Vietnam is a wonderful country to visit and is popular for tourists especially backpackers to motorbike around the country. Vietnam is surprisingly a large country with plenty of places to visit. One of the common questions about driving around Vietnam is that are the roads good and is it safe. So, are the roads in Vietnam good?
Generally, the condition of the roads in Vietnam is in a poor state as they are not really maintained. There are new multiple lane highways that are been built across the country in recent years that are in good condition. Overall the roads in the country are not equipped to handle the large volume of traffic. So you need to watch for potholes and other road users.
In this post, we will go through if the roads in Vietnam are good. Let’s get started!
Read More About Vietnam
- Do They Use Chopsticks In Vietnam?
- Do Vietnamese Speak French?
- How Much Is Grab In Vietnam?
- Do Vietnamese Eat Rats?
- Can You Smoke On Vietnam Trains?
- Do Vietnamese Speak English?
Are The Roads In Vietnam Good?
No, the condition of the roads in Vietnam is in a poor state except for the new highways that are been built across the country which are in good condition, for now.
Overall the roads in the country are poor and are simply not equipped to handle the high volume of traffic. So you need to watch for potholes, animals, and other road users.
Can Anyone Ride A Scooter In Vietnam?
It is required that you have a motorbike license or international driving license to drive a scooter in Vietnam if your scooter has a capacity of greater than 50cc.
Is It Safe To Drive A Car In Vietnam?
Not you need to be extra careful. Simply road safety is not Vietnam’s strong point. Roads in Vietnam are not well maintained but there are good highways that have been built over the last 10 years. Plus the roads can be very busy.
It is advisable to understand road rules in Vietnam as locals tend to use the rules of the roads more as a guideline than a rule. Especially for pedestrians need to be careful when trying to cross the road.
Do I Need Insurance To Drive In Vietnam?
Yes, car insurance is required to drive in Vietnam. If you are driving a car, drivers must have third-party insurance at a minimum.
You will need to check your travel insurance to see if you are covered to drive a moped in Vietnam. It is advised to have insurance.
If you are involved in an accident, you may end up having to pay a bribe and pay all the costs involved, both yours and 3rd parties. It is also known that the police will give penalties to uninsured drivers, and take their cars.
Is Vietnam Right Or Left-Hand Drive?
Cars in Vietnam drive on the right-hand side of the road, the same as in the USA or Germany.
What To Do If You Have A Car Accident In Vietnam?
Firstly regardless of how bad the accident is, the tourist will more than likely get the blame. If your moped or car gets damaged you will have to pay for the repairs. Getting insurance is advised.
Now if you damage anything other than your car such as property. You will have to negotiate with the owners. If the police get involved, more than likely you will get the blame.
First, you need to get all personal information from the other driver involves their name, addresses, and national ID numbers. Then take photos of the damage, the scene, and anything else that might be important.
Remember to stay calm and don’t pay any money upfront. A lot of drivers in Vietnam will demand cash up front to pay for their damage. And if you have insurance then call your insurance company.
Is It Safe To Drink The Tap Water In Vietnam?
It is NOT advised to drink tap water in Vietnam, their treatment plants put too much chlorine into the water for treatment. As well poor water pipe infrastructure has led to the water getting contaminated.
Vietnamese locals don’t drink straight out of a tap cause they don’t trust the water and there is a smell that is mostly caused by the chlorine.
USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES
Book Accommodation
Booking.com has a large range of properties from hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and resorts where you will find the best deals. Airbnb and Hostelworld also have a good range of places to stay at good prices.
Booking Flight
Skyscanner is a flight search comparison website that searches millions of flights all at once. Ultimately it is the best flight comparison website online at the moment.
Booking Transportation & Things To Do
Rome2rio and 12Go are useful to plan how to get anywhere by searching train, bus, car, and ferry routes. Especially useful in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. While Klook is great for exploring things to do in each place.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is cheap and more than likely you will never need to use it but you will have peace of mind if something does happen, you are covered in case of an emergency. World Nomads have great customer service and competitive prices.
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use when you travel.
Wrapping Up
Finally, the condition of the roads in Vietnam is in a poor state as they are not well maintained. There are new highways that are been built across the country that are in good condition. Overall the roads in the country are not equipped to handle the volume of traffic. So you need to watch for potholes and other road users.
And that’s it for now! I’d love it if this post on whether the roads in Vietnam are good was helpful to you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.
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