The Single Best Piece of Advice Before You Fly to Vietnam

Vietnam ranks third in the world for motorbike usage (right behind China and India, but remember those countries have over a billion people each). Absolutely everything in daily life and city infrastructure is tied to the motorbike. By the way, locals just call any two-wheeled motorized vehicle a "bike"—whether it’s a basic automatic scooter or a manual sportbike, it’s all just a "bike."

You can survive here using cheap Grab taxis or even renting a car, but the cities are simply not designed for cars. There is a severe lack of parking, the massive flow of motorbikes is overwhelming for a car driver, and GPS navigation will constantly struggle to route a car through tiny alleys, making the experience miserable.

Walking vs. Riding: My ExperienceOn my first visit to Vietnam, I didn't drive. I walked and took Grab taxis everywhere. Honestly? I didn’t like Vietnam much. When you are a pedestrian here, the city feels hostile. You are constantly dealing with the lack of sidewalks, no real crosswalks, and you are right at ground level with the street rats and cockroaches.

But on my second visit, I rented a motorbike. It changed absolutely everything.

When you are on a bike, your perspective completely shifts. You don't see the bugs on the street, and the lack of pedestrian crosswalks suddenly doesn't affect you. The chaotic flow of the city finally makes sense. Plus, you unlock a massive level of freedom. You can go to the empty free beaches, head up to the mountain waterfalls, and explore places just outside the city in almost no time.

I truly only started to love Vietnam when I started to drive.

Learn the Basics at HomeMy advice is to learn the basics of operating a scooter or motorcycle back in your home country. You will still need to learn the unspoken "rules" of Vietnamese traffic when you get here, but if the physical operation of the bike is already muscle memory, adapting will be much easier.

The Paperwork Reality CheckMore importantly, get your paperwork sorted before you fly. Recently, there have been several fatal crashes involving foreigners, which forced local authorities to crack down hard. Rental shops are now actively checking driver’s licenses, and the traffic police are regularly setting up checkpoints specifically targeting foreigners.

Do not just show up assuming you can rent a bike with a smile and a passport like it's 2015. Get a proper motorcycle license back home, and get an International Driving Permit (IDP). If you have those, you can rent whatever bike you want, anywhere, and you won't have any expensive or stressful problems with the police.