Getting there & away
Vietnam's days as a pariah state, cut off from the
rest of the world are long gone. Today the country boasts numerous land
crossings with all of its neighbours and international flight connections to
Australia, Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Laos, Malaysia, Russia,
Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the USA (among others). You can
also enter by boat from Cambodia and by train from China.
Ho Chi Minh City's (Saigon) Tan Son Nhat Airport is Vietnam’s
busiest international air hub, followed by Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport. A few
international flights also serve Danang. Singapore, Hongkong, Bangkok have
emerged as the principle embarkation points for Vietnam but it's still possible
to get direct flights from a number of major Asian and European cities and a
few American, Australian cities. Departure tax is US$14 in Hanoi and 14 US $ in
Saigon, which can be paid in Vietnam Dong or US dollars.
Vietnam shares land borders with Cambodia, China, and Laos and there are
several border crossings open to foreigners with each neighbour, a big
improvement on a decade ago. There are currently six border
crossings for travelers coming to Vietnam, but more may open soon. All crossing
points suffer from heavy policing and often requests for 'immigration fees'.
For getting to from China, it's become very popular
to cross the border at Friendship Pass or Dong Dang, 20km (12mi) north of Lang
Son in northeast Vietnam , to get to/from Nanning. There is a twice-weekly
international train between Beijing and Hanoi that stops at Friendship Pass.
The other popular border crossing with China is at Lao Cai (near Sapa) in
northwest Vietnam, which lies on the railway line between Hanoi and Kunming in
China’s Yunnan Province. There's also a seldom used crossing at Mong Cai, Quang
Ninh Province.
It's possible to enter Laos from Lao Bao in
north-central Vietnam; there's an international bus from Danang to Savannakhet
(Laos). The other crossing is at Keo Nua Pass/Cau Treo, west of Vinh.
The only crossing to Cambodia is via Moc Bai; an
international bus links Phnom Penh with Ho Chi Minh City.
