Reality of Traffic in Vietnam & How to Survive It

Reality of Traffic in Vietnam & How to Survive It

When mentioning Vietnam traffic, people usually think of something terrible, horrible and extremely dreadful. As a Vietnamese person, I have to admit that it is rather crazy and insane as the transportation flows keep going on all the time. Some tourists even said, “Who can go across the crowded street must be a skillful artist!”. What about you? Across the Vietnamese street, dare you? Travel to Vietnam and try it!

Typical Means of Transportation in Vietnam

Whenever I join the flow of traffic, I will immediately think about the situation of “the great fish eats the small”. Let me tell you the reason. The “great fish” are heavy trucks, coaches, cars, buses or even containers. They are truly the king of the road due to its tremendous size compared to other vehicles’. Besides, powerful car horns are such ear-splitting sounds that everyone must move to make the way.

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Similarly, motorbikes, bikes and pedestrians are considered as the “small fish”. Their most classic feature is small-sized. However, in general, the numbers of scooters is dominant all over the street according to its large numbers.

Common Traffic Problems in Vietnam

Traffic congestion is definitely the most problematic one in Vietnam, especially during peak hours when everyone has to go to school or work. Indeed, almost all means of transportation can be easily seen in the streets, which makes them become much more crowded, hustle and bustle. If you do not want to get stuck around hundreds of road transport, remember to avoid the rush hours.

traffic jams in vietnam, Vietnam Tour Pakages

The poor sense of participants also needs improving. Some Vietnamese often don’t obey the traffic lights or signs, carry heavy goods in the back seat, go (extremely) fast, smoke while waiting for the green light or even ride their motorbikes on the sidewalk are just some common mistakes that they make. Fortunately, the good news is that the government is trying to bring in new strict law to improve the present situation.

Useful Tips When Traveling in Vietnam

Traffic Tip #1

Be calm and flexible. You should know the time to move quickly or slowly in specific situations, in which you can only get that level by experiencing enough Vietnamese traffic.

vietnam traffic tip, Vietnam Travel Tours

Traffic Tip #2

Avoid going out in the rush hours (7.00 am to 9.00 am in the morning and 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm in the afternoon). It will take you hours in the traffic jam to reach your destination.

Traffic Tip #3

Do not wait for the constant tide of traffic that just stops until late at night.

Traffic Tip #4

Do make way for noisy big-sized vehicles. You still remember the “big fish”, right?

However, Vietnamese traffic also makes a huge contribution to the beauty of hustle and bustle streets. A great number of excellent photos of Vietnamese traffic go viral on the Internet, which attracts thousands of tourists coming to Vietnam to experience it. Wanna give it a try? Check our Vietnam tour packages to get amazing experiences.