Ho Chi Minh City’s (Saigon) Tan Son Nhat Airport is Vietnam’s busiest
international air hub, followed by Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airpot. A few
international flights also serve Danang. Bangkok has emerged as the
principle embarkation point for Vietnam but it’s still possible to get
direct flights from a number of major Asian cities and a few Australian
cities. Buying tickets in Vietnam is expensive. Departure tax is US$10,
which can be paid in dong or US dollars.

There are currently six border crossings for travellers coming to
Vietnam, but more may open soon. All crossing points suffer from heavy
policing and often requests for ‘immigration fees’.

For getting to/from China, it’s become very popular to cross the border
at Friendship Pass, or Dong Dang, 20km (12mi) north of Lang Son in
northeast Vietnam, to get to/from Nanning. There is a twice-weekly
international train between Beijing and Hanoi that stops at Friendship
Pass. The other popular border crossing with China is at Lao Cai in
northwest Vietnam, which lies on the railway line between Hanoi and
Kunming in China’s Yunnan Province. There’s also a seldom used crossing
at Moi Cai.

It’s possible to enter Laos from Lao Bao in north-central Vietnam;
there’s an international bus from Danang to Savannakhet (Laos). The
other crossing is at Keo Nua Pass/Cau Treo, west of Vinh. The only
crossing to Cambodia is via Moc Dai; an international bus links Phnom
Penh with Ho Chi Minh City.