You can rent a motorbike in Vietnam without any paperwork, most places will just ask to hold a cash deposit or your passport as a deposit, however, I don’t recommend this option and would suggest leaving a cash deposit instead. These are some of the big motorbike rental companies in Vietnam:

• Tigit Motorbikes (pick up and drop off in Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat, Da Nang and Hanoi).
• Rentabike Vietnam (pick up and drop off in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi).
• Flamingo Travel (pick up and drop off in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An and Hanoi).
• Motorvina (can pick up and drop off anywhere in Vietnam)
• QT Motorbikes (for rentals in Ha Giang and Cao Bang).

The above companies are perfect for long-term and one-way rentals, however, if you are just looking for a motorbike to help you explore a destination for a few days, then I recommend arranging a rental via your accommodation as it will likely be cheaper and more convenient. A daily rental in Vietnam costs anywhere from 100 – 200k depending on the location and type of motorbike (for example it’s cheaper to rent a motorbike in Phong Nha than Da Nang).

Buying a Motorbike in Vietnam

Another popular option for those wanting to tour across Vietnam by motorbike is to purchase a motorbike in either Hanoi or Saigon and sell it when you reach the other end of the country. While this might seem cost-effective, be wary of buying an old motorbike (like a Honda Win, the typical backpacker motorbike) as the cost of repairs can quickly add up.

Aside from the quality of the motorbike, you must ensure that you buy a motorbike complete with its official blue card. A blue card is the proof of ownership of the motorbike and is valued like gold in Vietnam. If you don’t have the blue card you will not be able to resell and may struggle with things like putting the motorbike onto a train/bus/boat etc.

I recommend checking out these posts by Tigit and Vietnam Chronicles for tips on buying a motorbike as a backpacker as this is not something I have personally done. Here are some places to consider buying a motorbike:

• The backpacker areas of Saigon (Pham Ngu Lao) and Hanoi (Ngo Huyen)
• Facebook groups, like Vietnam Backpackers Travel and Sales or Motorbikes HCMC • Facebook Marketplace

• Chotot (Vietnamese version of Craigslist) *you will need to translate the website into English to use.