We have a chance for two weeks in Hanoi from mid- to end-September, so, of course, my first step was to look at the weather graphs for that time of year. There's a lot of rain!

What the graphs DON'T tell you, of course, is whether that's a continuous drizzle which makes everything unpleasant just about all day, or whether the rain all comes down in one great short-lived daily shower (as, I recall, it did when I was in Fiji), leaving most of the day suitable for sight-seeing.

Can anybody fill me in on what the days are likely to be like? Should we go ahead? Thanks for advice!

I was in Vietnam in mid September a few years ago and was worried since it is the raily season but we saw almost no rain. Hanoi was hot and sunny, as was central VN. We had one afternooon of light rain in the Mekong Delta but it was not a constant rain. Of course, the weather can never be predicted so far in advance but I wouldn't let the chance of rain stop me from going.

That's "rainy" not "raily"!

I was in Hanoi in August, which is the middle of the rainy season. It wasn't too rainy at all and most of the rain came in big late afternoon showers (short and intense) or late at night. The days were sunny with blue skies and very hot and humid. It's actually a good time to travel. The countryside is very green.

You have really relieved my mind.... thanks for this sage advice, and I think that it's off to Vietnam for my family for this September!

The only thing I'd add is I'd recommend getting an early start in the day for sightseeing. You can pretty much expect a big sudden shower in the late afternoon every day. That's a good time to hang out in a cafe with a Vietnamese coffee.

Have a great trip. Hanoi is wonderful.