Vietnam trip planning advice

[CLW]

Starting from next week I have a 15 day holiday, going and flying back from Da Nang.

I would like to go to Hue and Hoi An, then heading north towards Hanoi. Halong Bay, is it worth? Definitely I want to spend some days in and around Sapa.

Now the question, I want to rent a Motorcycle to drive around.

I'm not sure if I should rent it for the whole time and drive from Da Nang to Hanoi. Or just rent it locally in Da Nang and Hanoi (from there to Sapa) to explore the area and use the night train to get to Hanoi and back.

I didn't read much about the travel by motorcycle between Hanoi and Da Nang so I guess it's rather boring.

Or anyone has some suggestion?

 

 

[Nowisee]

I enjoyed riding in Da Nang.  Not a whole lot to see, but an easy city to ride.  
Also enjoyed the ride down to Hoi An and back.

 

Took the train to Hue and enjoyed Hue for a few day.  Nice laid back place.

Next time I would take a motorcycle.

 

Never been to Hanoi

[tutsiwarrior]

traveling by car between Dong Hoi in Quang Binh province north to the outskirts of Hanoi I found the scenery to be quite nice, spectacular in fact in places in Nghe Anh, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces, as good as anything on the west coast of the US...mountainous and forested, beautiful river valleys and estuaries, undeveloped, etc...

 

make sure that you're familiar with the conditions in big city VN before you try a motorbike in those areas...they have to be seen to be believed...

 

 

[CLW]

Da Nang was good. I went to Marble Mountain, Son Trang Peninsula and the next day did Hai Van Pass.
Then took the night train from Da Nang to Hanoi.
Rented a Motorcycle there, drove in 3 days to Sapa.
Amazing scenery and roads.
And now I'm stuck in Sapa.
Heavy rainfall here since 12 hours... No end in sight