Air

HCMC's Tan Son Nhat International Airport is a 20 minute journey from the city centre and is well serviced by taxis (should cost no more than 60,000 dong). Take a bus from the airport to centrally located Ben Thanh market, from there Pham Ngu Lao is a 5 minute walk. Taking a Xe Om is only recommended with small amounts of luggage -- to take one, stroll past the enthusiastic taxi drivers to the terminal gate. The trip should cost 15-20,000 dong.

International departure tax at Tan Son nhat is now incorporated into the ticket price, so you don't need to save a wad of US cash to get out of the country. The new international terminal at the same location will be finished sometime in 2007, leaving the current building for domestic flights only. Vietnam Airways covers domestic routes with reasonably priced and regular flights to Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue, and Phu Quoc amongst others -- the only other domestic carrier is Pacific Airways who fly Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi 7 times daily and Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang once a day.

Ho Chi Minh City is well connected to SE Asia with competitive prices to Singapore (Tiger Airways, Singapore Air, Vietnam Airways, Garuda Indonesia), Bangkok (THAI, Vietnam Airways, Lufthansa) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysian Airlines, Vietnam Airways). You can also fly to Laos, Vientiane (Vietnam Airways), and Cambodia, Siam Reap (Vietnam Airways). Domestic carriers of the following countries, along with VN airways, connect to Ho Chi Minh City -- Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, Australia, the US and Europe. Vietnam Airways flies to Paris direct, but the majority of European routes will involve a transfer in Bangkok.

Train

Saigon train station or Ga Sai Gon is tucked away in District 3 -- 1 Nguyen Thong St. Tickets can be purchased from the station itself or for a couple of dollars more from the travel agents on Pham Ngu Lao St. It's best to book in advance to ensure your spot, especially if you're travelling on the weekend. Trains run north-south, with 5 trains daily departing for Hanoi.

Trains on the HCM-Hanoi line will stop along the way in Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang and other smaller provincial cities. Prices depend on the type of train (express/slow) and the type of berth (hard/soft sleeper, aircon/fan, bottom or top bunk), but to journey the length of the country costs no more than $35. Some approximate times are as follows:

Saigon - Hanoi: 36 hours, $35
Saigon - Hue: 22 hours, $25
Saigon - Da Nang (for Hoi An): 17 hours, $20

Worth mentioning is the new express service to Nha Trang reducing the journey from 12 hours to 7 ($10), and the recently resumed Phan Thiet train which leaves daily at 07:30 (4 hours, $4). Check www.vr.com.vn/english for detailed timetables and prices. The train station is only a short distance from the city centre, about 10 minutes by taxi.

Bus

There are three main bus stations, or Ben Xe, in Saigon. The Central Station is directly opposite Ben Thanh market in District 1 -- these buses serve the city and it's various districts. Cholon Station (86 Trang Tu St, District 5, T:  (08) 854 8832 ) serves cities in the Mekong Delta such as Can Tho and Chau Doc. Mien Dong Station (Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Binh Thanh District,  (08) 898 4893 ) provides buses to anywhere north -- Dalat, Nha Trang, Da Nang and so on. Some buses only leave when full.

From Ben Thanh station, take number 26 or 19 to Mein Dong (5:00 to 20:00.), or number 1 or 56 to to Cholon Station (5:00 to 21:00).

Selected departure details from Mien Dong Station include:

Nha Trang 06:00-21:00, 110,000 dong, 11 hours, 27 times a day.
Dalat: Runs 24 hours, 76,000 dong, 7 hours, 30 times a day
Danang: 06:00-17:00, 215,000 dong, 26 hours, 14 times a day
Hue: 06:30-12:00, 240,000 dong, 29 hours, 9 times a day
Hanoi: 3 times a day, 380,000, 49 hours, 08:00, 17:00, 20:00

An easier, better organised, and slightly more expensive alternative is to take the tourist buses from Sinh Cafe (246 De Tham St, District 1, T:  (08) 837 6833 ). Open tour buses (jump on-jump off) run a variety of routes:

Saigon - Dalat - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue (one way) $16
Saigon - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue (one way) $14
Saigon - Mui Ne - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue $16
Hue - Hanoi (one way) $9

There are also direct routes including:

Saigon - Dalat $4
Saigon - Nha Trang $5
Saigon - Mui Ne $3.75

Departures are from De Tham St early in the morning. You can also connect to Phnom Penh with Sinh Cafe's daily bus (08:45, $12, arriving at 16:00)

Also worth checking out is the Mai Linh Taxi Company who run small, air con vans across the country and to Cambodia. Check their website at www.mailinhcorporation.com.vnor visit their office at 211 Pham Ngu Lao St, District 1.

Boat

The journey from Bach Dang Wharf at the end of Nguyen Hue St to the southern city of Vung Tau takes only an hour via the hydrofoil service. The boat departs six times daily starting from 06:00, the last return trip being at 16:00. A ticket costs 120,000 VND ($7.50). See www.vinaexpress.com.vn/englishfor details.

Trips to the Mekong Delta can be arranged through a travel agency. Tours range from a day trip to a 5 day 4 night extravaganza. It is also possible to get to Phnom Penh by boat but you must first travel to Chau Doc -- there are no public boats from Saigon to Chau Doc.

Other

Travel Agencies
There are plenty of travel agencies who organise tours out of Saigon. Here is a selection:

Saigon Tourist - Government run agency (49 Le Thanh Ton St, District 1, T:  (08) 829 8129 )
Sinhbalo - Specialises in customised trips to the Mekong Delta and Central Highlands including cycling trips (283/80 Pham Ngu Lao St, District 1, T:  (08) 837 6766 ).
Sinh Cafe - Budget tour agency (248 De Tham St, District 1, T:  (08) 836 7338 )

Scour the streets of Pham Ngu Lao and De Tham to find many more.

Getting Around

By far the best way to navigate Ho Chi Minh City is by motorbike. Xe Om or Honda Om drivers reside on every street corner waiting for their next customer, or victim, depending on your point of view. A short ride should cost between 5,000 and 10,000 VND -- only pay 15,000-20,000 for a cross-city journey. If entrusting your life to one of these guys isn't too appealing, rent your own bike -- they aren't hard to find (around Pham Ngu Lao) and should cost around US$4 a day. Always park the bike in a parking space serviced by attendants -- they are easy to find and cost 2,000 dong. Most restaurants and shops have a security guard who tends the bike for free.

Taxis are a safer method of getting around, and usually drivers are reliable and the fares cheap ($1-5). Make sure you have the address of where you're going written down because pronouncing street names correctly can be tricky. All taxis are metered, starting at around 12,000 dong.

Mai Linh Taxi Company -  (08) 822 6666
Vina Taxi -  (08) 811 1111
Saigon Taxi -  (08) 842 4242

If time isn't a factor try a ride in a cyclo. Most remaining cyclo drivers work with tourists and speak a little English, perhaps giving a commentary on the way. The true price is 20,000 dong an hour, or no more than 10,000 for a short journey, but be prepared for a much higher asking price which can be bartered down to something more realistic. Cyclos gather anywhere tourists gather so you're guaranteed to be hailed within 5 minutes of arriving.

The best way to get to and from the airport apart from a taxi is the air-conditioned bus, number 152. It runs from Ben Thanh Market station.