Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Operating out of Vientiane, a fleet of blue,
government-owned buses
caters mostly to the
capital's outlying districts, although it does provide a service to towns as far north as Vang
Vieng and as far south as Pakse. While newer than many vehicles in Laos, these Japanese-
and Korean-built buses are not air-conditioned and have cramped seats, a situation that wor-
sens as rural passengers pile in. Buses plying
remote routes
tend to be in worse shape: aged
jalopies cast off from Thailand or left behind by the Russians, which reach new lows in terms
of discomfort and are even more prone to breakdowns. These vehicles range in style from
buses in the classic sense of the word to souped-up tourist vans. Converted Russian flat-bed
trucks, once the mainstay of travel in Laos, still operate in remote areas.
In most instances,
tickets
should be bought from the town's bus station - it's best to arrive
with plenty of time in order to buy your ticket and grab a seat, especially in towns that are
busy transport hubs, such as Oudomxai. In larger towns with an established tourist infrastruc-
ture, you'll often be able to buy your tickets from a travel agent; this will usually be a little
more expensive, but will include transport to the bus station. In more rural areas, you'll pay
for your ticket once on board.
At the other end of the spectrum you'll find air-conditioned
VIP buses
, running popular
routes such as Vientiane to Luang Prabang. These services usually leave from their own
private “stations”, and reservations, which can be made through guesthouses and travellers'
cafés, are recommended.
Additionally, you'll find a number of
van
and
minibus
services in the more touristy towns,
connecting to other popular tourist destinations, such as Vang Vieng and Si Phan Don. Prices
for these services are higher than for the local bus alternative and the journey time will usu-
ally be a fair bit quicker, though you may find yourself just as crammed in as on a regular bus,
and of course you miss out on the opportunity to meet local people. The situation changes
rapidly at this end of the market, so check with travel agents for the latest information on
routes and bookings. It's also worth shopping around if booking minibus tickets - regardless
of how much you pay for your ticket, and where you buy it, you're likely to end up on the
same minibus.
Reliable timetables
only exist in regional hubs like Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savan-
nakhet; elsewhere it's best to go to the bus station the night before you plan to travel to find
out the schedule for the next day. Most departures are usually around 8 or 9am, and very few
buses leave after midday. Many drivers will sit in the bus station long after their stated de-
parture time, revving their engines in an attempt to lure enough passengers to make the trip
worthwhile.
Sawngthaews
In rural areas, away from the Mekong Valley, the bus network is often replaced by
sawngthaews
- converted pick-up trucks - into which drivers stuff as many passengers
