Mode of Entry

Flight

The quickest way to get to Laos is to fly, but there are no direct flights from North America, Europe or Australasia. The most common route is to fly to Bangkok, Thailand and then fly from there to Vientane or Luang Prabang. Flights are also available from Vietnam to Vientiane. The "low cost" option is to fly from Bangkok to the Thai border town of Udon Thani, and then cross the Mekong River to Vientiane.

Laos has three International Airports :

-  Wattay International Airport in Vientiane Capital.

- Luang Prabang International Airport in Luang Prabang Province .

- Pakse International Airport in Champasack Province .

Note: Airport Tax of 5.000 kips is levied for domestic flights

Thai Airways: (www.thaiair.com)

Thai Airways International flies twice daily between Bangkok and Vientiane.

 

Lao Airlines: (www.laoairlines.com)

Lao Airlines, the national airline of Laos, flies twice daily from Vientiane to Bangkok, daily to Hanoi, five times a week to Chiang Mai and Siem Reap, and three times a week to Kumming in Southern China

 

Bangkok Airways: (www.bangkokair.com)

Bangkok Airways flies daily between Bangkok and Luang Prabang and twice a week from Bangkok to Pakse, Champassack province.

 

Air Asia: (www.airasia.com)

Air Asia flies three times a week from Kuala Lumpur to Vientiane and vice versa.

 

China Eastern Airlines: (www.ce-air.com)

China Eastern Airlines flies three times a week between Kunming and Vientiane.

Rail

There are no trains in Laos, but you can take the train in Thailand from Bangkok to Udorn Thani on the Thai border with Laos, and then cross the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai into Laos and on to Vientiane.

Overland

You can drive to Laos from Thailand, using the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai in Thailand. Numerous operators offer bus and van services from the Khao San area of Bangkok to Vientiane and on to Luang Prabang. Driving from Vietnam or Cambodia is also possible.

Crossing the Friendship Bridge

The Friendship Bridge, linking Thailand and Laos, was opened in 1994 and was the first bridge across the Mekong River which separates the two countries for much of their common border. The bridge crosses between the city of Nong Khai in Thailand and the eastern edge of Vientiane.

You can get to Nong Khai by air via Udorn Thani or train from Bangkok. Udorn Thani's international airport is serviced by Thai Airways as well as the low cost carriers Nok Air and Air Asia. With the low cost air options, it can be much cheaper to get to Vientiane via Udorn Thani, rather than taking a direct flight, although a bit more time consuming.

On landing at Udorn Thani, a Thai Airways van service can take you directly to the Friendship Bridge for 150 Baht (4.37 USD). The counter is just outside of baggage claim and is well marked. The van will take you directly to the Thai immigration checkpoint, taking about one hour. After passing through Thai immigration, there's a bus that will take you across the bridge for 15 Baht (0.44 USD). You will then need to go through Lao immigration on the other side. Visa on arrival services are available here. Once you get through passport control, there are plenty of touts on the Lao side to sell you taxi rides into Vientiane. A taxi will run about 250 Baht (7.28 USD - the taxis generally prefer Baht to Kip). A shared van will cost less. The trip into Vientiane should take less than 30 minutes.

If you're traveling with more than a simple carry-on bag, you may want to contact a tour operator in Bangkok or Nong Khai to arrange "door to door" service from Udon Thani to Vientiane.

Visa

You can obtain a visa on arrival at both the Vientiane International Airport and the Friendship Bridge. The cost is at least US$30 and may be more if you arrive early, late, etc. Note that the fee is payable in US Dollars only. If you try to pay in another currency, you will be grossly over-charged. You also need to have a passport size photo to obtain a visa.