Travel by Taxi in Vietnam

Taxis are available in most major cities, but be careful to avoid scams.

We advise you to use metered taxis when possible. If the taxi is not metered, always determine in advance what the fare to your destination will be. As a gauge, ask your hotel what the proper fee to a destination should be. Bargaining with unmetered taxis is expected, and again, be sure to do it before your ride commences.

Taxi scams to avoid: At our Saigon hotel, a red metered taxi had a doctored meter, and we were charged over $300,000 VND for a 60,000 VND trip. This fraudulent meter had been responsible for grossly overcharging visitors on every trip, and the driver, when confronted, insisted that all of his company's meters operate the same way. In Saigon, therefore, we suggest avoiding all solid-red taxis.

In Saigon, the following taxi firms have been recommended as having honest meters:

• Airport Taxi
• Mailinh Taxi
• Saigon Tourist Taxi
• SASCO Taxi
• Vinasun Taxi