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Driving yourself to go home for Tet is the choice of many people during the Lunar New Year. This not only helps manage time better but also brings unique experiences, especially for those who decide to drive hundreds or thousands of kilometers to go home with their families.
In addition to maintaining good health and spirits, driving across Vietnam also requires certain expenses. Below are the costs to prepare for a cross-country trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, spanning nearly 1,700 km.
Fuel Costs
Fuel is the first factor to consider when it comes to car and motorcycle trips. Depending on the type of vehicle, the fuel costs can range from a few tens of thousands to a few hundred thousand dong.
Mr. Vu Ngoc Bach, who just completed a cross-country trip in 11 days, shared that the cost of refueling his VinFast Lux A2.0 car from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi is about 2 million dong. If using smaller engine models, the costs will be lower, and vice versa.
Gas prices may vary by region, but the difference is insignificant, only about a few hundred dong per liter. For example, RON 95-V gasoline in Ho Chi Minh City is priced at 22,700 dong per liter, while in regions like Khanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Nghe An, the price of RON 95-V gasoline is 23,150 dong per liter.
Toll and Road Costs
Unlike motorcycles, cars and other motorized vehicles must pay additional fees when passing through toll booths on national highways or expressways. Depending on the chosen route, toll and road fees can vary.
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The optimal route from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi passes through 18 toll booths, with a total cost of 955,000 dong.
If you want to save on this expense, you can choose routes that avoid toll booths, most map applications already have this feature.
It’s worth noting that routes that avoid toll booths are usually longer, which means the travel time will be longer as well.
Food and Rest Costs
After a continuous period of driving, it’s necessary for the driver to stop and have a meal to regain energy, making driving safer. If you eat a regular meal, the rest stops along the national highways or expressways can meet your needs with the cost of about 100,000 dong per person. However, if you choose to eat at specialty restaurants in each region, the cost will increase.
When traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, if you go at a leisurely pace, you will need to stop and stay overnight at least once. At this time, there will be additional costs for accommodations. Depending on the region and type of lodging service, the cost for one night’s stay can range from a few hundred thousand dong to tens of millions of dong.
Additional Expenses
In addition to the mentioned costs, a cross-country trip also requires a certain amount of money set aside for unexpected expenses during the trip.
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For vehicles, the most common additional expense is related to tire damage, as the road conditions may cause punctures or damage to the sidewall when hitting foreign objects. In most cases, a punctured tire can be repaired and continue to be used, but if the sidewall is severely damaged, a new tire must be replaced, and the cost varies proportionally with the tire size and rim.
In addition, other additional expenses during the trip may include parking fees, experiencing various services at rest stops, medical expenses, etc.
To ensure safety, it’s recommended not to carry too much cash and instead use debit or credit cards. Most stores in major urban areas accept non-cash payments.
Therefore, the cost for a “homecoming trip for Tet” from south to north will be at least 4 million dong and will be higher if there are additional expenses along the way. To optimize costs, it is advisable to adhere to the speed limits on each road segment, while also paying attention to other potential violations such as driving in the wrong lane, improper parking, or disregarding traffic signals.
Recommended Books to Read in the Car
The “Xe” section offers readers interesting books on various topics. During long journeys in cars, it’s not uncommon to have moments of rest and relaxation, and books can be a fascinating companion.
8-Day Road Trip Across Vietnam Before Tet – Vintage British Car Convoy
The vintage car convoy from the United Kingdom, organized by the Global Rally Organisation (GRO), traversed several provinces and cities in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands before proceeding to Myanmar.
