Scooter Rental

Hi

does anyone know of anywhere in the old quarter that rents out scooter and for how much ?

thanks

Scooter Rental

Not offhand, but a couple of things to consider in making your decision.

The traffic in Ha Noi is insane. Presumably there are rules but they are very subtle and not apparent to the casual visitor. Have a look on YouTube at some videos of traffic in Ha Noi if you haven%26#39;t been there already.

Unless you have a Vietnamese driver%26#39;s licence, which you would need a minimum of a three month residency permit to sit for the test, you can hire a scooter but won%26#39;t actually be operating it legally. (Internatinal driver%26#39;s licence not recognised in Vietnam.) So if you were to have an accident, it is highly unlikely your travel insurance would cover you at all and any medical expenses (which are very high in the good hospitals) would come out of your pocket.

Scooter Rental

I%26#39;m already heading out on a two week bike tour of vietnam, i do realise what the traffic is like. but was just wondering were was handy in the old quarter for getting a scooter for running around hanoi before and after the tour

I was assured by the AA and if you look online at their website that the Internation Driving permit (the IDP1949 permit) is accepted in Vietnam.

The only problems the aa told me were that it was in english and the local police were unable to read it so didnt understand what it was they were seeing, but to satisfy my own travel insurance i needed to carry it.

Where did you hear that the license wasn%26#39;t accepted ?

Officially the international driving licence isn%26#39;t accepted in Vietnam - ironic, given that anyone who has one will be a much better driver than the average Vietnamese licence holder :)

Unofficially, traffic cops tend to avoid hassling foreigners, due to language difficulties and because we insist on the proper paperwork if they ask for fines!

Therefore the only real risk is the insanity on the roads which, to be fair, actually becomes less insane once you%26#39;re in the middle of it and you get used to the rhythms %26amp; the flow of the traffic.

To answer your original question, most of the cafes %26amp; backpacker travel agencies in the Old Quarter will rent you a bike. Check it for damage %26amp; scratches first %26amp; point out any you may find so that you don%26#39;t get charged for them when you return the bike, and also be clear about who pays for petrol - some places will give you a full tank %26amp; include it in the price, others will either fill the tank %26amp; charge you for it or provide just enough fuel to get you to the nearest petrol station.

Otherwise, wear a helmet, take a deep breath, %26amp; have fun out there.

Thanks, i was getting paniced there you%26#39;ve calmed me down a bit about license.

its so weird that they tell you here in the uk that the international permit is legal in vietnam and to hire/drive any Vehicle you must have it and produce it.

Probably just and excuse for the aa and rac over here to get some money out of us.

I%26#39;m a biker here in the uk and i would say that alot of the driving here isnt too hot either, theres just alot less of it !

Being I have not done this I have a question because of something I read here some place. Where can we get an offical answer as to do you need a Vietnamese Drivers License to ride a motor bike in Vietnam. What I read said that you can go to jail for 3 years if you don%26#39;t have a license and that one from a different country is not go there. If you do how can you get one the fastest way?

Comments?

theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/idp-requi鈥?/a>

if you follow the link above the is what The Automobile Association in the UK has to say on the matter of what you need to drive in other countries on a uk license.

G 鈥?National licence or IDP should be presented to the police who will issue a visitors licence.

This what the link states. I don%26#39;t think that a policeman can issue you a license. And again that is what the UK says not the Vietnamese Government... that is the one we need to go by. I don%26#39; think the UK offical is going to go to Nam to get you out of jail.

i dont doubt you at all.

The only thing is dont get is why would the uk government missinform us all, surely they should know and i can only go by what they are saying and then listen to the advise as others have found the situation.

My Motorbike Tour company in Hanoi also say that i only require to bring my uk and the International license.

So now i%26#39;m totally confused ??!

ok i have taken this straight from the tour companies website

* Is an international licence valid in Vietnam?

Despite some press reports to the contrary Vietnam does recognise the validity of international licences. Whilst some authorities in remote regions may not be able to comprehend a document written in a foreign language they go a long way in smoothing out any potential difficulties should an issue arise. They also take care of any licence requirements that you might have in your insurance polices.