Best websites about Vietnam: useful sites, blogs and apps

The Internet is undoubtedly the driving force behind today’s transformation of tourism. Thanks to online resources and mobile apps, travellers have become more independent and freer in their choices. On the other hand, travel seems to have become above all a matter of posting and sharing, rather than of sharing moments.

Whatever you think of this trend, there is no denying the huge role the Internet now plays in planning a trip. You will probably not settle for talking with our travel advisers alone, and will explore the web for tips and information of all kinds.

In our article Preparing your trip to Vietnam, we answer the basic questions you need to ask yourself when organising your trip. Here, we present the online resources and apps that are genuinely useful for preparing and enjoying your trip to Vietnam, as we use and recommend them today.

Which online tools should you use for a trip to Vietnam?

To prepare a trip to Vietnam, combine official websites for your visa, the local press, travellers’ forums and a few practical apps.

Which official websites should you check before leaving for Vietnam?

Before you leave, check your government’s travel advice for Vietnam, your embassy’s website and, if needed, the official Vietnamese e-visa portal.

Your government’s travel advice page for Vietnam (for example the UK Foreign Office or the US State Department) is the most reliable source on safety, health and entry requirements. Many countries also offer a free registration service so that you can be contacted in an emergency. French travellers can refer to the French Embassy in Vietnam.

As for visas, many nationalities, including British, French and German citizens, are exempt for stays of up to 45 days. Beyond that, or for other nationalities, the e-visa (valid up to 90 days) is applied for on the official portal evisa.gov.vn: allow 25 USD for a single entry and 50 USD for multiple entries. Beware of the many websites that imitate the official portal and charge much more for the same service.

Where can you follow Vietnamese news in English and French?

To keep up with the news, read Saigoneer and Vietnam Airlines’ Heritage magazine in English, or Le Courrier du Vietnam and Le Petit Journal in French.

Vietnam Airlines’ Heritage magazine, focused on culture and tourism, is full of ideas for visits: you can browse it online or during your flight if you travel with the airline. Saigoneer offers rich content about life in Ho Chi Minh City and the rest of the country, and Link Hanoi will help you find out what is on in the capital.

French readers can turn to Le Courrier du Vietnam, the reference (government) media for French speakers, and to Le Petit Journal Hanoi, which covers local news and cultural events.

Which forums and Facebook groups should you follow to prepare your trip?

Facebook groups and travel forums let you ask your questions and read feedback from other travellers who have recently visited Vietnam.

As successors to the old travel forums, Facebook groups give you very quick answers to your questions. It is often easier to ask there than to search for the information yourself. For English speakers, and for anyone planning a longer stay in the capital, Hanoi Massive Community brings together a large part of the expat community. French speakers will find very active groups such as Le Coin des Francophones and Conseils Voyage au Vietnam, as well as the Routard forum. Be aware, though, that travel agencies are present in these groups and will, fair enough, try to win you over…

Finally, if you are thinking of volunteering during your stay, you can contact France Volontaires, which is active in Vietnam.

Which blogs should you read to organise your trip to Vietnam?

Travel blogs offer concrete first-hand accounts of Vietnam, as long as you check the date of each article, because the country changes very quickly.

For blogs dedicated to Vietnam, we of course recommend the Parfum d’Automne blog, which will help you prepare your trip and discover Vietnamese culture. Many traveller-bloggers have also written about their trip to Vietnam. The country is changing fast and articles that are a few years old are sometimes already out of date, so be careful before following any advice to the letter. In 2019, for example, we accompanied two photographers through the superb rice terraces of Hoang Su Phi.

Which apps should you download to travel in Vietnam?

Download Grab, Be or Xanh SM to get around, Google Maps and Google Translate, GrabFood or ShopeeFood for meals, as well as Zalo for messaging.

To get around the big cities, ride-hailing apps have become essential: you know the price in advance and the address is sent directly to the driver. Grab is the best known among travellers, Be often offers attractive fares, and Xanh SM, with its electric taxis and motorbikes in their distinctive turquoise colour, is now the market leader. Most drivers speak little English: the built-in chat, which translates automatically, is very handy.

To communicate, Google Translate is invaluable, especially its camera mode for reading menus. Vietnamese people are used to it. Also install Zalo, the messaging app used by virtually all Vietnamese, including hotels, guides and drivers. Google Maps works very well throughout the country.

To have a meal delivered on a rainy evening in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, use GrabFood (in the Grab app) or ShopeeFood, both available in English.

Finally, to convert prices, the XE Currency app will help you get used to the orders of magnitude of the dong at the start of your stay.

You now know our best online resources for preparing your trip to Vietnam. For everything else, our travel advisers are of course here to help.

FAQ: websites and apps for Vietnam