Waki

We're planning a family (all adults) trip to Vietnam for a little over a week and would really appreciate some feedback on the best way to do it.<BR>We'd like to cross it from Hanoi to Saigon or vice versa. I don't think the most seniors would really care to rough it too much.<BR>Is this something we should just arrange on our own, or should we turn to a travel agent?<BR>Any good recommendations on how to do it, or who to go through?<BR>Many thanks.

texasgirl

We just spent two weeks in Vietnam, from Saigon to Hanoi and back via Hue and Hoi An. It is possible to do it entirely on your own _ we did, arriving without any hotel arrangements or travel plans and making them as we went. However, I think you might be more comfortable going through an agency, since some in your group might not like the lower-end hotels you might end up with, and since you have even less time than we did. Also, we didn't find Vietnam the easiest country to travel in _ transport is pretty slow unless you are willing to fly between cities. Again, this can be arranged once you're in country, but you might feel better having arranged ahead of time.

Bill

I'll be in VN in Mar and have been in contact with Ann Tours in Saigon. They seem reliable and were recommended in a Fodor's post several weeks ago. They provide a custom tour with a vehicle, driver and english speaking guide at a reasonable price. They have a web page www.vietnamtourism.com or you can reach them at [email protected]. Email me if you want additional information. Good luck, Bill

R. J.

VietNam is a piece of cake. No need for all this travel agent talk. Most people speak good English and transport is easy. Of course there is a difference in a 5,000 dong hotel and a 50,000 dong hotel. Use your head.

leslie

hey rj, use your head. a 5,000 dong hotel would be about 30 cents US. kind of doubt Waki would find a place like that. <BR>

Al

E-mail me with questions; we spent about 3 weeks there in Nov./Dec. Used a very good agent with results we never could have achieved on our own.

John G

I have travelled on tours and on my own and I have found that when you have little time a travel agent is your best friend. I don't have the time to spend looking for transportation or for hotels, so that is why when I go to Vietnam and Cambodia this year I will use Djoser Tours. A friend's daughter went to Vietnam last year with a friend, making no arrangements beforehand. She is 19 and goes to the University of Birmingham in UK. She had 6 weeks to travel, so taking time to make travel arrangements and finding hotels on a day-to-day basis was no real problem for her. If you have little time, do you want to spend useless hours looking for a hotel or trying to figure out how to get from point A to B? It is something to think about.

Amy

I'm planning to visit Vietnam in July using Untours; they provide airfare, apartment for one week in Hanoi, one week in Saigon, stopover in Hue and/or Hoi An, and an on-call staff person, but you are not on a tour or with a group (Untours philosophy is to "live" in a place for the time that you have.) The prices are quite reasonable and I've been very happy with other trips I've taken through them. They've got a website, www.untours.com, which explains the whole system. To me, it's the best of both worlds, if I may be forgiven the cliche'.

Waki

Thanks a lot Amy, John G, Al, R. J. , Bill and texasgirl .<BR>These are great recommendations which we will follow up on.