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Laos Transport

For those seeking more detailed information on transport in the more popular areas, please click on the following links listed below:

Vientiane Luang Prabang

Getting There & Away There are flights from Vientiane's Wattay Airport to Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Yangon (Rangoon) in Myanmar (Burma) and Kunming in China.

You can travel by Lao Aviation, Thai Airways International, Vietnam Airline, The Southern China Airline, Silk Air, Malaysian Airline and regular flights are available to Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Chiang Mai, Kunming, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Tip: By far the easiest, cheapest, most reliable, frequent and interesting way to get to Laos by air is to use Thai Airways' domestic flight to Udon Thani and get some form of road transport from there to Laos.

Departing Laos There are no restrictions for exit by the Lao authorities, however, entering neighbouring countries will be subject to their own visa regulations. Crossing into Vietnam or China by land from Laos is subject to their own visa regulations. We suggest that if you intend crossing by land into Vietnam or China, you make this point clear when applying for visas to enter those countries.

If in doubt, you may check with the following consulates in Vientiane:

China: Thanon Wat Nak Nyai, Vientiane
Vietnam: Thanon That Luang, Vientiane

Warning:

Cambodia: The official line is that it is not possible for tourists to cross into Cambodia from Laos. However, if you have a Cambodian visa in advance, it is AT TIMES possible. However we cannot give make any guarantees on this type of crossing at this stage.

Myanmar: It is not possible for tourists to cross into Myanamar from Laos under any circumstances.

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Arrival by Boat From Kunming or Xishuangbanna, China, it is possible to travel by boat through the Mekong river straight South into Bokeo province.

Getting Around Within Laos

It is now possible to travel to every province in Laos by some form of public road transport. Laos has 18.153 km of national roads, 2.500 km of which are paved. The most important road is route No.13 linking which runs north-south from China to Cambodia. It links Pak Mong in the north with Khong in the south passing through major urban areas of Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Savannakhet, Champassack.

By Air Travel by air is the most convenient means of transportation within Laos. Lao Aviation files daily from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Xieng Khouang, Pakse and Oudomsay. Furthermore, there are several flights a week to Luang Namtha, Sayaboury, Houeixay, Sam Neua, Saravane, Lak Xao, Muangkhong and Attapeu. The latest information about flight schedules and routes is available at the Lao Aviation Head Office in 2 Pangkham Road, Vientiane, Tel: 856-21-212056, Fax: 856-21-212056.

By Bus Buses ply Rte 13 between Luang Prabang and Savannakhet. Other routes in the South, eg, Pakse to Sekong, typically use flat-bed trucks mounted with carriages and seats that serve as buses.

By Boat The alternative mode of getting around is river transport. The main thoroughfares are the Mekong, Nam Ou, Nam Khan, Nam Tha, Nam Ngum and Se Don. With the increase in road travel, river passenger services are declining year by year, but you can still catch long-distance ferries (called heua duan, express boats, not to be confused with the extremely fast heua wai, speed boats) between Huay Xai and Vientiane. For shorter trips it's usually best to hire a river taxi or, in the upper Mekong, a speed boat.

By Taxi There are a few taxis in the larger towns, plenty of three-wheeled motorcycles and, for shorter distances, pedi-cabs. Bargaining skills will be required.