Where to stay in Vietnam for a first trip

Vietnam is cheap enough that the choice is rarely about price and almost always about location. Across the country a dorm bed is €5 to €9, a private room with air conditioning and a bathroom is €12 to €20, and a small boutique or a hotel with a pool is €30 to €60. Spending more usually buys you a better street rather than a much better room, so pick the area first.

In Hanoi, the Old Quarter puts you inside the noise and the food, while the streets around Hoan Kiem lake and the French Quarter are a little calmer for the same money. In Ho Chi Minh City, District 1 is central and convenient, and District 3 next door is quieter with better cafés. In Hoi An, a homestay among the paddies or a room near An Bang beach beats a place pressed against the old town, which empties of atmosphere by day and fills with day-trippers.

One rule holds everywhere: book only the first couple of nights in each city before you arrive. Walk-in and next-day rates are often lower than the screen price, cancellation is usually free, and you will want the freedom to move a night around once you have seen the neighbourhood.