Your first journey in Vietnam is the one from the airport into town – and that is exactly where the touts wait. Yet the maths is simple: a bus costs under two euros, a Grab five to ten euros, a metered taxi a little more. Here are the prices reported in autumn 2026 for Hanoi, Saigon and Da Nang, the bus timetables, and the three mistakes that make an arrival expensive.
At a glance: airport-to-centre prices
The table pulls together prices published by travel guides between May and October 2026. One euro is about 30,000 dong. These figures move with the time of day, the rain and demand: read them as a ballpark, not a fare chart.
| Option | Hanoi (Noi Bai → Old Quarter) | Saigon (Tan Son Nhat → District 1) | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus | Route 86: 45,000 | Route 109: 15,000–20,000 | Cheapest, but not at night |
| Grab / Xanh SM | 200,000–300,000 | 150,000–250,000 | Price shown in the app, data needed |
| Metered taxi | 280,000–450,000 | 170,000–280,000 | Known companies only, check the meter |
| Pre-booked driver | Via hotel: about 360,000 | Price fixed at booking | Driver waits with a name sign |
The decision almost always follows the same order. You land in daytime with light luggage: take the bus. You have working mobile data: take Grab. You arrive late, tired or as a group of four: book the driver before you fly.
Hanoi, Noi Bai airport: bus 86
Noi Bai is about 30 km north of the Old Quarter. Bus 86 is the simplest cheap link: it serves both terminals, runs with few stops into the Old Quarter and ends at Hanoi railway station. According to the timetable updated in May 2026, it costs 45,000 dong, about €1.50. The first bus leaves the airport at 6:40 am, the last at 10:15 pm, roughly every 45 minutes. Allow 50 to 60 minutes.
The stops: at Terminal 1 (domestic), pillar no. 12, about 40 metres from the exit; at Terminal 2 (international), right in front of the building at pillar no. 3. Since 1 April 2024 you can also pay contactless on board. City buses 07, 17, 90 and 109 cost only about 10,000 dong, but stop far more often and are a struggle with a big suitcase.
Hanoi: Grab, Xanh SM or taxi
Grab is the most comfortable option for most travellers. The 2026 guides quote 200,000–300,000 dong to the Old Quarter, or €7–10; a March 2026 account mentions about 240,000 dong plus a small toll. The price shows before you order: nothing to haggle over. The Vietnamese company Xanh SM runs electric cars, is also booked by app and charges prices close to Grab's.
A metered taxi costs 280,000–450,000 dong depending on the source, or €9–15. In Hanoi, Mai Linh and Xanh SM are considered the safest companies. The key rule appears in almost every guide: someone holding up a Grab sign in the hall without being in a car is not a Grab driver. Ignore them and order in the app.
Saigon, Tan Son Nhat airport: buses 109 and 152
Tan Son Nhat sits right inside Ho Chi Minh City, only about 6 km from District 1. According to a guide updated in September 2026, bus 109 runs every 20 to 30 minutes from about 5:30 am into the late evening, for 15,000–20,000 dong, under one euro. It takes 45 to 60 minutes to Pham Ngu Lao, the backpacker district. It leaves Terminal 2 on the right outside arrivals, and Terminals 1 and 3 near the domestic exit. Sources put the last bus around 11 pm, some later: after 10 pm, don't count on it.
City bus 152 is even cheaper, 6,000–10,000 dong plus a luggage surcharge, but only runs from about 5 am to 6 pm and takes 50 to 70 minutes.
Saigon: Grab and taxis
For the short run to District 1, the same guide gives 150,000–250,000 dong by Grab, or €5–8. In the rain or at rush hour (7–9 am, 5–7 pm), the fare rises 1.3 to 1.8 times, up to about 300,000 dong. At Terminal 2, app drivers pick up in the adjacent multi-storey car park, signposted in English as “technology car”.
A Vinasun (white) or Mai Linh (green) taxi costs 170,000–280,000 dong, or €6–9, including the airport entry fee of 10,000 to 15,000 dong. The fixed-price counters in the hall ask 250,000–400,000 dong: convenient, but dearer than the meter or the app.
Long Thanh: what changes from December 2026
Ho Chi Minh City is getting a second, much bigger airport. For Long Thanh, commercial opening is planned for 1 December 2026, according to plans announced in summer 2026. With the summer 2027 schedule, from 28 March 2027, long-haul flights to Europe are due to move there. For your trip, this means: check which airport your ticket names. Tan Son Nhat's code is SGN. If you see a different code, the prices in this section do not apply, because Long Thanh is not in the city centre.
Da Nang and Hoi An
Da Nang airport sits on the edge of the centre: a hotel in town is a short ride. Most travellers, though, head on to Hoi An, about 30 km away. A guide updated in October 2026 quotes 250,000–350,000 dong by Grab (four seats), or €8–12, and 300,000–400,000 dong by Mai Linh or Vinasun taxi. Journey time: 45 to 60 minutes. Public bus route 1 costs about 30,000 dong but takes 60 to 90 minutes and is awkward with suitcases.
Before you land: data, and the three costly mistakes
Grab and Xanh SM only work with mobile data. With an eSIM set up at home, you can order the car while you wait for your bags. How to do it and what it costs: our Vietnam eSIM guide.
Three mistakes make an arrival expensive. One: following the man with the sign and no car. Two: getting into a taxi whose logo is “almost” right – a slightly wrong green, distorted letters, no ID card on the dashboard. Three: accepting a driver whose meter is “broken” or starts above the flag fall. In all three cases: get out and order in the app. And count the zeros: 200,000 and 20,000 dong notes look alike.
When a pre-booked driver is worth it
For most daytime arrivals, Grab is enough. A pre-booked driver pays off in three cases: landing after 10 pm, when bus 86 has stopped; with children, luggage or four people, because the price is per vehicle; and the Da Nang–Hoi An run, where you would otherwise negotiate at the exit. Through a hotel, a driver in Hanoi costs about 360,000 dong, according to a March 2026 account. To compare, you can book your Vietnam airport transfer in advance: vehicle class and price are fixed before you pay.
For what comes next: our two-week Vietnam itinerary and the 15 highlights from north to south. Still looking for a flight? When to book flights to Vietnam. All our guides to the country are on the Vietnam blog.
