neest

I am looking for info about transit in SGN, for my last leg of Vietnam trip. ANA flight from SGN is booked but not decided about Hue/DaNang to SGN. I found that domestic and international terminals are separate building and long walk between. I am traveling my elderly mother. What is the "safe" time for connection? I am a bit of scared of taking JetStar and probably go for Vietnam Airlines.

Letitride3c

Taxi ride in VN are very inexpensive by US standards, so it will probably cost you no more than $100,000 dong (VN dollars) including tips for the very short ride - that's about $5.25 in US dollars, so relax. There's a minimum charge for the metered regulated rates once you hire a taxi as you are probably just barely above the minimum rates - which I don't recall exactly, but it's about $60,000 or &$70,000 dong and each increment is several thousand dongs.

If your luggae isn't checked thru on your connecting flight, I would certainly get a taxi and there should be plenty available once you exit the terminal building. (Lots of them are Toyota mid-sized SUV with up to 7 pax capacity or 4 pax with luggages)

As for connecting time, 2:30 hours should be enough but double-check that with your carrier if you are flying international out of SGN - passing thru immigration/border control, customs and then security (all of which are fairly quick & efficient, professional and relatively friendly vs. TSA/CBP here in US)

The new Int'l terminal is small as it doesn't handle a large number of daily flights, clean and modern, and has duty-free shops (cigarette & liquors seemed to be popular items) - plenty of space to sit & wait for boarding announcement on PA system.

JayhawkCO

Just did this about two weeks ago. From the baggage claim in the domestic terminal to the ticketing counter in the international terminal was only about a 6 or 7 minute walk. When exiting the domestic, just turn left. You might able to procure a wheelchair for your mother to take between the two.

Assuming no delays, I would say two hours would be the minimum I'd risk it without having the two flights on one ticket.

Chris

jimbo99

No need to take a taxi.

But if you did, it would be nowhere near VND100,000 which would get you from the airport right into the centre.

Flagfall varies according to the company but the most I have ever seen is VND20,000. Increments are less than VND5,000.

Certainly no need to tip taxis in Vietnam, though rounding up to the next VND1000 or VND5000 is pretty common. Some of them really don't like giving change to foreigners - and they don't see it as part of their job to carry it.

However if taking a taxi merely from one terminal to another I probably would add a bit (out of sympathy), and bear in mind there is a toll of VND5,000 when leaving the international terminal and they expect you to pay this.

I can imagine some taxis would refuse such a fare.

dsquared37

In Asia many taxis don't offer change, not becuase they don't have it, but because they assume that foreigners will just give them the higher amount.


[QUOTE=jimbo99;15440778I can imagine some taxis would refuse such a fare.[/QUOTE]

As do I.

glennaa11

I hated my domestic to intl transfer at SGN. There is virtually no signage telling you where to go anywhere in the airport. But you will need to collect your luggage at the domestic terminal and recheck it at international. The walk between terminals is not really all that far, but if your mother has mobility issues I like the idea of trying to arrange for a wheelchair.

My transfer was from Da Nang. The airport there is very small. Check in is not allowed until rather close to flight time if I recall correctly. So no need to arrive too early for your domestic flight. I would guess Hue is similar. Actually Hue airport is even smaller.

Once I got to the international terminal I was again struck by the absolute lack of any signage. It took me a while to get checked in and then find the VN lounge. I seem to recall that the security set up there is also rather strange but I can't recall the details ATM. I believe there was a long line at passport control and then you needed to go get in another long line for security check.

But I think two hours ought to be plenty of time to connect.

I swore I would never use that airport ever again.

Good luck!

jimbo99

Yeah... but in Saigon some of them really just don't have it. They just don't think ahead. As you say, when they do they just don't like giving change back to foreigners. It's like they are losing something - forgetting in lightning speed that the fare was never as much as you gave them. Foreigners make it worse by allowing them to get away with it, tipping or waving USD around.

I got so fed up with hearing "khong co tien le" (not got small change) when using a taxi every day to my office that I started drawing part of my salary as a brickette of VND2,000 notes. Now I ALWAYS have the correct money and just have a quieter life.

Never a problem in Taiwan of course, whether or not you're foreign. NT$95? They're getting the $5 ready before you've even got the $100 out.

dsquared37

That sounds eerily similar to life in Phnom Penh.

Buccaneeratheart

Okay, so can somebody help me with this one:

I will be arriving at SGN on SQ from SIN, and connecting 4 hours later on VN to REP for one week. Then I will be flying from REP to HAN on VN for a week in Hanoi and Halong Bay, on a cruise. Then flying HAN to SIN on SQ back to LAX in SQ F.

Am I correct in assuming that I wiill only need one entry visa for Hanoi entry (and no visa for SGN international transit)? Is connecting at SGN international simple?

And, in SGN am I correct in assuming that I will be arriving and departing from the SGN international terminal and will stay airside the whole time? All of my bags will be carry-on.

And, will my Star Gold level allow me into the lounge in the SGN international terminal even though I am flying VN Y?

Thanks!

SaigonCyclo

SGN international terminal is quite simple to negotiate. Plenty of electronic monitors telling you which gate your flight is leaving from. You will stay airside the whole time and will only need a single entry visa.

There is no longer a Star Alliance Lounge at SGN. They are all run by SASCO now. So unless you're flying Business, you won't be allowed into the lounges.

jmail1

I've got a similar question but different circumstances. No elderely mother and we'll be all carry-on bags.

We were planning on flying in from Danang on a flight arriving into SGN at 7:35pm. There is an onward connection to Bangkok on Lufthansa at 9:05pm.

The flight would be on a Tuesday in March if that matters for crowds sake.

Are we foolish even trying to have a 1:25 domestic to international connection in SGN?

I saw the mention of arrival time at Danang for the flight. How early should we plan on arriving? 30 minutes before departure?

glennaa11

according to VN's website
Passengers should ensure to check-in by the following times:


Open time

*
International flights: counters are opened 2 hours 30 minutes before STD
*
Domestic flights: counters are opened 2 hours before STD

Close time

*
International flights: counters are closed 40 minutes before STD
*
Domestic flights: counters are closed 30 minutes before STD

*STD: Scheduled Time of Departure.

I am not sure I ever saw them open a flight that far before departure. But clearly arriving at Da Nang 30 minutes before departure is cutting it too close. I would plan to arrive an hour before

SaigonCyclo

They are arriving from Danang. Your biggest worry is your flight arriving late from Danang. 1 hour, 30 minutes should be enough time if yr flight is on time.

jmail1

Yes, I think we'll just book the 5:30 to be safe. I was also asking about what time we needed to arrive in Danang, that's what they were answering above I believe.

Thanks to both of you.

azepine00

Bumping this up to see if anything changed over the recent years.

My PQC-SGN on VN just got rescheduled and the comfy 3 hr domestic-international transfer in SGN is cut down to 1 hr 20 min.

This is way too risky so one alternative is to book on Jetstar that would allow for 2 hr connection. Separate tickets obviously but no bags and first flight in the morning out of PQC. According to flight history it only had one 25 min delay over the last month - seems fairly reliable...

A safer bet of course is to book late flight the day before but i am not particularly excited about forcing an overnight at SGN...

Any thoughts?