Taxis are a convenient and efficient way to get around Vietnam, they are relatively cheap and widely available. But, navigating a new transportation system can be overwhelming. In this guide, we'll go over the basics on hailing, riding, and paying for taxis in Vietnam. It covers everything you need to know to make your ride a smooth one. From understanding fare, to tips on how to ensure a safe ride. The below taxi service in Vietnam guide will help make your transportation experience in Vietnam easy and hassle-free.
I - Traditional taxis in Vietnam
The traditional form of Vietnamese taxi has existed for a very long time, still receiving the trust of local people as well as tourists. Traditional taxis operate at all times of the year, but you should note that sometimes they can run out of cars, especially during holidays. It is even more difficult to call one with the right number of seats at such times, especially for those with a large capacity. Below we would like to introduce a few major taxi companies, which have systems and cars covering all 63 provinces of Vietnam. In addition to them, there are still taxi companies on the provincial or smaller scale.
1 - Top 4 largest traditional taxis in Vietnam
Mai Linh Taxi
Mai Linh Group was established in 1993 - Source: Internet
From 2012 up to now, this company has focused on investing and developing the main business of transporting passengers by taxi. Mai Linh has developed into a large transportation group with nearly 15,000 vehicles, working in a network of branches and units in 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam
- Payment methods: Cash; Bank cards (including domestic and international ones); Mai Linh MCC membership card and Green Card; VNPAY-QR code with QR Voucher issued by Mai Linh; Affiliated e-Wallets; Cards using NFC technology
- Fares:
+ Opening: 10,000 - 12,000 VND ($0.43 - 0.52)
+ From the 1st to 30th kilometer: 13,600 - 17,000 VND / km ($0.59 - 0.73)
+ From the 31st kilometer: 11,000 - 14,500 VND / km ($0.47 - 0.62)
+ Waiting time: 45,000 VND / hour ($1.94)
+ Mai Linh Taxi fare is not fixed and is calculated based on which car, which city and which time frame of the day you choose.
- Website: https://mailinh.vn
- Contact:
Hanoi: 02438 333 333 - 02439 725 888
Ho Chi Minh City: 028 38 38 38 38 - 028 382 779 79
Ha Long City: 02033 628 628 - 02033 849 157
Sapa Town: 02143 76 76 76 - 02146 257 888
Danang City: 02363 56 56 56 - 0974 56 56 56
Hoi An City: 02353 92 92 92 - 02353 925 888
Hue City: 02343 89 89 89
Nha Trang City: 0258 38 38 38 38
Phu Quoc Island: 02973 97 97 97
VinaSun Taxi - top 4 best traditional taxis in Vietnam
Established on January 27, 2003, this Vietnam taxi company is the strongest one in the Southern provinces. VinaSun Taxi always maintains its top position with the number of vehicles up to more than 12,000 units, including 2 main types of taxis: 4 seats and 7 seats.
- Payment methods: Cash; Bank cards; VinaSun application - VNS Prepaid; VinaSun Coupon, CARD, Membership Card; QR code; Momo e-Wallet
- Fares:
+ Opening: 11,000 - 12,000 VND ($0.47 - 0.52)
+ Next kilometers: 14,500 - 16,500 VND / km ($0.62 - 0.71)
+ From the 31st kilometer: 11,600 - 14,600 VND / km ($0.5 - 0.63)
- Operating: 24 cities and provinces in Vietnam
- Website: http://www.vinasuntaxi.com/
- Contact:
Hanoi: 02435 27 27 27
Ho Chi Minh City: 02838 27 27 27
Danang City: 077 808 58 58 - 02363 68 68 68
Hoi An City: 02353 92 92 92 - 02353 925 888
Hue City: 02343 788 788
Nha Trang City: 025 838 27 27 27
Phu Quoc Island: 02838 27 27 27
G7 Taxi
Officially launched on August 12, 2018, G7 taxi is one of the taxis in Vietnam that apply the most competitive fares, which are low, stable, and without increased prices during peak hours. With about 3,000 cars when it first appeared, it also became the brand with the largest number of taxis in Hanoi.
- Payment methods: Cash; Bank cards (including domestic and international ones); Via VNPAY; QR code; Affiliated e-Wallets; Contactless Card
- Fares:
+ Opening: 20,000 VND ($0.86)
+ Next kilometers: 11,500 - 15,000 VND / km ($0.5 - 0.65)
+ From the 21st kilometer: 9,500 - 12,500 VND / km ($0.4 - 0.54)
+ Waiting time: 30,000 VND / hour ($1.29)
- Operating: Hanoi and northern provinces of Vietnam
- Website: https://g7taxi.vn/
- Contact:
Hanoi: 024 32 32 32 32
Hue City: 02343 57 57 57
Taxi Group
Taxi Group is the merger of 5 member taxi units in Hanoi and 1 unit in Bac Ninh, officially launched on October 10, 2010. They are all big names in the taxi business and in the hearts of Hanoians, some of them had more than 20 years of experience.
- Payment methods: Cash; Bank cards; Taxi Group Co-branded cards (prepaid and postpaid); AirPay on Taxi Group application
- Fares:
+ Opening: 10,000 VND ($0.43)
+ From the 1st to 33rd kilometer: 13,900 - 15,900 VND / km ($0.6 - 0.69)
+ From the 33rd kilometer: 11,000 - 12,800 VND / km ($0.47 - 0.55)
+ Waiting time: 20,000 VND / hour ($0.86)
- Operating: Hanoi and neighboring provinces such as Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Bac Ninh, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa,...
- Website: http://taxigroup.com.vn/
- Contact: 02438 53 53 53
2 - How are the traditional taxi prices in Vietnam calculated?
To calculate the fares of traditional taxis in Vietnam, remember the following terms:
The fare when opening
This is the fare calculated from the moment you step into the taxi, whether you go 1m or 1km, you still have to pay this fare.
The fare for the next kilometers
It is usually calculated from the 1st to the 30th km, but there are some taxi companies that will count less or more.
The average price
It will be calculated from when you have passed the “next kilometers” mentioned above until you reach your desired destination.
In sum, taxi fare will be calculated in kilometers according to the formula that is (Opening fare) + (Next km fare * Next kilometers) + (Average price * Remaining kilometers).
In fact, charging like this is quite troublesome and difficult, that’s why taxi companies have automatic metering on the car for you to see. However, it must also be mentioned that because the price is calculated by kilometers, sometimes the driver would take a detour or a longer route to charge more. This is a pretty big disadvantage if you are a first-timer in Vietnam and do not know the way very well.
3 - How to call a traditional taxi service in Vietnam?
On the road, you can easily see many Vietnamese taxis, which just need to wave and they will park. However, these vehicles can be fake, will charge you very high fees and are not guaranteed to be safe. Therefore, traditional taxi companies are still loyal to the direct method of booking by calling the switchboard.
They all have English-speaking departments, so you don’t have to worry, the call center staff will answer in detail any questions you have. Besides, in order to compete in the modern market, these companies have also developed and launched very convenient car booking apps.
II - Technological taxis in Vietnam
Taxi Grab, Be, Vata, Fast Go - Source: Internet
With the strong development of technology, online car booking applications have also emerged very quickly. Since Grab - the leader in technology vehicles entered the market, Vietnam's traditional taxis have been affected and become increasingly inferior.
The technology transport companies develop not only in transportation, but also expand to related services such as freight, food ordering,... Technological taxis excel in being extremely easy to book anytime and anywhere, offering cheap prices with many promotions and discounts.
1 - Top 5 most popular taxi apps in Vietnam
Grab
Launched in 2012 in Malaysia, Grab is currently the most popular convenient ride-hailing application in Vietnam with the aim of providing users with fast transportation services.
- Payment methods: Cash; GrabPay by Moca application; Bank cards
- Services: taxi, private car, motorbike taxi, delivery,...
- Operating: 30 provinces and cities in Vietnam, especially urban areas such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang,...
- Download the app:
+ iOS: apps.apple.com/SG/app/id647268330
+ Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grabtaxi.passenger
- Website: grab.com/vn/en
- Customer Support Center / Hotline: 1900 1975
Be
Launched in 2018, Be is one of the top ride-hailing taxis in Vietnam, with 2 ride-hailing services: two-wheeler and 4-wheel car. Currently, this company has more than 100,000 drivers and about 10 million customers, receiving an average of 350,000 calls per day.
- Payment methods: Cash; Affiliated e-Wallets; Back account connected to Be application
- Services: beBike, beCar, beMarket, beDelivery, beLoyalty, beCorporate & beAds
- Operating: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Dalat City Bac Ninh Province, Vung Tau City, Da Nang, Quang Binh Province, Nha Trang, Gia Lai Province, Dak Lak Province, Hue,…
- Download the app:
+ iOS: apps.apple.com/vn/app/be/id1440565902
+ Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.be.customer
- Website: be.com.vn/en
- Customer Support Center / Hotline: 1900 2323 45
Gojek
Founded in Indonesia in 2010, Gojek has quickly gained a foothold in the Vietnamese shipping market and connected millions of users with more than 150,000 driver-partners and 80,000 restaurant partners.
- Payment methods: Cash; Momo e-Wallet; Gojek Application
- Services: GoFood, GoSend, GoCar, GoRide,...
- Operating: Big centers such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City,...
- Download the app:
+ iOS: apps.apple.com/vn/app/gojek/id944875099
+ Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gojek.app
- Website: gojek.com
- Customer Support Center / Hotline: 1900 636 252
Vato
Vato is one of the friendly ride-hailing taxis in Vietnam that is quite popular in southern provinces, born in 2019. This software has the “bargain” function that other companies have not yet applied, with continuous promotions and discounts.
- Payment methods: Cash; QR code with FUTOPAY, Momo or VNPAY
- Services: bike, car, taxi, delivery, food, shop & loyalty.
- Operating: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, some southern provinces or areas.
- Download the app:
+ iOS: apps.apple.com/sn/app/vato-operation/id1500559522
+ Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=client.facecar.com
- Website: vato.vn/
- Customer Support Center / Hotline: 1900 6667
MyGo - top best taxi apps in Vietnam
Since its launch in 2019, MyGo has been deployed simultaneously across Vietnam, with the total number of vehicles participating in the system being more than 100,000
- Payment methods: Cash; Bank accounts connected to MyGo application
- Services: bike, car, and delivery.
- Operating: 63 provinces and cities.
- Download the app:
+ iOS: itunes.apple.com/us/app/viettel-truck/id1461645234?ls=1
+ Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.viettelpost.vtgo
- Website: mygo.onl/
- Customer Support Center / Hotline: 1900 8095
FastGo
Source: Fastgo
Officially launched in the Vietnam market in 2018, this technological taxi in Vietnam is currently the only ride-hailing application on the market that protects customers with Fast Protection insurance with a value up to 200 million VND.
- Payment methods: Cash; FastGo application
- Services: FastBike, Fast Car, Fast Taxi, Fast Airport and Fast Luxury
- Operating: Big provinces and cities in Vietnam, namely Hanoi, Saigon, Danang, Nha Trang, Ha Long City,...
- Download the app:
+ iOS: itunes.apple.com/us/app/fastgo/id1394017123?ls=1
+ Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vn.mpos.fastgo
- Website: fastgo.mobi/
- Customer Support Center / Hotline: 1900 2683
2 - How are the fares of technology taxis in Vietnam calculated?
Currently, the charging method of technology car companies is quite similar to that of a traditional taxi, with the opening price, the price of the next kilometers, and the price from a certain kilometer onwards. However, the biggest difference is that technology taxis in Vietnam often offer programs, promotional codes, and discount codes, reducing costs when riding. However, this technology taxi service in Vietnam also has a disadvantage, in that some applications have policies to increase rates at times such as rush hours, bad weather conditions, public holidays in Vietnam, etc.
3 - How to call a technology taxi in Vietnam?
Calling a Vietnamese technology taxi is extremely simple, you just need to download the car company’s application, select the location and destination, press confirm and wait for the driver to arrive. The application always has an English function, and you can pay cash directly, or connect your bank account, visa card with that application and transfer money online.
III - Tips to avoid Vietnam taxi scams
Source: Shutterstock
- In a standard taxi in Vietnam, there will always be an automatic meter to calculate the fare according to the distance, you only pay the correct amount displayed to avoid the driver deliberately saying the high price.
- You should open your own map to check if the driver is intentionally going long distances or not.
- Avoid hailing a taxi on the street because you don’t know if it’s a real one or a fake. You should directly call the taxi company’s call center or book through the taxi app.
Taxis in Vietnam will be a huge support in your trip, helping to reduce travel time and avoid unnecessarily getting lost. In particular, the streets of Vietnam are quite troublesome, so hopefully, the above information has contributed a bit to your travel plans and made it easier.
— Quan Nguyen
