Getting around by myself

(1) Fix the price before getting on;
(2) Make sure any helmet offered is clean;
(3) Write your destination down including ward details;
(4) Pray!

Thank you Jaitch! I have my own helmet and I will be sure to set the price.  Would 20.000 be reasonable from Q4 to Q1 seeing how its such a short trip?

Also, the main reason I posted is that I am not sure how/where to hail one of these xe om's. Any advice on how to find one would be much appreciated.

zztonedefzz wrote:

Thank you Jaitch! I have my own helmet and I will be sure to set the price.  Would 20.000 be reasonable from Q4 to Q1 seeing how its such a short trip?

Also, the main reason I posted is that I am not sure how/where to hail one of these xe om's. Any advice on how to find one would be much appreciated.

xe oms are found at every corners/junctions.
Usually, a guy perched on his bike with two helmets dangling on his bike. Eye contacts will initiate a offer.
They are not highly educated and may not be able to read your address.
Best to learn how to pronounce your destination.
I have a photo of the city in my mobile phone and this helps a lot when i try to explain where i want to go.

The attached is a bus map for HCMC. You may like to use the maps to show where you like to stop. The bus stops are also indicated on the maps.
http://map.ebms.vn/routeoftrunk.aspx

Always carry small notes (10k vnd)
No point agreeing on the price, and you pay with a 100k vnd note. He doesn't have sufficient money for change!

Zack,
If you have come to VN to get married and plan on returning to the US with your new wife, but she has never had a US visa, plan on staying in VN for quite a while. (This is a whole 'nother topic of conversation.) Therefore, you may want to consider renting your own motorbike to get around, once you've been here long enough to know your way around, and you feel adventurous enough to go out on your own.

saigonmonkey wrote:

Zack,
If you have come to VN to get married and plan on returning to the US with your new wife, but she has never had a US visa, plan on staying in VN for quite a while. (This is a whole 'nother topic of conversation.) Therefore, you may want to consider renting your own motorbike to get around, once you've been here long enough to know your way around, and you feel adventurous enough to go out on your own.

Thanks for the advice but I met my fiancee in America years ago and she is a dual citizen.  I didn't come to Vietnam for any of that kind of shenanigans.

hELLnoi wrote:

zztonedefzz wrote:

Thank you Jaitch! I have my own helmet and I will be sure to set the price.  Would 20.000 be reasonable from Q4 to Q1 seeing how its such a short trip?

Also, the main reason I posted is that I am not sure how/where to hail one of these xe om's. Any advice on how to find one would be much appreciated.

xe oms are found at every corners/junctions.
Usually, a guy perched on his bike with two helmets dangling on his bike. Eye contacts will initiate a offer.
They are not highly educated and may not be able to read your address.
Best to learn how to pronounce your destination.
I have a photo of the city in my mobile phone and this helps a lot when i try to explain where i want to go.

The attached is a bus map for HCMC. You may like to use the maps to show where you like to stop. The bus stops are also indicated on the maps.
http://map.ebms.vn/routeoftrunk.aspx

Always carry small notes (10k vnd)
No point agreeing on the price, and you pay with a 100k vnd note. He doesn't have sufficient money for change!

Great advice!  This is exactly what I was looking for hELLnoi!  Thank you for taking the time out to explain this.  I'll report back tomorrow after I (complete a trip on a xe om)/(get robbed by a xe om driver).

Thanks again

zztonedefzz wrote:

Thanks for the advice but I met my fiancee in America years ago and she is a dual citizen.  I didn't come to Vietnam for any of that kind of shenanigans.

That's great. Best of luck to you and your future wife. Enjoy your time in Vietnam.

zztonedefzz wrote:

I'll report back tomorrow after I (complete a trip on a xe om)/(get robbed by a xe om driver).

That's the spirit! Just remember to tuck and roll when you (need to) jump off the bike.

USCTrojans wrote:

Just remember to tuck and roll when you (need to) jump off the bike.

There is a small matter of security.

ALWAYS make a note of the Xe Om's motorcycle plate number (as well as with taxi's).

Occasionally a crook will take you into a high risk area, so others can rob you, and collects 'commission'.

Many Xee Om drivers can use a shower, they practically live on their motorcycles, as well as sleeping on them. If faced with a sleeping driver and one who pulls up, go with Sleeping Beauty as he can most likely be found there when not driving around and will be less of a risk.

Older drivers are generally safer rides, young ones want to impress you with their supposed driving prowess.

Thank you Jaitch for the advice!

Look around the areas that you frequent.  Xe oms have their own corners.  Identify the honest ones, and call upon them when needs arise.  Loyalty counts among those guys.  Once comfortable enough with you, there are a lot of things about Vietnamese life those xe om fellas can do for and show you.

Your Vietnamese wife and her significant others are concerned about your safety.  Vietnamese do not venture out if they are not cofident about their abilities to handle the wild and whacky Vietnamese streets.  Show them that you can handle yourself out there, which can be tough, they will get off your back.

Best of luck,

If your fiancee's brother has a regular rider, then he is probably alright. Unlikely to jeopardise a good gig.

I haven't had any real problems with xe om. Sometimes they try the higher price or no change trick, but only rarely. Helps to have the correct change, but usually they give the right change or near enough.

If you speak Vietnamese, then it should be clear how much you have agreed to. It is up to you to establish beforehand, though.

A friend from Hanoi said there is a 10 000 VND per K rule, but I find it is often a bit cheaper here eg 3 ks for 20 000. If one won't do it, there is always the next corner. Of course, in District 1 they will want 30 000 for >1k, but they won't get it from me!

The other option is take the bus! Pick up a bus map off the internet or at a bus station (Ben Thanh is good). A few westerners do, despite 'you will be robbed' statements and probably horror from family. It isn't scary, although at peak hour it can mean imitating a sardine sometimes. Often they are airconned.

It is cheap. 4 000 VND or 5 000 for long trips. Buy a book of tickets and it is 3 000 VND per trip. Hop on and hop off for a pittance - just do it fast, as they don't linger at the stops.