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yamahuh · Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Posts: 1033 Location: Karaoke Hell

We're leaving China for a week or so in Vietnam and we have absolutely NO IDEA how to speak even the most basic of phrases.
We land at HCM just after midnight and we've got to get to a train station to take a train to Mui Ne Phan Thiet at 6:50 a.m, there's plenty of time to get there but I'm worried about making myself understood, getting taken to the wrong station etc, etc...

Once we get back to HCM we've got to get Taiwanese visas processed at the Consulate and find a flight to Taipei; all of this is rather daunting with no language skills!!

Does anybody have any good links to online phrasebooks without the audio clips; those things take so damn long to open up on DSL.
I just need a list of useful phrases with phonetic pronunciation guides to help me out...

Cheers!!

BedTiger · Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 55

Try the lonely planet phase book.

You can just point and less chance of a error.

yamahuh · Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Posts: 1033 Location: Karaoke Hell

If I had the opportunity to buy the Lonely Planet Vietnamese phrasebook in China do you really think I would have posted my question?

But thanks for the suggestion...

BedTiger · Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 55

ChuckECheese · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 216

It ain't gonna do you any good to study because if you're not use to the Vietnamese twang, people ain't gonna understand you anyway. I've lived in Vietnam for over two years and people still have hard time understanding my Vietnamese twang. Laughing

Take the "Vina" taxi to the train station. Taxi drivers speak fairly good English and will take to to the train station. There's only one train station in HCM city. Will cost you less than $5 from the Airport.

Just come over, go to one of the travel agents in HCM city district 1 area (they all speak our language: English). Talk to them about your plans and you don't even have to move a finger. They'll take care of it and do all the leg work for nominal fee.

yamahuh · Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Posts: 1033 Location: Karaoke Hell

Sounds good, thanks for the advice.
Is District 1 close to the train station??
Also is there a luggage storage facility at the station? We're moving from China to Taiwan via Vietnam so we're arriving with all our chit and don't really want to lug it all the way to Phan Thiet.

Mr Wind-up Bird · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 196

At that time of day you can get from the airport to the station in about 10-15 mins. Just ask the cab driver for "ga Saigon". Probably safer to leave your luggage in storage at the airport.

Oh, and make sure the taxi meter is on - the driver will almost certainly try & offer you a 'special rate' or claim his meter is broken. Just tell him to turn it on, or get another taxi!