How to get to | Vietnam

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.



Vietnam


Visitors to Vietnam arrive mainly by air, or by land from Cambodia, China and Laos. International flights are spread across 3 airports at Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Flight options include:

• Star Alliance - Air China (Ho Chi Minh City), ANA (Ho Chi Minh City), Asiana (Da Nang & Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), Lufthansa (Ho Chi Minh City), Shanghai Airlines (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), Singapore Airlines (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), Thai (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), United (Ho Chi Minh City)
• Oneworld - Cathay Pacific (Ho Chi Minh City), Dragonair (Hanoi), Japan Airlines (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City)
• Sky Team - Aeroflot (Hanoi), Air France (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), China Southern (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), Korean (Da Nang & Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City)
• Other selected - various Asian low cost carriers

TIP Some airlines (eg Air France, Lufthansa, United) operate tag flights to Vietnam from a nearby Asian hub (Bangkok or Hong Kong) connecting to/from a longhaul flight. Where fifth freedom rights apply fares can be fairly cheap for the tag leg.

TIP Due to competition from low cost carriers, fares are low from nearby Asian hubs (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore) to Vietnam. Thus if longhaul fares to Vietnam are too high look at going via a nearby hubs on two tickets.

TIP Longhaul fares from Vietnam are usually cheaper (sometimes a lot cheaper) than the corresponding fares to Vietnam.

TIP As with many Asian countries, flights around lunar new year sell out quickly. Book well ahead.