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 Saigon City tourism and travel
information such as accommodation,
festivals, transport, maps,
activities and attractions in Ho Chi
Minh City .The best Thanh Pho Ho Chi
Minh travel tips, reviews and
photos, posted by real travelers.
Research, plan and book your Thanh
Pho Saigon vacation
Saigon City (Vietnamese: Thành
Phố Hồ Chí Minh), commonly known as
Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn) or by
the abbreviation HCMC, is the
largest city in Vietnam and the
former capital of the Republic of
Vietnam (South Vietnam).
Afternoon
siesta, near Ben Thanh Market
Following the Fall of Saigon in
1975, Saigon was renamed Saigon
City. However the old Saigon moniker
is still used by both Vietnamese and
foreigners, especially when
referring to the most central part
of the city, to which most tourists
flock.
The helpful, Tourist Information
Center (4G 4H Le Loi St, District 1.
Tel (84-8) 822 6033) can be found on
the northeast corner of the
roundabout at the intersection of Le
Loi and Nguyen Hue, right in the
heart of the city. It's a great
place to pick up a free map (which
includes a map of Hanoi, as well)
and get an idea of what the city and
surrounding area has to offer.
 Get in
By plane
Tan Son Nhat (Tân Sơn Nhất) (IATA:
SGN | ICAO: VVTS) is Vietnam's
largest international airport. There
are two terminals: the new
international terminal, which took
over all international flights from
September 2nd 2007, and the old
terminal, which will be reserved for
domestic traffic. Immigration is
notoriously strict and can be time
consuming, but if your papers are in
order you should be fine. Note that
the all-white departure cards are
only for those without the 'yellow
paper' received upon arrival. The
recently introduced No. 152 air-con
airport bus is the cheapest way into
the city, and will drop you off on
the west side of the Pham Ngu Lao
area, or at the bus terminal on the
south side of the Ben Thanh Market
roundabout. The price was recently
increased to 3000 dong. Upon exiting
the airport, turn right and walk
towards the domestic airport, about
5 minutes walk, in front of the
airport across a small road you will
see the bus waiting there. Taxi
drivers may tell you there are no
more airport buses- ignore them.
 Taxis from the airport to the city
center would take as little as 15
minutes in lighter traffic (which
only happens between 11:00 am and
4:00 pm). This should cost no more
than 80,000VND. The more typical
experience is to creep along in
near-standstill traffic for 30
minutes or more, at a cost of about
120,000VND to 150,000VND from
district 1, inclusive of airport
tax. A company called Sasco has the
airport taxi concession, and their
cars are the first you will see by
the curb. They are OK, just a bit
more expensive than rivals such as
Vinasun, Vinataxi, and Mai Linh,
which can be found waiting in
abundance 50 meters away, further
out into the parking lot. Whichever
taxi you choose, make sure the
driver uses the meter. Major taxi
companies are fairly honest, but if
you want to avoid all stress, you
could simply buy a "Taxi coupon" at
one of the counter after the custom
declaration & x-ray at international
airport terminal. Budget Car Rental
has recently become the first
international car rental company in
Vietnam. They offer English speaking
drivers and new model vehicles at
affordable prices. You can find them
just outside customs decleration
next to the taxi stands. The black
VIP taxi (Vinasun, Mai Linh) will
give you premium service with better
Lexus car at higher rate. These
maybe unnecessary expenses for a
short trip to the hotel.
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