Travel Information
Quy Nhon is a coastal town in Binh Dinh province in central Vietnam that can be reached by plane from Hanoi and from Ho Chi Minh City. Arriving from abroad, the second alternative is recommended because of the fare and the duration of the journey (one hour vs. 1.5 hours). The airport is named Phu Cat and is around 35km north-west of Quy Nhon.
From Ho Chi Minh City, there are daily flights at 07:30 and 14:55 (Vietnam Airlines) and at 06:40 and 15:00 (VietJetAir) and at 6:35 (Jestar). From Hanoi there are daily flights at 7:00 (Vietnam Airlines) and at 12:00 (VietJetAir). See also the useful booking sites (vietnamflight, Jetcost). All times should be verified when planning your itinerary.
The school and accommodation sites are in the city. To go between the airport and the city, it takes about one hour by either taxi or bus. By taxi, it costs about 400,000 VND. One should understand the price before getting in. By bus, it is much cheaper, about 50,000 VND.
Quy Nhon can be reached also by train. The station is named Dieu Tri and is about 13 km from the city. The express train connecting Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is named the Reunification Express. There are 3 per day in each direction. Trains that are registered SE are the fastest, while the TN are (much) slower, see Golden Trains (between Saigon & Dieu Tri). From Dieu Tri station to the city by taxi, it costs about 120,000-150,000 VND.
The bus is the cheapest means of transport to get to Quy Nhon. Buses are becoming more consistent with international standards. The express buses are faster than local buses, which stop anywhere on request. There are also buses chartered by private companies. Participants from nearby provinces are recommended to travel by bus.
Note! you should also inform us your means of transport and time of arrival/departure, we will try to coordinate and arrange a taxi for you.
VISA
A visa (tourist) is required to enter Vietnam, except for some exemption listed below.
Vietnam Visa exemption is granted to:
- Citizens of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos for visits of 30 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of Phillippines for visits of 21 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia and Finland for visits of 15 days at the maximum.
To obtain a visa:
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Apply for a tourist visa at your nearest Vietnamese consulate
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Or you may apply for a tourist visa through the Internet
This internet visa procedure is cheaper but it does take some time (~60 min) at the airport immigration office, depending on the queue. Do not forget to bring 2 passport photos and USD in cash as required by the internet visa service.
Note! please verify information.
Vietnamese currency
The official currency in Vietnam is Dong (VND). Both banknotes and coins are in circulation. Banknotes are issued in 1000 VND, 2000 VND, 5000 VND, 10,000 VND, 20,000 VND, 50,000 VND, 100,000 VND, 200,000 VND and 500,000 VND. Unfortunately, coins are not popularly used and many shops may refuse to accept them. The EUR, GBP, JPY, USD are easy to exchange in Vietnam, click here to see today exchange rates. They are however exchanged only in authorized banks. Some foreign banks which have branches in Vietnam are: Citibank, BNP Parispas, Deutsche Bank, Bankok Bank, Bank of America NA, Mizuho Bank, HSBC. Some advices from Tripadvisor may be also helpful.
