Finally, the time has come for us to go on our next long journey. In January, Turkish Airlines had an flight ticket sale for Asia, so we did not think much and we bought tickets for Vietnam.
Start the trip
Our trip starts at the airport Brnik, which is great, because it’s only 1 hour from our home and it is less stressful and exhausting and we save some time and money. At the airport, we checked our luggage to our final destination to Ho Chi Minh. We say goodbye to our friends who drove us to the airport and wait for the flight for Istanbul.
After two hours, we land in Istanbul, where we stretch our legs a bit, we check a wide range of stores and wait for the next flight. Between the flights we have 2 hours long stopover, which is just enough to go to the next gate, get something to eat or just explore the airport. The flight to the Ho Chi Minh City lasts 10 hours and because it is a night flight, we manage to get some sleep.
Getting visa
Slovenian citizens need a visa to visit Vietnam, so we organize it at the airport. A couple of days before departure, we arranged invitation letters, without which we can not obtain a visa. An invite letter we’ve ordered here, and we paid 6 $ for it.
At the airport at the visa counters, a terrible crowd is waiting for us, so it is best to go among the first ones from the plane. An invitation letter, together with filled visa form, passports and photographs, is given to the person at the window. Then you have to wait to call your name. It is recommended that you listen very well which name they call, because their pronunciation of the names is completely different and it can quickly happen overhear your name.
After waiting for half an hour, they call us to pick up our passports and we need to pay 25$ per person for visa. Before departure, it is necessary to check that the passport is valid for at least another six months and that we have an invitation letter. While waiting for a visa, we noticed that some people had some difficulties obtaining a visa.
Money changing
We will start a trip to North Vietnam, so we are waiting for our next flight to Hanoi, where we also exchange money. In principle, you do not care about exchanging money or you have euros or dollars. When exchanging, pay attention to the exchange rate, since the latter is different from the exchange office to the exchange office. We exchanged money at rate of € 1 = 26,200 VND. If you continue the same day to Hanoi or any other airport, in our opinion, it is advisable to have at least three hours between the flights.
From airport to Old Quarter
Airport is from old part of the city – the Old Quarter 25 kilometers away. Because we landed late, we are not sure if we will catch the last bus, so we prefer to arrange transportation to the hotel. There is also a bus from the airport to Old Quarter and ticket costs 30,000 VDN per person. Bus no. 86, runs between 6 am and 11:15 pm every day.
We booked the night in Old quarter, which is the best location to experience and explore the city. Overnight stay was booked through booking.com at Old Palace Guest House, where we got a clean room with air conditioning and a solid breakfast.
Costs:
- Airline tickets Ljubljana – Vietnam = 426 €
- Inland flight Saigon with included luggage – Hanoi = 58 €
- Invitation letter = $ 6
- Visa = $ 25
- Airport transfer = $ 11
