Hanoi is another of those capital cities that isn't actually the largest city in the country. In fact I believe Ho Chi Minh City (locally still referred to as Saigon) is also more well known in Vietnam as well as larger.As with most Vietnamese cities, the swarms of motorbikes are the first thing to greet you, unless you are arriving at the airport, in which case it's a crowd of taxi touts that you will need to get past first.

Getting from the airport

Every guide book warns that these touts are famous for their ability to allure you into their taxis and will try everything they can to convince you that your hotel is fully booked, take you to an alternative or just agree a fare to where you want to go but take you somewhere else . If you exit the terminal building you will find a number of taxi stands marked out with the fixed fares, which you can join the queue and hopefully get to where you want to go. The prices currently quoted are approx 360,000 dong, but will vary depending on the number of passengers. This is most likely your quickest option too as the journey into the city can take between 40 minutes and an hour.
 
There is also a shared minibus, for which the price I was quoted was a more reasonable 40,000 dong - although be careful of the fact the driver will be adamant they will drop you at your hotel, I would suggest heading for an alternative such as the station and then jump in a cab from there, otherwise you may just get caught up in the commission paying hotel saga.

The cheapest option, of course, is the public bus, although this may be difficult with more luggage than just a backpack. Costing just 7,000 dong, no 17 stops close to the Old Quarter and the more popular backpacker area, this is a bargain and surprisingly very easy, although it did take over an hour.

Seeing the city
 
Due to my luggage being lost by the airline, and going to Brunei instead (see my blog here for more on this), I was at the airport for about 3 hours before making my way into the city. Unfortunately I was then in the difficult position of potentially being left behind as the group I was joining would be departing in the morning with or without me. So, with no belongings I went in search of some toiletries and clothes.

There are very few shops outside of the Old Quarter area that sell western clothing, although obtaining toiletries was a easy task.
 
I wandered past Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum but it was closed, which was probably just as well as my time was limited before having to head for the group meeting, so I just hunted down a geocache instead.

Having been to Vietnam before I was prepared for the difficulty in crossing the road due to the numerous motor bikes. There are a lot more cars and trucks than I remember, which adds to the problem. It is still just a case of walking out into a space and just keep walking, whilst the moto's drive around you. Be brave!

Fortunately my bag arrived at the airport the following morning and due to peer pressure the leader had been forced to leave an hour or so later than planned. Therefore I managed to catch a taxi back from the airport and meet the group en route, thanks to the technology of mobile phones.