Commuting in Saigon without a motorbike: try it for a week

Giving up a motorbike in Saigon sounds impractical. The city is built around them: narrow alleys, moderate distances, hot weather, and everything convenient for two wheels.

But trying it for one week is different from giving it up. A week is enough to learn which journeys can be replaced and which can't — and most people who try are surprised in both directions.

Four options and where each fits

Bus

• Fits: a direct route, the same direction daily, no serious time pressure.
• Doesn't fit: needing two or three changes, or a destination far from a stop.
• Cheapest of the four, and air-conditioned — which matters more than people expect at midday.
• The real snag: unpredictable timing at peak hours, and the walk from the stop.

Walking

• Fits: under a kilometre, and central areas where blocks are short.
• Doesn't fit: harsh midday sun, rain, or stretches where the pavement is occupied.
• In District 1, walking is often faster than riding at peak times, since there's no parking to find.

Bicycle

• Fits: 2 to 5 kilometres, roads without heavy trucks, a workplace with bike parking and somewhere to change.
• Doesn't fit: busy arterial roads, and any day it rains.
• The biggest snag: arriving sweaty. That's the real reason people give up, not the distance.

Ride-hailing and sharing

• Fits: rainy days, days requiring smart clothes, days carrying a lot.
• Doesn't fit: daily use, which costs far more than petrol.
• Sharing a ride with a colleague on the same route is an option few consider but is cheap and convenient, if you can find someone on the same schedule.

Counting the cost

This is where people are surprised, because motorbike costs are spread thin and hard to see. The full picture includes:

• Petrol — the only item most people count.
• Parking — small each time but every single day, and often charged per entry.
• Maintenance — oil changes, tyres, small repairs.
• Insurance and inspection.
• Depreciation of the bike itself.

Add all five and the number looks nothing like the petrol figure. A monthly bus pass, by contrast, is one fixed amount known in advance.

In fairness: a single trial week saves very little. The value of the week is finding out what's feasible, not the immediate saving.

How to run the week usefully

1. Pick a week without urgent work. In a deadline week, every delay gets blamed on the transport.
2. Prepare first: look up bus routes, install the app, have change or a card ready.
3. Get up 20 minutes earlier. The first day always runs slower than expected.
4. Write down each day: how long it took, what it cost, what annoyed you.
5. Don't be absolutist. Taking a ride on a rainy day is sensible, not a failure.

The usual outcome

Most people who try don't abandon the motorbike, but they find a mixed pattern:

• Bus on days spent at one fixed location.
• Walking for short trips previously made by bike.
• Motorbike for days involving several stops.

That pattern cuts motorbike trips considerably without sacrificing anything major — a far more durable outcome than quitting outright and reverting two weeks later.

What it does to lunch

A small detail often overlooked: without a motorbike, the radius for buying food shrinks. A favourite place two kilometres away becomes far, and lunch has to come from within walking distance.

For anyone eating vegan this is a genuine snag, since the options are already narrower. Two ways round it: know what's within walking distance in advance, or order delivery to work — pooled with colleagues, the delivery cost drops too.

Quick answers

Is giving up a motorbike realistic in Saigon?

Giving it up entirely is hard for most people. But a trial week shows which journeys can be replaced, and the usual result is a mixed pattern rather than abandonment.

What's the biggest problem with cycling?

Arriving sweaty. That's the real reason people stop, not the distance — so whether your workplace has somewhere to change is the deciding factor.

What does a motorbike actually cost?

Not just petrol: daily parking, maintenance, insurance and inspection, plus depreciation of the bike. Added up it looks nothing like the petrol figure.

How should I run the trial?

Pick a week without urgent work, look up routes beforehand, get up 20 minutes earlier, and note daily how long it took and what it cost. And don't be absolutist — a ride on a rainy day is sensible.

What's the usual outcome?

A mixed pattern: bus for fixed-location days, walking for short trips, motorbike for days with several stops. More durable than quitting outright.

What about lunch without a motorbike?

The radius for buying food shrinks, which is a real snag for vegan eaters since the options are already narrower. Know what's within walking distance, or order delivery to work and pool with colleagues.