Electric Shuttles in Hoi An: What to Ask Before You Use One

Open-sided 6–8 seat electric shuttles in Hoi An are run by local operators from stands around the old town. Sun Travel rents motorbikes and two-wheel electric scooters delivered to your door (electric scooter rental), but it does not rent out these multi-seat shuttles. Before you board one, it helps to know the pedestrian-hour bans in the old town, which stands shuttles may use, and the four things to ask the driver about the fare, the return trip, the drop-off point and how to call a ride back.

How electric shuttles run in Hoi An

Electric shuttles in Hoi An mostly work as short transfers inside town and on its outskirts. They have a few traits of their own:

• Open sides, open floor: A shuttle usually seats 6 to 8 people, with the sides left open to the breeze. The view is wide and the pace is unhurried, about 20 to 30 km/h, which suits a cool early morning or a shady late afternoon.
• Very little luggage space: There is no closed boot like a car’s, so the room under the seats or behind the back row only fits a handbag, a small backpack or a conical hat. A shuttle is not the vehicle for medium or large suitcases or a folded pushchair.
• Weather matters: The open top has pull-across blinds that give light shade, but a sudden shower or a coastal gust can still blow rain onto the seats. In the midday sun, sitting outside for long can tire older people and small children.
• Where it works best: A shuttle is at its best over 2 to 6 km between sights on the edge of town, such as the run from the old town ring to An Bang beach, Cua Dai beach, Tra Que vegetable village or Thanh Ha pottery village.

Pedestrian hours and where shuttles can stop around the old town

The old town enforces strict traffic rules to keep the heritage streets quiet for walkers. Know them before you try to catch a shuttle, so you are not caught out:

• Hours when motor vehicles are banned: The pedestrian zone bans all motorised vehicles, including motorbikes, cars and electric shuttles, from 9:00 to 11:00 in the morning and from 15:00 to about 21:30 or 22:00 in the evening. The ban applies on the core streets such as Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Bach Dang, Hoang Van Thu and Chau Thuong Van.
• Pickups on the heritage edge: While the pedestrian hours are in force, shuttles may pick up and drop off only at the stands on the outer edge of the old town. The familiar ones are:
  • Song Hoai Square car park: On 18 August street, the handiest point for the An Hoi bridge area and the night market on the south bank of the Thu Bon River.
  • Do Dang Tuyen car park: On the west side of the old town, next to the Japanese Covered Bridge (Chua Cau) area and Phan Chu Trinh street.
  • Hoang Dieu street and Hoi An market car park: A meeting point for visitors heading to the food stalls of the traditional market or to Cam Pho communal house.
  • Ly Thuong Kiet and Tran Hung Dao street car parks: They connect to the hotels and homestays in the newer part of town.
• Plan for the walk: If your hotel or restaurant is deep inside the pedestrian area or down a narrow alley, expect to walk about 200 to 500 metres from the edge stand to your meeting point.

Four things to settle before you board

Before you get into a shuttle at a public car park in Hoi An, talk these points through with the driver:

1. How the fare is charged: Find out whether the price is for the whole shuttle or per person. For a group of 5 to 7, hiring the whole shuttle is usually cheaper and more comfortable.
2. One way or return: Agree whether you only need a ride one way or want the shuttle to wait and bring you back. For a return trip, say to An Bang for lunch and back, ask how long it will wait at the destination and whether a waiting surcharge applies.
3. Exact drop-off point: Avoid vague destinations such as “to the beach” or “into town”. Name the hotel, the café or the beach gate, so the driver stops where parking is allowed.
4. How to reach a ride back: Around sunset and after 20:30, demand at the beaches and eating areas is high. Ask for the driver’s own number or the dispatch desk’s, so you can set a pickup time before your meal or walk ends.

When a private car with a driver is the better choice

Electric shuttles suit short trips inside town in fine weather. In the cases below, a closed private car with air conditioning and a roomy boot is the safer and more convenient choice:

• Airport and station transfers: The trip between Da Nang International Airport and Hoi An is about 30 km, along highways and coastal avenues with heavy mixed traffic. A chauffeured private car has a closed luggage area for several large suitcases, a wheelchair or a pushchair, and keeps passengers comfortable after a long flight. For details, see the private car from Da Nang to Hoi An page and the Da Nang airport to city centre transfer guide.
• Longer trips across the region: If your plan includes Ba Na Hills, Hue Imperial City, Ngu Hanh Son or My Son Sanctuary, a 4-, 7- or 16-seat private car is the vehicle that fits best for speed, a smooth ride and shelter from weather that keeps changing between the mountain passes and the coast.
• Families with older people and small children: A private car lets you set the air conditioning, gives a quiet cabin for resting and can stop along the way whenever a child needs a break.

If you want to plan a day around the outskirts of Hoi An with the right vehicle, see how to prepare for a visit to Tra Que vegetable village.

See the full private car price list for intercity routes across Central Vietnam.