Transportation

To Rent a Car
Visitors often opt to rent a car when they arrive at the airport in Hanoi. This is an inexpensive option and considered to be efficient. However, travelers unused to foreign travel should be aware that, in general, renting a car in Hanoi means renting a driver.

To rent a motorcycle Your hotel can easily rent a motorcycle for you. They may ask you keep your passport. The rate is roughly VND100,000 per 24 hours.

Another common way of getting round is to rent by the journey.
Xe Oms (motorcycle taxis) are everywhere - at least at every street corner in Hanoi. Cyclos, a special kind of bike with a seat at the front, attached to the handlebar column. These are offerred regularly to tourists, and are a similar price to taxis.

By Train
Hanoi Railway Station, on the western edge of Hoan Kiem District (120 Le Duan; tel. 04/942-3949), is a terminal stop on the Reunification Railroad. A comfortable, air-conditioned soft berth to Hue costs $35 and it's $87 to Ho Chi Minh. Buying tickets at the station is easy (but time-consuming), and any travel agent can handle it for a small fee. Both standard and luxury trains from Hanoi to Lao Cai, the jumping-off point for the popular hill town of Sapa, can be booked at traveler cafes in the Old Quarter and from any travel agent; often you can get a special rate on a deluxe overnight train to Lao Cai and your overnight accommodations in Sapa. Slow trains also connect with Haipong and even to Cao Bang and Lang Son, but these are the kinds of rides that are for train buffs only.