Getting Around Saigon
Bikes, Bikes and more Bikes
My family were absolutely horrified by the traffic when they first visited Vietnam, and who wouldn't be?.
Seeing hordes of motorbikes zooming in and out of traffic; seeing motorbikes driving the wrong way up a street; seeing up to five people all packed onto one motorbike, didn't exactly fill them with joy in the prospect of traveling around Saigon.
However, it does highlight one of the major problems that people face when visiting Saigon.
That is, how to travel around this hectic and crowded city, and how to get around safely and without paying more than you should have to.
So it would be worthwhile here, to go through what transport options are available for you during your stay, and how much you should generally pay for each option.
So what transport options are there?
Taxi
At the more expensive end is the taxi. But if you are someone who is worried about road safety, or have mobility troubles, then the taxi is pretty cheap by western standards and is probably your best option.
The only thing you really 
need to watch out for is that the taxi driver doesn't try to take you the long way to wherever you are going.
Also, if the driver asks for you to agree to a fee instead of using the meter, never agree to the fee, insist on the meter.
You know that if they are asking for a fee instead of the meter it will always be in their interest.
And usually the fee they are asking for will be at least double what you should have to pay.
Most taxi charges start at about 12,000 or 14,000 dong, and you can generally get to most places for around 50,000dong or less.
To get from the airport to the tourist area in Pham Ngu Lao costs around 70,000 dong, give or take 10,000 dong.
Some of the more reliable Taxi companies are:
- Ben Thanh Taxi
Tel: (08) 842 2422 - Mai Linh Taxi
Tel: (08) 822 6666 - Saigon Taxi
(08) 842 4242 - Vinataxi
(08) 811 1111
Motorbike Taxi
If you want to get where you are going a bit faster and a bit cheaper, then there are the ever present motorbike taxis, Just listen out for the "HEY YOU! Motorbike?"
However some of them do drive like they have had Kamikaze training, which results in a somewhat hairy experience at times.
The first and only rule really when dealing with these guys is always agree a price first before hoping on.
They will have no compunction in asking you for twice as much as the usual fair once you get to your destination if you don't agree a price beforehand.
When you ask the driver how much the ride will cost, the driver will usually ask you to pay 20,000 dong or more. This is a slightly high price, and more often that not you should generally expect to only pay between 10,000 and 15, 000 dong.
You should be able to get to Dong Khoi or Diamond Plaza from Pham Ngu Lao for 10,000dong.
Only ever pay more than 20,000 dong if you a traveling a long distance. If they refuse to lower there price, just walk away and ask another motorbike taxi down the road.
A good way to find out if you are suggesting a good price for where you want to go is to ask three or four drivers at the low price, if they ALL refuse to drive you where you want to go for that low price, then you know that you will need to raise your offer.
Cyclo
If you don't know what a cyclo is, a cyclo is a kind of a three-wheeled peddled vehicle with a large seat in the front for a paying passenger.
As a peddled form of transport, 
the cyclo is the slowest and cheapest mode of transport (other than walking).
Therefore the cyclo is definitely not the mode of transport to use if you are in a hurry or have a long way to go.
Don't use a cyclo if you want to go to the airport for example!
The only thing I will say though is that with the passenger seat up front, riding in a cyclo does make you feel a bit like a HUMAN BUMPER BAR!
But traveling around in a cyclo is fun as a one off experience.
You can higher a cyclo, and driver, for an hour for between 16,000 and 30,000 dong, pretty cheap for an hour's entertainment.
Bus - Public Transport
I have never used the bus service once in Saigon since arriving here. This is despite the Vietnamese people at my work always trying to get me to use the bus service for some unknown reason.
I have seen a few foreigners using the bus service though, so don't let my reluctance put you off.
From what I have heard it is pretty cheap and reliable, and will only cost you 3,000 dong per bus station to get wherever you are going.
There is a major bus station at the Binh Thanh market end of Pham Nug Lao, aptly named Saigon Bus Station. This is where you can go to catch a bus to Mien Dong station or wherever you want to go.
If you want to know more about various bus routes, you can visit the online Vietnamese Yellow Pages, it has a map showing all the different bus routes around HCMC.
On the site you can click on the different routes to see a map of that particular route. However you might need a Vietnamese friend to help you as this part of the web site is in Vietnamese.
Link: Vietnamese Yellow Pages
Bicycle or Motorbike Rental
Daily rates for bicycles are around 16,000 dong, while for motorbikes the daily rate is between 80,000 and 240, 000 dong depending on the size of the motorbike. You will have to leave your passport as a deposit as well.
When driving around and visiting places, always make sure to make us of the areas set aside for motorbike parking (gui xe), otherwise you run the risk of having your motorbike stolen.
And if it is stolen you will be expected to replace it with a new one.
Also it is now compulsory to wear a motorbike helmet. If the police pull you over for not wearing a helmet you will have to pay a fine of 200,000 dong.
Most rental motorbikes will come with a helmet, but if you want to you can buy a helmet for about 100,000 to 200,000 dong.
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