Table of Contents
Are you planning to Vietnam? whether travel planning spend too much your energy and time?
This page will instruct you step-by-step for how to prepare a trip to Vietnam. It will make your trip better than before.
1. Deep thinking
To prepare the trip to Vietnam, you should make a little deep thinking and ask yourself:
a) How much time do you want to stay in Vietnam?
You should consider more about this.
One week or two weeks at Vietnam are enough?
A quick stop for a 3-day-trip at Vietnam in your big Asian journey?
Longer day is better but you can still visit Vietnam in 3 days Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh.
Having a longer time, you can choose your some of famous places to travel in Vietnam. We provide a list of the most visiting place and beautiful destination in Vietnam for you journey.
b) Preparing a budget?
Vietnam is a reasonable price country but you can find many luxury kinds of things as well.
Do not overspending because it affects your amount budget. Managing your budget well will help you get more experience of many destinations at Vietnam.
c) Who do you go with?
Are you travel with your colleagues, family, or friends? Or are you traveling alone to Vietnam. Travelling alone is the best way that you can hire a motorbike for a journey from the South to the North of Vietnam or going with a tour or find partners.
Traveling in Vietnam by bus or train is a great option for a group of friends and family.
d) Which type of experience do you prefer?
There are some of type for you to get experience in Vietnam such as: Sightseeing or adventures travel? Or a relaxing beach vacation? The modern city or a countryside?
2. Choosing your place in Vietnam
Giving the decision to choose the place in Vietnam are very important for your planning process.After the first step, you have to know which is the place you want to visit?
It’s basing on your travel schedule; you can take different places that suit your demand.
Having the answer for these questions in the first part will specify places on your list.
Besides, you should look for the advantage time to visit Vietnam during choosing the places to visit in Vietnam. Avoiding the bad weather.
There are many seasons you can choose like shoulder-season or a peak season, a rainy season or dry season? Every season will bring for you different experience
Difference place with difference season will bring you many excited things. Preparing well is important.
3. Preparing the Passport
You have to a valid passport “6-month-rule”. When travelling overseas.
It means that your passport does not expire six months within your arrival date. You may get declined boarding your flight if your passport is not valid.
Don’t forget renew your passport carefully before starting.
4. Submitting for visa
First, if you want a visa to Vietnam, you should prepare for it and how many days you want to travel.
Because visa regulations of Vietnam always change, checking it before carefully and do not forget to check again before the departure period.
Reading more information about Vietnam Visa here.
5. Finding the flights
a) From abroad
You will land in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh or Da Nang if you come from abroad. There are many flights land to Vietnam. Check it and find the best deal.
b) Domestic flights
Vietnam has four flight companies- Vietjet, Jet Star, Vietnam Airline or Bamboo Airline.
I suggest Vietnam Airline and Bamboo Airline because they are a 4 stars company flights in Vietnam with excellent service. There are less canceling, delaying, and you can have quick meal on board as well. The seats are bigger than others.
Vietjet Air and Jet Star always support a promotion, and the price is lowest. However, this flights always delayed around or more than 30 minutes with uncomfortable service.
6. Travel insurance or not?
Travelling without insurant is very dangerous. Although Vietnam is not terrorism, you can get robbed or accident by traffic this is a weak point of Vietnam. Travelling with travel insurance will help your safety avoiding dangerous.
World Nomads Travel Insurance is my suggestion. Many problems can be happened like Sightseeing city breaks, vacation getaway or adventure travel. World Nomads Travel Insurance is the best insurance protect yourself.
7. Finding your stay
You should know your visit then booking the stay as well.
Some of different types of accommodation you should review like resorts, hotels, homestay, resorts, guest house, Airbnb.
Basing on your demand of the trip, you can book the most suitable hotel or resort then enjoy the trip in Vietnam.
Although you can come in and ask for rooms in hotels in Vietnam, they will recommend to book your place in advance for your convenience.
8. Train, bus, ferry and how to book it in Vietnam
How to get through Vietnam?
Almost backpackers rent motorbikes or scooters and enjoy on a long road trip from the North to the South of Vietnam
You can book a train or bus ticket, or renting a car for your Vietnam trip. If you can’t ride motorbike in Vietnam.
How to book train, bus and ferry in Vietnam?
Using Baolau to book for trains, buses, and ferries during traveling in Vietnam.
Baolau is the travel agency provides competent prices and time of train, bus, and ferry’s routes in Vietnam. Reviewing it before planning the suitable process for the journey.
Paying with credit card by online and get the electronic tickets by email.
9. Finding travel tours
Normally, Vietnam is relatively cheap, looking for budget-friendly tours that are from $15. Many high-class tours you can go such as Ha Long bay luxurious yachts, the price is cost from $50 or over.
Booking a tour maybe the best idea because you can spend a lot of money to rent a boat for your trip if you want to visit islands in Vietnam.
There are some recommended tours from Klook:
- Cu Chi Tunnels half day tour form Saigon
- Ba Na Hills ticket and day tour from Da Nang
- Hoa Lu – Tam Coc from Ha Noi
- Ha Long Bay Deluxe Cruise from Ha Noi
10. Some places to go
After knowing your destinations, you should know where you would like to visit it.
We will suggest if you having a flexible schedule because you may love this destination than others, or there are unexpected events during your trip to Vietnam, but still prepare a bit before your departure.
We have some of tips and guideline on traveling in Vietnam, basic Vietnamese phrasesor from the best place to go in Vietnam. Prepare it better will make your trip more perfect.
11. Looking for places to eat and drinks
Enjoying Vietnamese food have to be on the first of your list about things to do in Vietnam.
What you should eat in Vietnam? Read Vietnamese street food listto find your taste.
Downloading and using the Foody app to know restaurants when you come to Vietnam. Also, check Trip Advisorsfor places to eat in each destination.
12. Linking with the travelers or locals
In South East Asia Vietnam is a popular destination, finding many travelers who are going here.
Joining Facebook groups or Couchsurfing to connect and find them. This is a great way to meet the locals and join in with travelers around the world.
13. Don’t forget to take vaccines
Traveling to Asia, you will need vaccines. If it’s your first time to visit Vietnam
Discovering the jungle or mountains in Vietnam, you should be got malaria or dengue fever. Be careful with this.
You have to ask and get recommend from your doctor about a qualified medical professional for relevant travel-related medical advice before visiting Vietnam
Some vaccines you should have before going to Vietnam like Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever, and Typhoid.
Having a strong healthy is very important for traveling and remember to buy travel insurance to against for all the risks.
14. Planning for money
The currency at Vietnam is Vietnam Dong (VND), you can exchange in banks or jewelry shops or exchange service. In Vietnam, Cash is a King.
Depending on your demand, preparing enough or over budget is very important. It will make your trip better.
Although there are many ATMs and banks in big cities, so you will get many complex processes to withdraw cash. The good way, you should exchange your currency into Vietnamese Dong.
If the withdrawal fee is high, we think you should bring cash especially is USD before entering Vietnam.
15. Sim card in Vietnam
In Vietnam, a lot of free wifi in public places such as coffee shops, shopping malls, etc. in big cities. When traveling to Vietnam, it’s more convenient to buy a 4G sim card
There are many table service at the airport that offer sim card, but we recommend choosing sim card by buying online is better.
Searching the sim card packages from Klook for 3G or 4G in Ho Chi Minh or Ha Noi.
16. Preparing for luggage
What to pack for Vietnam?
Bringing light clothes or buying new clothes in Vietnam with reasonable price, if you travel in the summertime.
You should bring specific medicines when you need although there are many pharmacy stores outside.
Buying sun cream, shampoo, etc., toothbrush, toothpaste all of it you can are appear on convenient store. Don’t need to bring all of it with you.
As for women, it’s quite difficult to buy tampons or menstrual cup in Vietnam, you should bring it on your luggage, or you can purchase and use pads here.
17. Preparing for your travel documents & flights
You should recheck all your travel documents: passport, visa, insurance, and some of required travel documents such as booking confirmation. Before the departure time.
We suggest you should store those documents as PDF file on your USB or phone, or Email so you can access them directly. Or taking picture of it and put in on a storage of cell phone.
Also, remembering recheck the flight schedule to assure if it departs on time. Checking online will help you save lots of time and avoiding a long queue at the airport so you should do it when it opened already.
18. Checking for your flight
Sickness on the air is a big problem for some people. It can affect you feel nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and dizziness.
Eating a quick meal before boarding, using anti-nausea drugs or natural remedies, and choosing the right seat if you have airsickness.
Avoiding reading or staring at the electronic screen for a long time because it makes you tired when you are on the plane.
If you have a long flight to Vietnam, remember to buy a soft travel pillow for neck support is a good idea.
Ready for your trip to Vietnam now! Contacting me by email or commenting below if you have any question.
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