{"id":3561,"date":"2026-06-30T23:56:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:56:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/news\/hcmc-free-bus\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T08:13:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T23:13:04","slug":"hcmc-free-bus","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/hcmc-free-bus\/","title":{"rendered":"Ho Chi Minh's route buses go free on 134 routes from July \u2014 travelers' getting around changes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting around Ho Chi Minh City will change greatly from this summer. The city announced that from July 1 to December 31, 2026, it will make 134 of its 135 route-bus lines fare-free (reported June 29, 2026). New air-conditioned buses and in-bus card-payment machines will also be introduced. The route buses that travelers tended to avoid out of anxiety over language and how to ride become a realistic way to get from Ben Thanh Market to each district. It's practical info Japanese travelers will \"benefit from knowing before departure.\"<\/p>\n\n\n

134 of 135 lines go free<\/h2>\n\n\n

\u7121\u6599\u5316\u306e\u5bfe\u8c61\u306f\u3001\u5e02\u5185135\u8def\u7dda\u306e\u3046\u3061134\u8def\u7dda\u3002\u671f\u9593\u306f2026\u5e747\u67081\u65e5\u304b\u308912\u670831\u65e5\u307e\u3067\u3060\u3002\u5bfe\u8c61\u5916\u3068\u306a\u308b\u306e\u306f172\u756a\u8def\u7dda\u3067\u3001\u3053\u308c\u306f\u5e02\u4e2d\u5fc3\u90e8\u3068\u30d6\u30f3\u30bf\u30a6\u3092\u30c9\u30f3\u30ca\u30a4\u5e02\u7d4c\u7531\u3067\u7d50\u3076\u9577\u8ddd\u96e2\u8def\u7dda\u306b\u3042\u305f\u308b\u3002\u3064\u307e\u308a\u5e02\u5185\u79fb\u52d5\u306e\u5927\u534a\u304c\u3001\u534a\u5e74\u9593\u306b\u308f\u305f\u3063\u3066\u904b\u8cc3\u30bc\u30ed\u306b\u306a\u308b\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n

Whether tourists can use it isn't stated at this point, but on covered routes it's likely that city bus travel becomes free. As a means to reach markets, sights, and each district without worrying about cost, it's a big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n

Vehicles and stops upgraded too<\/h2>\n\n\n

Along with the free fares, the service side is overhauled. New buses have improved seats, air conditioning, information displays, and handrails, and stops are renovated with modern designs that enhance lighting and convenience. Some new stops even have smartphone charging ports. In-bus fare machines that accept bank-card payment are introduced too, and driver training, in-bus cleaning, and strict on-time operation are strengthened.<\/p>\n\n\n

Item<\/th>Details<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Free coverage<\/td>134 of 135 lines<\/td><\/tr>
Period<\/td>July 1 to December 31, 2026<\/td><\/tr>
Exception<\/td>172\u756a\u8def\u7dda\uff08\u5e02\u4e2d\u5fc3\u90e8\u301c\u30d6\u30f3\u30bf\u30a6\u3001\u30c9\u30f3\u30ca\u30a4\u5e02\u7d4c\u7531\uff09<\/td><\/tr>
Vehicles<\/td>New, air-conditioned, improved information displays and handrails<\/td><\/tr>
Stops<\/td>Renovated to modern designs; some with charging ports<\/td><\/tr>
Payment<\/td>In-bus fare machines with card payment introduced<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n

Will \"hard to use\" change?<\/h2>\n\n\n

Until now, Ho Chi Minh's route buses had a high psychological hurdle for travelers, due to unclear fares and destinations and old vehicles. This time, in addition to the clarity of \"free,\" improvements to vehicles, stops, and information come as a set. It's a measure to encourage residents to use them, but as a result, ease of use rises greatly for travelers too.<\/p>\n\n\n

As with Hanoi's metro expansion (Related articles<\/a>), Vietnam's urban transport is evolving into \"public transport that travelers can use too.\" Separate from the sightseeing double-decker bus (Related articles<\/a>), everyday route buses entering the options is a big change.<\/p>\n\n\n

Practical points for Japanese travelers<\/h2>\n\n\n

If you're planning a Ho Chi Minh trip and your stay is from July onward, it's worth putting route buses among your travel options. If getting from the city center to each district becomes free, you can cut transport costs by using them alongside ride-hailing apps (Grab, etc.). With in-bus card payment, there'll be fewer situations where you're stuck for cash or small dong.<\/p>\n\n\n

That said, note that some routes are excluded, like line 172, and that sightseeing airport shuttles and special routes may be handled differently. It's most reliable to confirm the latest covered routes and operating status via local guidance or official information. Along with the health declaration that adds one more thing to do before departure (Related articles<\/a>), check it before you leave.<\/p>\n\n\n

Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n

Ho Chi Minh City will make 134 of 135 lines free from July 1 to December 31. With new vehicles, renovated stops, and card payment as a set, the route buses travelers tended to avoid become a realistic way to get around. Some routes like line 172 are excluded, but the effect of covering city travel for free is big. If you visit Ho Chi Minh from summer onward, try working route buses into your travel plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ho Chi Minh's transport situation and \"using them in combination\"<\/h2>\n\n\n

For getting around Ho Chi Minh, ride-hailing apps (Grab, Xanh SM, etc.) have been travelers' mainstay. Fares are clear and the apps handle everything, but costs mount in traffic jams. This bus-fare abolition adds the option of \"buses for trunk travel in the city, ride-hailing apps for fine or urgent moves.\" Half a year though it is, the impact of most city lines going free is not small.<\/p>\n\n\n

The introduction of in-bus card payment is also a quietly effective improvement for travelers. Until now there were many situations that required care with small change or dong, but on covered routes you can complete it by card. Together with the new air-conditioned vehicles and improved information displays, the old image of \"unclear and hard to use\" may change.<\/p>\n\n\n

A practical note for Japanese travelers<\/h2>\n\n\n

If your stay is July 2026 onward, it's worth trying buses to get from the city center to each district. Cutting transport costs with the free fares while combining ride-hailing apps raises the freedom of your movement. That said, since excluded routes like line 172, airport access, and special routes may be handled differently, it's most reliable to confirm the latest covered routes via local guidance or official information. Put it, along with the pre-departure health declaration, on your travel-prep checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n

When does the free-fare period start and end?<\/h3>\n\n\n

It's a half-year, from July 1 to December 31, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n

Are all routes free?<\/h3>\n\n\n

134 of the city's 135 lines are free. Line 172, connecting the city center and Vung Tau, is excluded.<\/p>\n\n\n

What are the payment methods?<\/h3>\n\n\n

On covered routes you can pay via the in-bus card-payment machine. New air-conditioned vehicles and renovated stops are also being introduced in stages.<\/p>\n\n\n

Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n

Tu\u1ed5i Tr\u1ebb News: Ho Chi Minh City abolishes route-bus fares and overhauls service<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ho Chi Minh City makes 134 of 135 lines fare-free from July 1 to December 31. With new air-conditioned buses and card payment also introduced, the route buses travelers tended to avoid become a realistic way to get around.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"swell_btn_cv_data":"","ssp_meta_description":"\u30db\u30fc\u30c1\u30df\u30f3\u5e02\u304c7\u67081\u65e5\u304b\u308912\u670831\u65e5\u307e\u3067135\u8def\u7dda\u4e2d134\u8def\u7dda\u3092\u904b\u8cc3\u7121\u6599\u306b\u3002\u65b0\u578b\u30a8\u30a2\u30b3\u30f3\u8eca\u3084\u30ab\u30fc\u30c9\u6c7a\u6e08\u3082\u5c0e\u5165\u3055\u308c\u3001\u65c5\u884c\u8005\u304c\u656c\u9060\u3057\u304c\u3061\u3060\u3063\u305f\u8def\u7dda\u30d0\u30b9\u304c\u73fe\u5b9f\u7684\u306a\u79fb\u52d5\u624b\u6bb5\u306b\u5909\u308f\u308b\u3002","ssp_meta_keyword":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,427],"tags":[30,500,70,517],"purpose":[],"keyword":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-3561","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-travel","category-transport","tag-hochiminh","tag-500","tag-move","tag-517"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3561"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4411,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3561\/revisions\/4411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3561"},{"taxonomy":"purpose","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/purpose?post=3561"},{"taxonomy":"keyword","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/keyword?post=3561"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=3561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}