When traveling to Ho Chi Minh City, don’t expect to rent a car. Vietnam does not allow any visitors to rent cars and drive here. However, it is possible to rent a car that comes with a local driver.

This system of renting a car (which comes with a driver) is a very new concept for many foreigners, but works well in Ho Chi Minh City – and works even better if the driver can communicate with the tourists (e.g. it’s an added bonus if the driver can speak a little bit of English)! In fact, Budget Car Rental has recently launched in HCMC with a fleet of new cars all with English-speaking drivers who act as driver-guides and neatly bridge the gap between organised touring and independent travel. 

The cost to rent a car that comes with a driver can be about $50 or $60 for an entire day, but rates are not always set in stone. Tourists can negotiate the charges and it’s often possible to get the rate significantly lower, but beware of drivers who make up the costs by taking you to their "favourite" stores where they receive kick-backs.

In addition to rental cars that come with drivers, tourists can also hire taxis to take them where they want to go. Using a taxi is a popular mode of transportation from the airport to a hotel, however, many of the hotels in Ho Chi Minh City will provide a free shuttle service that can be taken from the airport to the hotel (and vice versa).

WARNING:   Taxis are unregulated in Vietnam which means owners can legally chage whatever they want and they set their metres to spin at an alarming rate.  If you don't want to get charged outrageous prices for a short taxi ride use only company taxis.  Most hotels will recommend them and some hotels provide city maps with the names of company taxis on the back.   They are distinguishable from private taxis by the phone number on the side which is much longer.