For most travellers, getting from Italy to Vietnam is much simpler than the distance on the map might suggest. The most practical option is to fly, and there are now direct flights between Milan and Hanoi that make the journey particularly straightforward. If you are travelling from another Italian city, you can connect to Milan and continue to Vietnam from Milan Malpensa Airport, while travellers who do not find suitable direct flight dates can choose from a wide range of one stop routes through major Asian or Middle Eastern hubs.
The more important question is therefore not simply how to get to Vietnam, but how to organise your flights around the journey you want to make once you arrive. Vietnam stretches for more than 1,600 kilometres from north to south, so the airport you fly into and the airport you fly home from can have a surprisingly large effect on your itinerary.
1. Flying from Italy to Vietnam
The easiest way to travel from Italy to Vietnam is by air. From Italy, the main international gateways are Milan and Rome, although your actual choice of airport may depend on where you live and which fare or connection works best for your dates.
For travellers based in northern Italy, Milan is particularly convenient because Vietnam Airlines operates a direct service between Milan Malpensa and Hanoi. The flight connects Italy directly with northern Vietnam without requiring a change of aircraft in another country, making it one of the simplest ways to begin a Vietnamese journey.
If you are not based near Milan, you can connect to Milan before your international flight. Alternatively, you can choose a one stop itinerary from Milan, Rome or another Italian airport. Airlines operating through hubs in the Middle East and Asia provide many additional possibilities, and these can sometimes offer competitive fares when the direct flight is not available on your preferred date.
For a first trip to Vietnam, however, it is worth looking beyond the ticket price alone. A slightly cheaper flight with a long connection may not necessarily be the better choice if it adds many hours to an already long journey. The direct Milan to Hanoi service can be particularly attractive when convenience and travel time matter.
2. Milan to Hanoi: Vietnam Airlines Direct Flights
For travellers looking for the most straightforward connection between Italy and Vietnam, the Milan to Hanoi route deserves particular attention.
Vietnam Airlines operates nonstop flights between Milan Malpensa Airport and Hanoi. The current service operates three times a week, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, although schedules can change seasonally, so it is always important to check the exact dates when booking.
The advantage is obvious. You can leave Milan and arrive in Hanoi without changing planes halfway across the journey. For a long distance trip to Southeast Asia, removing a connection can make a significant difference, especially if you are travelling with luggage or simply want to start your holiday with as little airport logistics as possible.
The direct service is also particularly useful because Hanoi is one of the country's most important international gateways. From the capital, you can begin a journey through northern Vietnam and then continue south by domestic flight, train or private transportation.
Current Vietnam Airlines fare listings also give a useful indication of the price level. Recent examples for Milan to Hanoi show Economy round trip fares from around €760 to €773, depending on the dates. These are live fare examples rather than fixed prices, so they can change as seats are sold and travel dates approach.
The direct flight therefore offers something more valuable than speed alone: it gives you a very clear starting point for planning the rest of your trip.
3. Understanding Vietnam's Main Airport Codes: HAN, DAD and SGN
When searching for flights to Vietnam, you will quickly come across three airport codes that are particularly useful to remember: HAN, DAD and SGN. They correspond to the country's three main international gateways in the north, centre and south.
Hanoi, HAN is the code for Noi Bai International Airport, located north of Hanoi. It is the main international gateway for northern Vietnam and, for travellers coming from Italy, often the most useful airport to know. Vietnam Airlines operates its direct Milan to Hanoi service here, and Hanoi also has a wide range of international connections. From HAN, you can easily begin a journey through Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay and the northern mountains before continuing south.
Da Nang, DAD is the code for Da Nang International Airport, in central Vietnam. It is particularly convenient if you want to focus your trip on central Vietnam, with Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang and the surrounding region all within relatively easy reach. For travellers coming directly from Italy, however, DAD is usually less convenient than HAN or SGN because a connection will generally be required.
Ho Chi Minh City, SGN is the code for Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the main international gateway to southern Vietnam. It is the natural starting point for Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta and southern Vietnam, and it is also an important option for international departures.
For a first trip from Italy, HAN and SGN are usually the two most practical airports to consider. HAN is especially useful because of the number of international connections and the direct Milan service, while SGN gives you the possibility of beginning or ending your journey in the south.
The three airport codes are also useful when comparing flight tickets. If you see Milan to HAN, you know you are flying into northern Vietnam. Milan to DAD means central Vietnam, while Milan to SGN means southern Vietnam. Once you understand these three codes, it becomes much easier to compare flight options and see how each one would fit into your Vietnam itinerary.
For a longer journey through the country, the most efficient combination is often to arrive through HAN and leave through SGN, or the reverse. If a conventional round trip fare to HAN is considerably better, however, returning to Hanoi by domestic flight before your international departure can still be a practical solution. The right choice depends on the flight price, your travel dates and the route you want to follow.
4. Is a Round Trip Flight Better Value?
One of the most useful things to understand when planning a Vietnam trip from Italy is that a round trip ticket is often much better value than buying two separate one way flights.
This does not mean that every round trip ticket will always be cheaper. Airfares depend on dates, availability, fare conditions, seasonality and the airline you choose. But in practice, it is worth checking the round trip price before deciding to book separate outbound and return flights.
This can influence how you design the entire journey.
Imagine that you fly from Milan to Hanoi and spend the first part of your holiday travelling through northern Vietnam. You then continue south towards Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. From a purely geographical point of view, the ideal solution would be to fly home directly from Ho Chi Minh City rather than travelling all the way back to Hanoi.
However, an open jaw or multi city ticket is not always as attractive in price as a conventional return ticket. If the round trip fare from Milan to Hanoi is significantly better, you may decide to return to Hanoi for your international flight home.
That is perfectly possible, but it means the itinerary needs to be designed around the return flight.
5. Starting and Ending Your Vietnam Trip in the Same City
There is one particularly simple way to take advantage of good round trip fares: start and finish your Vietnam journey in the same city.
If you fly Milan to Hanoi and return from Hanoi, you have a very clear structure. Hanoi becomes both your arrival and departure point, and your itinerary can be built around this fixed beginning and end.
The disadvantage is geographical. If you want to travel from northern Vietnam all the way to the south, you will eventually need to return north again before your international flight home.
That does not necessarily make the trip inefficient. Vietnam's domestic flights make it possible to move quickly between Hanoi, central Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City, while trains and private transportation can be used where they make more sense. But the itinerary needs to account for the return journey rather than simply following the map from north to south.
For a shorter trip, this may be a perfectly reasonable solution. For a longer journey covering much of Vietnam, however, it is worth comparing the cost of a conventional round trip with a multi city flight arrangement.
6. What If You Want to Travel from North to South?
This is where flight planning becomes part of itinerary design.
A classic Vietnam journey often works naturally from north to south: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay or the mountains of the north, followed by central Vietnam with Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An, and finally Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta.
The opposite direction works equally well.
The difficulty appears when your international flight requires you to return to the original airport. If you arrive in Hanoi and travel all the way south to Ho Chi Minh City, you have two choices. You can travel back to Hanoi before flying home, or you can use a domestic flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi near the end of your journey.
The second option is often the more practical one. You can spend the main part of your holiday moving naturally through Vietnam and use a short domestic flight to reconnect with your international departure from Hanoi.
This is one of those situations where the itinerary can look complicated when you try to organise every flight, transfer and hotel yourself. Once the domestic and international flights are considered together, however, the route becomes much easier to manage.
This is exactly where a DMC can take care of the logistics for you. Vietnam Original Travel can design the itinerary around the international flight you choose, then coordinate the domestic flights, private transfers, hotels and experiences so that returning to the original departure city does not disrupt the journey.
7. Flying Into Hanoi and Out of Ho Chi Minh City
If the price works for your dates, one of the most efficient ways to explore Vietnam is to arrive in Hanoi and return to Italy from Ho Chi Minh City, or to do the journey in the opposite direction.
This avoids unnecessary backtracking and allows you to travel through Vietnam in one continuous direction.
For example, you could arrive in Hanoi, explore the capital and northern landscapes, continue to Ninh Binh and then travel south through central Vietnam before finishing in Ho Chi Minh City. You would not need to return to Hanoi simply to catch your international flight.
The same idea works in reverse. You could fly from Italy into Ho Chi Minh City, travel north through the country and finish in Hanoi before taking your flight back to Milan.
This type of itinerary is particularly attractive for a longer first visit because the journey itself becomes part of the experience rather than a series of return trips between the same cities.
The only question is whether the international fare makes sense. Sometimes the conventional return ticket is sufficiently cheaper to justify returning to the original city. Sometimes the extra cost of a multi city ticket is worth paying because it saves time and makes the itinerary considerably more efficient.
There is no single answer. The best choice depends on your dates, budget and the places you want to visit.
8. What Happens When You Arrive in Vietnam?
Once your flight lands in Vietnam, the arrival process is relatively straightforward.
If you arrive at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City or another international gateway, you will first go through immigration before collecting your luggage and leaving the airport.
For Italian passport holders, Vietnam currently offers visa exemption for stays of up to 45 days, subject to the applicable entry conditions. The current policy for Italian citizens is in effect from 15 March 2025 until 14 March 2028, so a typical holiday of two or three weeks does not require a visa.
At the airport, it is sensible to allow roughly one to two hours from landing for immigration, baggage collection and the formalities before you are ready to leave, particularly during busy periods. The actual time can be considerably shorter or longer depending on the airport, arrival time, passenger volume and baggage handling.
This is another reason why it is useful not to schedule an important activity immediately after a long haul arrival. Your first transfer should give you enough flexibility to deal with the normal unpredictability of international arrivals.
Once you have cleared immigration and collected your luggage, your Vietnam journey can begin.
9. Which Airport Should You Fly Into?
For most first time visitors, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the two most useful international gateways.
Hanoi is the natural starting point if you want to explore northern Vietnam before travelling south. It gives you easy access to destinations such as Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay, Ha Giang and the northern mountain regions.
Ho Chi Minh City works particularly well if you want to begin in the south, explore the Mekong Delta and then continue north through central Vietnam.
Da Nang is another useful international gateway, especially if your main interest is central Vietnam, although international flight availability from Italy is more limited and a connection will normally be required.
The important thing is not to choose an airport simply because it appears first in a flight search. Think about the shape of the trip you want to make. If you want to travel across Vietnam, the international arrival and departure points should be considered together with your domestic transportation.
10. Direct Flight or Connecting Flight?
The choice between a direct and connecting flight is ultimately a question of priorities.
A direct Milan to Hanoi flight is the simplest option when the schedule works for you. There is no intermediate airport, no need to change aircraft and less risk of a missed connection. It is particularly convenient when you want to arrive in Vietnam ready to begin your itinerary rather than spending additional hours in transit.
A connecting flight can offer more flexibility, however. You may find more departure dates, different departure airports in Italy or a lower fare. Depending on the route, the connection can also make it easier to fly into Hanoi and return from Ho Chi Minh City.
The best flight is therefore not necessarily the one with the lowest advertised price. It is the one that fits the entire journey.
11. Let the Flight Shape the Itinerary, Not Complicate It
Planning a trip from Italy to Vietnam can initially seem like a simple matter of finding a flight. In reality, the international flight is the first piece of a much larger itinerary.
A good route takes into account where you want to arrive, how far south or north you want to travel, whether you want to use domestic flights, how much time you have and where you want the journey to finish.
If a return flight to Hanoi offers a particularly attractive fare, there is no reason to avoid it simply because your itinerary ends in Ho Chi Minh City. A domestic flight can reconnect you with Hanoi before your international departure. Equally, if a multi city ticket allows you to arrive in Hanoi and leave from Ho Chi Minh City at a reasonable price, it may be the more efficient choice.
Vietnam Original Travel can take care of this planning as part of a tailor made journey. You can choose the international flight that works best from Italy, and we can build the Vietnamese itinerary around it, coordinating domestic flights, private transportation, accommodation and experiences along the way.
The important thing is to look at the journey as a whole. Once the flights and the route are planned together, travelling from Italy to Vietnam becomes much simpler than the distance between the two countries might suggest.
12. FAQ
What is the easiest way to travel from Italy to Vietnam?
Flying is by far the most practical option. From Milan, Vietnam Airlines offers direct flights to Hanoi on selected days, while many one stop connections are available from Milan, Rome and other Italian airports.
Are there direct flights from Milan to Hanoi?
Yes. Vietnam Airlines operates nonstop flights between Milan Malpensa and Hanoi. The current schedule includes Tuesday, Friday and Saturday services, although flight schedules can change and should be checked for your exact travel dates.
How much does a flight from Milan to Hanoi cost?
Current Vietnam Airlines listings show some Economy round trip fares from around €760 to €773 for selected dates in late 2026. Airfares are dynamic, so the price can be significantly different depending on the season, dates and availability.
What do HAN, DAD and SGN mean?
HAN is the airport code for Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport in northern Vietnam. DAD is the code for Da Nang International Airport in central Vietnam. SGN is the code for Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport in southern Vietnam.
Is a round trip ticket cheaper than two one way tickets?
A round trip ticket is often better value, although this is not guaranteed. It is worth comparing both options before booking, especially if you are considering starting in Hanoi and finishing in Ho Chi Minh City.
Can I arrive in Hanoi and leave Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes. A multi city or open jaw flight can make this possible and can be very convenient for a north to south journey. If the fare is less attractive, you can also return to Hanoi on a domestic flight before your international departure.
Do Italian citizens need a visa for Vietnam?
Italian citizens can currently enter Vietnam without a visa for stays of up to 45 days, provided they meet the applicable entry conditions. The current unilateral visa exemption policy runs from 15 March 2025 until 14 March 2028.
How long does immigration take in Vietnam?
There is no fixed processing time. As a practical planning estimate, it is sensible to allow around one to two hours after landing for immigration, baggage collection and leaving the airport, particularly during busy periods.
Should I fly into Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?
It depends on your itinerary. Hanoi is ideal for exploring northern Vietnam before travelling south, while Ho Chi Minh City is a natural starting point for southern Vietnam and the Mekong Delta. For a longer journey, arriving in one city and departing from the other can reduce unnecessary backtracking.
Can Vietnam Original Travel arrange the trip around my international flight?
Yes. You can choose the international flight that suits you, and Vietnam Original Travel can organise the Vietnamese itinerary around your arrival and departure dates, including domestic flights, private transportation, accommodation and experiences.
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