Getting There

By Plane

Hanoi, along with Ho Chi Minh City, is a major international gateway. Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport (tel. 04/3886-5047) is about a 45-minute drive outside the city. If you haven't booked a hotel transfer through your hotel, an airport taxi costs 230,000 VND for a sedan taxi, 250,000 VND for a van. To save a few dollars, you can take the Vietnam Airlines minivan into town. It costs $2 for a drop-off at the Vietnam Airlines office, but sometimes for an extra buck you can get the driver to drop you at your hotel if it's along the way. From town to the airport, shuttles depart from the Vietnam Airlines office and cost 20,000 VND. Call tel. 04/3825-0872 to get departure times.

To contact international carriers in Hanoi, try the following: Aeroflot, 360 Kim Ma (tel. 04/3771-8742); Air France, which has a helpful customer service desk on the southwestern edge of Hoan Kiem Lake, 1 Ba Trieu (tel. 04/3825-3484); All Nippon Airways (ANA), 9 Dao Duy Anh (tel. 04/3934-7237); British Airways, 9 Dao Duy Anh (tel. 04/3934-7239); Cathay Pacific, 49 Hai Ba Trung (tel. 04/3826-7298); China Airlines, 6B Trang Tien St. (tel. 04/936-6364); Czech Airlines, 65 Quan Su (tel. 04/3941-1320); Emirates Airlines, 9 Dao Duy Anh (tel. 04/3934-7240); Japan Airlines (JAL), 63 Ly Thai To (tel. 04/826-6693); Lao Airlines, 68 Tran Quoc (tel. 04/822-9951); Malaysia Airlines, 1/F Hanoi Towers, 49 Hai Ba Trung (tel. 04/3934-2304); Pacific Airlines, 152 Le Duan (tel. 04/3851-5350); Qantas Airways, fourth floor at 9 Dinh Le (tel. 04/3933-3026); or Singapore Airlines, 17 Ngo Quyen (tel. 04/3826-8888). Note that if you work with a local ground operator for day tours and trips in Vietnam, most will help with any reconfirmation or flight changes free of charge or for just the cost of necessary local calls.

For domestic connections, your only option (luckily, a good and affordable one) is Vietnam Airlines. The main, and most convenient, Vietnam Airlines office in Hanoi is at 1 Quang Trung St., a street that runs directly west from the southern end of Hoan Kiem Lake (tel. 04/3832-0320). Ticket purchases are made on the second floor (at a good discount from prices quoted at storefront travel agents), and it's an orderly business where you pick a number and wait for the next teller. They accept major credit cards as well as either U.S. dollars or Vietnam dong. The office is open from 7am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday, and in front of the building is a convenient stand of minivans that make regular connections with the airport for just 20,000 VND. A tourist information kiosk is also at the airport, as well as a lost and found (tel. 04/3884-0008).

By Train

Hanoi Railway Station, on the western edge of Hoan Kiem District (120 Le Duan; tel. 04/3942-3697; ticket office tel. 04/3942-3949), is a terminal stop on the Reunification Railroad. A comfortable, air-conditioned soft berth to Hue costs 460,000 VND, and it's 1,003,000 VND to Ho Chi Minh City. Buying tickets at the station is easy (but time-consuming), and any travel agent can handle it for a small fee. Both standard and luxury trains from Hanoi to Lao Cai, the jumping-off point for the popular hill town of Sapa, can be booked at traveler cafes in the Old Quarter and from any travel agent; often you can get a special rate on a deluxe overnight train to Lao Cai and your overnight accommodations in Sapa. Slow trains also connect with Haiphong and even to Cao Bang and Lang Son, but these are the kinds of rides that are for train buffs only.

By Bus

Budget traveler cafes in the Old Quarter, mostly along Hang Bac or Hang Be streets, offer low-luxe seat-in-coach tours. Services and prices are similar: About 690,000 VND earns you an open-tour ticket from Hanoi to Saigon with all stops in between.

Local buses arrive at and depart from the following stations: Gia Lam Station (Nguyen Van Cu St., Long Bien District -- across the Long Bien Bridge and a few clicks to the east of town) runs minibuses and coaches to Haiphong, Halong Bay, Lang Son, and some destinations in the far northwest; Ben Xe Nam Hanoi (Southern Bus Station; 5km/3 miles south of the city) runs regularly to all stops along the southern coast, starting with Ninh Binh and going as far as Ho Chi Minh City, as well as to Dien Bien Phu and the far northwest; Ha Dong Station is north of town and runs buses regularly to Lao Cai (near Sapa).

Getting Around

Hanoi is divided into districts. Most sights and accommodations are in Hoan Kiem District (downtown), centered around picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake, and Ba Dinh (west of town) or Hai Ba Trung (south) districts. Most addresses include a district name. You'll want to plan your travels accordingly because getting from district to district can be time-consuming and expensive.

By Bus

Hanoi has a number of local buses that ply regular routes through the city, but Hanoi's smoke-belching lorries are extremely crowded, and using them is difficult if you don't speak Vietnamese. With the ready availability of fast, affordable local motorbike taxis and good metered taxis, few tourists bother with local buses.

By Taxi

Taxis can be hailed on the street, at hotels, and at major attractions. The meter should read between 10,000 VND and 15,000 VND (depending on the company and size of the cab) to start, and 4,000 VND to 6,500 VND for every kilometer (about 1/2 mile) thereafter. The three most reputable companies are Hanoi Taxi (tel. 04/853-5353), Hanoi Tourist Taxi (tel. 04/856-5656), and Mai Linh (tel. 04/822-2555). You (or the concierge) can call ahead for pickup. Make sure the cabbie turns on the meter. Be sure to get your change; drivers often seek a surreptitious tip by claiming that they don't have the right amount to give back. Smile. Tell the driver that you'll wait until it's obtained, and it will materialize. Tips are greatly appreciated, but don't feel pressed to give any certain percent; just round up the meter or offer 5,000 VND, and you are being quite generous by local standards.

Warning: Rigged Taxi Meters -- Be sure to go with an accredited taxi company, either one mentioned above or a company connected with your hotel. Smaller companies and individual operators sometimes rig the meter and charge up to double the price. If you protest, these shifty characters just point to the meter as evidence. If you think you're being overcharged, don't pay, but ask the driver to wait while you get someone from the front desk of your hotel to verify the rate.

By Car

Renting a car is convenient, but driving yourself is not recommended. Book a car with a driver from $40 a day (or $5 per hour, minimum 3 hr.). If an upscale hotel quotes you more, call one of the tourist cafes or any of the travel agents listed above. A rented car or shared taxi is a great way to make your own itinerary around the city or to destinations throughout the north. Note that in the city center, however, a big car can get stymied by the heavy traffic, so if your constitution is hearty and you like to throw caution to the wind, go for a cheap and maneuverable motorbike taxi to get you through the city traffic and small alleyways of the city.

By Motorbike

Motorbike taxis are a cheap and easy way to get around the city, but drivers go like madmen. Be forewarned: This is transportation for the brave. Haggle hard with these guys. No matter the distance, drivers will start off asking for a few dollars, but with relentless haggling (you'll have to walk away a few times) they'll come down as far as 15,000 VND for short trips. Motorbike taxi drivers have a pretty hard lot, though, and most expats and longtime Vietnam travelers usually compromise and pay a little extra, 10,000 VND to 15,000 VND, to avoid a long time spent haggling. Motorbike taxi drivers in Hanoi can also be hired by the hour for 30,000 VND to 40,000 VND, and showing the driver the written address of where you want to go is a better alternative than trying to have your bad Vietnamese understood. I've even given a driver a day's worth of addresses and had him create my itinerary because these drivers know the streets and the traffic best. Give a tip and you've got a friend for life, or at least someone who'll show up at your hotel the next day to see if you need any further assistance.

If you're feeling especially brave, you can rent your own motorbike. Navigating Hanoi's busy streets is harrowing, though, and most motorbike riders use their rented two wheels to get out of town instead of around in town. Most tourist cafes and mid- to low-range hotels can arrange rentals, and there are a few good storefront rental agencies. Try Mr. Cuong's Motorbike Adventure, at 1 Luong Ngoc Quyen St., on the east side of the Old Quarter near the city's major ring road (tel. 04/3926-1534) -- the best place to rent a big honkin' Russian Minsk motorbike for $7 per day -- or Mr. Hung's Vietnam Adventure Tour, at his in-town office just north of Hoan Kiem Lake, 5A Dinh Liet St. (tel. 04/3926-0938), or at his repair shop on the city ring road at 162 Tran Quang Khai St. (Mr. Hung's provides bike rentals as well as comprehensive in-town and rural tour options and guides.) One-day rentals of 100cc motorbikes start at $6. A 1-month rental of a little hair dryer-style model (a Honda Dream or Wave) can cost as little as $50. Wear a helmet (it's now a well-enforced law, and all the locals are doing it), go slow, honk to alert other vehicles when passing, and stay alert. Inexperienced riders might want to think twice about cutting their teeth on a motorbike in crazy Hanoi traffic.

Warning: -- Riding on a motorbike, whether your own or on the back, presents a Catch-22: It's the fastest and most affordable way to navigate city roads, but it's also your best bet for a trip to the emergency room or worse. Take caution and, wherever possible, try to put as much steel between you and the chaos of the road as possible. In other words, take buses and cars when possible.

By Cyclo

Cyclos are two-seated carts powered by a man on a foot-pedal bike riding behind you. You can flag them down anywhere, particularly near hotels and tourist attractions, where they're certain to find (or follow) you. Being trundled along among whizzing motorbikes isn't always very comfortable, but it can be a nice choice for touring the Old Quarter's narrow streets. Bargain with the driver before setting out. You can pay as little as 20,000 VND for a short ride, and 30,000 VND for a longer haul. You can also hire by the hour for about $2. If you're inclined, most drivers will even let you take a short ride -- around the block or so -- just for fun.

By Bicycle

Rental costs for a bike are about $1 per day from a hotel or tourist cafe. The traffic is daunting, but the brave quickly learn how to just stay to the right and join the flow. Helmets are generally not available.

Fast Facts

ATMs -- Most major banks in Hanoi and even countrywide now offer ATM service. Look for Vietcombank and Incombank branch locations throughout the city. New ATMs are popping up all over. Ask any hotel concierge where to find one. Consult with your bank office at home to inquire about international ATM usage fees. Most range from just $1 to $1.50.

Banks & Currency Exchange -- The best service (24-hr. ATMs with guards) is at the Australia New Zealand Bank (ANZ), 14 Le Thai To St. (tel. 04/825-8190); Citibank, 17 Ngo Quyen St. (tel. 04/3825-1950); and Vietcombank, 198 Tran Quan Khai (tel. 04/3934-3137). Most banks will exchange foreign currency, either U.S. dollars or euros, during normal banking hours. You'll also find a few money-changing storefronts along Hang Bac Street in the Old Quarter and around the edge of Hoan Kiem Lake. Hanoi Sacombank, 88 Ly Thuong Kiet (tel. 04/3942-8095), is one to try.

Avoid exchanging on the black market. Black-market money-changers will approach you outside of the major banks; in the past, you could get a much improved rate from them, but today the advantage is nominal and travelers often find themselves left with a few counterfeit or out-of-circulation notes in the mix -- it's not worth the trouble.

Business Hours -- Most Hanoi shops and offices are closed for lunch, usually from 11 or 11:30am to 12:30 or 1pm. Hanoians wake up very early to take advantage of cooler weather, and an early lunch is followed by some rest time in the heat of the day. Most offices close at 5pm and are shut on Sunday.

Car Rentals -- Contact any tour operator or hotel concierge about booking a car with driver for day trips or to sights farther afield. Expect to pay about $30 to $40 per day, and $10 for a guide to accompany you.

Climate -- Hanoi experiences relatively high humidity all year and a rainy season from May to October. Winter months are cool and damp (rarely below 57°F/14°C), but the heat starts to pick up in April and makes for a hot, wet summer (a popular time to hit cooler climates like Sapa in the far north or enjoy the offshore breezes in Halong).

Doctors & Hospitals -- International SOS, at 31 Hai Ba Trung, just south of Hoan Kiem, is your best bet for emergency services and travel illness. Contact their 24-hour service center at tel. 04/3934-0555 or their clinic at tel. 04/3934-0666, or visit the website at www.internationalsos.com. International SOS is part of a worldwide international service that you can join for a fee and be covered anywhere they offer services. The organization has a capable staff of expatriate and Vietnamese doctors, with specialists ranging from pre- and post-natal care to tropical infectious disease experts, good eye doctors, and dentists. They work in collusion with most major insurance companies and can contact your provider to let you know if you are covered. The cost of an initial visit is $69 with an expatriate doctor or $59 with a Vietnamese doctor.

Hanoi Family Medical Practice, at Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, 298 Kim Ma (tel. 04/3843-0748), is another walk-in clinic, like International SOS, that caters to Hanoi's growing expatriate community. They have a good dental center.

Another good choice for comprehensive service is the Hanoi French Hospital, south of the town center at 1 Phuong Mai (tel. 04/3574-0740). As the name suggests, the hospital caters to Francophones, and a knowledge of French is a plus, but doctors and staff can speak English as well. Service is very professional, efficient, and much more accessible and affordable than at the town's two international clinics.

Embassies & Consulates -- Your country's embassy is your home base in the event of any instability, political situation, or emergency (either medical or legal). It's not a bad idea to register with your embassy when you arrive in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, or through the embassy website before you leave home. Embassies are also a good place to pick up the most current information on regional crises, health issues, political hot spots, and advice on travel. If you are in Vietnam during one of your country's national holidays, check for any special events held at an embassy compound (there's nothing like Thanksgiving among Americans or Victoria Day with fellow Canadians, for example). The following is a list of the major international embassies in Hanoi: Australia, 8 Dao Tan (tel. 04/3831-7755); Canada, 31 Hung Vuong (tel. 04/3734-5000); European Union, 83B Ly Thuong Kiet (tel. 04/3946-1702); New Zealand, 63 Ly Thai To (tel. 04/3824-1481); United Kingdom, 31 Hai Ba Trung (tel. 04/3936-0500); United States, 7 Lang Ha (tel. 04/3772-1510).

Note that most storefront travel agents can handle visa services for a nominal fee, but when arranging visas and gathering information about travel in nearby countries, you can also contact the following embassies: China, 46 Hoang Dieu (tel. 04/3845-3736); India, 58-60 Tran Hung Dao (tel. 04/3824-4989); Japan, 27 Lieu Giai (tel. 04/3846-3000); Laos, 22 Tran Binh Trong (tel. 04/3942-4576); Malaysia, 45 Dien Bien Phu (tel. 04/3734-3836); Myanmar, A3 Van Phuc Compound (tel. 04/3845-3369); The Philippines, 27B Tran Hung Dao (tel. 04/3943-7948); South Korea, 360 Kim Ma (tel. 04/3831-5111); Thailand, 63-65 Hoang Dieu (tel. 04/3823-5092).

Internet -- Internet service in Hanoi is affordable and found on nearly every street corner, especially in the Old Quarter, where so many budget travelers dwell. Service is usually a speedy ADSL connection and costs about 3,000 VND per hour. The Tourist Information Center at the north end of Hoan Kiem Lake (7 Dinh Tien Hoang St.; tel. 04/3926-3368) offers some free Internet access. Small Internet storefronts are numerous in the Old Quarter on Hang Bac or Hang Be, and in all traveler cafes: In fact, many include some free connection time if you book a trip at their storefront. A-Z Queen Salute Travel Café, at 65 Hang Bac (tel. 04/3826-0860), is a good bet with affordable service and a pay-as-you-use honor system. On Ma May Street in the Old Quarter, try the corner shop at 66 Ma May (just north of the Tamarind Café): Always crowded, it has good, fast ADSL service and sells affordable prepaid Internet phone cards. Amazing Internet, at 15 Hang Non (tel. 04/3828-6193), on the east side of the Old Quarter, is rather proud of itself, and for good reason, considering its fast service and very helpful staff.

Maps -- The Tourist Information Center (7 Dinh Tien Hoang St.; tel. 04/3926-3368) has excellent free tourist maps. If setting out into the country on motorbike or by hired car, be sure to pick up a detailed map -- look for the Vietnam Tourism Travel Atlas (costs 85,000 VND), which has good regional maps and detailed city maps of the major towns.

Newspapers & Magazines -- The Vietnam News is available free at most upmarket hotels and can be purchased at most bookstores and at magazine shops near Hoan Kiem Lake; written by Vietnamese, its local news is more or less propaganda ("We are successful and our economy is growing"), but the paper does cover the major international wire-service news items of the day and lists current events in the country.

A number of cheap and/or free local magazines are geared toward tourists and business visitors. You can pick up any of the following at airline offices, travel agents, popular restaurants, hotel lobbies, and bookstores: the Guide, which is a travel and tourism glossy supplement published monthly by the Vietnam Economic Times that provides useful listings of hotels, restaurants, and happenings (pick it up for free or for 16,000 VND in some locales); Vietnam Discovery, which sells for 15,000 VND and is a monthly magazine listing hotels, published by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, similar to the Guide; Vietnam Pathfinder, which is a small tourism magazine with an expatriate section featuring good insider tips on tours, travel, dining, and shopping; and the Guidebook (www.theguidebook.com), another one with good local listings for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. East&West, a new glossy publication, zeroes in on new high-end fashion, shopping, and hotel news in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. You can pick up copies at select boutiques and high-end hotels. Check their website (www.east-westmag.com) for distribution.

Pharmacies -- Vietnamese pharmacies are the "diagnose yourself" variety. Got a bad cough and think it's an infection? Pound the table and ask for antibiotics. So much for discouraging antibiotic-resistant illnesses. Pharmacies are on every street corner and, even if the folks there don't speak English, they can help if you mime your disease (I once did an interpretive dance I call "nonstop diarrhea"), or for the less theatrical, they usually have an English-to-Vietnamese dictionary with medical terms listed. Ask for foreign-made drugs, best from France, as Vietnamese versions of medicines, though cheap, are often inferior. I recommend heading to the SOS International Clinic, which has a pharmacy on-site.

Police -- Yes, you may call them if you have something stolen, and they can fill out a report for insurance purposes, but the Hanoi police are best avoided; in fact, the only reason to see them is if you're bribing your way out of something (a traffic violation, for example). In Vietnam's rapidly changing economic and social climate, laws are mutable and, in fact, the rule of law is still uncertain. Traffic police crack down on motorbike drivers without helmets, but in general, foreign visitors have no contact with the grim lads in khaki.

Post Office -- The General Post Office is located at 6 Dinh Le St., Hoan Kiem District (tel. 04/3825-7036). It's open daily from 6:30am to 10pm. You can also send faxes and make international phone calls there. FedEx (tel. 04/3719-8787; daily 8am-6pm) is located in the same building as the post office but has its own storefront just around the corner. You can also find a UPS storefront on the same block at 10 Le Thach St. (tel. 04/3824-6483; daily 7:30am-6pm) and a branch of EMS at 12 Le Thach St. (tel. 04/3824-1271; daily 7am-9pm). Expect to pay anywhere from $29 to $74 per kilo, depending on expediency of service.

Safety -- Hanoi, like the rest of Vietnam, is safe. The only concerns for visitors are pickpockets and minor local scams. Keep an eye on your valuables; store traveler's checks and money in your hotel safe or, if you must bring them with you, keep cash and important documents safe in a travel wallet under clothing and out of sight of the clever hands of thieves. Take care if out clubbing late in Hanoi, and avoid dark streets and walking alone, as you might in any place in the world. But in general, you're free from violence in the Vietnamese capital.

The city is not without hassles, though. You will be harassed by book, magazine, and souvenir sellers. The entreaties of these relentless entrepreneurs can get pretty tiresome. Remember that they're just kids, most of whom work under the pressure of local mafia, and it is their job to sell you; take time to talk with them if you have it, but remember that any conversation is geared toward getting the greenbacks out of your pocket. If you're not interested in their goods, let them know, but these guys rarely leave it at that. A firm "No!" doesn't hurt anyone's feelings. If you stop at intersections and look at maps, know that the motorbike taxi guys will swarm you. I always try to have a look at the map before I get to any intersection so that I know what street I'm looking for and can proceed through intersections like I know where I'm going.

Telephone -- The city code for Hanoi is 04. Most hotels provide international direct dialing (IDD), although none allow you to access an international operator or AT&T (whose Vietnam access code is tel. 01/201-0288). To do that, you will have to go to the post office. You'll find public phone booths throughout the city for local calls that accept phone cards purchased from the post office. Internet "telephony" is the cheapest option and is available in Internet cafes throughout the city. Connecting through a designated ADSL line, phone service through the Internet from Hanoi is quite good, with the annoying delay effect at a bare minimum. Try the corner shop at 66 Ma May or one of the other small Internet cafes in the Old Quarter.

Parking

Hanoi is divided into four main sectors: Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, and Dong Da. Metropolitan Hanoi includes a number of outlying areas that were once provinces, but as the population expands in number and large-scale development seeks new land, the city's perimeter widens.

The Neighborhoods In Brief

Hoan Kiem District Most foreign visitors to Vietnam spend their time in the heart of Vietnam's ancient capital, Hoan Kiem District. Between the shops and restaurants around busy central Hoan Kiem Lake, the very lungs of the city and the most popular strolling spot in town, and the Old Quarter, there is wandering aplenty. Most of the prewar colonial buildings in this area are still intact, even if exteriors are faded and crumbling or being encroached on or crowded out by newer concrete construction. Hanoians are getting hip to the historical cache they have in this district, and you'll find more and more buildings being preserved for the public, whether as restaurants or as tour sights. In and among the Old Quarter's busy streets, you'll find the guildhalls of each individual trade once practiced there, as well as community halls and Chinese temples tucked behind ancient willow trees and down quiet alleys. Hoan Kiem hosts a number of markets, including Dong Xuan, the city's largest. The southern edge of Hoan Kiem District is the French Quarter, where streets were reordered under French rule. Here you'll find the old Opera House and a number of museums. On the western edge of Hoan Kiem, you'll see a number of important pagodas, including the city's most prominent, Quan Su, as well as the famous prison the Hanoi Hilton, now mostly replaced by an office complex. Traffic in this busy district is about as busy as it gets.

Ba Dinh District The farthest northwest sector of Hanoi, Ba Dinh begins at the line demarcated by the train station and train line running north-south through the city. This is where you'll find the Hanoi Citadel, now rebuilt and housing the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, as well as his house and an adjoining museum. The nearby One-Pillar Pagoda is one of the city's oldest, dating from the 11th century. The Army Museum and Fine Art Museum are also in Ba Dinh.

Hai Ba Trung District Once where foreign visitors were more or less sequestered (or limited to), this area to the south of Hanoi is where you'll find Thong Nhat Park (formerly Lenin Park).

Dong Da District Where Quang Trung, one of the leaders of the Tay Son Rebellion, defeated the Chinese -- the event is celebrated every year during the Tet holiday -- Dong Da is also home to the city's Van Mieu Temple of Literature, the home base of the Mandarins who once governed Vietnam.