Often known by its old name of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and should not be missed on any visit to the country. This was very important during the Vietnam War, and today Ho Chi Minh City offers an amazing mix of things to see and do, from war remnants to French colonial architecture and bustling markets. Wherever it is, you will find a very friendly atmosphere. When you’ve had enough of the city and need a break, do what many locals do on the weekend and visit the nearby coastal town of Mui Ne. It has become a large tourist area with many hotels, restaurants and resorts, has great beaches and ideal conditions for windsurfing and kitesurfing. In addition, you can enjoy fantastic landscapes and hiking trails.
Travel options from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne
Mui Ne is located east of Ho Chi Minh City and the distance between the two cities is 220 kilometers (137 miles). If you have a rental car and want to make the trip on your own, you will be interested to know that the roads are in fairly good condition and that the journey will take around 4 hours. However, given how affordable some bus options are, it’s a good idea to let others drive for you so you can enjoy the scenery. In addition to buses, there are also private taxis that can take you from one place to another, and you can also consider taking the train from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne. All options are reasonably priced except for taxis, but we’ll tell you the details now.
From Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne by bus
Let’s start with the cheapest option to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne, which is the bus. As in many Southeast Asian countries, the bus is a very popular, inexpensive and generally safe travel option. Not only tourists choose to travel by bus, but also locals usually choose this mode of transport to travel from one city to another for their vacation. Therefore, you will find many different bus companies that operate this route and different departure times throughout the day.
Check out the website about 12Go.asiawhere you can see search results for most companies and compare services and prices. Through this site you can securely book and read what other users think about the service.
Sinh Tourist and Hanh Café are the two main companies offering regular services from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne. Usually Hanh Café has slightly lower prices than The Sinh Tourist, but that’s because their buses are a bit more basic than some other companies. From Hanh Café you will travel by standard air-conditioned bus. These buses don’t have extra services onboard, you’ll only pay for a basic seat, although on a 5-hour journey you probably won’t need too many amenities either.
The best thing about traveling with Hanh Café is that there are plenty of timetables to choose from. They offer seven daily departures from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Nue, from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Tickets cost the same regardless of the selected departure time.
Sinh Tourist offers several different options. You can take the Express bus, which is similar to the standard Hanh Café bus and is air-conditioned; or you can spend a little more and travel by bus with reclining seats. You will have more leg room on these buses so this is the most advisable option for tall people as the extra can be very cost effective.
By train from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne
Train on its way to Ho Chi Minh City © Quang nguyen vinh / Shutterstock.com
If you don’t like traveling by bus and want something different, you might consider taking the train from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne. Depending on the type of ticket you choose, as prices vary greatly, you won’t necessarily spend much more than a bus ticket, although the experience will be very different.
The trains are government operated, so they are operated by Vietnam Railways, and there are several types of tickets to choose from. The second-class air-conditioned seats are the cheapest and are comfortable enough for a journey of around 3.5 hours. If you want more space and privacy, you can pay a little more and travel in an air-conditioned second-class sleeper or first-class cabin. The more expensive option is ideal if you’re celebrating something special and want to travel in style. This is a VIP compartment that costs more than twice as much as the previous options.
If you want to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne by train, it’s important to consider something. The train does not go as far as Mui Ne city itself, as the tracks end at Phan Thiet, about 20 kilometers (12.5 mi) west of Mui Ne. This means that from there you will need to take a taxi or bus to complete the rest of your trip. This adds some money to the travel cost and duration as it will take you around 4 hours to cover the entire route.
The last way to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne is by taxi. There are at least four different taxi companies you can book in advance, and some are cheaper than others, so you’ll need to do some research. Taxis, like trains, can be booked via 12Go to easily compare prices and types of vehicles. For families and groups, large 9-passenger vehicles can be quite affordable. But if you need to save money, it’s best to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne by bus.