PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY VISITORS TO HANOI

So far there have been many tourists being cheated  so that this is very good information for travelers to avoid the troubles when you are traveling in Hanoi or in Vietnam. This information is written by my experiences and some travelers who had been cheated. You should take a look and print it out to bring with you while traveling in Vietnam!

1)  In Hanoi be careful with some motorbikes, taxi, and van drivers and even Airport Taxi/Van.. They sometimes play a little game with the tourists: They ask you where your hotel is. But they will take you to another hotel and have someone standing on the hotel step with the (fake) same card as our hotel and then they say we are full, and then they take you to a different hotel and they receive a commission from that other hotel for bringing them a guest. So please be careful. If you have any problems or questions, please contact us by phone and we can pick you up for free anywhere in Hanoi.

2)  Some airport taxi drivers like to play a little game when it comes to taking you to a hotel. They want hotels to pay them a commission. If the driver claims that place is full or whatever excuse, don't believe what driver is telling you.

3)  A few tips about Hanoi travel: We want to protect customers from scam artists who operate at the airport. A few taxi drivers will claim that your hotel is full and that they must take you to a different hotel. This is untrue. However, if you prefer to come to our hotel independently, remember to be careful. We want all our customers to enjoy their stay! 
Best of luck planning your trip!

@ Problem 1  
There is not enough information available to first time travelers to Ha Noi either on Vietnam Airlines or at Noibai airport. Thus, travelers are not aware of their options for getting to Hanoi from the airport, what such a trip should cost, and who are reliable drivers.

* Solution 1
Brochures with this information in many languages can be printed and put in seat pockets of all Vietnam Airlines planes; these brochures should also be made readily available at the airport.

@ Problem 2
Frequently visitors have trouble finding legitimate transportation from Noibai International Airport to their hotel in Ha Noi. Sometimes they are driven by minibus drivers who promise to take them to a specific address in Ha Noi. However, instead of being delivered to the requested hotel they are delivered to a different hotel where the bus driver has friends. They are frequently then overcharged at this hotel.

* Solution 2 
Travelers to Vietnam should be warned in advance or at the airport not to depend on either the airport driver or hotel staff that he recommends. In addition it should be a requirement that the street signs be pointed out to the traveler by the bus driver so that the traveler knows whether s/he is being delivered to the correct hotel.

@ Problem 3
Another problem arising for travelers from Noi bai is that the price quoted for transportation from the airport normally includes the road tax. However, upon arrival, travelers are charged for the road tax again.

* Solution 3
Travelers should be made aware by information available at the airport of standard prices for transportation and the fact that these prices already include the road tax.

@ Problem 4
Travelers are frequently led to foreign currency exchange venues by airport bus drivers. At these exchanges they are given a poor exchange rate, e.g., 10,000 VD for $1 USD rather than the standard 15,700 VD. In addition the driver receives a commission from the foreign exchange seller.

* Solution 4
Travelers should be encouraged to exchange money at the airport or at foreign exchange sellers recommended by legitimate hotel owners.

@ Problem 5
The first person a visitor meets is frequently the boy selling postcards. These sellers frequently cheat the visitor either by overcharging for the cards or by asking for VD 5,000 but extracting VD 50,000 from the confused traveler.

* Solution 5
Travelers should be encouraged to purchase cards, maps and other such items from bookshops rather than street vendors.

@ Problem 6
Even enterprising visitors who find a hotel on their own frequently find that a person claiming a commission has followed them to the hotel.

* Solution 6
The receptionist should ask travelers whether such a person helped them to obtain lodgings or not.

@ Problem 7
Travelers are frequently sold tickets by travel agencies for tours of local sites. They are frequently promised small group tours and good train seats. After paying, they find that either the tour does not exist at all or that there are very many people on the tour, that the quality is very bad and that they have paid for good train seats but received inferior ones.

* Solution 7
Once they are in a legitimate hotel, travelers should be able to rely on hotel staff to advise them on tour agencies that are reliable and honest. In addition, it may be better to charge for the tour after it has been taken in order to guarantee that the visitor is satisfied with its value.

@ Problem 8
Tourists are prey to pickpockets when they travel to the market.

* Solution 8
Tourists should be advised to leave their valuables and extra money in the hotel safe.

New tricks of Taxi drivers 
from Hanoi airport to down town

Please have look at problem 1, 2, 3, 4 above about the taxi and mini bus drivers and the following are some of their new tricks.

@ Problem 1 
At the lobby in the airport you will meet some young men who have many business cards of hotels in Hanoi. If they know the hotel you are going to they will show you the card of that hotel and lie you the he is its staff.

* Solution 1
Brochures with this information in many languages can be printed and put in seat pockets of all Vietnam Airlines planes; these brochures should also be made readily available at the airport.

@ Problem 2
There is not enough information available to first time travelers to Ha Noi either on Vietnam Airlines or at Noibai airport. Thus, travelers are not aware of their options for getting to Hanoi from the airport, what such a trip should cost, and who are reliable drivers.

* Solution 2

Brochures with this information in many languages can be printed and put in seat pockets of all Vietnam Airlines planes; these brochures should also be made readily available at the airport.

@ Problem 3

There is not enough information available to first time travelers to Ha Noi either on Vietnam Airlines or at Noibai airport. Thus, travelers are not aware of their options for getting to Hanoi from the airport, what such a trip should cost, and who are reliable drivers.

* Solution 3
Brochures with this information in many languages can be printed and put in seat pockets of all Vietnam Airlines planes; these brochures should also be made readily available at the airport.

@ Problem 4
There is not enough information available to first time travelers to Ha Noi either on Vietnam Airlines or at Noibai airport. Thus, travelers are not aware of their options for getting to Hanoi from the airport, what such a trip should cost, and who are reliable drivers.

* Solution 4

Brochures with this information in many languages can be printed and put in seat pockets of all Vietnam Airlines planes; these brochures should also be made readily available at the airport.

@ Problem 5
There is not enough information available to first time travelers to Ha Noi either on Vietnam Airlines or at Noibai airport. Thus, travelers are not aware of their options for getting to Hanoi from the airport, what such a trip should cost, and who are reliable drivers.

* Solution 5