Laos Vietnam
Laos 
VietnamLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Laos and Vietnam share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Vietnam
- Drive on the right amid dense scooter traffic.
- Helmets mandatory for all motorbike riders.
- 0.0% alcohol tolerance.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
What to see when you arrive in Vietnam
- the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay
- the old town of Hoi An
- the Cu Chi Tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City
- the rice terraces of Sapa
- the imperial city of Hue
Once you're driving in Vietnam
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
Vietnam only accepts International Driving Permits issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention; the 1949 Geneva IDP used by the US, Canada and Australia is NOT valid, so most Western tourists are technically unlicensed unless they hold a 1968 IDP plus their home licence. A 1968 IDP lets a tourist drive for up to 3 years (or until the home licence expires); stays of 3+ months require converting to a local Vietnamese licence.
Tolls & road charges
Expressways use BOT toll stations; cars pay roughly VND 150,000-200,000 (about USD 6-8) per 100km, and the three e-tag providers (VETC, ePass, VietMap) are now interoperable nationwide, though many booths still take cash. A rental car should ideally have an e-tag fitted, as some expressway lanes are becoming barrier-free electronic-only.
Parking in the cities
In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City use guarded paid lots (gui xe) at hotels, malls and street attendants who issue a ticket for a small fee; do not leave a car unattended on the street. Pavement and red-curb parking is routinely ticketed or clamped in the central districts.
Fines & camera enforcement
2025-2026 reforms raised fines sharply: phone use while driving is now VND 4-6 million, and extreme/reckless driving can reach VND 50 million (about USD 1,900); alcohol limit is effectively zero. Police can fine on the spot, and rental firms pass camera (phat nguoi) fines back to the renter's card.
If you have an accident
Stop immediately, do not move the vehicles, and call police on 113 (ambulance 115); leaving the scene of an injury crash is a serious offence. Wait for police to produce a report for your insurer/rental firm, and expect to be detained until fault is settled, especially in injury cases.
Driving in the capital
Both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are dominated by dense swarms of motorbikes that flow continuously and weave through gaps, so junctions rarely clear fully; cross and turn slowly and predictably and let bikes flow around you rather than stopping abruptly.
Sources: gov.uk · tollguru.com · globalpetrolprices.com · en.baochinhphu.vn