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Practical Information

Practical Information

Electricity

Except in exceptional cases, electrical outlets are most often 220 volts. The outlets are either French type (round) or American type (flat). It is advisable to bring a transformer and a universal adapter.

Currency and Exchange

The currency of Vietnam is the Dong (VND). Currency exists in the form of banknotes (from 1,000 VND to 500,000 VND). Coins are rarely used in daily life.

Although the law prohibits the use of currencies other than the dong, the euro and the US dollar are also accepted in Vietnam and can be exchanged for local currency at exchange offices without any problem. For everyday expenses, it is much more practical to pay in dongs.

You can check the exchange rate on the Vietcombank website: Vietcombank or on the website xe.com.

Most hotels and restaurants in big cities accept credit cards. For each card payment, expect additional banking fees from Vietnamese banks.

You can also obtain local currency, dongs, by withdrawing from ATMs in big cities, which often dispense 50,000 VND, 100,000 VND, 200,000 VND, and 500,000 VND banknotes.

Telephone and Internet

• To call Vietnam from France, dial (00) + Vietnam’s country code (84) + the area code (without the initial 0) + your correspondent's number.
• To call France from Vietnam, dial (00) + your country’s code (33 for France, for example) + your correspondent's number (without the initial 0). For sending a text message to a foreign correspondent's mobile, replace the international code with (+). In this case, dial (+), then the country code, then your correspondent's number.
• International call rates are not expensive in Vietnam. You can also unlock your phone on-site, rent a phone, or buy second-hand phones for about 20 USD. The rate is generally 7000 VND/min for France. You can easily buy phone cards (SIM) for your mobile (prepaid cards) – you pay 10 USD to 20 USD/month and can have access to 3G or 4G. The 3G and 4G network is growing more and more in Vietnam. With 3G and 4G or wifi, you can easily make calls with WhatsApp. In big cities, you can access wifi almost everywhere in many hotels, cafes, restaurants, and some local buses for tourists. You just need a smartphone or a digital tablet with a SIM card that has 3G access, and you can call your friends using WhatsApp. In rural areas, accessibility is more unpredictable.

There are several different telephone operators in Vietnam: Viettel, Mobifone, Vinaphone, etc. If your stay includes several days in the mountains, it is better to choose a Viettel SIM, which covers the most remote places in Vietnam.

• Fax use is possible from hotels, business centers, and post offices. GSM Coverage: Coverage in Vietnam is good except in remote and mountainous regions. However, we advise you to check with your operator regarding the opening of an international line.

Useful Phone Numbers

• 1080: Social and cultural information service
• 113: Police
• 114: Firefighters
• 115: Ambulance

Safety

In general, Vietnam can be considered a safe country. It is very rare for tourists to be assaulted. However, there are always some issues with petty theft, pickpockets, and snatch thefts carried out by motorbike. Always be vigilant, particularly in tourist streets in the city centers of Hanoi and especially Ho Chi Minh City. You don’t need to be paranoid, just aware of your surroundings.

Although the risk remains low in Vietnam, here are some tips to avoid such problems:

• Do not wear valuable jewelry and/or watches.
• Do not reveal large sums of money or traveler checks in public places.
• Do not walk on the edge of the sidewalk.
• Avoid renting a cyclo-pousse at night.
• Leave your passport in a small safe at the hotel or the hotel reception instead of carrying it during walks. If you need to carry your identity papers and other important documents, make sure to place them in a place not easily accessible to pickpockets.
• Make several copies of your passport, credit card, traveler checks, itinerary, plane tickets, and other important documents. Carry one copy with you and leave another with a close person.
• Prepare small amounts of money to pay for purchases at markets, street stalls, and other small shops to avoid embarrassing merchants if they don’t have the necessary change.
• In case of loss during the trip, report it to the nearest police station where the event occurred. With this report, you can use it for your insurance and in case of passport loss, to get an exit visa from the Central Immigration Department.
• Upon arrival at the hotel, take a hotel card to keep the address with you, which can be useful if you take a Grab or taxi. You can also highlight the hotel's address if necessary (as sometimes hotels have multiple establishments in the same city).
• During your stay, if you wish to take a taxi during your free time, it is better to ask the hotel staff to organize this service for you. If you are on the street, prefer to install the "Grab" app (similar to Uber) on your phone to order a transfer. Before leaving the cars/trains, make sure not to forget anything.

Good Conduct

Vietnamese people are generally very welcoming, polite, and generous, and they make every effort to make their guests feel comfortable. In cities and villages, don’t be surprised to be invited into homes and to meet the family of someone you have just met: these experiences will enrich your stay in Vietnam.

However, we are conservative in our way of dressing. Among local people or in culturally sensitive places such as temples and pagodas, please pay attention to the clothes you wear; cover your knees and shoulders well. Keep in mind that even if Vietnamese people are tolerant, they might have a negative judgment if you wear very short skirts or shorts in these places of worship.

If your travel program includes visits to villages, schools, or homestays, and if you want to offer small gifts to the villages you visit, school materials (pens, pencil cases, binders, books, rulers, colored pencils, etc.) will be appreciated.

Airport Tax, Customs, and Formalities

All taxes and charges have been included in the plane ticket since November 2006, except for some low-cost airlines. Regarding Customs and Formalities: all passengers must fill out the customs document and show their luggage to customs if requested. Visitors can bring an unlimited amount of foreign currency, gold items, silver, precious metals, and stones. All these items must be detailed on the customs document. There is no limit on the amount of cash, precious metals, and jewelry that can be brought in, but if the total value exceeds $7000, it must be declared.

Tourists are allowed to bring the following duty-free items: 400 cigarettes, 50-100 cigars, 100g of tobacco, 1.5L of alcohol. Gifts: small-value gifts should not exceed $500. It is prohibited to bring the following items into Vietnam:

• Weapons, explosives, and flammable objects.
• Opium and other narcotics.
• Items culturally inappropriate for Vietnamese society. When leaving the country, goods intended for trade and valuable items require a permit issued by customs. Antiquities, certain precious stones, and animals listed in Vietnam's red book must not be taken out of the country.

Photos

It is best to bring your films and be wary of X-ray machines at airports. Before taking photos, politely ask for permission. Do not pay in advance even if requested.

Tipping & Etiquette

It is customary to tip guides, drivers, and porters. Tipping is at your discretion. It should not be seen as an obligation but as a reward for good service. Tipping can be a delicate subject that might worry you during the trip. Note that it is not mandatory and varies based on the traveler's budget and the level of satisfaction with the services provided. According to customs in Vietnam, tips are generally given to guides, drivers, porters, and rowers. As for tipping guides, plan for about 5 EUR per day per traveler if you are satisfied with their services. When your group consists of several participants (6 or more), each traveler can give 3 EUR. Tips for the driver are generally half as much as for the guide.

Registration

Hotels and private accommodations must register your presence with the police. You will be asked to show your passport and visa number. It is suggested to photocopy your passport and visa in several copies to give a copy instead of the original passport.

Working Hours

Offices are open from Monday to Friday from 7:30-8:00 AM to 4:30-5:00 PM and often closed at midday between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM. Some offices are also open on Saturday mornings or even all day. Shops and restaurants open early and close late, around 9:00-10:00 PM. Most shops are open 7 days a week as well as many travel agencies.

Language and Writing

Vietnamese is the only official language in Vietnam and is spoken by the vast majority of the population (90%). Those who do not speak it are most often from ethnic minority groups in rural mountain areas. Vietnamese was originally written in adapted Chinese characters for the local vocabulary. The Chinese transcription was called "Nom." In the 17th century, a French Jesuit, Alexandre de Rhodes, adapted Vietnamese into the Latin alphabet, using an ingenious system of diacritics to transcribe the tones of words. The result is called "Quoc Ngu" (national language) and is today an exclusively Vietnamese form of writing.

Regarding foreign languages: English is popular among young people. You can also find tourist guides speaking English, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, Russian, and Spanish. For other languages, it will be difficult to find speakers.

Here are some useful words and phrases for your trip to Vietnam:

Holidays and Festivals

In Vietnam, the lunar calendar is used for traditional festivals. Thus, some religious or popular festivals do not fall on the same day of the solar calendar each year. The first day of the year is the first day of the first moon of the year. This is the "Têt" festival, during which most offices and businesses are closed for at least 4 to 5 days, with Vietnamese people returning to their family homes for celebrations.

Festival Calendar

• January 1: International New Year
• Lunar New Year (Têt): 4 - 6 days between late January and early February
• Hung King's Anniversary: 1 day, the 10th day of the third lunar month
• April 30: Anniversary of the end of the war and reunification (1975)
• May 1: Labor Day
• September 2: National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Insurance and Hospitals

It is advisable to purchase travel insurance in your home country before traveling. At the very least, get insurance that covers medical expenses incurred abroad and the costs of potential medical repatriation. Bring your insurer's contact details to simplify things in case of need.

For medical emergencies, the equivalent of the SAMU in Vietnam is 115. In an emergency, you can contact the consular section of your Embassy in Hanoi or the Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City during business hours. Outside office hours, your call will be transferred to a consular officer for immediate assistance. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang have international-standard clinics and hospitals. Elsewhere in the country, only local hospitals offering basic health services and hygiene are available, and language may be a barrier. If the condition is serious, consider repatriation and contact your insurance as soon as possible.

You can find phone numbers and addresses of some international clinics and hospitals on this link: https://gptravelvietnam.vietiso.com/travel-guide/co1-vietnam/useful-addresses.html