In Southeast Asia, you NEED a motorbike! There’s really no better way to get around. It’s definitely one of my favorite things about living on this side of the world. Every time we move, Jake searches for an hour or two on Facebook and Google until we find the cheapest place. In Hanoi, we found the cheapest and best motorbike rental in Hanoi with great reviews, which made our choice easy!
But first, why do we care about finding the cheapest motorbike in Hanoi? Because the quality of the bike doesn’t really matter.
We’ve always gone with the cheapest and yes, we push the limits of those 125cc bikes. Sometimes even 150ccs if we’re lucky, but it makes it.
And if it doesn’t? You’re in luck. Flat tire? It only cost us $1.50 to get it fixed. There’s no point in getting insurance on these bikes (if they do offer that to you) because fixing them is SO DANG CHEAP.
The Best Motorbike Rental in Hanoi
So now that’s out of the way, where’s the cheapest rental in Hanoi? The rental company Phung Motorbike!
They have motorbikes and motorcycles for sale, the best scooter rentals in Hanoi, and they also are great at fixing bikes. You can find reviews and contact them on their Facebook page before heading in to rent a motorbike from them.
How Much Does It Cost?
The prices vary depending on how long you rent! It is going to cost more to rent more short-term than if you rent long-term like monthly.
With a long-term rental (we rented monthly) it costs 1 million dong per month or about $43 to rent a motorbike in Hanoi.
This is the perfect solution if you are living in Hanoi! But of course, a monthly motorbike lease is going to cost less than if we paid daily.
They have a website if you are interested in buying a bike or renting a motorcycle or scooter and you want to see the prices on different kinds of motorbikes ahead of time.
They change the rates depending on whether you plan on taking the bike outside of Hanoi, how powerful the motorbike is, and whether it’s automatic, semi-automatic, or manual.
This page on their site shows the different prices.
The rental price includes 2 helmets (which all rentals across Southeast Asia include, so don’t pay extra for that!)
What They Require to Rent
Every rental place will need you to either leave a deposit of a certain amount of money or leave a passport. Some people get nervous about giving their passports, but we’ve never had a problem.
Some motorcycle rentals in Hanoi will accept a driver’s license, but you don’t want to give yours if you plan to be driving.
Which brings us to the last note on this post: Is this legal?
Side Note About the Law and Driving Licenses
Technically speaking, no this is not legal unless you have a Motorcycle License from the country you are from. On top of that, you would need an International Driver’s License (which you can get from AAA for about $35).
However, it’s pointless. Some countries like Thailand and Indonesia have cops that look out specifically for tourists because they want to make money off you.
They will pull you over and expect you to pay them a small bribe. Never pay more than $10 and less if you can get away with it!
I am not condoning this, but when Jake and I are in those countries and the cops are on foot, we just pretend we don’t see them and keep going. We’ve avoided at least 10 tickets just because they can’t do anything and they’re corrupt anyways.
Another Reason Vietnam is Awesome
The cops in Vietnam have NEVER pulled us over! There are cops out and we just drive past them when they are doing “cop stops”.
They never seem to target us here. So it’s a lot less stressful than Bali or Chiang Mai where we received multiple “tickets.”
So even if it’s not legal, the worst that could happen is that you get a ticket that costs like a tenth of what you’d pay in a first-world country! It’s never really bothered us besides getting a little irritated when the corruption is so obvious.
So Go Rent a Motorbike in Hanoi, Vietnam!
Seriously, renting a bike is a blast! Just going from our house to the store becomes an adventure when we are in Asia all because of our adorable little bike! We even met some people at this shop who were renting or buying motorcycles to drive all the way from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City!
We have been on quite a few motorbike trips through Vietnam from Da Nang to Hoi An, Mai Chau to Pu Luong, Hanoi to Ninh Binh, and then Hanoi to Halong Bay! And for all of them, we used a motorbike rental!
But please be careful, in fact, go read this post about the 11 rules to follow so you don’t die on a scooter in Bali. I wrote it for Bali when we lived there, but the rules apply to all of Southeast Asia! Riding a motorbike in Vietnam can be dangerous. Make sure to go slow and be careful and it can be the best part of your trip!
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Dayna Brockbank is a travel and language-learning blogger who has lived around the world but has now settled in Nice, France. She speaks 3 languages at varying levels of fluency: Spanish, Italian, and French, and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Spanish Education. She and her husband focus on making travel part of life by living cheaply and traveling on a budget.
Ducivan
Friday 24th of April 2020
To drive a motorbike in Vietnam legally, just one license (home license or international license) is not enough, you should get one more paper called IDP (international driving permit).
admin
Friday 8th of May 2020
The IDP isn't enough unless you already have a motorcycle license in the US as well and most people don't have that. I was never pulled over in Vietnam in any city that we lived in though. It's not legal, but things are just done differently there and you can rent a motorbike without an IDP or a motorcycle license. Just make sure to wear a helmet and drive carefully! Enjoy your trip! (:
nguyentu
Thursday 27th of February 2020
It is great
Nguyen Tu
Tuesday 29th of October 2019
It is great