How easy/safe/reliable are taxi's in Vietnam ports?

[markymush]

Travelling to Bangkok,Vietnam and Hong Kong with Celebrity cruise's next March. Ive noticed from the itineray that most ports are pretty far away from the main capitals/attractions.

Would like to visit them but not too keen on using organised shore excursions from the ship. Are the taxis at these ports reliable to get you too and from the ship.

Dont want too get standed!!:eek:

Any advice welcome:)

[John Bull]

For little sightseeing excursions the taxis & vans at the port are ideal. I'm thinking, for example, Da Nang to Hoi An or Hue - the driver or guide speaks understandable english, they know their patch, they know what tourists want to see, their prices are extremely low.

The only major problem is that they like to incorporate a visit to their preferred shops/workshops, where they get commission. Not a lot different to a number of cruise lines in that regard :rolleyes:, but you can insist on not stopping or making the visit (which can be quite interesting) only a brief one.

Hire them for the day, important that you agree a price / vague itinerary / timescale at the outset & pay at the end.

 

For distant transfers, its very different. I don't know about Phu My to Saigon or Halong Bay to Hanoi, but do take seriously the advice given by others cos these are journeys of several hours & the roads are not the best.

Laem Chabang to Bangkok is about 90 mins. Not a journey to rely on just picking up a taxi at the port, because they operate in a cartel & cruisers are royally ripped-off. And there is no usable public transport.

If you propose to do this by taxi rather than ship's transfer, you need to pre-book over the 'net. Expect to pay about 2500 baht one-way for a small car (up to 3 pax). You may want to book both ways, though you can get a hotel in Bangkok to call-up a taxi for the return journey a little cheaper (the hotel will get a commission from the driver, so any hotel will oblige). Allow 2 to 2.5 hrs for the return by back-on-board time.

The cartel at the port has no control over pre-booked transfers or vehicles returning cruisers to the port.

 

For all three, consider overniting in a city hotel - hotels & eating out are cheap, no doubling-up of journeys, enjoy an evening in the city.

 

JB :)

[Keith1010]

I would not do a taxi from the Vietnam ports. In most cases the taxis can't get into the ports and there are sometimes multiple ports for the same area (several ports Ho Chi Minh City is an example of that) so you may not be able to describe to the driver where to return you.

 

For Bangkok you will dock ninety minutes from the port so a taxi is not practical nor cost effective.

 

For Hong Kong if you are docked at Ocean Terminal you are right there and if at the industrial port you just have to walk outside the port and get a taxi.

 

For Vietnam see if your ship offers a shuttle.

 

For Bangkok see if your ship has a transfer that you pay for where you visit the city on your own or look at a ships tour or private tour.

 

Keith