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Arriving at Noi Bai Airport
When you first arrive at Noi Bai Airport (airport code: HAN) you will get off the plane and head to immigration. Before you get into the immigration line you will first grab one of the arrival forms which you must fill out before anything. Then, you will head to the counter where they process your Visa application (you can apply for a Visa here). All you have to do is hand them your passport, your Visa application, and the arrivals form, and they will tell you to take a seat.
Once your Visa is ready, your name will be announced and your photo will pop up on the big screen above the Visa counter. You can then get your passport back and pay the processing fee which is 25 USD (as of November 2019). Then, you can get into the “all passengers” immigration line.
Getting through the immigration line was pretty quick and easy for us. The lady took a look at me, a look at my passport, gave it a quick stamp, and I was on my way!
Money Exchange and SIM Card
Once you get through immigration you’ll go downstairs and exit into the arrivals hall. If you’re wanting to exchange money and get a SIM card for your phone, there is a place where you can quickly and easily do both. When you exit into the arrivals hall, there is a yellow booth to the right just past the escalator. Super easy to find! And, the ladies here were super friendly and spoke great English.
We originally just stopped here to get an idea what the exchange rate would be but it was so close to the exact amount that we didn’t even bother checking anywhere else. I’ve heard that the exchange rates in the city (Hanoi) are much better and that the rates at the airport are quite horrible, but I don’t see how that could be true. Just save yourself the time and hassle and exchange your cash when you arrive.
We were also able to get our SIM card at this same booth. They had multiple plans available for multiple different carriers. We went with a Viettel 7-day data plan and it only cost us about 9 USD. You can get plans from different carriers for even less but I had heard great things about Viettel so I went with them. You can also get plans with talk/text and data but we figured we wouldn’t have a need for that.
Once you pay for the plan, they will switch out your SIM card for you and your data should work pretty much instantly.
ATMs at Noi Bai Airport
You will have no problem finding an ATM at the airport (there are least five that I can think of just at the end of the arrivals hall to the right). However, keep in mind that most of the ATMs will only let you withdraw 2,000,000 VND at a time (about 86 USD). Even though many have the option to withdraw more, it (typically) will deny the transaction if you try.
Drinks and Food at Noi Bai Airport
There are so many options to choose from at Noi Bai. They even have quite a few American options like Burger King and Popeyes! There are multiple Vietnamese restaurants, bars & lounges, and cafes. Even though eating at the airport isn’t as cheap as it would be if you’d wait until you get to Hanoi, it still was much cheaper than “typical” airport prices.
Transportation to Hanoi
While you can go straight outside and get in the first taxi you see, I wouldn’t suggest it. We booked a taxi for a set amount ahead of time at the same booth where we exchanged money and got our SIM cards! Yep, they provide transportation services as well!
While I have heard that you can ask any regular taxi driver to agree on a set price before you get in, I didn’t find that to be true. They will just tell you that it is metered and that they don’t know how much it will be. You can ask for an estimate, but, that estimate can turn out to be not even close to the real amount in the end. Don’t trust it. Save yourself the trouble and book a taxi inside from the booth! You tell them where you’re going, they will tell you how much, and then they take you straight to a car once you pay.
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Don’t forget to check out these other posts:
- Places to Visit in Hanoi, Vietnam
- Hiking Mua Caves in Ninh Binh, Vietnam
- Ninh Binh, Vietnam Travel Guide
- Photos That Will Inspire You to Visit Northern Vietnam
- Some of The Best Airbnb’s Around the World
