Getting Around Vietnam (with kids)

Travelling around Vietnam with kids doesn’t have to be difficult or intimidating. Knowing what you are in for will go a long way in having a more comfortable and safer time moving around with your family.

Use Grab:

Grab is the most widely used ride-sharing app in Vietnam and the easiest way to make short-medium distance trips while travelling. While in major cities, Grab will offer you a variety of rideshare options from scooters to sedans to vans in a matter of minutes from your location, all at a great price. You can even use the app to have food or drinks delivered to your accommodation while the kids are sleeping as a bonus!

Limousine Buses:

Private vehicles such as limousine buses are also available to book while in Vietnam. These can be organised online (such as on 12GO Asia), at your hotel or by visiting a local travel agent. Limousine buses give you a more VIP feel to your trip and would be recommended for medium to longer distance travel, such as travelling between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. The comfortable seats, extra space and added luxuries make the added cost feel worthwhile.

Train Travel:

Trains are becoming an increasingly popular way to get around Vietnam, offering a convenient and affordable way to avoid congestion. They are best used to get between cities and will save a lot of money compared to flying. Overnight or sleeper trains are popular ways to make extended trips, such as between Ninh Binh and Hoi An. To save yourself the stress of organising tickets while travelling, it is easiest to book these on a reliable online platform such as 12GO Asia.

Private Drivers:

Hiring a private driver for a day or part of a day can also be done in Vietnam. However, it can be time-consuming figuring out an appropriate price and negotiating this with a driver.

We ended up booking a private driver on a few occasions simply because it was the most convenient option for our family. However, it ended up costing us more than we expected.

Bikes:

Some of the cities in Vietnam can be cycled comfortably in, such as Tam Coc or Hoi An. We found this to be our favourite way to experience an area! However, cycling could prove to be a stressful experience in more congested cities, such as Hanoi.

We found that our accommodation in both Hoi An and Ninh Bing offered bikes for guests to use free of charge. However in both locations there are plenty of spots to hire a bike if your accommodation doesn't offer this.

Helmets don't seem to be a common thing in Vietnam, so you may wish to take your own if you're concerned. In terms of child seats, the availability of bikes with them attached ended up being luck of the draw. When they weren't available, we ended up using our baby carrier!

Walking:

Exploring Vietnam cities by foot is one of the beset ways to get to know the city you're in, even if you have little kids with you. However not all of the cities are suitable for a pram.

Deciding whether to take a pram along to Vietnam can be a difficult decision, so it'll come down to how much you'll use it in transit (particularly airports) and which cities you're visiting.

We found we were able to use the pram quite a bit in Hoi An, Hue and Da Nang. However, Hanoi and rural areas were quite difficult to move around with a pram. So if you're visiting these with a little one, I'd recommend taking a carrier so you can get around more freely.