You can get there both by bus and train from Hanoi capital. The city is just 153km South of Hanoi so it take about 3 hours for travel, bus ticket sold 39,000 dong for a seat on air-con bus, road in good condition.
Best choice in every town in Vietnam to get around is Xe Om as the Vietnamese call a moto-taxi, cheap and convenient, negotiate price before you ride. For a trip of 5km, pay 10,000 dong. Metter taxi are available with the same price throughout the country, call +84-37-858585 or simply 858585 if you use a landline phone in the town.
The most tourist attraction in Thanh Hoa is Sam Son beach which listed as number 2nd beautiful beach in the North of Vietnam, following Do Son in Hai Phong city. However, the beach only crowed in summer from June to September. Located in Sam Son town, a small town of the province, 16km from Thanh Hoa city. There are buses from Thanh Hoa city to the town, depart each 30 minutes from the bus station.
Ben En National Park is a good destination for ECO tours. This park is located 46km South West of Thanh Hoa city, 16,000 hectares of mountains and jungles with many kind of wild animals and tropical trees. There is a big lake in the park, covering 4,000 hectares of surface with 21 islands make an amazing landscape.