When you want to visit any places that you like or is inaccessible to public vehicles, car rental is a great alternative. When exploring destinations with various attractions, which are distant from each other such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Dalat, and especially Hanoi, this is also a pleasing choice. Flexibility, convenience and independence as you can create your own schedule are the major advantages of renting a car. On the other hand, mostly due to the high cost of renting and notorious traffic system in the capital city, there are also some disadvantages. Below are some useful instructions and tips when you rent a car in Hanoi.

It is neither recommended nor legal to hire a car for self-drive in Hanoi capital city. Firstly, the legal part: in theory, unless you have a Vietnamese license, you cannot hire a car, meaning if you want to hire a car, you should be accompanied with a driver to stay within the rules of the law. Have the hire car company confirm this to you. In Hanoi, it is not difficult to rent a car. Your passport and driving license are all required papers.

Normally, car rental agencies in Vietnam will ask you for international driving licenses if you do not have a Vietnamese driving one, and your native driving licenses in common languages such as French and English might be accepted. The agencies will copy and keep all these licenses for reference.  After signing the rental contract, you might be required to pay some money as deposit. This could be an exact pre-determined amount in cash or 50 to 100% of the total cost of the contract.

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Cost for renting a car in Vietnam

Compared to other modes of transportation in Vietnam, renting car is pretty much expensive. This is largely due to the available and affordable public transportation system running within and between cities and provinces.

Depending on the type of car you choose and how luxurious it is, the fee for renting a car ranges from VND 500,000 to 10,000,000 per day (about $22-435). 4-seat and 7-seat cars are the most common choice even though there are many types of cars for you to choose from. Customers are responsible for fuel cost, which is pretty high compared with the living standard of Vietnamese (as of March 2017, it is about VND 18,000 (less than $1 per litre). Normally, the agency will require you to do payment for car in cash directly to them. Some agencies might ask you for a small deposit or advance payment.

Tips for renting a car in Hanoi

The quality of the car that you rent is the first thing that you have to be aware of. Many unprofessional drivers used rental cars with the thought that “I don’t have to take care of the car carefully as that is not my properties”. Therefore, if you want to avoid any accidents or unexpected dramas, it is essential to check the car conditions before renting. Also, it is highly recommended to take time to come to showroom of the agencies to find your best match.

The traffic in Hanoi is one more thing you have to be aware. The fact is that the traffic system in the capital city is so complicated that it intimidates even the most careful and skillful drivers. Therefore, driving a car in Hanoi can be really challenging.

To make the matter worse, the volume of motorbikes together with other cars, with an intense level of honking can make the experience more stressful than it could. Since many agencies offer drivers with their rental cars, it is wise to hire a chauffeur from the agencies if you do not feel confident in your driving skills. Additionally, you will reach your desired destinations faster and safer as the local drivers are familiar and experienced with the locations.

In big cities such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City where the demand for car rental car is quite significant are where most of Vietnamese car rental agencies are located. Below are some credible rental car agencies in Hanoi that you should know:

Thanh Hung Group

• Address: 104-106 Nguyen Van Cu, Hanoi
• Telephone number: (043) 8-213-213
• Website:thuexe.net.vn/

Truong An Company

• Address: 57 De To Hoang, Hanoi
• Telephone number: (04) 7300-5791
• Website: oto-tulai.vn/

See more:

• Where to get a SIM card in Saigon
• The most popular vegetables in Vietnam
• Best months to visit Vietnam

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