Vinh's role as an industrial port city led to heavy destruction by aerial bombing during the war, as a result it has remained a drab, rather uninteresting place.
As the largest city between Hanoi and Hue, it's on the route for buses along the coast.
The train line between Vinh and Dong Hoi to the south takes an inland route different from Highway 1, and there is some excellent scenery along the way. If you're travelling along the coast by bus, consider taking a break here and going by train.
Bus at Bus Station to PhongSavanh (Phonsavan) in Laos, visa for Laos available at border, bus leaves every second day in the morning 6AM