"Taking a sightseeing tour of Hanoi by bicycle brings special pleasures to visitors. There is nothing like the hustles and bustles you see in other cities. There are not many places for entertainment, but a lot of ancient and quiet beauties which require deep knowledge of history and culture to understand,” said Robert Elliott, an Australian visitor. 

Taking a bike on the plane...

Most airlines will accept a bike as part of your total luggage allowance - i.e. your bags plus the bike should not exceed the luggage allowance. This varies with the airline and the route; as a general rule the limit is 20kg, but the exact amount is shown on your ticket. A boxed bike typically weighs about 16kg, which does not leave much space for your luggage.

Bikes should be boxed for air travel in order to prevent damage and some airlines will not carry bikes that are not properly boxed. Most good bike shops will box your bike for you so if you are going to have your bike serviced before the tour it may be a good idea to have the shop box it too.

We cannot be held responsible for any excess baggage charge, and some airlines, especially in the US, have a fixed charge for taking bikes, regardless of the weight. 

Biking trips stories

"Trans-viet bike tours, a new tourist attraction"

By Le Van Sam, Vietnam News

Ho Chi Minh City - Two groups of European tourists, mostly from France and Belgium, took part in two trans-Vietnam bicycles tours, with the 36 participants blazing a new trail in Vietnam’s burgeoning tourist industry.

The tours were organised jointly by Belgium’s Southeast New Adventure (S.E.N.A.) and the Vietnam Yang Travel Agency (VYTA), a branch of the Railway Tourist Company.

The cyclists, the oldest being 65, were all bicycle enthusiasts, and many of them had conquered the world’s highest mountainous ranges.

The first group left HCMC on January 8, first going to the tourist resort of Dalat on the central highlands, where they visited some of the beautiful landscapes which the region has to offer.

From Dalat, through the Ngoan Muc (Belle-vue) pass they went to Phan Rang coastal region where they visited many towers built by the Champa. The following day the group travelled to Nga Trang City, visiting Dr.Yersin’s tomb and the Oceanographic Institute. Along the central coast of Vietnam, the tourists stopped to visit many scenic areas and historical vestiges before arriving in the old imperial city from HCMC.

Under the program, the tourists stopped for rest after every 100 kilometres of cycling usually at cities or busy towns.

From Hue, after enjoying a pleasure cruise on the Huong (Perfume) River and visiting the tombs and shrines of the kings of Vietnam, the tourists went by train to Hanoi and then Ha Long Bay.

Some of the group had decide to stay to take part in the "Return to Dien Bien" trip. Mr. Hendrick Marcel, director of the Southeast New Adventures, the man who was frequently at the head of the cyclists group, said: "This will be the best chance for us to test our strengths at the 1,050 metre high Pha-Din pass. We cycled through many passes in the world but at the speed of tourists. Moreover, Dien Bien is so well-known and we want to come there to prepare for our cycling tour to Dien Bien by the end of this year."

The cycling group which left HCMC in February had a chance to welcome the Lunar New ‘s Eve on Sa Huynh beach, in Central Vietnam. They ate rice cakes, set off fire crackers and sang the Vietnamese song "Spring in the city", which the guide Ms.Le Hang had taught them.

On the first day of the New Year, the group left for Quang Ngai on their bicycles which were now decorated with apricot flowers made by paper or nylon. On the way the group was stopped by some locals who presented them with real apricot flowers.

One cyclist, Christian, was overcome by the warmth and kindness of the local people. He kissed the flowers, parked his bike and then ran back to the group, allowing each one to kiss the flowers in turn.

Cucurni Rene, a musician, was so moved by the scenery that he, his wife and other members of the group composed songs. Each of them was about various localities the group had passed through. The group learnt the songs quickly and sang them as they cycled along.

The following is the final part of a song about Ha long:
"Vietnam les cyclos ne sont plus que tourists"
"Vietnam les cyclos sont bien sur un peu trists"
"Vietnam le p’tit train les emporte vers Ha Long et ils n’auront plus le plaisir des pistes qui faisant tres sauter leur trefound."

There were also poems composed by other cyclists. Mrs.Martinne wrote "Le Vietnam and Le Hang" and Mr.Hendrick Marcel wrote "Doux visage du Vietnam".

All the 36 participants of the two journey had the same remark: "The more we travel through regions in Vietnam, the more we have close friends. We meet sincere eyes and smiles on our ways. Besides, Vietnam is a treasure of culture difficult to be found again in other regions." This remark was made by writer Lemenceau J.Claud on behalf of the two groups.