HCM airport taxi departure road toll

We didn't pay toll fee but the driver. We just paid the metered amount when trip finished.
It's Mailinh Taxi. Vinasun is expensive than Mailinh, plus drivers too rash and negligent driving.

I paid the fares from airport to hotel last year, but the cabbie insisted I have to pay the road toll on top, which he paid out of his pocket at the airport's gate. I saw him paid the toll, but not sure if it's included in the fares or, if not, how much. Coming back to Vietnam next week, hates getting swindled again.

I think we need a clarification from taxi management.
I don't think drivers will pay from their pocket    (Yeah, they should pay the toll fee but may be can reimburse it from their company)
Whenever we use airport taxi, we just pay the metered fare.

It's 10,000 dong and you pay it on top of the meter in every taxi unless you use UBER or a car service.

Sometimes I've been charged, sometimes not, I only take Vinasun bc one time a MaiLin drove me in a zig zag from the ferry.

Like all questions here, people have had different experiences.
Likewise, all rules and laws in Vietnam are interpreted and enforced inconsistently. There is no absolute! Part of the charm of the place. Learn to find the humor in it and enjoy your life more - a free New Year's resolution for everyone!

10,000 dong. Definitely got swindled last year, knows better this time around .... thanks. They have Uber in HCM? How's the service like?

I aslo have to pay road toll for driver. Its 15.000 d. Normally, drivers will add road toll with fee of taxi.

Yeah uber is great here I use it all the time, the cars are always nice and drivers have all been lovely. Yeah I think your taxi defernatily made a nice profit off you last time.

Based on a conversation that I had with an English speaking Vinasun driver, I think they are making about 20 million a month which is very good for native Vietnamese.  However they rent their taxis 24 on/24 off so it is not an easy life.  As long as they are not taking you the long way around, you shouldn't begrudge them the airport and bridge tolls.  If you watch carefully, you can see the fares at the toll booth.

it's 15.000 vnd and you have to pay it on top of the fare.
Fyi the fare from TSN airport to district 1 is 150-200.000 vnd depending on the traffic.
I read in a newspaper an article written by an expat that the fare is about 80.000vnd but it's bullshit, not by taxi, maybe by xe om

Uber in HCMC - Good and reliable

Well, TKNash, I've come out of there about ten times now, and I've never given the stop at the box another thought.  However, as the other respondent stated, I always insist on either Mai Linh or VinaSun.  During each of those trips, all I've ever paid is what the meter read, and since it's always the same stop, the fare is always about the same.  If you give them the address, and then tell them it's near the corner of xxxxx and xxxxx, they'll think you know Saigon, and will avoid taking you on a possible city tour before getting you to your destination.  It works for me every time.

I'm a Singaporean and stationed in Saigon for almost 8 years.

Throughout these years, I have never really bother about the taxi fares in Vietnam. And I normally goes for either MaiLinh or Vinasun (like most of you guys do).

Recently, one of my friends (a German who travels between Singapore and HCMC on business) begged me to make comparisons of the taxi fares. He assured me that the fare here is even higher than that in Singapore (of the same distance travelled). I accepted his idea and decided to do it on my next trip.

On my recent trip to Singapore (just 3 weeks ago), I travelled from my house to Changi Airport. And you know in Singapore, all taxis provide electronic printed receipt for every trip performed. The distance covered was 16.8 km, fare was SGD 15.30 (equivalent to VND 238,000). Time take 22 mins.

On arrival in TSN airport, I took a MaiLinh taxi to my house in Q7 PMH. The distance covered was 13.8 km, fare was VND 280,000 (including airport toll of VND 10,000). Time taken 65 mins.

Imagine, 3 km lesser but VND 40,000 more expensive. Not to mention 43 mins longer. Wonder how the authorities here justify the differences, especially when comparing with another country whose standards of living are far more higher than here.

My personal conclusion is - the taxis in Vietnam have very low flag-down fare (ranging from VND 9,000 ~ 12,000). However, most of these taxi drivers (if not all) have taken the liberty to modify their meter to "jump" the fare exponentially. Definitely not in line with the guidelines laid by the taxi companies (which I'm sure were approved by the authorities). Hence, the end fare upon reaching our destinations were very much higher.

Nowadays, I prefer using GrabCar since most of the cars are fairly new, clean and no foul smell in the cabin. Price is almost the same as taxi, and you don't have to worry if the driver will take you for a ride.

HCassidy:  Your conclusions about fares in HCMC are based on flawed assumptions.  The metered fare is based on a simple distance/time algorithm.  The time for your HCM trip almost tripled Singapore.  If you arrived at TSN after midnight when there is little traffic, your fare would have been much lower. 

MaiLinh and VinaSun drivers do not own their cabs but rent them 24 on/24 off from the company so meter tampering would be risky, particularly since another driver would be in the cab later.  This is an advantage for the big companies.

That said, a few years back, before I married, a VinaSun driver took my wife and I to the airport from ThuDuc by going through Q2, an almost laughable route.  Either he thought she was Viet Kieu or he detected a regional accent.  When we got out, we gave him the usual fare, not what was on the meter.   This was the only such incident I have experienced.  I have had downtown based drivers get a little lost going to outer districts but I am sure it was innocent, as they were asking us for directions.

As far as I knew, the taxis here have very negligible fare "jump" when the car is in stationary mode. Hence, irregardless of the traffic conditions - heavy or light.

Yes, I know most taxi drivers shared the taxi with their partner(s), and its usually 24-hours ON, 24-hours OFF. And every driver welcomes the modified meter since it will help them to earn more fares. Don't you think so? Who will bother to complain at some thing that puts them in winning positions?

According to one of my friends (a Viet Kieu) whose relative was a former Vinasun driver shared that it is so easy and convenient (risk-free too) for every cab to modify their meter.

Anyway, it is also up to individuals to sum it up.

Yep. Only 10K to get out of the airport. Only take Vinasun or the green cab.

Looks like the taxi grind took it's toll on both a visiting Japanese businessman and the cabbie that drew his (f)ire...

Biz-Ninja  -vs- "Oops, I missed it again" Cabbie

The last time I was there I paid 10K vnd, but that was a few years ago.

HCassidy wrote:

I'm a Singaporean and stationed in Saigon for almost 8 years.

Throughout these years, I have never really bother about the taxi fares in Vietnam. And I normally goes for either MaiLinh or Vinasun (like most of you guys do).

Recently, one of my friends (a German who travels between Singapore and HCMC on business) begged me to make comparisons of the taxi fares. He assured me that the fare here is even higher than that in Singapore (of the same distance travelled). I accepted his idea and decided to do it on my next trip.

On my recent trip to Singapore (just 3 weeks ago), I travelled from my house to Changi Airport. And you know in Singapore, all taxis provide electronic printed receipt for every trip performed. The distance covered was 16.8 km, fare was SGD 15.30 (equivalent to VND 238,000). Time take 22 mins.

On arrival in TSN airport, I took a MaiLinh taxi to my house in Q7 PMH. The distance covered was 13.8 km, fare was VND 280,000 (including airport toll of VND 10,000). Time taken 65 mins.

Imagine, 3 km lesser but VND 40,000 more expensive. Not to mention 43 mins longer. Wonder how the authorities here justify the differences, especially when comparing with another country whose standards of living are far more higher than here.

My personal conclusion is - the taxis in Vietnam have very low flag-down fare (ranging from VND 9,000 ~ 12,000). However, most of these taxi drivers (if not all) have taken the liberty to modify their meter to "jump" the fare exponentially. Definitely not in line with the guidelines laid by the taxi companies (which I'm sure were approved by the authorities). Hence, the end fare upon reaching our destinations were very much higher.

Nowadays, I prefer using GrabCar since most of the cars are fairly new, clean and no foul smell in the cabin. Price is almost the same as taxi, and you don't have to worry if the driver will take you for a ride.

I agree on this, despite not metering and comparing as detailled. If in the western world same profit margins would applied, 99% of all companies would close.
Considering a much less tax, lower salary.... profit margins are more than horrendous. That includesost business sectors

Unless you are in a hurry, taking a bus is also a good option.

Hi, normally is plus 10,000 on top to the fare show on the meter

I just use Uber few times in Vietnam, but is good and realible. Except uber you can use vinasun taxi app to call a taxi, then all route is recorded, and the taxi driver will be more careful. But if you are came out from airport, it is not applicable, as they need you to show a vinasun member card to call a taxi. So you can consider to call a uber taxi, but I not sure they can go in to the airport or not.