Traveling by bus is almost new and difficult to no travelers, but when it comes to Vietnam, plenty of foreigners frankly share that visiting around by this popular transportation sometimes becomes a hassle due to its dissimilar and inconvenient system and routines. So check out 8 helpful tips given out below, they may help you, the non-Vietnamese travelers, turn this hassle into a travel excitement.

1. Take a look at the official websites of Vietnam’s bus system and schedules (hanoibus.com.vn, buyttphcm.com.vn) to grab the basic information about buses’ numbers, routes, instruction and get acquainted with any differences between Vietnam’s bus system and your country’s.

2. Equip yourself a city map and a bus routes map.

3. Search for your wished destinations and track the directions on your map. Note that English speaking is not so popular in Vietnam so prepare yourself in case you fail to find out your places of arrival or the right buses and have to resort to the locals. You are advised to bring along English-Vietnamese conversation book, write down the names of the destinations and show it to the ones you ask, use Google map…

4. You can purchase your tickets right in the buses, so do not buy them elsewhere or you may get false or overcharged ones.

5. Once on board, always keep an eye on your belongings, do not let them out of your reach and also pay close attention to all the bus stops in your route because if you miss out on your desired place, you have no choices but waiting for another bus to come.

6. In Vietnam, the front and back doors do not always function as the entrance and exit of the bus respectively like in most countries. It depends on the drivers who may allow you to use even one door to get on and off or both two doors if the bus is too crowded, so get ready for any cases.

7. Only catch the yellow-red painted buses and ignore all the other buses and unacquainted vehicles or you will be charged a lot more than the normal fee and suffer from a host of irritating happenings.

8. Remember to keep your manner friendly and avoid getting into any arguments with your fellow passengers.