Getting there and around

Content includes:
A/ Bus
     1/ Along Vietnam with express/open bus
     2/ Getting to Mekong delta
     3/ Getting to Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kampot/Kep)

B/ Air

C/ Train
    

A/ Bus
    1/Along Vietnam with express/open bus
    * A lot of famous bus operators in Saigon's backpacker area, such as TheSinhTourist, Phuong Trang, offer many daily seating and sleeping buses to the main destinations in Vietnam: Mui Ne, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue, Hanoi.

For more infomation about TheSinhTourist, Phuong Trang and other bus operators, please take a look at "Transport ---> Bus"

(http://vietnamguidebook.blogspot.com/2012/03/open-bus-along-vietnam.html)


    * Mien Dong bus station 
The largest bus station where you can find buses to almost all destinations in the North of Saigon. As a traveller, you may look for buses to Central highland (Buon Ma Thuot, Kontum...), Phan Rang - Thap Cham city of Ninh Thuan province, Phu Yen province, Quy Nhon province, Quang Ngai province...

    

There are many ticket booths belonging to many bus operators. Famous ones are: Phuong Trang and Mai Linh, Chin Nghia, Thuan Thao

Address: 292 Dinh Bo Linh street, ward 26, Binh Thanh district. (about 35 - 40 minutes by motorbike from center of Saigon)

Route 1:Sai Gon - Da Lat - Mui Ne - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue - Ha Noi

Route	Fare	Distance	Travel time	Kind of Bus
Sai Gon - Da Lat	180,000 VND	310 Km	8 hours	Seating
Sai Gon - Mui Ne	120,000 VND	220 Km	5 hours	Seating
Sai Gon - Nha Trang	200,000 VND	450 Km	10 hours	Sleeper
Da Lat - Mui Ne	120,000 VND	112 Km	4 hours	Seating
Da Lat - Nha Trang	120,000 VND	211 Km	5 hours	Seating
Mui Ne - Nha Trang	120,000 VND	230 Km	5 hours	Seating
Nha Trang - Hoi An	300,000 VND	484 Km	11 hours	Sleeper
Hoi An - Da Nang	80,000 VND	30 Km	1 hour	Seating
Hoi An - Hue	90,000 VND	135 Km	4 hours	Sleeper
Hue - Ha Noi	300,000 VND	658 Km	14 hours	Sleeper

Note: The bus fares of route 1 listed above are of TheSinhTourist express bus operator on 12th March 2012. These bus fares are higher than other express bus operators like Phuong Trang, Mai Linh...



2/ Getting to Mekong delta
    Mien Tay bus station is for buying tickets and departing for all main cities and towns of Mekong delta, such as Can Tho city, Ben Tre city, Chau Doc town, Cao Lanh city, Sa Dec town, Vinh Long city, Ha Tien town, Rach Gia city, My Tho city... 

There are many ticket booths belonging to many bus operators. Famous reliable ones are: Phuong Trang and Mai Linh (See Famous express bus operators)

Address:  395 Kinh Dương Vương street, Binh Tan district.

How to get to Mien Tay bus station by public bus: Good A/C public bus number 39, in front of Ben Thanh market, leaves for Mien Tay busstation almost every 30 minutes from 6:00AM to 7:00PM. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to arrive

How to get to Mien Tay bus station by motorbike: from the center of Sai Gon, a motorbike taxi takes about 25 minutes to arrive in the bus station. Charges about 40,000 - 50,000VND

     

Route 2: Sai Gon - Mekong delta's cities/towns (Price of Phuong Trang on 04 April 2012)

Route	Fare	Distance	Travel time	Kind of Bus
Sai Gon - Chau Doc	130,000 VND	260 Km	6 hours	Seating
Sai Gon - Can Tho	100,000 VND	180 Km	4 hours	Seating
Sai Gon - Vinh Long	90,000 VND	135 Km	3 hours	Seating
Sai Gon - Rach Gia	140,000 VND	250 Km	5 to 6 hours	Seating
Sai Gon - Cao Lanh	90,000 VND	157 Km	4 hours	Seating
Sai Gon - Sa Dec	85,000 VND		3 to 4 hours	Seating
Sai Gon - Ben Tre		95 Km	2 hours	Seating
Sai Gon - Ca Mau	185,000 VND	350 Km	7 to 8 hours	Sleeping
Sai Gon - Bac Lieu	170, 000 VND	280 Km	6 to 7 hours	Sleeping
Sai Gon - Long Xuyen	115,000 VND	220 Km	5 hours	Seating

Note: The bus fares of route 2 listed above are of Phuong Trang (Almost the same with Mai Linh' prices)

3/ Getting to Cambodia 
    * Bus operator
    Saigon backpacker area has many bus operators offering daily buses to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap of Cambodia
   Famous operators are: TheSinhTourist, Sapaco, Khai Nam, Sorya...


    * Travel time
Saigon - Phnom Penh: about 6 hours 

Saigon - Siem Reap: about 11 - 12 hours (Some buses go to Phnom Penh then Siem Reap, others go to Kampong Cham then Siem Reap)

    * Bus fare:
Saigon - Phnom Penh: 10 - 12USD
Saigon - Siem Reap: 15 - 17USD

   * Cambodian visa
Visa on arrival at Bavet check point. Tour guide on the bus will ask you to pay 25USD for Cambodian visa and there is no need of photo (The visa is just 20USD only. 5USD is for... Corruption) 

   * Note: You can take bus to Ha Tien town of Kien Giang province where there is daily bus to Kep/Kampot province of Cambodia. Visa on arrival 
                Ha Tien to Kampot takes about 1.5 - 2 hours




B/ Air + C/ Train: please see "Transport"