Neil_Oz

My son is heading for Vietnam soon and is asking some questions I can't answer, given that it's been 6 years since we visited and we were on a tour (he's backpacking). Q1: what are the transport options, and rough cost, between the airport and District 1, Ho Chi Minh City? Can anyone help with that?

MichaelBKK

In the arrivals hall/baggage claim airport of the HCMC airport is a taxi desk. I got a taxi from the airport to my hotel in district 1 last year for US$5.

julies

It was our first trip to anywhere in Asia, so we arranged for a $10 airport pick-up through the hotel. We have never, ever been those people for whom someone was waiting with a sign. This time we were, and it was well worth the extra $5 it cost us over the price of a standard taxi.

Bisbee

No need to pay somebody $5 extra to wait for you with a sign. Meter taxi is 60-75,000VND into District 1. As Michael said, you can get a taxi inside or else grab one from the que outside. Don't go with people that offer you transportation unless you want to spend $150,000 (no sign included).

Neil_Oz

Belated thanks for the advice, folks. As it happens my son has booked at one of the budget Madam Luc hotels (standard rooms US$12-16) and they've offered him an airport pickup for US$7, which seems reasonable.

mrwunrfl

That is reasonable. All the taxi drivers are going to know where the Hyatt and Sheraton are but not necessarily know all of the budget places. The extra $2 is worth it to have somebody waiting for him who knows where he is going.