Transportation in Vietnam is improving rapidly in terms of both quantity and quality. Road traffic is growing rapidly but the major roads are dangerous and slow to travel on due to outdated design and an inappropriate traffic mix. In recent years, the construction of expressways has accelerated. Air travel is also important for long-distance travel. The two major metropolises of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City operate metro networks which are currently being expanded. Like most of the other ASEAN member states, Vietnam has historically under invested in public transit.

Road transport

The total length of the Vietnamese road system is about 570.448 km (2018) (including three main systems: 21,109 km of national highways managed by the central government; 583 km of expressways already in operation, not including expressways under construction that will be put into operation in the near future; and 548,756 km of local roads: 26,953 km of urban roads, 28,911 km of provincial roads, and 492,892 km of rural roads) and over 28,000 bridges of various sizes. The road transport infrastructure assets in Vietnam currently handle approximately 90% of passenger transport and 70% of freight transport within the entire national transport system. The road network is relatively well developed, but in poor condition. Due to congestion and lack of safety, the average speed on the national roads is a mere .

Road financing comes from a number of sources including the government, overseas donors such as the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, JBIC and business organizations. Road investment recovery is mainly through tolls collected on bridges and roads, in accordance with laws mentioned above.

Vietnam's road system is classified according to the administrative hierarchy. Each classification is assigned a milestone color and abbreviation.

National roads (, abbreviated QL) are administered by the central government. They are marked by white milestones with red tops. On direction signs, they were historically denoted by white on blue markers, but since 2015 are denoted by black on white markers. Expressways or freeways (, CT) are denoted by black on yellow markers on direction signs. Guide signs along expressways are green, in contrast to the blue guide signs along surface roads. Provincial roads ( or , TL or ĐT) are managed by provinces. They are marked by white milestones with blue or green tops. On direction signs, they are denoted by black on white markers. District roads ( or , HL or ĐH) are managed by rural districts. They are marked by white milestones with brown tops. Commune roads (, ĐX) are managed by communes. Urban roads (, ĐĐT) are managed by cities and towns. Certain service roads (, ĐCD) may be marked by white milestones with yellow tops.

National roads National Route 1: Huu Nghi Quan Border Gate (Lạng Sơn) – Cà Mau province National Route 1B: Lạng Sơn – Thái Nguyên National Route 1C: Khánh Hòa National Route 1D: Gia Lai – Đắk Lắk National Route 1K: Đồng Nai – Ho Chi Minh City National Route 2: Hanoi – Tuyên Quang (border checkpoint Thanh Thuy) National Route 2B: Phú Thọ National Route 2C: Hanoi – Tuyên Quang National Route 2D: Tuyên Quang – Phú Thọ National Route 3: Hanoi – Cao Bằng (border checkpoint Ta Lung) National Route 3B: Tuyên Quang – Lạng Sơn National Route 3C: Thái Nguyên National Route 3E: Lạng Sơn National Route 4 (Ring road 1): 4A (Lạng Sơn – Cao Bằng), 4B (Quảng Ninh – Lạng Sơn), 4C (Tuyên Quang - Cao Bằng), 4D (Lào Cai – Lai Châu), 4H (Điện Biên) National Route 4E: Lào Cai National Route 4G: Sơn La National Route 4I: Điện Biên - Lai Châu National Route 5: Hanoi – Haiphong National Route 5C: Haiphong (Đình Vũ - Lạch Huyện) National Route 6: Hanoi – Điện Biên National Route 6B: Sơn La (Thuận Châu – Quỳnh Nhai) National Route 7: Nghệ An National Route 7B: Nghệ An (Diễn Châu – Thanh Chương) National Route 8A: Hà Tĩnh (Hồng Lĩnh – Cầu Treo) National Route 8B: Hà Tĩnh (Hồng Lĩnh – Nghi Xuân) National Route 9: Quảng Trị National Route 9A: Quảng Trị (Đông Hà – Lao Bảo) National Route 9B: Quảng Trị (Đồng Hới – Lệ Thủy) National Route 9C: Quảng Trị (Đông Hà) National Route 9D: Quảng Trị (Hiền Lương – Của Việt) National Route 9E: Quảng Trị National Route 9G: Quảng Trị (Bố Trạch) National Route 10: Quảng Ninh – Thanh Hóa National Route 12: Lai Châu (border checkpoint Ma Lu Thang) – Điện Biên National Route 12A: Quảng Bình National Route 12B: Ninh Bình – Hòa Bình National Route 12C: Hà Tĩnh – Quảng Trị National Route 13: Ho Chi Minh City – Đồng Nai (border checkpoint Hoa Lư) National Route 14A: Quảng Trị – Đồng Nai National Route 14B: Da Nang National Route 14C: Gia Lai – Lâm Đồng National Route 14D: Da Nang (Thạnh Mỹ – Đắk Tôi, Nam Giang) National Route 14E: Da Nang National Route 14G: Da Nang National Route 14H: Da Nang (Hội An – Nông Sơn) National Route 15: Phú Thọ – Quảng Trị National Route 15B: Hà Tĩnh (Can Lộc – Cẩm Xuyên) National Route 15C: Thanh Hóa (Bá Thước – Mường Lát) National Route 15D: Quảng Trị (Đa Krông) National Route 16: Quảng Trị (Đồng Hới – Bố Trạch) National Route 17: Hanoi – Thái Nguyên National Route 17B: Quảng Ninh – Haiphong National Route 18: Hanoi – Quảng Ninh (border checkpoint Mong Cai) National Route 18C: Quảng Ninh (Bình Liêu – Tiên Yên) National Route 19A: Gia Lai National Route 19B: Gia Lai (Nhơn Hội – Phú Phong) National Route 19C: Gia Lai – Đắk Lắk National Route 20: Đồng Nai – Lâm Đồng National Route 21: Hanoi – Ninh Bình National Route 21B: Hanoi – Ninh Bình National Route 21C: Hanoi – Ninh Bình National Route 22A: Ho Chi Minh City – Tây Ninh (border checkpoint Moc Bai) National Route 22B: Tây Ninh National Route 23: Hanoi – Phú Thọ National Route 24: Quảng Ngãi National Route 24B: Quảng Ngãi (Bình Sơn – Ba Tơ) National Route 24C: Quảng Ngãi (Bình Sơn – Bắc Trà My) National Route 25: Đắk Lắk – Gia Lai National Route 26: Khánh Hòa – Đắk Lắk National Route 26B: Khánh Hòa National Route 27: Đắk Lắk – Khánh Hòa National Route 27B: Khánh Hòa National Route 27C: Khánh Hòa – Lâm Đồng National Route 28: Bình Thuận – Đắk Nông province National Route 28B: Bình Thuận – Lâm Đồng National Route 29: Đắk Lắk province National Route 30: Đồng Tháp National Route 31: Lạng Sơn – Bắc Ninh National Route 32: Hanoi – Lai Châu National Route 32B: Phú Thọ – Sơn La National Route 32C: Phú Thọ – Lào Cai National Route 34: Cao Bằng – Tuyên Quang National Route 34B: Cao Bằng National Route 35: Ninh Bình National Route 36: Nghệ An – Thanh Hóa National Route 37: Hưng Yên – Sơn La National Route 37B: Hưng Yên – Ninh Bình National Route 37C: Nam Định province – Phú Thọ National Route 38: Bắc Ninh – Ninh Bình National Route 38B: Haiphong – Ninh Bình National Route 39: Hưng Yên province National Route 39B: Hưng Yên – Ninh Binh National Route 40: Quảng Ngãi National Route 40B: Da Nang – Quảng Ngãi National Route 43: Sơn La National Route 45: Ninh Bình – Thanh Hóa National Route 46: Nghệ An National Route 46B: Nghệ An National Route 46C: Nghệ An National Route 47: Thanh Hóa National Route 47B: Thanh Hóa National Route 47C: Thanh Hóa National Route 48: Nghệ An National Route 48B: Nghệ An (Quỳnh Lưu) National Route 48C: Nghệ An (Tương Dương) National Route 48D: Nghệ An National Route 48E: Nghệ An National Route 49: Huế National Route 49B: Quảng Trị – Huế National Route 49C: Quảng Trị National Route 50: Ho Chi Minh City – Đồng Tháp National Route 51: Đồng Nai – Ho Chi Minh City National Route 52: Ho Chi Minh City – Đồng Nai National Route 53: Vĩnh Long National Route 54: Đồng Tháp – Vĩnh Long National Route 55: Ho Chi Minh City – Lâm Đồng National Route 55B: Lâm Đồng (Tánh Linh – Hàm Tân) National Route 56: Ho Chi Minh City – Đồng Nai National Route 56B: Đồng Nai – Tây Ninh National Route 57: Vĩnh Long National Route 57B: Vĩnh Long National Route 57C: Vĩnh Long National Route 60: Đồng Tháp – Cần Thơ National Route 61: Cần Thơ – An Giang National Route 61B: Cần Thơ National Route 61C: Cần Thơ National Route 62: Tây Ninh National Route 63: An Giang – Cà Mau National Route 70: Phú Thọ – Lào Cai National Route 70B: Phú Thọ National Route 71: Hà Tĩnh National Route 80: Vĩnh Long – An Giang National Route 80B: Đồng Tháp - An Giang National Route 91: Cần Thơ – An Giang National Route 91B: Cần Thơ – Cà Mau National Route 91C: An Giang National Route 100: Lai Châu National Route 217: Thanh Hóa National Route 217B: Thanh Hóa National Route 279: Quảng Ninh – Điện Biên (border checkpoint Tay Trang) National Route 279D: Lai Châu – Sơn La National Route 280: Tuyên Quang National Route 281: Hà Tĩnh National Route N1: Long An – Kiên Giang National Route N2: Bình Dương – Kiên Giang Ho Chi Minh Highway: Cao Bằng – Cà Mau Quan Lo – Phung Hiep Highway: Hậu Giang – Cà Mau

Expressways

Expressways are a rather new concept for Vietnam. Traffic is growing rapidly but the major roads are dangerous due to inappropriate design and an inappropriate traffic mix. Expressways would solve these problems along the key corridors, by separating high speed traffic from slower, local traffic.

Vietnam currently recognizes two classes of expressway. Both have a minimum of two lanes in each direction, but Class A has grade separated interchanges, while Class B has at-grade intersections. There are 4 design-speed categories: 60, 80, 100 and 120 km/h. Generally all cars, buses and trucks are permitted on the expressway but công nông (agricultural vehicles) and all types of motorcycles are not.

Road vehicles Motorbikes Vietnam is renowned for its motorbike culture. In 1995, over 90% of trips in both Hanoi and Saigon were done by motorcycle. In 2017, 79% of Vietnamese reported using a motorbike regularly. With 45 million registered motorbikes on a 92 million population headcount, Vietnam has one of the highest motorbike ownership rates worldwide. Vietnam is the 4th largest market for motorbike sales, after China, India and Indonesia. 87% of Vietnamese households own a motorbike, a number only surpassed by Thailand.

One of the reasons for the extensive use of motorbikes is lack of investment in public transportation. In recent years, the government has expressed the desire to reduce the number of motorbikes in an effort to curb congestion.

Cars As of 2015, 2 million passenger cars were registered.

Car prices are kept high by import taxes and sales tax, which put Vietnam as one of the most expensive countries to buy a car, with up to 2 or 3 times the final price consisting of taxes and fees. In 2016, a Lexus LX was priced at 7.3 billion VND (US$315,000), a Toyota Innova at 800 million VND (US$35,000), Despite this, car sales are growing at double digit rates each year.

Water transport Ferries

Most river crossings have long been replaced by bridges, however ferry crossings still operate for vehicles not allowed on expressways.

Cat Lai ferry, between Ho Chi Minh City and Long Thanh, crossing the Đồng Nai River. Between Ho Chi Minh City and Vũng Tàu, a high-speed passenger ferry service is available.

Ports and harbors Cam Ranh – large deep water port used by Marco Polo during his voyages to China; formerly a major military facility for the U.S. Army and US Navy during the 1960s; later used by the Soviet Navy and the Vietnamese Navy Da Nang – Tien Sa seaport is the third largest sea port in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong; handles 3-4 million tons of cargo annually Hai Phong Ho Chi Minh City – Saigon Port Hong Gai Qui Nhơn Nha Trang Nghi Son (Thanh Hóa) Son Duong (Hà Tĩnh) Dung Quất (Quảng Ngãi) Vũng Tàu

Vietnam has 17,702 km of waterways; 5,000 km of which are navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft.

Merchant marine Total: 579 ships (1,000 GT or over) Ships by type: barge 1, bulk 142, cargo 335, chemical tanker 23, container 19, liquified gas 7, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 48, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 Registered in other countries: 86 (Cambodia 1, Kiribati 2, Mongolia 33, Panama 43, Taiwan 1, Tuvalu 6) (2010)

Air transport