The Best of Cambodia & Laos

198
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO LAOS
10
GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
overnight. Tickets are 500 baht to 1,000
baht, depending on the quality of facilities
on the bus.
There are also buses to all major cities
in Vietnam from both Vientiane and
Luang Prabang, Savanakhet and Pakse
(direct buses are only from Vientiane to
Hanoi and Savanakhet/Dong Ha).
By Train
You cannot reach Laos from Cambodia by
train. In 2009, the extension of the railway
line from Bangkok to Nong Khai was
completed. The railway terminates at
Vientiane’s Thanalaeng station. It’s easy to
travel from Bangkok to Vientiane (or vice
versa) by train on the daily overnight
sleeper train direct from Bangkok to the
new international rail terminal, about
13km (8 miles) outside Vientiane. This
train uses the new rail link over the
Friendship Bridge opened in March 2009,
and you can then take a local bus or tuktuk
to central Vientiane.
Alternatively, you can still travel
between Bangkok and Vientiane the old
way, using any of the Bangkok-Nong Khai
trains, then making your own way by bus
or taxi between Nong Khai and Vientiane.
At present visas on arrival for Laos are not
issued at Thanalaeng station, only at the
Friendship Bridge, so you can only use the
new through train northbound if you
already have a visa for Laos. If not, you’ll
need to get off the train at Nong Khai and
use road transport across the Friendship
Bridge. From Nong Khai, take a local tuktuk
from the railway station to Nong Khai
bus station. A shuttle bus runs from the
bus station across the Friendship Bridge to
Laos every 20 minutes throughout the day.
It costs about 30 baht. It stops at Thai
immigration 5 minutes after leaving the
bus station, then crosses the Friendship
Bridge to arrive at Lao Customs and
Immigration. You now remove your luggage
from the bus and go through Lao
Customs. Once through, take another
tuk-tuk to your hotel. When traveling
southbound, leave central Vientiane at
least 3 hours before your train leaves Nong
Khai for Bangkok in order to allow time
for border formalities and the various bus/
taxi journeys.
GETTING AROUND
By Air
The national carrier, Lao Airlines (Pangkham
Rd., Vientiane; & 021/512-028;
www.laoairlines.com) is the only domestic
airline in Laos. It used to have a very bad
reputation for safety, and indeed the
United Nations banned its staff from
using it. It has improved greatly in the last
decade. They fly in both directions from
Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Pakse,
Phonsavan, Udomxai, Huay Xai, Luang
Nam Tha, and Savannakhet; and from
Luang Prabang to Pakse and Phonsavan.
Lao Air (& 021/513-022; www.laoair.com)
is small airline based at Wattay
Airport serving remote areas in northern
Laos. They fly from Vientiane to Sam
Nua, Xayabury, and Phongsaly. You can
find the full up-to-date schedule on their
website. You can pay with a credit card if
in Vientiane or Luang Prabang, but if
elsewhere you will need cash. Flights can
be heavily booked over holiday periods
such Lao New Year, so book well in
advance. It’s recommended that you confirm
your flights a day or two in advance.
By Bus
The bus system has vastly improved over
the last few years in coverage, speed, and
comfort. Nevertheless, taking a long-distance
bus in Laos can be an arduous
option, and may be very slow and often
quite crowded. Quality really varies. Buses
can also be packed with other passengers’
luggage or great piles of goods being transported
from one place to another. Buses
are slow, so unless you’re in a big hurry it