal than Itaewon. Very set up for travellers, they will help you get tickets, there is a lot of competition and mostly they are on the up n up. Bartering is the thing in VN though, so do shop around.

The roads are pretty much ok on the east coast, they've done a lot and built a new tunnel. Much better than Cambodia, in terms of infrastructure but the driving is insane. Worse than Thailand and here put together.

I've done road rail and air. All are cheap all are plentiful unless you're trying to be there over TET (Lunar new year).

I'd get the train up to Nha Trang, maybe bus to Hoi An (great place) and then fly from Danang to Hanoi to save some time and have a rest! Otherwise train it all the way. The insanely cheap hop on off bus prices on that route might tempt you but bear in mind the vast distance, VN is enourmous. All the time on the bus and consider not many places to pee (you're pregnant!) They dont have a lot of gas stations along the way.
(Memories of ditch squatting flooding back here:))

Vietnam Airlines have a huge office right in the centre of HCMC and they speak good English. Their internal flights certainly used to be reasonable HCMC - Hanoi less than 100 dollars.

There are a couple of sidenote things I'd say to you about being pregnant in VN and even though you're very excited about visiting you should give them serious consideration. VN is a wonderful place and developing fast, but is still very 3rd world particularly once you're out of HCMC. It s not en par with Thailand yet.

1. food hygiene. If you're preggers, be paranoid about it! I will eat anything/anywhere and did eat on the street stalls, I consider myself to have a cast iron stomach. But it's so easy to get sick in VN, so go easy!

2. Medical services are really bad so have some decent insurance so you can use an international clinic if you need to. HCMC/ Hanoi /Danang have them but other than that, on the road and with those vast distances, there isn't much.

Have a ball anyway, it's an incredible place