Experience To Rent Motorbike In Hung Yen

If you are planning on renting a motorbike in Hanoi then this is a must read. Full of pros and cons the outcome be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Somebody experienced the good, bad and the ugly after  motorbike rental in Hanoi in a few different provinces. Save yourself the danger and the expense by being fully prepared before hand by reading our experience here. Where to rent motorbike in Hanoi?

Should you rent a motorbike in Hanoi?

Don’t take this question too lightly. If you are not an experienced rider and want to ride around just for fun then be very careful. Exhaust pipe burns, scraped skin and hospital visits are not fun.

Yes, the traffic in Hanoi is not as busy as in Ho Chi Minh City or Danang but riding here is still a challenge. It is even more challenging when it is wet, windy or when the roads are extra busy during national holidays.

The cost of motorbike taxis or even regular taxis are quite cheap so maybe you are better off letting someone else do the driving.

In the event of an accident your insurance may not cover you unless you are licensed to ride in Vietnam, some insurance companies consider motorbike riding an adventure sport and don’t cover it.

Tips Motorbike Rental Hanoi

How to rent a motorbike in Hanoi?

When you rent a bike in Hanoi you will need to provide your passport or for longer term rentals a copy of your passport. Most rental places will accept payment when you return the bike after your ride. Read More: Location map motorbike rental in Hanoi

Best Company Rental Motorbik In Hanoi

In most cases the rental place will not provide you with any paperwork, no contract / agreement and no registration for the bike. This could be a problem if you are stopped by the police which is very unlikely unless you have an accident.

Also note that most places will not ask for a driving licence, most foreigners in Vietnam are unlicensed but this is changing as getting a license is getting easier. If you plan to be here for more than a few months, get a licence.

The automatic motorbike is the easiest to handle, better to ride in metropolitan areas, and suitable for beginner drivers. The manual requires hand and feet coordination. And big engine bikes are for experienced riders only and suitable for the rugged roads in the countryside.

How to ride a motorbike in Hanoi?

All you need to know before you start to ride a motorbike or car in Vietnam.

But carefully! Regardless of how experienced you are, riding in Hanoi takes a bit of getting used to. Use some common sense and learn how the locals use the road.

There are SO many motorbikes zipping around that you have to walk slowly but surely, allowing the motorbikers to (hopefully) dodge around you. If you stand around waiting for them to stop for pedestrians to cross, you’ll be waiting a long time.

Traffic law is practically non-existent. It’s not that scary once you get the hang of it, but you might want to get a feel for how it works before setting off on your own.

Follow closely behind someone who looks like they know what they’re doing

The Vietnamese will carry an entire house (plus their three children and dog) on the back of their bikes if they can. You will amaze at how they don’t tip over.

What Are Hanoi Motorbikes Rental Requirements?

It you want to rent a motorbike in Hanoi, some rental companies ask for your passport while others don’t. We’ve noticed that shops located along the main touristy roads seem adamant about handing over your passport. It seems as though the smaller businesses on the less traveled side streets are more accepting to a passport photocopy or a cash deposit instead. To rent a motorbike in Hanoi, you need two things:

• Passport
• Cash

For motorbike rental, there are different procedures depending on the rental shop and the length of the rental. If you stay in a hotel and rent a motorbike from the hotel for a few days, the hotel will not require a deposit. If you rent directly from a rental shop, you need to give your passport to the owner until you return the motorbike or deposit an amount of money (from 1.5 million VND to 3 million VND). Leaving a passport with a shop while you travel the whole country is not ideal, so an alternative can be suggested. Often rental shops will accept a different form of valid identification or even a copy of the passport.

Or sometimes a rental company could ask for the hotel that you are staying in.

You won’t like it and you definitely shouldn’t, but in most cases, you will have to leave your passport at the motorbike rental.

Regarding payments, you almost always pay in cash and upfront. Most motorcycle companies don’t ask to see proof of a driver’s license. You can drive away from their shop without toppling over or crashing into something or someone.

Safety Inspection and Checks

Before you set off, make sure you give a thorough check of the motorbike. The company will usually go over the bike and make a list of any dents, scratches and damage it might already have which you will be asked to witness.  Pay attention when this is done as the contracts you are about to sign says that you hired the bike in prime condition. If it comes back with any additional marks you will be charged for this and be careful some companies motorbike rental Hanoi make alot of extra income this way.

Here are things you should check for.

1) Inspect the bike for existing damage and take photo’s on your phone

2) Sit on the bike and bounce up and down – make sure the suspension is working

3) See if the mirrors adjust and you can see behind you.  Thai drivers hardly ever use their mirrors – but you do!

4) Ride the bike and check for size comfort (your knees should not be forced to stick out)

5) Ride the bike and test the brakes (some bikes have rear and front, some combined – know what you have)

6) Check the acceleration – sometimes you will need to get out of the way of some idiot quickly

7) Opt for bikes with thicker tires – thin tires and gravel will be your No one reason for an accident

8) Helmet – Get as good as you can and wear it.  Seriously wear it – I know some people don’t but think of your mother!

How much? – Motorbike Rental Hanoi price

The company will usually charge per 24 hours. When you rent for a day. the price you pay will vary depending on where you are, whether the bike is older or new, and an automatic or a manual one. In some places, you may have a discount for a weekly rental, most will for a monthly hire term.

Rental Scooter In Hanoi

If you intend to hire this motorbike for a long time (over a week), make sure you have a good deal with the company. (especially in peak seasons insist on a daily rate for how many days you hire)

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Budget is about 120.000 to 200.000 VND per day or 800.000 to 1.200.000 VND for monthly rental. It depends on your motorbike preference.

Note that motorbikes rental prices in popular tourist destinations in Hanoi are higher compared to less touristy areas. If you plan to rent a scooter in Phuket, I recommend getting a bigger Motorbikes than 50cc.

I recommend renting a scooter from a scooter rental that looks trustworthy. Renting a scooter from your hotel is a good option although it will cost you more. But as we’re talking about a few dollars difference, it is a less risky option than to rent from a business that looks suspicious.

Some places for Hanoi Motorbike Rental

It is not difficult to rent a motorbike in Hanoi or any other Vietnam city. There are several variants:

small hotels and hotels.

specialized points.

other variants.

You can hardly walk around any (especially central) street without noticing a dozen rental places where you’ll be gladly helped to hire a scooter.

If you are staying at a small hotel you’ll probably be told about such nearest places at the reception. They even can bring you a bike or something to the hotel as hotel owners often have contracts with the owners of motor transport.

If they don’t provide such a service, it’s enough to walk along the second and the third lines of Nha Trang (the first line where big hotels are situated is near the sea).

One more method of hiring motor transport in Hanoi is getting in touch with the foreigners living there a long time and running some bike rental business. We’d advise you to turn to our good acquaintances – guys from the Moto Vietnam and they not only will help you to choose a good and suitable bike but will also give you some recommendations and several bike riding lessons.

There are some places motorbike rental in Hanoi. But I recommend these fews stores as the quality of motorbikes are quite good and easy to find:

Motorbike Rental Van Chinh
Add: 24D Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. (Old Quater)
Tel: 0989595533

Cong Tan Motorbike
Add: 110 Nguyen Van Cu, Long Bien District, Hanoi.
Tel: 0857255868

Phung Motorbike
Add: 37 Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Tel: 0857255868

Rentabike

6b Tam Thuong (lane by 38 Hang Bong Street), Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Tel: (0904) 392423 (Thu)

Viet Motor

Add:  55 Trinh Cong Son, Nhat Tan, Tay Ho, Hanoi (near the Water park in West Lake).

Tel: +84369986789

General Maintenance

From the moment you take off from the rental motorbike lot, you’ll be seeing Vietnam in a whole new way. You can now take the scenic route through the rice paddies! While enjoying your new found freedom, keep these general maintenance tips in mind:

Rental Motorbikes In Hanoi

Gas

Ask your motorbike rental company how much your motorbike should cost to fuel up in Vietnam. When running low on gas, find a reputable gas station with a metered gas pump and pull up to the attendant. They will first ask you how much money you would like to spend. You can either provide an amount or ask them to fill the tank up entirely. Either way, just make sure you end up paying the amount shown on the pump.

Oil

Ask your rental motorbike agency how often you should change the oil for your particular bike in Vietnam. Most bikes require an oil change every 500 to 1,000 kilometres. Changing the oil should cost 100,000 VND (4.35 USD).

Chain Tension

Ask for a chain tension inspection every 800 kilometres, and tightening costs between 20,000 to 25,000 VND (around 1 USD).

Air

Ask to check your tyre pressure at the same time you check your oil. Keep in mind that few places actually test the tyre pressure. It is common for them to be dangerously over-inflated. Pressure gauges are cheap and easy to obtain. So it’s best to ensure the tyres are inflated to the PSI written on the sidewall of your motorbike.

How to drive a scooter or Motorbikes in Vietnam?

Traffic in Vietnam is an organised chaos. It seems terrifying and busy, but it has a couple of rules worth following.

Observe other drivers first. Take a motorcycle tour, or a motorcycle taxi, and watch what the driver does and how Vietnamese people survive on the roads.

Always wear your helmet. You will see that everyone in Vietnam has them. The ones that you will get at the rental shop are cheap and not very well made. You can buy better ones at authorised dealers.

Drive slowly. Start from around 30 km/h and try to keep some distance between you and the other bikes.

Always stick to the right side.

When changing lanes, look in the mirrors and behind your shoulder.

Beep, beep and beep at everyone, especially at intersections and roundabouts, and when you overtake other vehicles. This is a warning sign for others, so they don’t turn, or change lanes, suddenly.

Remember that the person, who drives out from a side street into a main street has a priority, so many people don’t look around when they join the traffic.

Be aware of other cars driving on other lanes. Look at the arrows on the road if you are driving on a road with three lanes. Many times people driving on the left lane are allowed to turn right at the very last moment.

It is illegal to drive in Vietnam without a valid driving license, but it’s Vietnam… So, carry your international driving license with you or around 500,000 VND to ‘pay’ your fine when caught by police. I heard that if you talk to them in French they will let you go as no one speaks it in Vietnam. Try it out and see if it works. Good luck!