It was after midnight as I stepped out of the airport and gazed towards the taxi rank where there were only a handful of taxis. I walked up to a driver by a Vietnam Airlines taxi, who eyed me up and down and asked where I was going. He then suggested I get into a cab with another foreigner. I explained I was in a rush and had to get back straight away, wondering why he would want two guys to split the costs anyway.

I looked around and realised there was only a handful of taxi drivers but dozens of passengers coming through. The taxi drivers were looking for a big fish before calling it a night. It seemed they wanted someone to pay well over the odds or to force passengers to share a cab and split the inflated price. The taxi driver said I could pay VND400,000 and go by myself or pay VND200,00 and share with another person paying the same amount so the driver would still make VND400,000.

Normally, the fare is VND250,000 for a trip in a five-seat car from Noi Bai to town. That was clearly indicated on a sign by the taxi drivers, but they waved me away when I complained. I went in search of another company. But it seemed Viet Thanh and Noi Bai Taxi companies had disappeared into the night. I asked a woman with a walkie-talkie representing one of the companies. She shrugged. There weren’t enough taxis. What could she do? Besides, she looked as if she had no control over the taxi drivers even if there were some around.

I marched up and down looking for a taxi and bumped into a friend who had negotiated a price of VND300,000 with a poacher, i.e. someone with a car looking for some extra cash. The driver said he’d take the two of us to our respective homes, relatively near each other, without increasing the price. And so, 45 minutes later I was home, having paid only VND150,000 – so, what’s my problem?

Well, my problem is that I was forced to haggle and negotiate, wasting time in an international airport. I got home, sure, but I found it extremely disappointing to see the lack of systems in place to get tourists into town safely and fairly.

This is a destination that’s just been celebrating its millennium with visitors coming from all over the world. Imagine how confusing and stressful it is for first-time visitors to come out and find not enough taxis and drivers forcing potential passengers to bid for their services. A Vietnamese friend claims taxi drivers are allowed to charge an extra 10 per cent after 10pm and 30 per cent after midnight.

That’s all well and good but where was the sign informing passengers that the rate goes up after certain times? And where were all the taxis with a few hundred passengers spilling out of the airport doors?

Next time I’ll pre-book a pick up when I’m arriving late. But if Hanoi and Vietnam want to encourage repeat tourists the authorities must seriously look at airport transfer systems. As everyone knows first impressions last.

I know I’m not the first person to complain about this, and sadly, I certainly won’t be the last.