Transportation in Nha Trang
The coastal road has great sea views
Nha Trang is located on Vietnam’s south central coast, just where the curvaceous country juts out into the South China Sea. It is about 450kms north of Ho Chi Minh City and 1,000kms south of Hanoi. As such the most convenient way of getting there for most short-stay visitors is by plane, although the city is also easily accessible by train and bus, which offer the opportunity to enjoy views of the countryside along the way.
Flights on Vietnam Airlines from Ho Chi Minh City take just 45 minutes, and there are several flights a day, although from Hanoi there’s just one daily flight taking around 1 hour 40 minutes. Nha Trang’s airport was moved some years ago from just south of the city centre to Cam Ranh, about 30kms south of the city, which must have pleased Nha Trang’s taxi drivers.
Fortunately there is a shuttle bus that covers the picturesque route along the coast, charging around 40,000d, but they don’t run very frequently, so you may find yourself forking out 250,000d-300,000d to cover the journey by cab. Trains from Saigon take around nine hours to reach Nha Trang, while buses cover the journey in around ten hours.
Both the train and bus stations are located just to the west of the city centre, so a taxi to your hotel should be quick and cheap. As Nha Trang is a popular city for foreign visitors, there are plenty of ‘open tour’ buses that pass through here.
Nha Trang Train Station (17 Thai Nguyen, Tel: +84 (0)58 822 113) has a ticket office beside the terminal. Bus and minibus tickets can be booked through most hotels although Hanh Café (22 Tran Hung Dao, Tel: +84 (0)58 827814) and Sinh Café (2A Biet Thu, Tel: +84 (0)58 522 982) are best known operators with offices in town.
Getting around Nha Trang
Though Nha Trang is a considerable urban sprawl, getting around the city is not a problem, especially if your itinerary involves moving backwards and forwards between the beach and your hotel, which is likely to be a short walk. The budget district around Biet Thu is also very compact and easy to walk around, so you may find you don’t have to rely on taxis, motorbike taxis or cyclos.
All of these are available in the city and shouldn’t cost more than a dollar for a short trip. However, the drivers and riders of these vehicles are notorious for trying to interest their passengers in ‘alternative’ activities, such as a special massage or drug deal, so watch out for any scams they may try to carry out.
If you’d like to get about independently, you’ll find it easy to rent either a bicycle or motorbike (about US$1 a day for the former, US$5 for the latter), which can be a good way to get around to sights such as the Po Nagar Cham Towers, and even to explore beaches further up or down the coast.
If you’re not too confident about your ability to deal with Vietnamese traffic, another alternative is to rent a car and driver through your hotel (around US$40-50 a day), which can be very reasonable if you have a group of three-four people.
