Rent a Vehicle in Vietnam: How to Rent a Car or Motorcycle in Vietnam

Rent a Car Vietnam

Vietnam is not a small country, and to get the full experience of traveling there, you have to move around a lot. The distance between the two most important cities in Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in northern and southern Vietnam, is 1,600 kilometers.

And, in between, there are many places of interest to visit. This is why it is best to rent a car or a motorcycle to travel around this beautiful country rather than using public transportation such as trains and buses.

But if you don't have the time and patience to travel by land, you can always travel by plane. Provided you have enough money for it. In addition, many great places in the northern highlands of Vietnam do not have their own airports.

So the best way to get there is to rent transportation. Of course, public transport is cheaper, but it will be difficult for any foreigner to understand the confusing system of routes. And in addition, guests of the country often fall prey to scammers selling tickets at inflated prices. Therefore, car rental is the best choice for people who want to facilitate their journey through an unfamiliar country.

So, let's find out the details of renting a car or motorcycle in Vietnam and help you get ready for a great trip.

There are two ways to rent a car in Vietnam: rent a car for yourself or rent a car with a driver. Tourists are not recommended to rent a car for themselves, as the road situation in Vietnam is often in very poor condition.

The main cities are crowded with motorcycles and scooters, which leave almost no room for cars. And even the locals prefer not to drive cars here. Consequently, if you are thinking about renting a car in Vietnam, we advise you to lean towards choosing a car with a driver.


Option one - rent a car for yourself

Your country's driver's license is completely invalid in Vietnam, and the process of obtaining a Vietnam driver's license is quite difficult and will take you seven to ten days. This topic has been raised many times, but there is still no solution. Therefore, you will be forced to either get a Vietnamese driver's license or convert your license obtained in your home country. All this can be done at the office of the Vietnamese Transportation Authority.

Cars for Rent in Vietnam

Documents required to rent a car in Vietnam

  • Passport copy
  • Notarized and translated copy of your valid driver's license.
  • Three photos (like a passport)
  • Completed questionnaire (sheets must be stapled together)
  • Data processing fee of approximately VND 100,000
  • A visa valid for at least another three months (a visa is only needed if you are going to get a new license, it is not needed for conversion)

The second option is to rent a car with a driver

Many Vietnamese car rental companies advise tourists to rent cars with drivers. The reason is simple: local drivers know the roads well and can easily avoid places with a high risk of traffic jams. These companies offer only proven drivers with a good command of English, so all you have to do is to book a car with a driver and go pack your luggage!

Self-Drive Cars for Rent in Vietnam

List of car rental companies in Vietnam

Here are the best companies that offer car rental services with drivers:

  • VN Tours and Car Rental
  • ChaoCom Car Rental
  • Green World Car Rental
  • Cost to Rent a Car in Vietnam

Renting a car in Vietnam will cost you about VND 2,300,000 per day, including fuel and commission. Don't forget that often drivers expect you to feed them. Still, renting a car in Vietnam is quite a costly affair, which is why many foreigners prefer to travel by bus, train, plane and motorcycle.


Motorcycle rental

As stated earlier, in Vietnam, renting a car is less preferable than renting a motorcycle. Because most of the roads in the cities and in the countryside are ideal for motorcycles. Stores offering motorcycle rental services often advise tourists motorcycles with an engine capacity of 100 cubic centimeters with semi-automatic gearless gears for better control. Japanese motorcycles of the popular Honda and Yamaha brands are also often available for rent.

Bike in Vietnam


The price of renting a motorcycle in Vietnam

The approximate price of renting a motorcycle in Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and other major cities in Vietnam, ranges from VND100,000 to VND200,000. Most Vietnamese motorcycle rental companies charge 50% of the rental amount when providing and 50% when returning the machine.


Tips to help you successfully rent a motorcycle in Vietnam

When renting a motorcycle in Vietnam, you should first go to the tire shop to check the functionality of the electronics, the quality and quantity of fuel in the tank, the condition of the engine and the brakes. Despite the fact that rental companies should check all this themselves, most often they do not. That is why it is better to be reinsured and spend some time on technical inspection than to stall somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Also, when renting, carefully check your chosen motorcycle for mechanical damage and scratches. Make sure the owners are aware of them, if any. And be sure to check the motorcycle's gas tank: it must be full. Sometimes renters purposely leave the tank half-empty, slyly expecting renters to fill up their gasoline. Be sure to ask the renters for a helmet, or buy your own. A poncho or windbreaker would also be a good idea.

Bike in Vietnam


Motorcycle rental companies in Vietnam

  • Rent A Bike
  • James Motorbikes
  • Tigit Motorbikes
  • Saigon Scooter Centre
  • Offroad Vietnam Motorbike Adventures

Vietnam is a country with a huge number of people riding motorcycles. And even when traveling from one end of the country to the other, they prefer this mode of transport. With so many rentals all over the country, it's hard to choose who to trust.

That's why we've compiled the above list of the most reliable. They are all willing to provide you with maps of the area, instructions on how to troubleshoot your motorcycle, and free advice.


Insurance required to rent a motorcycle in Vietnam

You need the following insurance documents in order to gain access to driving a motorcycle in Vietnam.

Health insurance:

As mentioned above, getting a driver's license in Vietnam is not an easy task. Therefore, you will not be able to buy Vietnamese health insurance. Fortunately, you can do it on Internet sites like Lonely Planet and World Nomads. All you need is a motorcycle driver's license obtained in your home country.

Insurance in favor of third parties:

You can buy this insurance in Vietnam for 100,000 VND.

It is only required if you are driving a motorcycle with an engine capacity of more than one hundred cubic centimeters. Therefore, if you do not want to bother with insurance, we recommend that you rent a motorcycle with an engine displacement below this figure.


What is included and what is not included in motorcycle rentals in Vietnam

When renting a motorcycle in Vietnam, the rental company must provide you with a vehicle with a full tank of fuel, a helmet and a driver (if you need one). But, renters are not allowed to include insurance, driver's license and registration fees. It is customary for tourists to take care of their own insurance arrangements.

And, as we have said, many tourists seek to avoid the difficulties of renting a car for themselves and prefer to travel by plane, bus and train. Nevertheless, some of them like the romantic idea of traveling from one end of the country to the other. Therefore, to simplify and better understand the process of renting transportation in Vietnam and was written this article.

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