When visiting Da Nang, Vietnam recently, we quickly discovered that it wasn’t very easy to get around. The city is larger than you might expect, and even the “tourist” areas are not conducive to walking everywhere. It didn’t take long for us to realize that riding a scooter in Da Nang would make things a lot easier.
The other thing that I found, when researching, is that there is a lot of generic advice for riding scooters in Vietnam, but not much on riding a scooter in Da Nang. So I decided to put together this guide to help others out.
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Table of Contents
- Why hire a scooter in Da Nang?
- How much does it cost to hire a scooter in Da Nang?
- Do you need a license to ride a scooter in Vietnam?
- Best places to hire a scooter in Da Nang
- Filling up your scooter
- Hints and Tips for riding in Vietnam
- Make sure you have protection!
- Summary
Why hire a scooter in Da Nang?
We hired a scooter in Da Nang because it made it so much easier to get around.
Firstly, it was easier to get around locally. We stayed in an Air BNB that was a fantastic, new apartment. The problem was that it was sort of in between everything. In Da Nang you really want to either stay on the beach, or on the river. These are two kilometers apart, so thats a fair bit of walking if you are constantly going from one to the other.
For us, we were halfway, which might sound ideal, but in reality it wasn’t. It meant to go ANYWHERE we had to walk at least a kilometer round trip. Hiring a scooter in Da Nang made it a LOT easier for us. Especially on public holidays (which there were a few) and a lot of restaurants were closed so we had to go further afield to find somewhere to eat.
Secondly, most of the attractions you want to see are not actually in Da Nang.
When we first got our scooter, we rode straight along the beach and up on to the peninsular to see what the big white statue was that we had been looking at for a couple of days. This turned out to be Chùa Linh Ứng Temple, and we would never have ventured up there without the scooter.
A day trip to Hoi An was so much easier with a scooter, and a lot quicker and cheaper. We were able to take our time and run to our own schedule. It also allowed us to stop by at Marble Mountains along the way.
Then there are places such as Ba Na Hills and the famous golden hands bridge. This is a lot further away from Da Nang, and riding a scooter is a good way to make your way out to the cable car to get up the mountain. My Son Sanctuary was the same, as it’s over an hour ride out into the hills.
For those that are a little more adventurous, you can head even further afield and enjoy some of the classic riding around this part of Vietnam, seeing some incredible views and enjoying the open road.
How much does it cost to hire a scooter in Da Nang?
Most scooter rentals in Da Nang will start at about 150,000 VND a day. This will be for the smallest automatic scooter.
The larger you go, the higher the price, meaning you could end up paying up to 400,000 VND or more if you are looking for a big bike.
For most visitors, you will pay between 150,000 VND and 250,000 VND a day for a normal scooter to get around on. If you are a couple and will be hiring a scooter for both of you, then look at around 200,000 VND a day on average.
When I hired my scooter in Da Nang, I hired it for 5 days. This also allowed me to get a bit of a discount, as the longer you hire it, the cheaper it is. So a hire that would have normally cost close to 200,000 VND a day worked out closer to 150,000 VND a day. This was for a scooter that easily carried two people.
If you are going to be traveling long distance, for example through the Hai Van Pass, then you might want to get a larger, more comfortable bike than just a scooter for getting around locally.
Do you need a license to ride a scooter in Vietnam?
DISCLAIMER – I am not an authority of the laws in Vietnam, and they can change at any time. I have found that there is a lot of different information, no matter where you look. This section is from my own personal experience ONLY.
I found this to be a really grey area when hiring a scooter in Vietnam, but in reality its black and white.
Confused?
Here it is in a nutshell. Legally, you can only hire or ride a scooter in Da Nang, or Vietnam in general, if you hold a Vietnamese license. Now, this doesn’t help you if you are a tourist, does it?
You CAN legally ride a motorbike or scooter that is less than 50cc without a license. But who wants to ride a bike that small. Especially as a 6 foot something tall foreigner.
The good news is that it really doesn’t seem to matter.
You can hire a scooter in Da Nang, Sapa, Ninh Binh or pretty much anywhere in Vietnam without being asked for a local license. I’ve also never known of, heard of, or had any issue with police asking for a license either.
To make it easier, and take away a lot of the grey area when hiring and riding a scooter in Da Nang, make sure you have a motorcycle license from back home, and carry it with you. Authorities know that a tourist won’t have a local Vietnamese license, and what will concern them most on the road is that you know what you are doing.
The other thing that is a very good idea, is to have an International Driver’s Permit. This is like an extra piece of assurance in Vietnam that you won’t find yourself in hot water. In other parts of South East Asia, it’s actually a requirement (such as Indonesia), so having one is always a good idea if you travel.
Personally, I have both an Australian Driver’s and Rider’s license, as well as an Indonesian Driver’s and Rider’s license. I STILL carry and IDP with me all the time as well.
To get one, simply click on THIS LINK or the button below. You can also double check on the website if your IDP will be valid if issued from your home country.
ONE MORE THING that you should check and be aware of is if your travel insurance will cover you when riding a scooter in Da Nang or Vietnam. Most insurances will not cover you if you are not properly licensed, so it is worth keeping that in mind.
Best places to hire a scooter in Da Nang
I really shopped around for a good place to hire a scooter in Da Nang. There are a lot of shops that offer hires, but just like in every country, not all of them are reputable. Of the ones that are, there are still good and bad, and reviews go a long way to tell you who to trust and who not to.
Eventually I settled on two that I would be happy to hire from. Both had really good reviews and were trustworthy. So that was a big thing for me.
Another was what security options they had for hiring a scooter. Most places that you hire from in Da Nang will ask for you to leave your passport with them as a security deposit. Now, I don’t like giving my passport to anyone, and much preferred the option of leaving a cash deposit.
The place I hired from at Tuan Motorbikes Rental allowed me to do that. You can check them out easily through THIS LINK at Klook or THIS LINK at Traveloka. I highly recommend them, and I had nothing but a positive experience. I was hired and on the road literally within 5 minutes of walking into the shop!
The other place that was on my shortlist was Andy Motorbike Rentals, which can be found through GetYourGuide at THIS LINK.
Filling up your scooter
Filling up your scooter in Da Nang is actually very easy.
The general rule is that you should always return your scooter full, and you will be asked to do this. However, on every occasion that I’ve hired a scooter in Vietnam, it has always been nearly empty. I mean, to the point that we nearly have to push it to the gas station. So, I have no idea where the gas/petrol goes from the last person that returned the scooter!
There are a few really good, normal gas stations in Da Nang. I found the most central one was located at THIS LOCATION, and was really easy to use.
Simply ride in, and go directly to the bowser where the other scooters are. It was located on the right hand side when I was there. (see the pic) Just ask them to fill it up, and pay the attendant. With Cash. Simple!
Hints and Tips for riding in Vietnam
As with anything, there are some things that will make your experience riding in Vietnam easier. Most of them are common sense, but have to be pointed out if this is your first time riding a scooter in South East Asia.
- Expect the unexpected. At.all.times.
- Vietnamese drive on the right side of the road. Not the left – if you are from a country that drives on the left, be careful.
- Traffic in Vietnam is crazy. Always pull over for big trucks on the open road because they won’t care about you. Take your time and always let other traffic pass if you are unsure.
- Always wear a helmet and at the least have good shoes to protect your feet.
- Pedestrians will walk across the road in front of you without looking. Always be aware.
- Traffic will pull out of side streets without slowing down.
- Just because locals ride crazy, doesn’t mean YOU should.
- Wear sun protection on a scooter, particularly if riding long distances.
- At tourist locations, be aware of fake parking attendants trying to scam you.
- Stick to the speed limits, use common sense, and ride safely!
Make sure you have protection!
This is a big one and one that I take very seriously, as should every traveler.
Make sure you have good travel insurance. Simple as that.
Now, if you are riding a scooter in Da Nang or anywhere in Vietnam, you may not be covered if you have an accident. But there are some things you WILL be covered for, and you don’t want to take the risk.
The very best insurance that I’ve found is SafetyWing. They cover a lot more than any of the others, and give me a lot more peace of mind. Check out my full review at THIS LINK, or click the button below to go straight to their website.
Summary
Riding a scooter in Da Nang is a great way to get around the city, and see the sights in the surrounding countryside. Make sure to hire from someone reputable, and stay safe when on the roads.
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