5 ways to travel on April 30 to avoid airfare

Avoiding expensive airfares, tourists can still have economical holidays such as going nearby, changing means of transportation, and buying cheap foreign tours.

According to a survey by VnExpress, more than a month before the April 30-May 1 holiday, airfares for some domestic routes such as Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi, Hanoi - Phu Quoc, Hanoi - Quy Nhon are 1.5 times higher than normal days. High airfares make many tourists reconsider their travel plans during the holiday.

Mr. Nguyen Thuan, a tour guide working at a travel agency in Ho Chi Minh City, said there are many ways to plan a budget trip without having to "have a headache calculating" airfare. Below are some suggestions from Mr. Thuan for tourists to refer to when planning their trip before the holidays.

Travel within 100 km

While a round-trip flight ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi costs around 4 million VND, tourists can spend this money on nearby travel within a radius of 100 km with many options.

100-200 km from Ho Chi Minh City, there are many tourist destinations worth experiencing such as the West, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Phan Thiet. In addition, there are many tourist destinations close to nature such as Nam Cat Tien National Park, Bu Gia Map Forest, Chua Chan Mountain, Tri An Lake, Dau Tieng Lake. Tourists can travel to these locations by personal vehicle or bus with a cost of only a few hundred thousand VND.

Tourists trekking in Nam Cat Tien forest. Photo: Le Ngoc Que Chi

From Hanoi, tourists also have many options for nearby travel with a budget of about 5 million VND per person. For a day trip or 2 days 1 night, you can choose to go to Ninh Binh, Tam Dao. Beach tourist destinations on the occasion of April 30th also have nice weather and are nearby, including Hai Phong, Ha Long, Lan Ha, Sam Son. With a 4-day 3-night or 3-day 2-night itinerary, tourists can spend a day in Hai Phong to experience a food tour, then move to Cat Ba or Lan Ha island to relax. If you want to relax in a secluded forest and mountain space, Pu Luong is also a suitable destination.

Book foreign tours under 15 million VND

The cost of domestic airfare during the holidays increases, plus food and accommodation, a Hanoi - Phu Quoc tour can cost up to more than 10 million VND per person. This price is equivalent to a package tour to Thailand for 6 days and 5 nights. From Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, tourists have many options to book a tour to Thailand in the price range of 7 to 10 million VND. The usual destinations are Bangkok, Nong Nooch, Pattaya.

Vietnamese tourists take a package tour to Thailand, departing from Hanoi for 8 million VND. Photo: Phuong Lan

Other tours in Asia priced under 15 million VND include the Taiwan tour. The 5-day, 4-night Hanoi - Taipei - Kaohsiung - Taichung itinerary, departing on April 30, costs about 14.9 million VND. Some Chinese tours also cost between 10 and 15 million VND. Tourists can refer to the Kunming - Shilin - Laping - Yuanyang tour, departing from Hanoi, priced at 11 million VND; the Hekou - Pingbian - Jianshui - Mongzi tour, flying from Hanoi, priced at 8.9 million VND.

Some cheaper road tours, around 5 million VND, include the Mong Cai - Nanning - Dong Hung tour, departing from Vinh, priced at 4.2 million VND; the Ha Khau - Mong Tu - Kien Thuy - Binh Bien tour, departing from Hanoi, priced at 4.9 million VND.

Train travel

When airfares increase, travelers can switch to another means of transport: trains. Currently, booking train tickets is much easier with a dedicated app, or booking through e-wallets, travel sections. Local train routes all have tickets for the April 30-May 1 holiday. Only the Thong Nhat train route to Saigon - Hanoi and Hanoi - Saigon has not yet opened for ticket sales for the holiday at the end of April. Tickets are expected to be released after March 15, according to information from Hanoi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company.

Railway section passing through dragon fruit fields, Binh Thuan. Photo: Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company - Saigonrailways.

The advantage of traveling by train on long routes is that visitors have the opportunity to slowly admire the scenery along the way. Ticket prices are "softer" than plane tickets during the holidays. On average, the price of a soft seat ticket on the Saigon - Hanoi route ranges from 895,000 VND to 915,000 VND. The price of a sleeper ticket is about 1.1 million VND to 1.6 million VND. However, for long distances, traveling by train will not save time like traveling by plane.

Self drive

Many people choose to use their own vehicles or rent a car to save on travel costs. This option is suitable for trips under 1,000 km. Driving yourself allows tourists to be proactive about their schedule and travel route. However, the driver needs to be familiar with the roads, have experience driving long distances, or have someone take turns driving.

Vietnamese tourists drive their own cars on the Mui Ne - Bau Trang route, Binh Thuan. Photo: Dinh Thuan

In case of renting a self-driving car, tourists need to pay attention to carefully checking the vehicle before starting the journey. When receiving the car, you need to record and take pictures of the car's condition to avoid disputes when returning the car. Discuss with the car owner about the documents, rental contract, and insurance. You should rent a day in advance to get acquainted with the new car. Determine the destination and choose the driving route in advance to avoid going on prohibited roads.

City tour

After the pandemic, the trend of traveling in the place where you live has not shown any signs of slowing down. This form of tourism is also known as staycation. People living in big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City can experience this type of tourism during the holidays if they do not have to travel far.

To start a staycation, visitors need to book a room in the city, they can choose a hotel, homestay or serviced apartment. Changing accommodation gives visitors the feeling of a real trip. The staycation schedule usually lasts 1 day 1 night or 2 days 1 night. Activities that can be considered are visiting attractions in the city, dining at a restaurant, participating in a workshop. The staycation helps visitors save almost all of their travel expenses.

(According to 24h, March 19, 2024)

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