Vietnam is fabulous country for you to discover where you have a great chance to see the rich culture, diverse & friendly people, spectacular landscapes and beautiful beaches. They have all combined to make sure that you will have an unforgettable experience when traveling to Vietnam.In this article I would like to share you 5 things should to know before travelling to Vietnam, which help you have an idea to plan your Vietnam trip

1. Visa process
Before travelling to Vietnam, you should check the date of expitation of your passport (It is at least 6 months from the first day of your travel) then you will apply for  your visa process.

To get visa to Vietnam, there are 4 steps as below:
+ Fill out the application form with your full name as in the passport, date of birth, nationality, passport number, date of arrival and type of visa (Single visa or multiple visa entry)
+ Confirm and pay for visa service after you double check your visa to make sure that all is correct.
+ Get the approval letter, then when you travel to Vietnam you will print out this letter and prepare 2 passport sized photos 4x6cm and an amount of USD for stamping fee ($25 for single entry; $50 for multiple entry visa)
+ When you arrive at the international airport in Vietnam (Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh) you will get the visa stamped there by showing your visa approval letter and your photos to custom officers then pay the stamp fee for them.

2. Length of the trip and places you like to visit
You should define how many days you will travel in Vietnam.
I am pleased to advise you the tourist sites in Vietnam tour as below:
+ Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh are the places you can get in to start your Vietnam trip then Halong bay, Sapa, Hue, Hoian, Nha Trang beach, Mekong Delta, Mui Ne beach, Phu Quoc island
If you are interested in traveling to mountainous provinces as Vietnam adventure tours, you can deeply travel to Northeast and Northwest Vietnam including Ha Giang, Dien Bien Phu, Son La, Hoa Binh, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, and travel to highland Vietnam such as Kon Tum, Buon Me Thuot, Dak Lak, Da Lat also are beautiful destinations for your Vietnam tours.

3. What hotel category are you interested in?
Depend on your budget, you can choose the most suitable hotel category as below:
+ 2 star hotels: From usd $ 20 - $ 35 per room per night
+ 3 star hotels: From usd $ 40 - $ 60 per room per night
+ 4 star hotels and resorts: From usd $ 80 - $ 120 per room per night
+ 5 star hotels and resorts: From usd $ 130 - $ 200 per room per night
+ Luxury 5 star hotels and resorts: From usd $ 250 up

4. Transportation ( flights, car / bus, train)
Transportation in Vietnam is very various and easy for you to choose what type of transportation you will spend in your Vietnam holiday such as from Hanoi to Sapa you can get sleeping night train, it takes you around 9 hours. But if you travel Sapa by road, you can get private car/van or bus, it takes you only 5 – 6 hours.
From Hanoi to Hue, Danang or Ho Chi Minh, plane will be the best choice. However, if you like to deeply discover our beautiful country, train or open bus is also a good idea.

5. Choose travel agent for your holiday or you travel by your own.
In some forums, I see that a lot of travelers have the same question “should I book the Vietnam trip with travel agent or should I book all the service by myself?”
Please advise you that you should book your Vietnam packaged tour with local travel agents in Vietnam, because if you book with them, you can get a lot of benefit as below:
+ Travel agents will offer you free information in each destination where you want to visit, so you do not need to search on Internet or travel guide books.
+ Travel agents will suggest you the best Vietnam tour which suit to your needs.
+ Travel agents will offer you the best tour cost because they have service contract from everywhere.
+ Travel agents will support you the most experienced tour guide and driver who accompany you throughout your journey.
+ Travel agents will get only 30% of total of your booking as deposit then you will pay them when you arrival to start your trip.