Does anybody know a reliable/affordable xe om driver?

(The taxi was from 358 CMT, but I'm still spending more on taxis than I earn..)

xe om for that distance would normally be 50k. That's Vietnamese price though. And since it's a fancier neighborhood, they'd probably expect more. To offset that, you should try "contract" a driver that lives/works nearby around your neighborhood. Get a Vietnamese friend to help you tell the driver that you'd pay him 100k/day, maybe a little more, for the round trip. These guys are hardworking; they wouldn't pass up the opportunity for a reliable source of earning. Tip him from time to time if you like the service.

also your taxi is expensive. I'm gonna be generous and say the distance is 10km max. Vinasun SUV is 17k/km, so it really shouldn't be more than 170k.

if i were near you. i would help you without money. i'm living in district 6, it takes me 40 minutes so as to go there. You should have the map of HCMC, which is better. When you get into a taxi, you should look at the calculating machine in front of you. it shows you the distance you move and money you have to pay.
Wish you a good trip!

Get a VN friend to ask the drivers that sit near the place you live, the same drivers will be in the same spot each day. Make sure you do a deal with them as its a reasonable job for them each week.

might be a ways off for you but there's a bunch of xe om sitting near the Saigon bridge or cau den (black bridge) as it's called long ago and still called that today. If you're friendly with them can try to get the ringleaders cell phone and ring them up to come pick you up at your place of stay and take you to where ever you want to go.

Thanks everyone, looks like I'll need to go make some Vietnamese friends in D2! It's nice to know all your estimates on price, I didn't want to pay too much, or equally seem to cheeky/offend with my suggestion

wow, from CMT8 to the Vistra in D2 if xeom costs $50k then that is pretty cheap. I would say $70k is reasonable price.

If you want to have kind of "contracted" xeom, then start with a xeom closest to your place. Ask him to drive you to D3 then ask him to come back at certain time to pick you up. Need a Vietnamese speaking person at first time though.

It'll be from Dien Bien Phu usually, but anything less than 100k is good for me!

Any Vietnamese people in D2?

oh also, on the 1st time, you should just pay him "right" money then later on, you should give him vnd10,000 extra to keep him happy.

I have my "contracted" xeom and his number. from my place to D1 is just vnd40k. I gave him 40k for the 1st time, but sometimes just give him 50k, 60k and he is happy.

when i need him, i call him, if he is busy, he calls his friend for me. Sometimes I run out of money, I could pay later. It's pretty decent.

I speak Vietnamese though.
cheers

Just a couple of week i took a xeom from the west side terminal to east side terminal for 50k. That's what i consider cheap. But anyway if anything under 100k is good then you'll be sure to find someone.

Have you looked into the bus? Don't know if you meant 6.30 am or pm, but if it's during the day, there are a few buses from D2 into D1.

I meant pm, but sometimes I might need to travel earlier. Definitely need to get myself a bus map and timetable!

Hi Alex, take a wander down Thao Dien get a couple of xe om's home then ask for a number from one them. They are used to dealing with expats and plenty will give you a fair price.
If you want\need some more riding experience gimme a shout, I used to teach motorcycle courses in the UK and have taught lenty of people here

laidbackfreak wrote:

Hi Alex, take a wander down Thao Dien get a couple of xe om's home then ask for a number from one them. They are used to dealing with expats and plenty will give you a fair price.
If you want\need some more riding experience gimme a shout, I used to teach motorcycle courses in the UK and have taught lenty of people here

That would be absolutely awesome, my bike's still in D3 at the minute but I'll let you know when it's back with me

Likewise. Take a midnight cruise around q7 to practise. The roads are huge, modern and empty during the week. Easy to have a go at some tricky maneuvers like mounting the kerb and surfing the pavement haha. Seriously, it is a great locale for practise, plus it's pleasant by the river there at night.

or you can practice along Nguyen Van Huong street in Thao Dien District 2 which is nearby to you. Practically empty wide street anytime of the day.

A rule of thumb is 10 000 per k for xe om. It isn't true that foreigners necessarily pay more, only those who go along with it. D1 (and D2?) etc might be more expensive or at least the riders will ask more.

Remember there is one on the next corner, although perhaps not as many in D2 as in 'real' HCMC.

Good idea to get a regular.

Xe Om should be maximum VND50K.
if lucky then VND 30K to 40K also possible.

Vista is English name, difficult to recognize by xeom people. you may tell them XL Hanoi( pronounce as XA LO Hanoi or Saa Lo Hanoi). it means Hanoi Highway.

by the way, isn't it too boring in Vista ? I was looking for a place but found Vista too quiet , but beautiful externally. I m in Thao Dien now, if need any help to grip motorbike on Saigon roads, just drop a line.
You can also find Bus Map on a web site.

goodluck !

Sounds like you got ripped off dear. I hope to link up with someone honest and reliable when I get there. Wish you lots of luck in finding someone good.

I known many affordable places in district 3, just
give me a call 01238942094. Ted
fernandezjose55[at]gmail.com

HI, my ex-neighbor is a xeom driver. He's quite nice and a very careful driver at good price. He is living in D2 now and still works as an xe om at my area. If you are interested, I could ask him the price and go back to you. He usually charges me at very good price compared to other drivers.

Send me an email at: pinevn@gmail.com or sky at pinevn