Traveling on September 2nd holiday: Planes are difficult, but there are buses and self-driving cars

From bus stations to airports, from highways to self-driving car rental apps, the transportation landscape is vibrant and bustling.

All kinds of travel for the September 2nd holiday

In travel groups, there are people willing to spend tens of millions of dong to fly to Hanoi, but there are also passengers who choose cars or trains to suit their budget or rent a car to drive themselves to be proactive with their schedule. With the same destination of a meaningful vacation, each family calculates a different "travel problem".

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Hang (Binh Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) said that at the beginning of June 2025, she booked round-trip tickets for all four family members to Hanoi . At that time, tickets were more than 4.5 million VND/person, a total of nearly 20 million. "My friends told me to take a risk because there were still three months until the holiday, but I thought differently, the closer the date, the more expensive the tickets were. It's true, now it's 6-7 million VND/person, luckily I booked early," Ms. Hang said.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thien (Lai Thieu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) even canceled his booked Thailand tour to switch to Hanoi, accepting an additional cost of nearly 20 million VND. "We want our children to grow up with memories of a special vacation rather than a foreign shopping trip," Mr. Thien shared.

The fever of air tickets, hotel rooms and tours has made the tourism market for the September 2nd holiday hotter by the day. Many families are willing to spend double or even triple the amount of money compared to normal days in exchange for a memorable vacation.

But not everyone chooses to fly. For example, the family of Mr. Nguyen Quang Hoai (Binh Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) rented a seven-seat Xpander for the whole family of five to go to Da Lat. "If we fly, the ticket alone will cost nearly 25 million. Renting a car for four days will cost 4.5 million, plus gas and road fees, it will be less than 7 million. It is both economical and proactive," Mr. Hoai calculated.

Air cargo overload, road fire division

Vietnam Airlines announced that in just six peak days from August 29 to September 3, the airline added more than 100,000 seats, increasing the total supply to nearly 600,000 seats with about 2,900 flights from various places to Hanoi and vice versa. However, round-trip tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi are still commonly priced at 4.3 - 7 million VND/person, and many good time slots have been "sold out".

Therefore, bus companies have quickly "shared the burden" with airlines by keeping prices low and fighting against "illegal buses".

In Ho Chi Minh City, major bus stations are entering peak service season. The new Eastern Bus Station is expected to receive nearly 54,000 passengers, an increase of 27% over the same period in 2024; the number of vehicles increased by 18%. The Western Bus Station forecasts that the peak on August 30 could reach 65,000 passengers with more than 2,200 vehicles departing.

The general policy is to keep prices stable. If adjustments are necessary, the increase will not exceed 40% and will only apply on August 29 and 30.

Mr. Do Phu Dat, deputy director of the old Mien Dong bus station, affirmed that the biggest challenge is not the lack of vehicles but market discipline. "We will tighten inspections, recommend passengers to buy tickets at the station to ensure their rights, and coordinate to handle illegal buses, illegal stations, and disguised contract buses that pick up and drop off passengers outside the station," Mr. Dat said.

Mien Tay Bus Station also made a service plan from the beginning of August, arranging staff on duty 24/7, coordinating with the police and traffic inspectors to direct traffic and quickly handle congestion.

Along with passenger cars, self-drive car rental services also exploded during this holiday. Many self-drive car rental establishments in Ho Chi Minh City said they were fully booked half a month ago. The common rental price for class A cars such as Fadil, i10 is about 500,000 VND/day; popular sedans such as Vios, City, Accent are 700,000 VND/day; seven-seat cars such as Xpander, Innova, Veloz are from 1-1.2 million VND/day.

Most car rental companies require a package rental for all four days of the holiday, and rarely rent for just 2-3 days as usual. Nguyen Quang, the owner of a business with more than 30 cars for rent, said customers booked earlier this year and preferred seven-seat cars. Since mid-August, all cars have been sold out.

24/7 On Call

Mr. To Tu Ha, Director of Noi Bai International Airport, emphasized that the airport will increase 24/7 shifts, coordinate aircraft parking at neighboring airports, and increase human resources at the screening and baggage claim stages to reduce congestion during the September 2 holiday. At the same time, the Ministry of Public Security also raised aviation security to level 1 from August 26 to September 4.

Airlines recommend passengers to check-in online, using biometric authentication on VneID to shorten the time. Meanwhile, Mien Tay bus station maintains ticket sales from 5am to 9pm, while businesses sell tickets 24/7, announce hotlines and coordinate with authorities to fight illegal buses and bus stations.

Commenting on travel during the holiday season this year, economic experts say that three travel options including airplanes, buses, and self-driving cars are creating a balance between supply and demand. Each segment has its own strengths, such as fast but expensive airplanes. Buses are cheap and have frequent trips, while self-driving cars optimize costs per person and allow for flexible stops. This helps reduce pressure on transportation infrastructure during the holiday season.

To prevent each long holiday from becoming a race for tickets, experts say it is necessary to invest synchronously in expanding aviation infrastructure, improving the highway network, increasing parking capacity, and tightening discipline in the passenger transport market. At the same time, transparent and safe car rental services should be encouraged to legalize actual needs.

"This September 2nd holiday is a test of the capacity of the transport infrastructure and the coordination capacity of the transport industry. If we pass, we will have more real data to plan long-term policies. The problem is not only to increase trips but also to increase the capacity of the entire system so that each passenger can choose the right means of transport and still enjoy the holiday with peace of mind," said a transport expert.