Travel Vietnam By Motorbike – A Complete Guide To Stay Within Budget

You can’t wait to kick start your summer with a wonderful motorbike trip through breathtaking natural landscapes in Vietnam? But the plan-making process isn’t going smoothly and you’re stuck at calculating your budget for the trip?

As you’re no genius at Math, those numbers and plus and minus are a real pain in the neck! Your enthusiasm and determination also go down in flames until you have nothing left…

The end of the story!

Just kidding! That you’re terrible at numbers doesn’t mean you must stay at home for the rest of your life. If you are hopeless at Math, let me do the calculations for you and your work is to enjoy your road trip to the fullest! How convenient it is!

As I’m a Vietnamese and living here for 20+ years of my life and also a motorbike traveler, I know exactly how much you are expected to pay to travel to Vietnam by motorbike.

Take time to read through my article and come up with the most suitable traveling budget for yourself!

Motorbike Costs

You can’t literally go on a Vietnam motorbike trip without a bike, right? That leaves you with two obvious options – renting or buying a motorbike.

For short traveling trips, let’s say – under 1 month, it’s advisable to rent a motorbike with a price of around $10 per day for automatic or semi-automatic models. If you aim for bigger and stronger bikes, prepare to pay a little bit more. For example, a HONDA XR150L may cost $25/day while you have to pay $100/day if renting a HUSQVARNA FC450 (the fixed price of BM Travel Adventure – a travel company in Hanoi). The terrains you want to ride through will decide the type of motorbike as well as the amount of money you will spend.

On the other hand, if you stay in Vietnam for over one month, for any purpose such as working, studying, and traveling, consider purchasing a motorbike as it’ll save a considerable amount of money in the long run. However, the cost may hurt your wallet a little bit depending on which models you choose.

Renting a bike

If you opt for this option, put your trust and money on reputable motorbike rental in Vietnam. Two unmistakable features of professional and reliable rental services are 1. They are flexible with arranging pick-up and drop-off locations around the country and 2. The paperwork is simple and clear, with no hidden scams and frauds.

Before receiving the bike, you need to place a deposit or leave some of your identity papers behind to the bike rental companies. Remember to have a careful check on the motorbike and notify its owner on the spot if something goes wrong.

Due to high demand and a competitive market, now traveling to Vietnam by motorbike is as available and effortless as never before. Personally, I highly recommend BM Travel Adventure.

Buying a bike

A used motorbike, with a price of only $200, can be found if you spend time scouring through backpacker areas in big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh or some online travel forums.

However, get ready to pay for maintenance costs and put up with all the hassle and safety risks during your trip. With a poor-maintained bike, the matter of its breaking down halfway or wheezing like an 85-year-old man is only sooner or later!

Thus, I advise spilling out a little more cash on a well-built and high-quality motorbike from well-known vendors like Yamaha or Honda. Think about all the expenses you can save in the long term!

Accommodation ($5-20 Per Day)

Next comes the second important factor on your motorbike trip, accommodation. One tip to save money is to pair up with another traveler so the cost can be divided in half. More people means cheaper prices in everything!

Here are some suggestions and their estimated expenses.

Guesthouses and hostels

These options are most suitable for those motorcyclists fond of exploring off-the-beaten-path roads. They can be found all over the country, even in remote areas, and are a great value for money. The prices start from $9-18 for a double/ triple/ quadruple room.

Also, there are a big number of hostels for backpackers, providing separate beds in a dormitory-like room with $5-8 per night. Don’t expect much from this type of accommodation at that price range.

Homestays

This accommodation type is gaining more popularity in recent years, attracting thousands of visitors keen on discovering local lifestyles.

Homestays offer a spacious open space to immerse with nature and a peaceful atmosphere to escape from the city noise, making it a more favorable choice than guesthouses or hostels.

Camping

There’s no doubt this is the most money-saving option on this list as all you need is your tent and a place to camp!

Camping seems to be ideal in remote areas with nothing but grass and sand. It’s also a useful lesson to test your survival abilities in the wild. However, camping by yourself in Vietnam is not 100% safe and the availability of designated campsites isn’t guaranteed.

Hotels and resorts

This option is dedicated to mid-range and luxury travelers. You are expected to pay at least $20 for a night at some gorgeous resorts in most of Vietnam’s famous attractions. But it’s worth trying as the services are satisfying and why don’t you treat yourself like a king/queen even for one day after all hardships on the road?

Fuel ($2-5 Per Day)

Despite its fluctuation and changes like the weather, a full tank of fuel rarely exceeds $5 for most of the motorbike models.

How much do you spend on having your tank fueled? It depends on two factors – distance and type of bike.

Traveling to Vietnam by motorbike requires you to have a proper vehicle which can cover the distance of up to 300 km a day with a standard 3-5 liter fuel tank.

Food & Drink ($7 – 11 Per Day)

Vietnam is considered one of the cheapest countries when it comes to food and drink. If you want to include local foods for most of your meals (it’s an awesome experience with mouth-watering dishes by the way), it won’t cost you more than $2 for each. For a generous lunch or dinner, plus tea or coffee, the price is only $2 or $3, surprisingly affordable compared to other expensive countries in Southeast Asia.

Stay Within Budget Is Not Impossible In Vietnam!

Now you can have an overview of what major types of expenses you need to cover.

Traveling to Vietnam by motorbike with an idea of your estimated budget not only prevents you from overspending but also takes the burden of money off your chest to enjoy the trip to its fullest!