"My family decided to travel by car because the airfare was expensive, and the trip ended up being enjoyable for everyone. Driving alone, I realized how beautiful Vietnam is," Vu Ngoc Hieu, a 36-year-old lecturer who lives in Hanoi's Cau Giay district, told The Hanoi Times.

After owning his own car for more than ten years, Hieu took his family on a car tour for the first time this summer. His week-long trip started in Hanoi and ended in Hoi An, Quang Nam Province. On the way, he spent two nights in Quang Binh Province and Danang City, and two nights in Hue and Nghe An on the way back. 

Hieu's family stops to rest by a river on their way to Danang City. Photo courtesy of Vu Ngoc Hieu

Since the early Summer holidays of 2024, more and more Hanoians have chosen self-driving to experience the local cuisine and scenery of different places in Vietnam. 

According to a survey conducted by VnTravellive, a major travel and transportation forums, the reason for the increasing number of tourists in the northern provinces taking self-drive summer vacations is weather-related, with coastal places being their preferred destinations. This year, the majority of visitors from the north are driving their own cars instead of flying or taking the train as in previous years.

The main cause is the increased cost of family travel due to expensive airline tickets. In June, some restaurants and lodging establishments in the southern seaside city of Nha Trang reported a 60-70% drop in visitors from the north due to the high cost of air travel.

Another factor is the recently built North-South Expressway, which stretches over 300 kilometers from National Highway 45 - Nghi Son to Dien Chau - Bai Vot (in Ha Tinh Province), reducing the travel time from Hanoi to Ha Tinh from 6 hours to 4.5 hours. The maximum speed is 90 km/h and there are currently no tolls.

"At the Muong Thanh - Xuan Thanh Hotel in the central province of Ha Tinh, during the last three days of June, there were more than 30 cars in the parking lot every day and of these, Hanoi license plates accounted for about 80%," said the survey.

Phong Hien's family in Hanoi usually goes on self-drive trips, and this summer was no different. Her family traveled to Quang Binh in 2024, spending two nights in each of the two provinces of Ha Tinh and Nghe An along the way. "Driving a car on a tour is very convenient," Hien said.

Phong Hien's son poses for a photo with the bright sun in the family's car near Cua Lo Beach in central Nghe An province. Photo courtesy of Hien.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Suong, owner of a homestay on My Khe Beach in the central beach city of Danang, said that since the beginning of the summer, 80% of her guests have come from Hanoi and the northern provinces, most of them arriving by private car or train.

Dang Manh Phuoc, CEO of The Outbox Company, a market research and data analysis unit specializing in tourism and hotels, said that this summer's self-driving and local travel is an indication of the "close to home" trend.

"This keyword is predicted to be the tourism trend this year and for many years to come. Rising costs and diverse demands have also changed travel habits. This trend is becoming more and more prevalent in Vietnam and around the world," Phuoc stressed.

But autonomous driving has its limits. Long stretches of driving will wear you out, especially if you're the only driver, have small children, or are carsick. According to Phuoc, those with time constraints should avoid this mode of travel.

He suggested that travelers who drive themselves plan and make thoughtful decisions about meals, rest stops, and a realistic itinerary to avoid compromising anyone's safety or the enjoyment of the journey.

Nguyen Quoc Thai, a member of Vietnam's largest car forum with more than 1.3 million members, said he and his friends traveled by car to the southern province of Ninh Thuan this year.

Thai takes a photo at the Dam Nai Wind Power Project - Ninh Thuan, one of the three largest wind power fields in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Quoc Thai

Thai noticed that in the parking lots of resorts and hotels along the way, all the cars had license plates from Hanoi and other northern or central provinces.

"I stayed here for two nights, and out of ten cars in the hotel parking lot, nine were from Hanoi," said Dang Ngoc Thanh, a friend of Quoc Thai.

"During the upcoming National Day [Sept. 2] holiday, which runs from August 30 to September 4, we will go to Ho Chi Minh City because there are many riders in our group who can take turns driving," Thanh told The Hanoi Times about his plan.

Dang Ngoc Thanh and his friends are on a self-drive tour in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang. Photo courtesy of Thanh.