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Travel in Vietnam is easier than it used to be. Means of transportation are usually very comfortable. Routine travel in Vietnam between major cities and tour destinations is generally comfortable also. Independent travelers will sometimes be required local knowledge for a decent level of comfort.
Vietnam travel by Air
You can get almost anywhere while visiting Vietnam, but scheduled flights to some Vietnam travel destinations are few and late changes in aircraft type can impact travel plans.
Vietnam travel by Train
Rail is still slow and adventurous. The rail network is limited. Lines run between Hanoi-Saigon, Hanoi-Laocai-Hekou (China)-Kunming (China), Hanoi-Langson-Beijing (China). Train to China depart from Hanoi train station. You can join the train to Kunming at Laocai station, but you can only join the train to Beijing from Hanoi. The train stations for some Vietnam travel destinations can be literally in the middle of nowhere. The rolling-stock is generally serviceable, but old and spartan by western standards.
Vietnam travel on Road
Road travel conditions are highly localized. In general, road travel by car between popular Vietnam tour destinations is adequate since most are on or near National Highway 1. Secondary highways are a mixed bag: some good, some okay, some atrocious! Rural roads are generally poor and unsealed.
Without superhighway or autobahn-type expressways, road travel in Vietnam is slower than you might expect. On rural roads in the Mekong Delta for example, coping with single vehicle roads and bridges, giving way to ducks, dogs, buffaloes, cows and kids means you may only cover 30-40km in 1-2 hours!
Road travel in Vietnam can also be a frightening experience. On major highways, excessive speed, passing on either side (sometimes 2 abreast) and reliance on other traffic to give way to you, causes thousands of road traffic accidents and deaths every month!
Vietnam travel by Bus
Bus travel used to be available only packed sardine-style into hot and stuffy, smoke belching reject Russian 40-seaters with bicycles, motorbikes and maybe the odd pig strapped to the roof. For the true adventurer only! These buses are still around and popular with the locals (tickets are dirt cheap). However, there is now a system of privately owned minivans (usually 12, 15 or 16-seaters) connecting most sizeable population centers with neighboring towns and cities. Ask at your hotel in Vietnam how to get to your next travel destination by minivan.
Vietnam travel by Foot
You may need to learn how to cross city streets, especially in Saigon. City traffic in Vietnam is like "water on wheels", it is constantly moving on, flowing around everything in its path. The daytime traffic never stops. People are always on the move. | 
