is it feasible to spend 3 nites in Hanoi,
train or bus to hoi an for 2 nites, then on to hcmc for 2 nites via train, bus or plane...is it more scenic in the north or south??? in October, is the weather going to be monsoon??? dont mind a little rain but ....
thanks for your advise as to what is best itinerary...places to stay and see

Sure ,you could do that. Use planes though to save time. Fly Hanoi to Hue and you can spend 1 night thenget a guide and driver to drive to Hoi An , nice drive. Then fly Danang to Saigon. I personally would spend less time in Hanoi and more in Hoi An, Saigon. Liked Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi, Saigon Morin Hue, Victoria Hoi An and Caravelle Saigon.All top hotels but prices generally low in Vietnam.
Bon Voyage

thanks christo...
if we wanted to do one leg on a train...which is the most scenic and most time efficient.

are there flights from saigon to luang prabang or chiang mai? we are flexible with our itinerary

thanks again

With such a short trip, I would divide my time between Hanoi and Saigon. Both are great cities and you can easily fly between the two. I would spend 4 nights in Hanoi, including a day trip to Halong Bay and 3 nights in Saigon, including a day trip to the Mekong Delta. I did just this sort of trip a couple of years ago. I was also planning to go to Hoi An, but loved Hanoi so much I couldn't leave and didn't feel like rushing around. I ended up staying 5 nights in Hanoi and was very glad I cancelled the Hoi An segment. It would have been way too rushed. On another trip to Vietnam, I'll concentrate on the central area.

If you really want to factor in a train trip you could take the Reunification Express from Hanoi to Hue. It's an overnight trip in the S-N direction, not sure about N-S.

IMO Ho Chi Minh City is attractive mainly for side trips to the Mekong, Ch Chi Tunnels etc than for its own intrinsic merits - Hanoi has much more character.

On balance I like Mealea's suggestion -a pity to miss Hoi An, which I really like, but 3 cities in 7 nights with travelling is a pretty rushed itinerary.

after scouring the vietnam threads and reading many internet postings..i think we will concentrate our week in northern vietnam, halong bay, maybe venture up to the chinese border towns.

thanks for the suggestions

My opinion is different having just returned from Vietnam and with a similar time constraint dilemma (there is never enough time)!
I enjoyed Hanoi but preferred Sapa, Hue, Hoi An and Saigon. It may have something to do with the weather also (was overcast and damp in the north). I did not feel that Halong Bay was worth the time when compared to other priorities.

Hue, Hoi An and Sapa are a welcome relief from the larger cities each having their own beauty and interest. As for the trains they are interesting, we took the train from Hanoi to Sapa (10 hours), but with very limited time you have to seriously consider it versus a 1 hour flight between either Hanoi-Hué-Saigon.

Whatever you choose I'm sure you will enjoy Vietnam.
Bon Voyage

thank you christo....
if you had a week to see as much as possible without being crazy busy....
what would you do...how would you go from place to place...a 10 hr train ride
would not bother me if its scenic and the destination if worthwhile.

we did a 3 week whirlwind tour of thailand and cambodia in october 2004.
we appreciate your input.

A lot is personal preference. You indicate enjoying scenic areas. To me that means you have to get out of the big cities. As to the train the only one we took was the Victoria to/from Hanoi-Sapa. The scenery OK but the best was the drive from Lao Cai (where the train ends) to Sapa via some Hill Tribes. Similarly we flew from Hanoi to Hue and then drove to Hoi An with a guide and this was very scenic through the mountains, along the coast etc. Took about 2-3 hours and I highly recommend.

In a short time I usually want a general sampling unless I have a strategy to revisit an area then can divide it up into segments. I had 11 days in Vietnam and split it up between the north (Hanoi,Sapa) the middle (Hue,Hoi An) and the south Saigon and the Mekong Delta. This worked well for us. Knowing what I now know and based on my personal preferences in 7 days I would spend 2 nights Hanoi (no Halong), morning flight Hue for 1 night, drive to Hoi An for 1-2 nights, morning flight to Saigon for 1-2 nights with an option of 1 night in Can Tho.
Hue was a very pleasant surprise with its location on the Perfume River, wealth of Imperial Temples and generally more picturesque than other cities. Hoi An is a gem and an excursion into the Mekong is a fascinating and rich experience considering its ecology and importance in the Vietnamese economy and culture.
To make the most of your time you should have a guide meet you at the airports and provide tours. This can all be arranged in advance and the cost is relatively cheap.
As to hotels I can only recommend what I experienced and they were all excellent: Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi, Hue the Saigon Morin, Hoi An the Victoria, Saigon the Caravelle, Can Tho the Victoria.
As to weather you could check Yahoo Weather which shows averages. Seems that October is at the end of the monsoon which seems to affect the south more. The rain usually falls for an hour or so then clears.

Hope this helps!