The Hoang bus, also known as the Banh Mi bus, no longer includes a free sandwich, but you can still get one at the stores in the strip mall. The gas station next to where the buses load are kind enough to let folks use the bathroom which is nicer than the one onboard. For the Westminster (Orange County) to San Jose route you load in the big white bus 45 minutes before departure. When you book online you'll get a text that says: Hoang Bus - Ticket booking confirmation: Departure date: 04/06/2026 - at: 09:15 AM (45' mins in advance) ABC Supermarket 8970 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683 Route: Westminster - San Jose 01 luggage maximum 50lbs + 01 handbag - 1 free bottled water/ 1 pax Xin vui lòng thông báo nếu quý khách muốn nhận tin nhắn này bằng tiếng Việt/ Hoa. The bus takes the 405 to 5 freeway and takes about 6 hours +/- on traffic. You get dropped off at a Bahn Mi shop in South San Jose. My text said: To: San Jose, CA Time: 16:00 Address: Huong Lan Sandwiches, 1655 Tully Rd, San Jose, CA 95122 Ticket was $60 (Iran War gas prices) as of April 2026 which was 1/2 of what Flix/Greyhound was charging and a fraction of the $400 SWA wanted for last minute John Wayne to SJC flight. Great for college kids at nearby UCI or Chapman. Crowd is mostly older Vietnamese Americans. Bus was clean. Driver professional. Bus was packed so the service is popular. read more

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A slightly older charter bus but does it look like I care.. it's $50 from NorCal to SoCal LOL. It felt like a super quick trip. Felt very organized and was an easy trip. Notes: - you will get the location for pick up and drop off once you book, but u can call them to ask. - San Jose location was at Huong lan sandwich - Chinatown location was right next to the metro station, very convenient! - bus has a bathroom - they provide a water bottle - many people buy tix on the spot so come early ish if u want a good seat - no outlets - yes wifi - they can put your luggage under the bus but there's also overhead storage - they make a stop halfway at a Popeyes/ Taco Bell but there's also a subway and some other places across the street. We stopped for 15 min. Also this location had a really nice bathroom lmao - the driver mainly spoke viet but that was not a problem at all. There's plenty of non viet people on the bus so don't worry if ur not viet read more

Today March 23rd, he's a good driver good service, on time, 5 star for him too.... He drive very safe, I like the way he drive, thank you, His name's Trong Anh Tài xê lái super good quá chuyên nghiệp, lái tốt đúng giờ nhưng nói chuyên hơi cọc xíu, , Cám ơn anh, thank you.... 5star for anh. His name's Trọng... read more

Terrible experience. Extremely rude and unprofessional customer service. Pickup times kept changing with no clear explanation, and when I called for clarification, the representative was disrespectful and hung up on me. Completely unacceptable. read more

I took this bus regularly as a young Viet kid lol. Now as an adult I still take it. It's never had a cancellation or hiccup in the 10 years I've been taking it. Meanwhile I've experienced horrible times with Greyhound/Flixbus ie: being stranded at 1am. read more

What a rude drver!!! I would give 0 star if I could. His driving skill is so dangerous and not respectful other drivers. I was driving, and two kids were in the car. He did 100% wrong and gave us his his middle finger. This company needs to train their drivers and teach how to respect other people. read more

Xe Do Hoang - Buses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Mediocre service. Told us to come early, then tell us to wait 30 minutes under the rain. There is no rain shelter or anything at the pickup spot. Lastly, dump us to separate places remaining on the bus. Unprofessional and NOT recommend. read more

Xe Do Hoang - Their pickup spot. - Buses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Horrible. This is the message I got and I show up at 8:26 and there is no bus. I call and they say "oh it's not there it's at a different street we changed the address." By the time they text me a new address, the bus is gone. I complain and they say "you should have arrived 30 minutes earlier and then called us for directions to find the bus it's not where we said it would be on the message." read more

Xe Do Hoang - Buses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

While looking for an affordable mean of transportation to NorCal, Xe Do Hoang seemed to be a great option as plane tickets are very expensive right now. My best friend suggested it since she often uses it to travel back home to San Jose and I know it is very popular among Viet travelers as well. 5 days before my trip I went on their website to browse the schedule for today, Friday 02/21/2020 and there were 2 options listed; to depart from El Monte at 10:00 AM and arrive in San Jose at 4:00PM or to depart at 4:30PM and arrive at 11PM. I decided to reserve my seat for the PM schedule and had the confirmation emailed to me the day before my trip. I was stoked for the ride and eager to try out the bánh mì that they always give out to every passenger as you board the bus. However, there was NO bus let alone any bánh mì. I arrived at the bus station in El Monte at 3:45PM since I was told to be at least 20mins early to not miss the bus (which was supposed to come at 4:30PM). I waited there for almost an hour. At 4:30 there was no bus in sight so I began to panic. I called the main office to find out that the ride was CANCELED and it was informed in the most rude/impolite manner. The lady on the phone did not once apologize for the inconvenience they have caused me due to the unannounced canceling, she even blamed ME for waiting there. She asked "what are you even doing there?!" Well lady, good question. WHAT AM I DOING THERE WASTING MY TIME WITH A COMPANY THAT HAS NO REGARD FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS?! I DON'T KNOW EITHER. Bottom line is I will no longer include Xe Do Hoang in my future travels and just go buy myself bánh mì elsewhere. If you're interested in traveling w them, I suggest doing everything in your power before your scheduled ride to ensure that you won't be left stranded and confused like I did. read more

Xe Do Hoang - My email confirmation for the ride - Buses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Inexpensive, fast, convenience. I did these few times already. At the midway stop, if you want to order food, order food first before going to the restroom. It will avoid the long line at the restroom and the same thing at the food court later. read more

This used to be a very good and affordable service. $40 and it included a banh mi Viet sandwich and a water bottle on the ride. Then, they take away bank mi 4 years ago. Then, they jacked the price to $50 a year ago. Now, for $50, you get a lesser experience, but still the same crowdedness and the bathroom can stink to hell if that one person feels like dropping a fat one. Not to mention some seats isn't cleaned at all. Frankly, the only reason i take this service at all is because the airport and the train station is far from my home. I have taken this at least 5 times. I am Viet, I was born in Vietnam, but this is an overpriced service even by my standard. Hell, they just updated their site to a new domain and it will definitely leave some older folks confused by the new change. I'd bet they spent some money on it - time will tell if it is good will bear fruit. So, if you consider this option, Viet or no, look for any train and railway. Hell, if you plan your airplane trip ahead of time, you can get a discount. Just need someone to take you to an air terminal. $35 for a flight is very good, and far better accommodation than a Greyhound. read more

I take this bus on a monthly, every other month basis to visit my family in San Jose. Usually the restrooms are clean and the bus is clean. Other times, it's very gross so be sure to bring your own napkins and hand sanitizer. It was about a 7-8hour drive. Don't call and make a reservation, they will not honor it. They've left me before when I came 25 minutes early! Usually one way will be 30/40 dollars. They always stop for a 15 minute bathroom break. The reason why I made this review because of the last few times, I've had really bad experience. Usually it's something minor, but this time they yelled at me for not wanting to eat their meat banh mi because i'm vegan! They yelled at me to just eat the sandwich bc they didn't have vegan options that day. So rude! read more

Los Angeles Chinatown station to San Jose. I arrived an hour early on a Wednesday morning and by 20 min into waiting, people were arriving. Just stand by some shade under a tree by the street and a line will form. The car with the sandwiches arrived in style in a silver Lexus around 10:45 am and the bus arrived right at 10:55am. We departed from the Chinatown Metro Station at 11:02. Just enough time to get the 7 people on the bus. There a few seats left. They did look at my reservation which I didn't print out but it looks like they take them now. He just looked at my phone. As I boarded the bus the lady takes my money and hands me a delicious Lee's Sandwich which is the highlight of my trip. Yum!! Everyone is quiet with a few in audible incomprehensible Asian chatter. But no wifi. I haven't been on a bus yet that has it working. Another brief intro about the bus on the 6 or so tv screens. This bus has an outlet for earphones for it with volume and Channel control. No overhead storage. Just under the seat in front of you. We got to Bakersfield around 1 pm for a 15 min rest stop. And away we go! Movie starts. It's James Bond read more

Xe Do Hoang - Volume control for the tv but not the people. Ha ha. It was actually pretty quiet. - Buses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Took this bus from San Francisco to El Monte and back. The only pros are that this is a very economically affordable option, and the Sandwich and bottled water provided is decent. However, what you pay for is what you get. Granted, it was the Thanksgiving holiday when I traveled and traffic was very heavy- but we left SF at 6AM and didn't get into El Monte until 5PM which was two hours past the time on the itinerary. There is only one 15 min bathroom break during the 10-11 hour trip so beware of that if you don't like sitting for that long period of time. The lavatory in the back isn't very clean, either. I won't be riding this bus again, and find other travel accommodations. read more

I just had to post this to let everyone knows and maybe alert the business owner of xe do Hoang. I always thought that xe do Hoang is a reliable form of transportation from southern California to northern California and back, but I was wrong. The last trip I went on, the driver they hired did not know where they were going. When asked if they ever drove down to Westminster before, they said no. Despite that, the driver had nothing to guide them! No GPS, no map, no instructions. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Usually there would be a second driver/ guide who helps out if something happens, but they were alone... driving this bus of 60 people without an idea of where to go. I wasn't aware of this until the passengers in front was exclaiming how the driver missed the freeway and when asked, didn't know how to get to the destination. No one knew what to do until someone stepped up to use their smartphone to direct the driver. I thought there may be something shady here but it's not apparent until later. Not knowing where you are going puts your mind in a state of stress. The driver barely knows how to drive a bus, struggling to make lane changes. We usually get a break in the middle of the 7 hours trip, but they were not informed of that, so when told, they took a break 2 hours in and that's it. The driver also was not that confident, since they font know the road; they didn't get into the carpool lane, and stayed behind a truck for a while "to be safe." But the freaking truck was having emergency lights on because it's the type that is slow and stops abruptly! It may be partially the driver's fault for not being prepared, but most of what happened is due to xe do Hoang's lack of responsibility. I don't want to say this since I've taken them so many years and they have always been great. But what happened this day showed a total lack of professionalism. They gave the driver no training, no equipment, and total control of a bus full of passengers without caring about the passengers at all. We felt like our safety is at risk. When we arrived, we asked why the driver doesn't even have a GPS, they replied, "Oh, she doesn't use a GPS." Is that the answer that a company makes after it created this whole situation? I am baffled. Back home, I told this lady about what happened and my disbelief. She told me that it happened before too. The people who knew just pretend not to notice and wait for someone to direct the driver. I now know this wasn't just a one-time thing. I don't know if xe do Hoang just wants to save money by hiring unqualified drivers, not giving training, not providing equipment, and not having a second driver/guide on the bus (to save 40 bucks), or what, but this is the conclusion that seems fits regarding everything that is happening. There are a lot of competition that just started for xe do Hoang like xe do Phuong Thao and megabus. We wanted to use xe do Hoang or lowfarebus because they gave been consistently good. I thought that would make them treat their customers better. But if this is the way they are doing things, I'm not so sure anymore. read more

If you have a gas hogging car like mine and its just you, you're better off taking this bus to San Jose. Saves you from spending more on gas and you get to rest the whole trip. Gives you a chance to Enjoy the view of nothingness. Compared to other buses like grey hound, you just can't beat the price. $40 one way with free Banh mi and bottles water. Honestly, I dont give a shiznits about their service. I pay them the fee and that's it. They don't bother you so whatever. But if you're going to sit and bitch about the people on the bus then don't bother coming ....this is not a moving hotel where you get privacy people. Makes one 15 minute rest stop halfway and on average it takes from six to seven hours to get from orange county to san Jose. Tips: Arrive 30-45 minutes early since it gets busy and they leave early if its packed. 1 hour on holidays. Bus gets busy weekends and school breaks. Bring your ipod and earphones. Charge. it! Bring a sweater and something to lean your head on. Bring hand sanitizer. Bathrooms are gross. Btw sandwiches from oc to sj are decent. But the Lee's from Overall, they get there on a timely manner. read more

Xe Do Hoang - Night arrival to oc - Buses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

You get what you pay for: Pros: consistent cheap pricing by distance (no extra charges or fees like its American competitors such as MegaBus), free Vietnamese Banh mi and water bottle. Cons: cash-only transportation service (must bring cash to pay before boarding), seating not cozy/comfortable for a long trip, WiFi internet does not work at all times. Poor/inaccurate web page information as there are also multiple bus rides from this same company that go the same route but with different timings that are not posted online (for example there are also earlier bus rides from San Jose to LA starting from 8 am too) - best is to call the company first before you go. There is also no real online reservation for this company (it's first come, first served for seating). read more

Took this bus few months ago for the first time. *Its cheap: $45 going from sf to LA. *Seatings are first come first serve so better come at least 15 minutes early if you want to get good seats (depending if its pack or not that day) *You can bring as much luggages as you want. *Free wifi depending on bus and signal. *I would have gave it a 5 stars but the day i use their bus service, the driver doesn't doesn't seem to be happy (maybe cause of an early shift). *free Vietnamese sandwich, water bottle, may show Paris By Night Procedure from SF to LA 1. Pick up time 6:30 am at McDonald near Van Ness. (Going back from LA to SF is later time, leaves around 11 am) 2. Once everyone are loaded to bus, start going to Oakland to pick up more customers. Collect $5 fee at Oakland before going to San Jose. It was traffic going to SJ which causes delay. 3. Reach SJ, pick up more customers. And collects $40 after all customers are on board. This is way they get the sandwiches. Since there was a lot of people used the bus on the day i went, some people had to transfer to another bus for those who was not going to SoCal area. Cause more delay. 4. Start leaving to Socal. Theres a small break at gas station after few more hours of driving. Got drop off at LA Chinatown around 3 when original was 2:30 cause of all the delays and traffic. read more

Chinatown stop for the Vietnamese bus traveling OC - LA - SJ - OAK - SAC. $40 one way but they give you a banh mi (vietnamese sandwich) and water for the journey. Pick up is along the roadside right under the Chinatown Metrostop, not where the Rapid/DASH busses stop, but very close by. Busses are on time, and get you around California for very cheap! read more

Xe Do Hoang - The stop is near the Chinatown metro - Buses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The only reason why they are getting 2 stars is because it is cheap & convenient. I would obviously rather fly but you know, I'm a college student going back and forth so I really have no choice. In my past 3 years these are the experiences I had. 1) some guy sitting next to me lost his macbook because someone took his duffle bag since they drop people off at different locations and no one is watching your bags. 2) my arm got stuck in the door before while the bus was moving and the driver didn't even say sorry. Everyone on the bus saw, some even yelled at the man to stop. It was so embarrassing. I ended up sitting on the bus crying.. And told myself I would never use this bus again and ended up buying a new car instead... But lazy to drive by myself , I'm back using this bus again until I graduate college. 3) there was at least 2 trips where the bus completely broke down in the middle of the road to NorCal, we had to wait of another bus from Westminster to come get us. This threw off my plans and orthodontist appointments, which was the only reason why I came down in the first place. 4) Reservations don't mean anything. Sometimes getting a seat on one of these things makes you seem like you're a refugee fighting for spots 5) this one time, they made me share a 3 seater with 3 other people. One of the ladies changed her babies diaper right next to me. 6) I hope that the person picking you up doesn't have plans because their arrival time is usually different by like an hour. 7) the seats make my lower back hurt after about 3 hours.. Which sucks.. But I still take this bus because my work/school schedule is very last minute and so with this bus I don't have to really plan out when in heading down to SoCal. 8) they give you banh mi which is cool, but after 3 years, even after the first year actually I hate banh mi now. They probably have some deal with the banh mi store where they could get a bulk amount every day for a cheap price because you can tell in the bad quality of the banh mi. read more

It gets you where you need to go. I rather take the bus than drive to LA. You get to sleep and a free sandwich... So I'm not going to complain. The last time I went, which was a while ago, I paid $40 to go from San Jose to Chinatown LA. The bus took about 6-7 hours to get there because there weren't stops like how the Greyhound would take. They play Vietnamese shows like Paris By Night, but I just slept through it all. I wasn't bothered by anyone or anything. I traveled light, so I just put it overhead, but they have storage for bigger luggage under the bus. This isn't a high class transportation, so I don't expect much besides going from point A to point B. It beats driving to LA I would say. read more

Safety and on time, very nice service and they have WiFi free . Everything when I go to visit my family and friends always go with Xe Đò Hoàng read more

I'm writing this review on the bus as we speak... We just left San Jose and the bus driver just handed out the sandwich (I haven't decide whether I will eat it). The experience so far has been pleasant except the pick up location at Van Ness' a bit confusing due to lack of markers. Both the driver and the passengers have been friendly/non-combative. It's just a very simple long ride from point A to point B for a decent price. I don't expect much nor do I being too critical of it...as long as I arrive at my destination safely. I finally arrived at my destination after a long 8 hour ride. I have an overall positive impression about the ride and will certainly consider it when I travel up to the SF area again. read more

Xe Do Hoang - Taken on the bus. - Buses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My mom and sibling have taken this bus as well as my good, non-Vietnamese friend. Overall, this service deserves five stars especially since they really helped us out after we were in a pickle caused by a different company "Xe Do Arizona" http://www.yelp.com/biz/xe-do-arizona-chandler#hrid:gO2c_lKdS671sfS3B5iZRg. After the other van company screwed us over, a Xe Do Hoang employee kindly called their bus driver. The bus driver and waited for us to catch up in our car to drop off a friend. They waited a maximum of five minutes, but it made all the difference to us. They were on time at their destinations in Arizona and we are so thankful they were willing to wait a few minutes for us. It's a huge bus. If you're lucky, you won't have to sit next to someone else during the ride. Much safer than riding any greyhound! Their website is available in Vietnamese, English, and Chinese: http://www.lowfarebus.com I would recommend calling to confirm your reservation several times before your departure date. read more

This service is really good for the price, $45 from SF or Oakland to Westminster. I would consider using it again but not anytime soon as I'm still recovering from the long and cramped ride. The cramped part was my fault since I had my duffle bag under my feet instead of under the bus. I don't know what I was thinking. The bathroom really smelled and the stench is expected while you're in there, but after people use it and come back to their seats, they reek of it for some time. So gross. They need to clean it after every trip. Sandwich and water provided was thoughtful. They should get new DVDs because 2 out of 3 of the Jackie Chan movies they played froze, skipped, etc. No need to make a reservation. Just get to the stop early. The reservation only matters if it's down to the last seat and you're fighting someone for it. read more

The bus leaving time saud departure 730a. We got there and they left at 725a. We had to chase them and the driver did stop and let us on. The ride was smooth and got us to our destination on time. read more

Đây là một xe do tôi rất thích vì xe do nay thật là đầy đủ tiền nghi và tai xe và nhân viên thật là nong hậu và tiếp đãi ân cần . Cam on xe do hoàng rất nhiều read more

A Thorough and honest review: My 1st time on Hoang. I traveled on a Thursday summer 2017 from Los Angeles to Phoenix. To make my reservation I called their number. Nice lady asked my name and phone number and confirmed where to meet the shuttle in Chinatown which would take me to the bus in El Monte. I informed her I was a vegetarian and asked if they had veggie sandwiches. They do! Be on time! I arrived at the pick up place in Chinatown near the metro station. The white shuttle van was parked on the opposite side of the street. He drove around to me pick me up and we left at our designated time (I may or may not have taken a pic of the license plate to send to my mom...you never know). We arrived in El Monte and I transferred to the large unmarked white bus. Bus: Very clean. Cloth seats. WiFi actually worked! Power outlets located between the seats near your leg, and they worked! A/C, comfortable temperature. The bus had tv screens, but no film was shown, no music played. Fine with me as I had my own ipod and notepad. Bathroom on bus. I did not notice a smell. I always sit as close to the front of the bus to avoid the smell. Once we were all seated (Not a crowded bus, I had both seats to myself), they came around and collected $40 cash from everyone and passed out water bottles and sandwiches. We left on time. One 10 minute stop in Indio. Partway through we pulled over, met another bus and switched drivers (that was odd). But arrived at our destination fairly on time (30 min late due to traffic and a one lane closure). Overall, clean, smooth ride, decent on time, decent passengers, food provided. better than greyhound. Keeping my fingers crossed that this is always my experience with this bus line! May want to look into their business: unmarked bus that accepts cash only with no paper trail?? hmmm....but I arrived at my destination safely! read more

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The rumors are true! The rumors are very true. Let's get going with the vitals: * For a trip from SF to LA: $40 * That $40 also gets you: a bahh mi (combination) sandwich & a bottle of water * Stop 1: 6:30am at the McDonald's on Van Ness * Stop 2: 7:00am at Random place off International Blvd in Oakland * Stop 3: 8:00am at Lee's Sandwiches (home of banh mi) in San Jose * All stops leave exactly at those times. * The buses are first come first serve. * There was one stop halfway & it was ten minutes long, exactly. * The bus arrived, exactly, at 2pm, downtown LA at the Chinatown metro stop. * On the bus, A/C, free wifi, bathroom, and lounge coach reclining seats. So, let's compare the two last minute weekend travel options: $40: Total travel time, door to door, 6am - 2:30pm: 8 1/2 hours. Vs. $185 (virgin ticket + $10 bart ticket), 11am - 3:30pm (1pm flight, 2:30 arrival): 4 1/2 hours. Note: I flew Virgin home at the same price. If it were a longer trip, I'd take the bus back. The exaction of the schedule emboldened the flawlessness of the travel. If you're traveling on a long trip (or even moving... say yourself to college or are parents moving your kid to college with all their luggage... get on this bus), you can bring as much luggage as you'd like. The language barrier is there, sure, but no more than when you order your banh mi. And, if you know what you're doing... it doesn't matter at all. No odd smells, no live chickens, but there was volume-up playing of Celine Dion from someone's T-Mobile Sidekick, which... became endearing after the second time around. Speaking of endearing... the driver of our bus schlepped on his back a young girl who was physically disabled who couldn't walk and whose grandmother couldn't carry her. He put her on his back and got her on and off the bus from her seat. In a world of skyrocketing flight prices (especially last minute), and skyrocketing gas prices, if you're willing to spend a bit more travel time, and give up the independence of your car... this $40 trip is the exact anathema of the mainstream travel industry, and a gift if you so take it. read more

The "banh-mi" bus.. hahaha because they give you a complimentary banh mi "Vietnamese sandwich" when you board their bus. COOL!! My parents were the ones that introduced me to this type of transportation from LA to SF/San Jose/ Oakland and back. If you plan to head up north last minute or head to so-cal from up north.. and airplane tickets are super duper expensive.. this is an option you can always shoot for. For $45.00 one way, you will get there safe without a problem other than traffic.. and you get a complimentary banh mi and water!! (once again.. haha) From LA- the bus usually board at the El Monte Supermarket on Garvey and Rosemead. Get there by 10:00 AM and you will see people waiting... just get in line.. - the banh mi from LA to SF is not lee's Sandwich!! darn it!! but if you are coming from Nor cal to so cal.. the banh mi is lee's sandwich.. hahah - you can bring as many luggages as you like and no additional charge whatsoever.. - prepare $45.00.. they collect $5.00 first and then the rest of the $40.00 later.. - From La, they do a stop at Chinatown to pick up more people before they hit the road to nor-cal - very quiet ride throughout the 7 hours.. everyone is either sleeping, watching their shows on their ipad, listening to their ipod, reading newspaper or just sleeping... - lots of college students surprisingly.. so you can always find a buddy or meet someone.. - there are also lots of old people but that shouldn't matter anyway. - bring some snacks so you won't be bored while you are on the bus.. * if going to Oakland- the bus will drop you off at Banh Mi Ba Le * if going to San Jose- the bus will drop you off at this Lee's Sandwich Plaza *if going to San Francisco- the bus will drop you off at a Mcdonald on Van Ness -Overall, the bus ride from La to Sf was really peaceful. Sucks, no Wifi though.. - Seats are first come first serve.. there's a restroom inside the bus as well- use it only if you really really have to.. haha - I will totally take the banh mi bus again if I go to nor-cal again.. although it's a long bus ride.. I save some sort of money haha. read more

They charged us $60 to ship our daughter to Orange County, CA on what is probably one of the heaviest travel days of the year. She was the only Caucasian person on the bus, which made it all the more fun to say "Good Bye" to her by stepping on the platform and waving to her from the doorway, yelling her (non-Asian) name.....so fun to embarrass her one last time by her parental units! At the Sacramento terminal, some very tasty Bahn Mi (sandwiches) can be had for only $3..... read more

Great way to travel from NorCal to SoCal without paying $100+ for a flight. I was first skeptical on the "viet bus" but after my experience this past week from Chinatown LA to Van Ness, San Francisco, I can say that there was no problems at all. It is a quiet ~7 hour ride, unless your bus driver decides to play some Vietnamese music which I found hilarious because everyone on the bus tried pressing a button to stop it. Thankfully, the bus was not completely filled so it made the trip a lot better. Like everyone else stated, it comes with a Viet sandwich (decent) and a bottle of water. The reservation process is simple and easy, but at this very moment I'm not able to book another reservation for some reason. So to end this, $45 for a ride and food is really worth it! Nothing "fishy" about Xe Do Hoang. Tip: Don't take some of the employees too serious when they're a bit rude, they're just trying to pick up and go. read more

General Review: I have ridden this bus a few times. I usually catch it at San Jose and get off at Winchester. It is usually fun being the only white person on the bus because I can brush up on my Vietnamese TV and gameshows as 3/4 of the time they play some Vietnamese American Idol kind of thing and I have no clue what is happening but it is fun to watch and the other 1/4 of the time they play bad American movies so win-win! Pros: -Reasonably priced ($80 round trip) -You can pay ahead of time or in cash the day of your ride -Free Banh Mi from Lee's...om nom nom! -More modern than most buses I've ridden -Friendly people -Monitors with some interesting programming going on -Only bus I've found closer to Orange County and heading back to SF later than 1p on Sunday Cons: -Crazy crowds usually but just buy a ticket ahead of time and you are good -Pretty crazy driver but this cuts down on the ride time I guess? -Lyft driver once tried to tell me that the area where Xe Do Hoang picks up in San Jose (outside of Lee's Sandwiches) is really sketchy but it seems fine to me Conclusion: Xe Do Hoang is a nice bus service with friendly people. I would recommend this bus service to anyone regularly traveling from SF to LA that doesn't want to drop $150 (at least) for plane tickets. read more

I'm wavering between 3-4 stars, but bumped it up to 4 because Xe Do Hoang has always managed to get the job done. Xe Do Hoang is an awesome alternative to flying or driving. Being the great procrastinator that I am, I usually buy my plane tickets to LA (or vice versa) last minute. Sometimes I really dont feel like shelling out $150 + $20 (for tax and TSA) to fly, especially considering that my parents live in SGV. So if you think about, flying will technically cost me about 4 hours: the drive to the airport, the wait at the airport, the flight, and then the drive home. To save extra $$$ for about 2 hours is really worth it for me. They do provide you with a Vietnamese sandwich, but sometimes, at least in the old days, they had BBQ pork and rice. They have sticky rice and peanuts for vegetarians. A bottle of water and you're good to go! The guy who collects your money can be "mean", but hey...He's just being his "Viet gangsta" self. Dont take offense to it. Xe Do Hoang def. does not pride itself in customer service, just getting you where you want to be. The Oakland location is SKETTCHHHYYYY! It seems like they no longer use the small vans, but come around picking everyone up in the huge charter bus. I def. recommend getting picked up early and not sitting in the back. The bus always seems full whenever I take it, but sometimes, you get lucky and there's a few empty seats. Just dont look at the person walking buy and put a lot of stuff on the seat next to you. There's also really no limit on luggage so YAY! Beats flying any day! read more

I did not enjoy my Xe Do Hoang experience, but want to write this review anyway to provide any Xe-Do-Hoang newcomers with tips when traveling on this bus. I get that it may not have been the best option for me personally, but could be a good option for a lot of other people. If this is your first time, PLEASE TAKE NOTE. The following will be extremely helpful as you prepare for a smoother Xe Do Hoang experience. - Arrive early - 6:15AM at the latest. The bus leaves at 6:30AM and 6:30AM on the dot. - Make sure that you know EXACTLY where the bus' pick-up location is the day before your trip. It's a little confusing, and you want to be prepared to look out for a few things that morning so that you don't miss the bus and throw off your travel plans completely: --- In my experience, the bus is always parked on GOLDEN GATE AVE, and NOT on Van Ness. You can input the address that is listed on the website (590 Van Ness Ave), but you should mentally note that upon arrival, you should find the bus parked on Golden Gate Ave, which is the street that intersects Van Ness. Look for an H&R block, it should be parked right in front of it. --- There's a 590 SOUTH Van Ness Ave, be careful NOT to place SOUTH in the GPS/Uber destination, as it will take you to the wrong spot. Its Van Ness w/o South. Other passengers I know barely arrived on time because they had to re-direct their driver from South Van Ness to Van Ness. - Bring food if you aren't a fan of Lee's Sandwiches. Just because it's free does not mean that you will want to eat it. The sandwich is quite scarce and the meat hardly qualifies as meat. read more

You're pretty much getting what you're paying for on this bus service. For $45 you can get a one way ticket from the Bay to LA (same with the other way around), and in addition to that a Vietnamese sandiwch (Banh mi), which can be a hit or miss - in my experience the Bay to SoCal sandwich wasn't great, but going back up was much better, what's up with that? And note that it departs and arrives in certain areas with a large Asian population, which makes sense, as most of their clientele are older Asian folks, but that seems to be changing! For those who are more on the value side, this is the bus for you. But after reading all the reviews, I tried to come on the bus prepared. I packed my laptop full of movies for this 6-7 hour ride, and brought my luggage on the bus with me, didn't want it to get crushed with the others in the storage, and... you're on your way. They did play a fast and furious movie, which I don't think anyone was watching haha. It did get a bit crowded as they started to pick up more people. The staff tried their best to accommodate folks, which assigned seating would have helped fix. Other than that, it was just a really cheap ride, and at this point in my life, it's pretty convenient. read more

This is another update and 5+ years riding with XDH. Some buses now have this large blue LED signage that tells you where destination is (in English, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish) which is helpful for some non Vietnamese riders. Wifi is available on most buses provided that the drivers or staff make sure the hotspot is charging (not running on batteries!) but the major downside is this hotspot only supports 5 connected wifi devices. With the explosion of wifi enabled tablets, laptops, smartphones, this makes it very challenging for others to get on wifi. I suggest XDH invest in a wireless router for each bus with wifi. I'm getting really tired of seeing and hearing those re-runs of Paris By Night videos and wish something else was playing besides PBN. XDH is still the way to travel between SJ and OC but really wished they start some frequent rider incentive. read more

THE BANH MI BUS. This bus is a great way to get across California in a decent amount of time and cost. The first time taking this bus may be overwhelming and confusing. I arrived at the pick-up location by the old McDonald's on Van Ness and Golden Gate at probably 6:15. I recommend arriving before 6:20 to be safe, because the bus leaves promptly at 6:30 AM. The nice thing is that San Francisco is the first stop on the trip going toward Southern California, so you get dibs on your choice of seat. Make sure to confirm your destination with the driver! From SF, it stops in Oakland then San Jose. The San Jose stop usually takes at least 15 minutes because this is where they settle the headcounts, rearrange people, collect money, and give you the banh mi and water. The bus has a restroom in the back, but there will be a rest stop past Gilroy. Halfway through the trip, they will play a Vietnamese drama. Then depending on your bus, there will be stops around LA and/or Westminster. If you're going to San Diego, there will be a smaller bus that you will transfer to when you arrive in Westminster. Remember to catch that bus!! The trip from SF to SD is around $60-65, while the trip from SF to LA/OC is $45. Bring exact cash. I don't recommend the online reservation option as it has always been troublesome. PROS: don't need to make reservations (pay as you go), complimentary banh mi and water, comfortable seats, not too many stops CONS: only comes once or twice a day, takes about 13 hours So, if you need to make a last-minute trip, don't want to drive, and the schedule works out for you, the Vietnamese bus is something you should look into! read more

I like the mystery of hopping into a white van at dawn in a McDonalds parking lot. Will this ride take me to Los Angeles? Or somewhere else entirely? Plus, free Vietnamese sandwiches! read more

I've been through and gone to much more "sketchy" places than their pick up location and I'm not at all weak in character and in mind so I had nothing to worry about. I left Berkeley around 5am and I got to the cute little corner at about 6:30 so I had an hour. Luckily I brought my hefty GRE book so problem solved. The only confusing and quite strange part of it all was where the bus was going to pick us up - definitely not in front of the store where the line was anxiously forming - it was around the corner (south west of the venue, where the bus faces the highway). That and when the bus came everyone just sprinted for it: self-control much? It was quite really. Good thing I didn't have any luggage because there was an anxious line for that so I jumped that and boarded. It was practically full but when I reached the back, near the bathrooms there was one seat and that was mine! I sat behind a brother and sister, an elderly fellow, surrounded by seniors so I knew I was safe. The brother and sister made light conversation with me and were really affectionate me being a student and all. The experience was grand. Air-conditioner was working and I had no problem at all. I knocked out like none other. I also appreciated how I didn't feel grossed out like I usually do on Greyhound buses, where my mouth would feel like I made out with a zombie. I just finished a final the day prior so I was drowsy from it all so I missed all the opportunities to get their goodies -- OH but NO! The kind elderly man to my left kept the Vietnamese sandwich, water bottle, and wet towel for me as I drifted in and out of sleep and he would place them in a plastic bag that his wife (I assume) handed him for me! Only strange thing is that I didn't miss the payment, I was wide awake for that. But I didn't mind! There were a lot of stop overs, in retrospect and didn't realize them. We got to Chinatown Los Angeles in less than 6 hours - which is a surprise because the Greyhound usually takes 10 to 12 and they have one stop over at a Burger King. I really enjoyed the filial piety and safety of it all and I got to watch Vietnamese TV (concert?) which was fun and all the smells was AWESOME. I grew up with these smells: of jackfruit mostly though. Haha. I almost missed my stop at Chinatown so as the bus was leaving I sprang up and the driver totally laughed me out which was really funny. From there I Metrolinked it and surprised the mama :] Happy times! Minus 1 star for the crazy sprint to get to the bus at Oakland. read more