Taxi to Hanoi Airport you need to know

Hanoi, located on the banks of the Red River, is one of the most ancient capitals in the world, where travellers can find well-preserved colonial buildings, ancient pagodas, and unique museums within the city centre. A great place to explore on foot, this French-colonial city is also known for its delectable cuisine, vibrant nightlife, silks and handicrafts, as well as a multi-cultural community that’s made up of Chinese, French and Russian influences. If you’re a first-time visitor to the Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, our Taxi to Hanoi Airport travel guide has everything you need to know for a fulfilling holiday, including attractions, shopping, and detailed information on the local culture, currency, climate, and transport options

Walking in Hanoi Old Quarter

Hang Gai Street offers silk clothing ready-made and tailored, embroidery, and silver products. Hang Quat, the street that formerly sold silk and feather fans, now stuns the visitor by its brilliantly colored funeral and festival flags and religious objects and clothing. To Tich Street connects the above two and is still the wood turner’s street.

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Hang Ma glimmers with shiny paper products, such as gift wrappings, wedding decorations and miniature paper objects to burn for the dead. Lan Ong Street is a sensual delight of textures and smells emanating from the sacks of herbal medicinal products: leaves, roots, barks, and powders, etc. Coming here, you may feel as if you were in a classical-styled area in terms of both architecture and product types!

Train street Old Quarter Taxi to Hanoi Airport you need to know

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What To Do In Hanoi’s Old Quarter

A dynamic and ancient area full of cafes, food stalls, restaurants and various vendors there is always something interesting to find in the Old Quarter. Apart from one gate, at the east end of Hang Chieu, the walls have been dismantled, and there are few individual sights in the quarter; the best approach is simply to dive into the back lanes and explore. Alternatively, you might like to see it first from the seat of a cyclo or one of the new electric cars that zig-zag through its streets to help you pinpoint places you’d like to come back to.

Book your Hanoi walking tour: Walking street food tour

Avoiding taxi scams in Hanoi

Taxi cheats are probably the one thing travellers to Hanoi complain most about. While unlikely to cost you a fortune, it’s still annoying to be over-charged or — literally — taken for a ride. So here’s what to watch out for and how to avoid over-paying or ending up at a zero-star hotel in a back alley when you booked in at somewhere fancy.

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Taxis from the airport

Noi Bai airport is often referenced as a hotbed of scamming taxi drivers. In theory, all the licensed metered cabs that wait at the rank should be charging the prices on the rate board. If you use one of these taxis, get agreement on the rate before you get in by pointing at the rates sign and getting a confirming nod. If the driver tries to charge you more upon arrival, don’t pay. Also, don’t pay any extras for the tolls/parking — that is all included.

Read more: Best way from Hanoi airport to city

However, although in theory these taxis should be fine — it’s safest to book in advance, either through your hotel or a company such as Hanoi Airport Transfers. This is highly recommended if you’re arriving late in the evening, once the buses have stopped running, as even the licensed, supposedly fixed rate taxis hike their rates up then.

Whatever you do, do not get waylaid by the men who pounce when you leave arrivals; chances are they work for an unlicensed taxi firm and will overcharge.

As well as over-charging, apparently taxis from the airport or station (see below) often take people to the wrong hotel, as they are working on commission. Hotels will certainly tell you this is the case in order to persuade you to book a transfer with them, and of course this does avoid the issue.

But if you’ve not booked a hotel or they’re over-charging for the transfer (many do), make sure you have the exact name and address of the hotel you are heading for, ideally written down in Vietnamese, and make it clear to the driver that you have a reservation. There are often multiple hotels with the same name, but they don’t all share an address. If the driver takes you somewhere else you have two options: (1) get out and walk (2) refuse to pay until they take you where you want to go.

Hanoi airport to Old Quarter 1024x682 Taxi to Hanoi Airport you need to know

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Taxis from the train station

Tourists arriving on an overnight train, tired and unfamiliar with Hanoi and just wanting to get to their hotel? Easy prey for unscrupulous taxi drivers. There are usually a good number of Mai Linh taxis at the train station, parked on the platform, so go for one of those if you can — but even they sometimes try to negotiate a high fixed rate, so insist on the meter.

If you don’t get a Mai Linh then you’ll walk out of the exit to a melee of taxi drivers offering you a ride. Dodgy meters — which run too fast — are a big problem at the train station, so it’s one occasion where negotiating a fixed rate, even if it’s a bit higher than the meter should be, is a good idea. As a rough guide, it’s about two kilometres to the cathedral area, so 30,000-40,000 VND is a fair fixed price, depending upon the size of taxi. It’s a bit further to Ma May area, so you’ll likely need to pay 40,000-50,000 VND to get there.

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If you decide to risk it with the meter and notice it’s running too fast, threaten to get out (though you won’t really want to as there won’t be any other taxis around) and try to push for a fixed price. Drivers don’t want to lose a fare as they’ll likely have to wait for the next train for another one, so you’re in a good position.

Taxi hanoi train station to airport Taxi to Hanoi Airport you need to know

Taxis around town

how to avoid a dodgy meter/long route/inflated fixed rate

One option is to only use the well-regarded taxi companies. Mai Linh is always recommended, but Taxi Group and ABC are also solid — though Taxi Group is pricier

Another is to get your hotel/the bar or restaurant you’re at to call you a taxi. Most will be happy to do so. There’s no guarantee it will be one of the recommended companies, but as long as you’re at a reputable place it shouldn’t be a problem. Ask them how much it should cost too, just to get an idea.

Agreeing a fixed rate is only advisable if you know how much you should be paying. Their first bid is likely to be high, especially late at night.

Taxi fare from Hanoi airport to city

All taxis are metered, so cost is determined by the distance and the time it takes to reach your destination. To reach the city from the Hanoi airport, fare is estimated to cost €12-€14 (300,000-350,000 VND). Unfortunately, some taxi drivers try to take advantage of foreigners by taking a longer route to the destination or by having a fast running meter – be sure to only hire a taxi from a trusted company.

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Taxi Company name at Hanoi Airport

At Hanoi Airport there 14 taxi companies allowed to work in their facilites. Some have metered taxis and others not, so we recommend to always check with the driver the final price.

Airport Taxi – Noibai Taxi – Taxi San Bay – Taxi Dai Nam – Mai Linh Taxi – Sao Ha Noi Taxi Group – Taxi Venus – Taxi Group – ABC Taxi – Thanh Cong – Ba Sao Taxi – HP Noibai taxi – PT ABC Taxi – Open Group-Airport Taxi

Noi Bai airport is the international and domestic Airport of Hanoi and the second largest in Vietnam (the first is Ho Chi Minh). It is located 27 kilometers from the Center of Hanoi. It takes 45 minutes to go to the city center, Hoa Kiem Lake, or the old quarter of Hanoi from the airport. Bus are available in Noi Bai Airport but it takes up to 1h30 for the trip. Free wifi is available, search for Noi Bai Airport Free and log in.

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Book Hanoi Airport Transfer:

Online Reservation – Phone/WhatsApp : + 84 369 283 168 Email: tony.indochina@gmail.com

Hanoi Airport Transfers by Private Car

Get safe and sound to your destination, book your Hanoi Airport transfer. Once your reservation is confirmed, please make sure to advise the driver in case of delay so he/she can monitor your flight status. The driver will be waiting for you in Arrivals along with a board with your name on it. Please note that he/she will wait for up to 45 minutes since your arrival. Please call immediately to the driver in case of unexpected delays or cancellations.

See more: GET YOUR GUIDE IN HANOI