Asia > Vietnam > Can Tho (VCA)
The Car or no Car advice for Can Tho can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Can Tho ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Can Tho ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Can Tho?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
🚤 River travel is the real highlight
The classic experience in Can Tho is a dawn boat trip to the Cai Rang floating market. You board from the city quay and drift between produce boats selling fruit, vegetables and breakfast snacks. You can also use boats to reach riverside homestays, orchards and tiny islands. Because these areas are reached by canal more often than by road, a car offers little benefit. Boat hire is flexible, affordable and makes the journey part of the adventure.
🚌 Local transport and city movement
Within the city, walking works well. Hotels, cafés, markets, temples and the riverfront promenade sit close together. Taxis and ride-hail services fill any gaps. Although buses exist, visitors rarely need them for short trips. The roads are busy with scooters, and parking can be awkward in tight streets. So skipping the car usually feels easier.
🚫 Self-drive in Vietnam: Why it’s almost never an option
Vietnam’s road laws require that drivers hold a Vietnamese licence.
An international driving permit (IDP) is not recognised unless it is officially converted. This process is bureaucratic and slow, and most short-term visitors cannot obtain one.
As a result:
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Standard car hire companies do not offer self-drive
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Foreign travellers typically must hire a car with a driver
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Insurance companies generally will not cover foreign self-drivers
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Police checkpoints could seize the car if the paperwork is not perfect
Even many expats living in Vietnam struggle to legally drive cars without going through the licence conversion process.
And, crucially:
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Almost all “car rental” listings for Vietnam are chauffeur-based
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Self-drive is technically possible only with long-term residence, conversion paperwork, and local ID
So for practical tourism:
self-drive in Vietnam is effectively unavailable.
🚗 When a car with driver can help
However, renting a car with driver becomes useful if you want to explore farther into the delta. Rural pagodas, Khmer villages, rice fields and small towns such as Soc Trang, Bac Lieu or Vinh Long are spread out. Travelling between them by public transport is possible but slow. With a car, you can combine several stops in a single day and wander along backroads lined with coconut palms and irrigation channels.
Even so, many travellers arrive in Can Tho as part of a wider journey between Ho Chi Minh City and the delta.
✈️ Arrivals and airport notes
Can Tho International Airport (VCA) has domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. Taxis and transfers connect the terminal to the centre in under half an hour.
🎯 Conclusion: Should you rent a car in Can Tho?
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❌ Skip the car if your plans centre on floating markets, river islands, orchards and easy city sightseeing.
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❔ Consider renting a car (with driver) in Can Tho if you want full freedom to explore distant delta towns and rural cultural sites at your own pace.