Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An
 

Looking at spending a week in Hoi An in March 2013. We belong to holiday club and have a free week long stay. Gives us a good excuse to go to Vietnam for the first time. I know that Da Nang is the closest airport but I can fly cheaply to Ho Chi Minh City. Should we stay there for a few days, or fly immediately on internal airline to Da Nang, or hire a car and tour the countryside up to Hoi An. Have no idea if any of these plans make sense more than others. Or can someone recommend a diff plan. We just want a bit of R & R, interested to see a new country have a look around, and enjoy a break from 4 children !!
Cheers P

A week is a long time for Hoi An, unless you're thinking of it as a beach vacation and staying on the beach. It would be a real shame to travel that far and only see Hoi An, too. You can fly from Saigon to Da Nang and take a taxi to Hoi An, or take the train to Da Nang (see seat61.com for train info), or take a bus (don't really recommend that). You mean hire a car and driver, right?

A week is not a great deal of time but too much just to stay in Hoi An. I would spend a day or two in Saigon on arrival and arrange a full days tour on the main sights in District 1 and Cholon. There are some great restaurants and street food in the city.

I would get the night train from Saigon to Hue which will save some valuable sightseeing time (and cost) as you will sleeping on the train. It is a great travel experience. Hoi An is ok for a day or two but Hue, being bigger, has more to offer in terms of sights, food and places to stay. You woul be pushing it to see both places in a week but and extra day or two would make a huge difference (the train from Da Nang to Hue along China beach and through the Marble Mountains is truly spectacular. Da Nabg itself has little to offer the visitor and is usually only used as a transit point.

Yes I did mean hire a car and driver. Night train sounds interesting?? Is it ok for sleeping?? Might look at extending to 2 nights in Saigon on arrival and splitting time between Hue and Hoi An. I would love to get some tops made... How long do you have to stay in Hoi An to get clothes made?? If we go in March is airconditioning a must ??
I really appreciate the advice. P

Generally u can get clothes made in two days. U go in to pick a style and get measured. They ask for u to return the next day for a fitting and it might be fine or u may need adjustments. If u need adjustments u come back again and depending upon your time frame it could be later that day or the next day. They really work with u in relation to your time frame.

I enjoyed just kicking back and enjoying strolling around Hoi An. we also took a morning and went to My Son. agree that a week might be too long unless as said, u r looking for beach time.

I was surprised to like Saigon. It's a very modern city with broad boulevards and french colonial buildings mixed in wiith skyscrapers. city seemed young and vibrant. the musuems were relatively interesting ESP enjoyed the war remnant musuems and the Presidential Palace for a look back into time.

I would fly between Saigon and Hue or Hoi an. The drive between Hue and Hoi An is very nice with some great scenery.

We were in Hue end of Feb and it was 95 one day and in 90's the other. apparently it had been quite cool right before we arrived there. Saigon was hot hot hot. We had cloudy weather in Hoi An that was quite comfortable, but not beach weather.

a week would be a restful and nice time in hoi an imo... that is providing the hotel is nice and well located..

i would spend 2- in HCMC and then fly on vn air to danang

You can consider stay both Da Nang and Hoi An instead of stay only in Hoi An for a week. Da Nang now offers many nice choises for tourists: Bana Hill resort (40km from Da Nang, with spectacular views of mountains and sky, cool weather and fresh atmostphere); and some good resorts in Da Nang beach: Furama resort, Fusion Maia resort, Da Nang Vinpearl Luxury resort.