Vietnam By Land And Water

There are only a few ways of entering Vietnam other than by plane. If you’re going over land, you’ll be going through one of the border crossings .

A few Cambodian tourist companies offer daily transport by boat from Phnom Penh to Chñu #c in the Mekong Delta . The trip costs US$7-15 one way.

Train From China

There is one train route into Vietnam that goes from Beijing to Hà Nÿi once daily. You can book a place on the overnight sleeper car at www.china-train-ticket.com.

Border Crossings

You are free to travel in and out of Vietnam overland at any of the 12 border crossings as long as you have a tourist visa. In most cases, it is necessary to have one before arriving at the border, save two exceptions when entering Cambodia. There are four crossings into Cambodia, five into Laos, and three into China. Before you go, be sure to check whether or not the borders are open.

Although bribes and border police corruption are not typical, be prepared to unpack your gear to show the border police. Be sure to have US dollars on you to avoid problems with exchanging local currencies, though most border crossings have currency exchanges nearby.

The primary border crossing into Cambodia is at Mÿc Bài in the Tñy Ninh Province, 70km northwest of HCMC. Buses that leave HCMC at 6am and head to Phnom Penh cost about US$12. Otherwise, you can take a cab or minibus to the border, walk across, and pick up another in Cambodia. In the same province is also the Sa Mát border gate, on Highway 22B. Down south, there are two border crossings in the An Giang province. T¢nh Biˆn is 25km southwest of Chñu #c, along Highway 91. But the ferry that departs from Chñu #c, crossing the border at Vænh X™£ng, is well worth the US$7-8 for a trip through the Mekong Delta. You can get a Cambodian visa on arrival from the Mÿc Bài and Chñu #c border crossing for US$26; one passport photo is required. Don’t expect visas at either Sa Mát of T¢nh Biˆn. A new border crossing in the Mekong is expected to open soon.

The most popular border crossing into China is the Friendship Pass, known as Hu Ngh¢ Quan (Youyi Guan in Chinese), through the town of ·ng ng, about 18km north of Lång S£n. The fastest means of getting to ·ng ng from Lång S£n is by motorbike, although you can also take a minibus and then hire a taxi to the Chinese town of Piang Xiang. You can also take the train that goes through the Friendship Pass. A second border crossing option can be found at Lào Cai, which crosses over the Ho Kieu bridge into the Yunnan Province. A third crossing is at Móng Cái in northeastern Vietnam. You can get there by hydrofoil direct from H=i Phòng or Hå Long City, 178km south. The Chinese border town is Dongxing. Be sure to have a tourist visa before arriving at any of these border crossings.

Be sure to obtain a traveler’s visa before heading into Laos, where the border police are slightly more thorough in their search policies. The Ko N™a (C<u Treo) Pass is 80km southwest of Vinh on Highway 8, near Tñy S£n. There are direct overnight buses from Hà Nÿi to Vientiane available through travel agents in Hà Nÿi. Local buses approach the border from either side but do not cross. The same is true of the Lao B=o border crossing, 80km west of ®ng Hà on Highway 9. The Lao town for arrivals and departures is Savannakhet. You can walk the mile-long border or else rent a motorbike if you choose not to take a tourist bus. A third and less frequented border crossing into Laos is from Na Mèo, 213km northwest of Thanh Hóa. To get there, take Road 45 to the Vænh Loc District onto Highway 217 to the Na Mèo-Nam Xoi border. There are also crossings at NÆm C n, in the Ngh_ An province, and Cha Lo, in Qu=ng Bình province.