New terminal at Hanoi airport

[nisakiman]

The wife and I flew (from DMK) to Hanoi (Noi Bai) airport on 29th December and returned on 7th Jan. When we arrived, we came into the old terminal and it took an hour (about 30km) in a cab to central Hanoi. When we left, to our surprise we took a new multi-lane highway crossing a new bridge (both of which opened only a few days before) and were dropped at a brand spanking new terminal (also just opened). The trip to the airport is now only 15 km and 30 minutes, and the terminal (departures) was fast and efficient.

Just an update for those travelling to Hanoi

Something that rather puzzled me about the drive to the airport was that the hotel organised a cab to pick us up at 6.30 am (in fact we could have left half an hour later had we known about the new road and bridge) and asked me to pay 300,000 Dong in advance to them for it. The cab driver turned on the meter when we left (I know not why), and when we arrived at the airport, the meter was showing 326,000 Dong, yet the driver didn't ask me for any more money, just unloaded the suitcases and said goodbye. How does that work, then? I fully expected to be hit for at least the extra 26,000! Maybe an experienced Vietnam hand can enlighten me!

[asanee]

compare this price (no doubt you still call it cheap) with the price in BKk for same distance: 15 kms (seems highly unlikely to me compared to 30) in BKk should cost about 100-110 bt= less as 4 US$. I do not know-but you did not say either, if there would be any payable tolls there in VN.

From my last visit to HCMC I recall that I found taxi's there outrageously priced-nearly triple the BKk rate. As in general wages in VN are a lot lower as in TH, this looks like tourist-ripoff-pricing, thus with enough margin to discounting.

[nisakiman]

The reduction in distance is apparently due to to the fact that the old route involved a wide detour to the old bridge to cross the river, whereas the new bridge is directly en route to the airport.

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/25172/nhat-tan-bridge-noi-bai-airports-new-terminal-debut-in-hanoi

Yes, cabs are more expensive than in Thailand, and there seems to be a two-tier system. There are small cabs where the meter starts at a lower fare (10,000 Dong?) and larger more comfortable cabs where the meter starts at (I think) 12,000 Dong. and the bigger cabs' meters seem to run faster, although I can't be sure of that. There were no tolls on the new road to the airport. Comparing prices with Bangkok (or London or Athens or Dehli for that matter) is irrelevant and pointless. Taxi prices are what they are. And the meter runs at the same speed for the locals as it does for the tourists, so I don't see it as tourist ripoff pricing. The cab drivers there try to take tourists without the meter running on a (ripoff) fixed price.

[pomchop]

I found taxis in Nha Trang to be cheaper than Thai taxis and I had no problem getting them to use the meters.(except for a few that hang around the train station...but walk 100 meters away and no problems). Hanoi also seemed cheaper to me and again I had no problems getting a metered taxi to use the meter away from the train station.......having said that I rarely have any problems getting BKK taxis to use meters and zero problems getting Chiang Rai taxis to use meters. Maybe I am just lucky.