Michael Sherman/msphoto wrote:

One thing you should be aware of is that the roads in Vietnam (including
the main north south highway) are pretty grim with lots of potholes,
construction and congestion.

True, I allow for an average of 30 mph when traveling in Vietnam. A couple
years back when driving from My Tho to Ha Tien, I think we averaged around
25 mph; It was a long day's drive to Ha Tien. In the north, I found the
roads between Ha Noi and Ha Long Bay a bit better.

For a trip of 3-4 weeks, traveling the length of Vietnam, and breaking the
1,000 mile drive into 8-10 segments, should allow for sufficient 3 day stops
and visiting the surrounding area of several important cities. While
potholes and bad roads can be kidney busters, I have enjoyed impulse stops
and side trips that I would have never seen or known about from the air.

rg