I have been renting bikes to ride around Southern Vietnam for 2 years. Actually... most expats and foreigners only know about renting bikes in Q1 and Thao Dien area and the bikes are.... above market prices because they cater to foreigners but to give credit, the bikes are in better condition, come in wide variety from automatics to manuals but still the prices are way above what locals are paying but to foreigners, they always think oh.. its just XX USD so affordable! That's a myth that has yet to be busted. I don't really want to bust this myth though. There are many rental shops outside the tourist areas that cater mainly to locals but (most shops do have staff that do speak comprehensible English) and the bike range is confined mostly to Air blades and the common semis and they are.. generally well-maintained.. according to "local standards". Another factor is they tend to close during the Tet Period so if foreigners come visit during holiday periods, they probably have to pay extra to rent the bikes in the tourist/expat areas. If you are a regular visitor and have time to spare and not fussy with showing off riding a premium bike like the XR, XSR, CB etc, you can really rent a reliable Honda Wave RSX or even the Honda Future which is considered a upper tier semi in VN or other commonly used bikes at a much more economical rate. End of the day, the bikes at Q1 & Thao Dien are generally well-serviced (most of the time) HOWEVER... I do agree on the guillibility part mentioned in the video. Some of them have become complacent and because many foreigners like to post on UA-cam these days to brag oh.. its just XX USD for a banh mi / Pho, the cycle keeps going and prices are jacked up.
This fact is no longer true as Vietnam is slowly and surely is getting out of poverty. I would say 50% of the population owns small engines scooters (below 125CC). The remaining 50% uses 125CC - 150CC bikes. Hence, you will find plenty of 150CC bikes. As long as you are willing to pay a little more!
U.S. and AAA issued IDP's are not legal in Vietnam, so you really cant get insurance and even if somebody rents you a bike, you are riding illegally. Just tried to book 14 day tour in Vietnam and the tour operator told me all this. No JuJu.
Some very interesting facts there. Im looking at renting for a day just to say ive ridden in vietnam. Keep up the great work, cheers.
Glad you have a good time of the country, and thank-you for sharing our experiences.
I have been renting bikes to ride around Southern Vietnam for 2 years. Actually... most expats and foreigners only know about renting bikes in Q1 and Thao Dien area and the bikes are.... above market prices because they cater to foreigners but to give credit, the bikes are in better condition, come in wide variety from automatics to manuals but still the prices are way above what locals are paying but to foreigners, they always think oh.. its just XX USD so affordable! That's a myth that has yet to be busted. I don't really want to bust this myth though. There are many rental shops outside the tourist areas that cater mainly to locals but (most shops do have staff that do speak comprehensible English) and the bike range is confined mostly to Air blades and the common semis and they are.. generally well-maintained.. according to "local standards". Another factor is they tend to close during the Tet Period so if foreigners come visit during holiday periods, they probably have to pay extra to rent the bikes in the tourist/expat areas. If you are a regular visitor and have time to spare and not fussy with showing off riding a premium bike like the XR, XSR, CB etc, you can really rent a reliable Honda Wave RSX or even the Honda Future which is considered a upper tier semi in VN or other commonly used bikes at a much more economical rate. End of the day, the bikes at Q1 & Thao Dien are generally well-serviced (most of the time) HOWEVER... I do agree on the guillibility part mentioned in the video. Some of them have become complacent and because many foreigners like to post on UA-cam these days to brag oh.. its just XX USD for a banh mi / Pho, the cycle keeps going and prices are jacked up.
Agree, if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone, Vietnam is so much more interesting than the areas cater to foreigners.
I red most bikes in Vietnam are below 135CC, does it mean its hard to rent 150-160CC that are common in Indonesia.
This fact is no longer true as Vietnam is slowly and surely is getting out of poverty. I would say 50% of the population owns small engines scooters (below 125CC). The remaining 50% uses 125CC - 150CC bikes. Hence, you will find plenty of 150CC bikes. As long as you are willing to pay a little more!
U.S. and AAA issued IDP's are not legal in Vietnam, so you really cant get insurance and even if somebody rents you a bike, you are riding illegally. Just tried to book 14 day tour in Vietnam and the tour operator told me all this. No JuJu.
It will take many more years for Vietnam to sync steps with the rest of the world. Meanwhile, enjoy Vietnam for what it is now!