In short
Hanoi does not give itself away easily. Constant traffic, occupied pavements, permanent noise. Then you find your café, your lane, your market, and it becomes the most endearing city in the region.
Tay Ho, around West Lake, holds the expatriates and the comfortable housing.
What it really costs
One of the best comfort-to-price ratios in Asia. A modern apartment with a lift stays below the price of a room in Singapore.
Street food is excellent and costs a few euros a day. Western restaurants are expensive for what they offer.
When to go
October and November are the best months: dry, mild, bright. March and April work too.
Winter is damp and cold, with no heating in most homes. Summer is stifling.
What nobody tells you
Air quality is poor for several months a year, at levels that justify an air purifier at home.
Crossing the street is a skill: you move slowly and steadily, and the scooters flow around you. Stopping in the middle is the one dangerous mistake.