Hanoi rewards travellers who prepare before they land. The visa application runs through a single official site, tucked among a dozen slick impostors. The currency comes in denominations so large you’ll feel like a millionaire for a moment. Traffic follows rules that make sense only after you’ve learned how to cross it. And the weather swings from damp 10 °C winters to steamy 35 °C monsoon summers, so packing poorly can ruin an entire week.
This guide tackles the nuts and bolts of a Hanoi trip – visas, budgets, transport, money, scams, health and timing. After inspiration on what to see and do, our comprehensive Hanoi travel guide has you covered. Think of this article as the logistical companion.
Visa: the e-visa for French citizens
France is eligible for Vietnam’s e-visa system, open to all nationalities since late 2023. Apply online, receive the approval letter by email, and present it to immigration on arrival – no embassy visit, invitation letter or agency required.
The most-repeated advice on every travel forum: use only the official government site. The URL ends in .gov.vn, specifically evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. The first Google results for “Vietnam e-visa” are third-party agencies with slick websites that charge €50–80 for a service that costs US$25 on the real site. The easiest way to spot the genuine page: it looks like it was built in 2003 – and that’s a good sign.
Costs and options
A single-entry e-visa costs US$25 (about €23) and allows one entry for up to 90 days. A multiple-entry e-visa costs US$50 (about €46) and is essential if you plan a side trip to Laos or Cambodia before re-entering Vietnam. If the site asks for more than US$25, you’re on a third-party site.
Tips to avoid refusals
Name order matters. Vietnam writes the family name first, then given and middle names. Enter your name exactly as it appears in the machine-readable zone (MRZ) of your French passport – those two lines in capitals and chevrons. Don’t omit middle names, even if you never use them day to day; the e-visa must match your passport word for word.
Photo requirements: no glasses (even prescription), ears visible, no smile, eyes straight at the lens. A phone selfie against a white wall works fine. For the passport-page scan, don’t crop too tightly – immigration wants to see every edge and corner.
Processing time is officially three working days, but Vietnamese weekends and public holidays don’t count. Apply at least one to two weeks before departure. There’s no status update between “Received” and “Approved”; one day it just flips.
Port of entry
The e-visa asks for a specific port of entry. Arriving at a different airport (say, requesting Ho Chi Minh City but landing in Hanoi) usually works, but it’s technically a gamble. Switching from an airport to a land-border post is far riskier and can lead to refusal. Safest move: list the port you actually intend to use.
Visa on arrival still exists as an expensive fallback (US$100+) if your e-visa hasn’t arrived, but the online process is so straightforward there’s no reason to rely on it.
Detailed budget: what Hanoi really costs
Hanoi is one of Southeast Asia’s most affordable capitals. Your daily spend depends almost entirely on where you sleep and whether you stick to street food or splurge on air-conditioned restaurants.
| Budget level | Daily cost | Accommodation | Food | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €20–30 | Dorm-hostel bed (€3–7/night) | Street food only, bia hoi | Walk, city bus |
| Mid-range | €40–60 | Private hotel room (€18–37/night) | Street food + restaurants | Grab, some taxis |
| Comfort | €70–90 | Quality hotel (€37–55/night) | Sit-down restaurants, cafés | Grab everywhere, guided tours |
| Luxury | €100–150+ | Boutique or 5-star hotel | Fine dining | Private car, premium tours |
For most visitors, the sweet spot is mid-range. At €40–60 a day you can eat well, call a Grab when you’re tired, see every museum and temple, and still have enough left for a cooking class or day trip. A lunch that would cost €15 in Paris goes for €1.50–2.50 at an Old Quarter street stall.
What things cost: quick reference
Bowl of pho from a street vendor: 40 000–60 000 VND (€1.50–2.30). Bun cha lunch: 40 000–60 000 VND. Ca phe (Vietnamese coffee): 25 000–60 000 VND (€0.90–2.30). Bia hoi (fresh draft beer): 5 000–10 000 VND (€0.20–0.40). Bottled beer: 30 000–50 000 VND (€1–1.85). Cocktails in a Western-style bar: 150 000–200 000 VND (€5.50–7.40).
Restaurant meal for two: 150 000–300 000 VND (€5.50–11). Museum entry: about 50 000 VND (€1.85). See our heritage guide for opening hours and detailed prices. One-hour foot massage: 150 000–300 000 VND (€5.50–11).
The biggest budget trap is alcohol – especially Western-style cocktails. A bia hoi costs €0.20; a rooftop cocktail costs €6–8. Over two weeks that difference adds up fast.
Money-saving tip: don’t book tours online from France via Viator or TripAdvisor. Reserve through your hotel or a local agency in the Old Quarter. The same one-day Ha Long Bay excursion that costs €80–100 online is €30–50 on the ground.
For eating recommendations at any budget, our street food and restaurant guide to Hanoi lists everything from the €0.20 bia hoi corner to full-service restaurants.
Getting there: flights and airport
As of early 2026 there are no regular non-stops between France and Hanoi. From Paris-CDG, the usual one-stop routes go via a Gulf hub: Qatar Airways through Doha, Emirates through Dubai, or Vietnam Airlines with a connection in Bangkok or Singapore. From Lyon or Marseille, connections often go through Istanbul (Turkish Airlines) or Doha. Total travel time with one stop: 13–17 hours.
Return fares from Paris run €450–850, depending on season and booking window. November-January and Tet (late January/February) are priciest; May and June are cheapest. Compare on Google Flights, Liligo or Kayak and set price alerts.
Noi Bai Airport to downtown
Noi Bai International Airport lies about 25 km north of central Hanoi. Three ways into town:
Bus 86 is the cheapest. This orange, air-conditioned bus has luggage racks and Wi-Fi. Fare: 45 000 VND (about €1.65). It heads straight to the Old Quarter in 45–60 minutes, traffic permitting. Turn left as you exit international arrivals to find the stop. Buses run from early morning until late evening.
Grab car costs 250 000–350 000 VND (€9–13) to central Hanoi. Book only through the app. Note: Grab drivers can’t access the arrivals pick-up lane; walk to the dedicated ride-hailing zone. Match the licence plate in the app before you hop in. Ignore anyone in the terminal claiming to be your Grab driver.
A hotel transfer or Klook booking costs roughly the same as Grab (250 000–350 000 VND) but a driver waits with a sign – bliss after a long flight.
Skip unofficial taxis inside arrivals; they’ll quote 500 000–800 000 VND for a ride that should cost half that.
Getting around Hanoi
On foot
The Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter are all walkable, most sights within a 2–3 km radius. Sidewalks double as parking, kitchens and tiny stool terraces, so you’ll often walk in the street. Wear shoes with decent grip.
Grab: the must-have app
Download Grab before arrival. It’s Southeast Asia’s Uber and your most useful Hanoi app. Fares are fixed, so no rigged meters or haggling. GrabBike (motorbike taxi) is fastest for solo travellers; GrabCar suits groups or luggage days.
Link your bank card before leaving home. Paying cash often leads to “no change” dramas. The chat auto-translate helps when drivers can’t find you.
City buses
Hanoi’s bus network is cheap (7 000–9 000 VND ≈ €0.30) and extensive. Bus 86 (airport) and Bus 14 (Temple of Literature to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum) are the most tourist-friendly routes. Signs are mostly in Vietnamese, but Google Maps handles the system fairly well.
Motorbike rental: the legal reality
Scooters rent for 150 000–200 000 VND/day (€5.50–7.40). Legally you need an International Driving Permit with motorcycle endorsement and a French licence that includes category A. With only category B you’re uninsured; any accident claim will be denied.
Traffic is intense. If you’ve never driven in dense Asian traffic, this isn’t the place to learn. Save the scooter for the Ha Giang loop or the Ninh Binh countryside – with the right licence.
Cyclos
Three-wheeled cycle rickshaws are classic Hanoi, but there’s a common scam: you agree on 50 000 VND for a lap, then the driver claims it’s 50 000 per person or per kilometre. Book cyclos through your hotel or a reputable operator, not with touts on the street.
Crossing the street: the skill you’ll master on day one
Traffic won’t stop for pedestrians. Few lights exist, and bikes ignore many of them. The first time you face a six-lane river of scooters you’ll wonder how anyone survives. Here’s how.
Walk at a slow, steady pace – don’t stop, run or step back. Be predictable. Bikes flow around you like water round a rock because drivers constantly calculate your path. If you hesitate, their math fails.
Raise a hand slightly for visibility. Make eye contact with oncoming riders. Let buses and cars pass; motorbikes will weave around you.
First-timer tip: wait for a local to step off the kerb and shadow them, staying on the traffic side. By day three you’ll cross without thinking.
Money: ATMs, cash and hidden fees
Cash is king
The Vietnamese dong (VND) is the only practical currency. Street vendors, markets and most local eateries take cash only; USD or euros won’t fly.
Large hotels, upscale restaurants and Grab accept cards, but small places often add a 3 % surcharge.
Which ATMs to use
VPBank and ACB are the favourites for foreign cards. VPBank often charges little or nothing; ACB lets you pull up to 5 000 000 VND (≈ €185). TPBank was free, but late-2025 reports mention new fees.
Avoid Agribank, Vietinbank and Euronet: low limits, high fees.
Golden ATM rule: when offered conversion to your home currency, always tap “No.” That’s Dynamic Currency Conversion, and it costs 3–5 %. Let your French bank handle the rate.
Currency exchange
The best rates are at gold and jewellery shops, especially on Ha Trung Street in the Old Quarter. Quoc Trinh Gold Shop is forum-famous. Bring crisp €50 or €100 notes; smaller or creased bills get worse rates.
Bank counters give official rates but need your passport and perfect bills. Airport booths are worst; if you land late, change just €20–30 for the bus and exchange the rest in town.
Tipping
Tipping isn’t customary. Rounding up is nice but never required. The only times a tip is expected: tour guides (50 000–100 000 VND) and hotel porters (20 000–50 000 VND).
Practical cash tips
Use a fee-free card (Boursorama Ultim, Fortuneo Fosfo, Revolut).
If you hold a Visa Premier or Mastercard Gold, check the included travel insurance – usually valid for trips under 90 days if the airfare was paid with the card.
Don’t carry weeks of cash at once. ATMs are everywhere. Keep an emergency stash deep in your luggage.
Health and safety
Travel insurance
The EHIC covers only the EU/EEA, so it’s useless in Vietnam. Buy travel insurance that includes medical evacuation; a medevac home can top €50 000.
Chapka Cap Aventure, ACS Globe Traveller and AXA Assistance are popular with French travellers.
If you plan to ride a motorbike, confirm that two-wheeler accidents are covered. Bank-card insurance is a handy extra but rarely enough on its own.
Vaccinations
No jabs are legally required, but the Pasteur Institute recommends being up to date for hepatitis A & B, typhoid and tetanus. For rural trips (Ha Giang, Sapa), consider Japanese encephalitis and rabies. See your GP or a travel-clinic six weeks before departure.
Water and food safety
Don’t drink tap water. Use bottled water (5 000–10 000 VND) for drinking and brushing teeth. Ice in cafés is industrially filtered and generally safe, but skip it for the first few days if you’re cautious.
Street food is safe if you eat where locals queue. High-heat dishes cooked to order (pho, bun cha, stir-fries) are safest. An empty restaurant with a five-language menu is a red flag.
Air pollution
Hanoi’s air quality tanks from November to March. If you’re sensitive, pack N95/KN95 masks. Check the AQI each morning on IQAir; above 150, stay indoors more.
Pharmacies
Pharmacies sell most meds over the counter. Bring your prescriptions and enough personal medication for the trip. Prices are low for basics like paracetamol or stomach remedies.
General safety
Hanoi is very safe. Violent crime against tourists is almost unheard of; traffic is the real hazard.
Pick-pocketing and phone snatches happen. Keep valuables in a zipped front pocket or cross-body bag in crowded lanes.
Emergency numbers: Police 113, Ambulance 115, Fire 114. French Embassy: +84 24 3944 5700.
Scams to avoid
Hanoi’s scams are well documented and mostly annoying, not dangerous. Know the patterns and you’ll be fine.
Shoe-shine scam: men clean your shoes unasked, then demand 200 000–500 000 VND. Prevention: wear sandals or firmly wave them off.
Fruit-basket scam: women perch baskets on your shoulder “for a photo,” then demand payment. Prevention: never accept items from strangers.
Cyclo overcharge: agree on a price, then the driver claims it’s per person or per kilometre. Prevention: book through your hotel.
Bar scam via dating app: a “match” steers you to a bar with inflated prices, then disappears. Prevention: pick the venue yourself.
Train Street touts: aggressive hawkers steer you toward their café. Walk past and choose a spot on your own.
Menus without prices: food arrives, then an inflated bill. Always check a priced menu before ordering.
Rule of thumb: if you’re offered something you didn’t ask for, decline politely but firmly – “không, cảm ơn.”
SIM card and connectivity
Good news for Free Mobile’s €19.99 plan: Vietnam is in the 110 included roaming zones, with 25 GB data/month at no extra cost. Other carriers: buy a local SIM or eSIM – it’s far cheaper than standard roaming.
Viettel has the widest coverage, especially outside Hanoi; Vinaphone is solid in the city.
Pickup a SIM in arrivals for 200 000–300 000 VND (€7–11, 30 days of data). Pricier than town but you’re online instantly for Grab and Maps. In the city, visit an official Viettel shop with your passport.
Avoid street-vendor SIMs; they may be deactivated without notice.
Tourist SIMs cost US$5–10 for 30 days. Beware “unlimited” plans with hidden daily caps (4 GB then throttled). An eSIM from Airalo or MobiMatter activates on landing and skips queues.
Wi-Fi is ubiquitous in hotels and cafés. Still, download an offline Hanoi map in Google Maps as backup.
Packing: Hanoi isn’t always hot
Hanoi has four true seasons and winter gets genuinely cold.
November–February: pack layers
Temperatures dip to 10–15 °C with damp air and little heating indoors, so it feels colder than the numbers.
Bring a light down jacket or warm fleece, long-sleeve layers and trousers – think mild Paris winter, not tropical getaway.
Year-round essentials
Sturdy walking shoes with grip, a compact umbrella or light rain jacket.
Sandals or flip-flops for heat and temple visits (you’ll remove shoes often).
Modest clothing for temples: shoulders and knees covered. Sunscreen (cheaper at home), mosquito repellent, and a passport photocopy stored separately from the original.
Electrical outlets
Vietnam uses a mix of plug types A, C and G. Most European two-pin (type C) work fine, but bring a universal adapter just in case – some older hotels have only US-style sockets.
Best time to visit Hanoi
Autumn (October–November): prime window
Expect 20–28 °C, low humidity and clear skies – perfect for lakeside strolls. It’s popular, so book hotels early.
Spring (March–April): runner-up
After winter’s chill, temperatures climb to 18–25 °C with only light drizzles. Flowers bloom round Hoan Kiem and the Botanical Garden; crowds are thinner than in peak autumn.
Summer (May–September): hot and humid
Expect 30–35 °C + humidity. Monsoon downpours strike mid-afternoon for an hour or two. Hotels discount heavily and rain rarely ruins a whole day if you plan indoor afternoons.
Winter (December–February): cold and grey
Temperatures hover at 10–15 °C with lingering drizzle. Lack of heating makes it feel colder.
Pack for a chilly Paris autumn, not a tropical break.
Tet (Vietnamese New Year, late Jan/Feb) brings festivities but many businesses close for several days.
Useful Vietnamese phrases
English fades outside hotels and tourist eateries, so a few Vietnamese words go a long way. The language is tonal but any attempt earns smiles.
Xin chào (sin chow): hello. Cảm ơn (kahm un): thank you. Không (kohm): no. Bao nhiêu? (bao nyew): how much? Một, hai, ba (moht, hi, bah): one, two, three.
Ngon quá (ngon kwa): delicious. Xin lỗi (sin loy): sorry/excuse me. Tính tiền (ting tien): the bill, please.
For numbers, remember the zeros: “50” on a calculator means 50 000 VND (≈ €1.85).
Cultural etiquette
Temples and pagodas
Remove shoes before entering temple buildings; cover shoulders and knees. Our Hanoi heritage guide lists dress codes for each site. Speak softly.
Don’t point feet at altars or Buddha statues. Ask before photographing worshippers. The same rules apply everywhere, from the Temple of Literature to Tran Quoc Pagoda.
Photography
Most locals don’t mind photos, but ask with a smile. Never shoot military sites. Inside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, follow strict rules: no shorts, no hats, no photos.
Horns and traffic noise
Honking isn’t anger; it’s signalling position – a quick beep means “I’m passing.” Once you know that, the constant noise fades into the background.
Table manners
Tiny plastic stools on the pavement are normal dining chairs here. Bring pocket tissues; stalls may not supply napkins. Slurping noodles is fine, even encouraged. Leaving a little food shows you’re satisfied. Chopsticks rule, but asking for a fork is perfectly acceptable.
Choosing your base neighbourhood
Where you stay shapes your experience. The Old Quarter is walkable but noisy; the French Quarter is calmer with wider streets; Tay Ho (West Lake) is expat-friendly and quieter but a Grab ride from the sights. For full details see our where to stay in Hanoi guide.
Apps to download before you go
Grab for transport (also handy for tours and activities); Google Maps with offline Hanoi;
XE Currency for instant VND/EUR conversions. Airalo or MobiMatter for an eSIM.
IQAir for pollution alerts. Google Translate’s camera mode for signs and menus.
If you’re continuing through Southeast Asia
Many travellers pair Hanoi with other regional hubs. If Bangkok is next, our practical guide to planning a trip to Bangkok covers the different logistics. For beaches, see our guides to Phuket and Bali.
Back to our comprehensive Hanoi travel guide for everything to see, eat and experience in the city.
