Laos Getting There & Away

Getting There & Away

There are many ways to get to Laos but almost all tourists go by train to the border and then take a bus into Laos. This is by far the easiest way even though it can be quite crowded and some waiting times before you get through customs. By Air: The national airline of Laos is Lao Aviation (QV) which serves the international routes from Vientiane to Hanoi (Vietnam) Bangkok Phnom Penh (Cambodia) Chiang Mai (Thailand) Kunming (China) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). Thai International flies from Bangkok Vietnam Airlines flies from Hanoi and Royal Air Cambodge flies from Phnom Pen.

Br Road: It is possible to enter Laos from Thailand at Nong Khai over the Friendship Bridge. Other border crossings include Chiang Kong (Thailand) ⿿ Houei Xay (Laos) in the north Mukdahan (Thailand) Savannakhet (Laos) and Chong Mek (between Pakse and Ubon Ratchathani). It is possible to enter Laos by road from Vietnam either at Lao Bao or at the new border post of Lak Xao near Vinh. Laos can also be entered from China. Overland travel to/from Cambodia is conducted by river only, from Stung Streng, via the border town of Veunkham. It's a bit tricky, and you can easily pay too much in both transport and border bribes, so talk to other travellers before attempting this.