Getting around: the shape of the journey

The spine

The north to south railway, often called the Reunification Express, runs Hanoi to Saigon over roughly 1,700 kilometres of track, with Hue, Da Nang and Nha Trang on the way. It is slower than flying, and the stretch between Hue and Da Nang, over the Hai Van pass, is the part people plan around.

Flying

• Domestic flights link Hanoi, Da Nang, Saigon, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc; the hops between them are short.
• Da Nang's airport sits inside the city; Saigon's does too; Nha Trang's is at Cam Ranh, about half an hour south.
• Around Tet and public holidays, leave buffer on either side; schedules tighten.

Buses, vans and the last stretch

• Sleeper buses and limousine vans cover what the train does not: the northern mountains, and the hops along the central coast.
• Ride-hailing apps cover the short city hops, with metered taxis where apps are thin.
• The drive from Hue to Hoi An over the pass takes most of a morning with a photo stop or two.

Hopping that shapes a route

• Hanoi to Ninh Binh: about two hours by van, much of it on the expressway.
• Hanoi to Ha Long: roughly three hours, the run most bay trips start with.
• Da Nang to Hoi An: under an hour, and the airport to the old town makes an easy transfer.
• Hoi An to Nha Trang: a short flight from Da Nang, or a long rail day if the schedule is generous.