Laos - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 357

5

Cambodia (daily; 1hr 30min); Phonsavan/Xieng Khuang
(daily; 30min); Savannakhet (1-3 daily; 55min).
By bus Public buses to destinations around Vientiane
(including the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge near Nong
Khai) use the Talat Sao bus station, next to the Talat Sao
Malls on Khou Vieng Road, about 1500m from Nam Phou
fountain. From here, it's only a short tuk-tuk ride to all
the central hotels and guesthouses.
Buses to and from the south tend to use the southern
bus station, about 9km northeast of the centre on Route
13; when leaving, it's a good idea to book tickets a day
ahead with your guesthouse - though you'll pay a small
premium for the convenience. Buses for Hanoi leave from
the southern bus station at 7pm daily, and should arrive
24 hours later; expect to pay around 230,000K for the long,
uncomfortable journey. There are also daily buses to Vinh,
Hue and Da Nang at the same time, but buses to Ho Chi
Minh City only run on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays;
departure times change frequently, so check before you
travel. From the southern bus station, a shared tuk-tuk into
town costs around 20,000K per person, and drivers will
usually drop you right outside your guesthouse.
Most buses to and from the north and northeast (such as
Luang Prabang and Phonsavan) use the northern bus
station, around 9km northwest of the city, close to the
junction with Route 13. Note that, depending on your
final destination, you may have to go first to Luang
Prabang and find buses onward from Luang Prabang's
northern bus station. Shared tuk-tuks from the northern
bus station to the centre should cost no more than around
20,000K per person.
Destinations from Talat Sao bus station

30min); Kasi (daily; 6hr); Thalat (hourly; 2hr); Vang Vieng
(7 daily; 4hr).
Destinations from northern bus station Bokeo (3 daily;
30hr); Luang Prabang (11 daily; 9-11hr); Luang Namtha
(2 daily; 24hr); Oudomxai (4 daily; 12-17hr); Phonsavan
(6 daily; 8-10hr); Phongsali (1 daily; 26hr).
Destinations from southern bus station Attapeu
(3 daily; 16hr); Don Khong, Si Phan Don (daily; 17hr);
Pakse (15 daily; 8-13hr); Paksan (every 30min; 1-2hr);
Phonsavan (4 daily; 8-10hr); Savannakhet (9 daily; 8hr);
Thakhek (5 daily; 5hr); Xekong (daily; 15hr).
By train Trains to and from Thailand travel across the
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge (see box below).

INFORMATION
Tourist information The main tourist o ce is on Lane
Xang Avenue, just north of the Morning Market (Mon-Fri
8.30am-noon & 1.30-4pm; T 021 212251). The English-
speaking staff here can provide advice, recommendations,
maps and the latest bus times.

CITY TRANSPORT
Central Vientiane is easily explored on foot - most of the
sights are an easy walk from the accommodation listed
on opposite.
Bicycles and motorbikes Bikes cost 10,000K/day at
many guesthouses and shops. Motorbikes are also easy
to find (70,000-100,000K/day), but Vientiane's newly
cluttered roads take some getting used to. A well-
established place in the city centre that accepts a cash
deposit of $30 (you should avoid leaving your passport
with any rental shop) is PVO on Fa Ngum Road ( T 021
254354; E [e-mail]).

Buddha Park
(every 15min; 40min); Friendship Bridge (every 15min;

TO AND FROM THAILAND: THE FIRST THAI LAO FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE
The major crossing into Laos is the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge (daily 6am-10pm),
which spans the Mekong River at a point 5km west of Nong Khai in Thailand and around
20km east of Vientiane. Daily buses leave Vientiane's main bus station (Talat Sao) for the
Friendship Bridge (every 15min), Nong Khai (6 daily) and Udon Thani (8 daily). From Nong Khai,
you can catch a bus or the overnight train to Bangkok (trains leave at 6.20pm from Nong Khai's
train station). The most convenient option is to take the daily 5pm train directly to Nong Khai
from Tha Naleng (20-30B), near the Friendship Bridge in Laos, though it's recommended that
you buy your ticket in advance (most guesthouses in Vientiane can help). Another option is to
take the bus to the Friendship Bridge (see above); once on the Thai side, hire a share taxi to the
train station (20B).
Entering Laos from Thailand , buses (15B) shuttle passengers across the bridge, leaving
every fifteen to twenty minutes. The buses start beyond Thai immigration control at the base
of the bridge. You will need to clear Thai customs before boarding the bus and continuing on
to Lao immigration on the opposite side of the river, where a thirty-day visa on arrival is
available. An “overtime fee” of $1 may be charged if you cross at the weekend or after 4.30pm.
After crossing, the cheapest way into Vientiane is by bus. Ignore the tuk-tuk drivers waiting on
the Lao side and walk towards the market stalls on your right-hand side. The #14 bus leaves
frequently from here (6000K), pulling up at the central bus station.