I visited Laos in 2024 and it’s safe to say the information online, provided by recent travellers and from friends all differed. I didn’t quite know what to expect for my week in Laos except being told by a lot of websites and people that the country is not that developed. After travelling Laos I also realised that a lot of the information I had read on blogs was out of date (especially pricing – this may be due to inflation after the pandemic or perhaps I just got ripped off but you can decide once you’ve read this and visited as well!) This is how I experienced Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng in Laos and hopefully this recount and helpful Laos travelling tips will help you as you explore Laos.
Please note I only had a short time in Laos so didn’t explore in-depth or go south. I arrived on Monday and left on Saturday and spent two nights in Luang Prabang, the train to Vang Vieng, two nights in Vang Vieng and then the train back to Luang Prabang for one night and then flew out. This is everything I did, what I spent and what I learnt. Read on for some hopefully helpful tips for travelling Laos.
TLDR: Helpful Tips for Travelling Laos Table of Contents
- Laos E-Visa
- Laos currency
- Arriving in Laos at Luang Prabang International Airport
- Grab in Laos?
- Luang Prabang
- Helpful Travel Tips for Laos’ Kuang Si Waterfall
- Helpful Laos Travelling Tips for alms giving in Luang Prabang
- Vang Vieng
- Helpful Laos Travelling Tips: Nam Xay Viewpoint
- Helpful Laos Travelling Tips: Tipsy Tubing in Vang Vieng
- Other things to do in Vang Vieng
- Booking the Laos Train
- What are the trains between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng like?
- What is available at the Luang Prabang Train Station and the Vang Vieng Train Station?
- Long Distance Buses in Laos
This article contains affiliate links where I earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on them at no cost to you.
Please note: I cannot guarantee you will have the same experience. This is my best understanding of what I went through and hopefully it will give you guidance and tips for travelling Laos but I am not able to guarantee that I haven’t misinterpreted anything or you will have the same experience.
Helpful Laos travelling tips for Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng
Laos Travelling Tips: Laos E-Visa
Depending what country you are from there are a few options for getting a Laos visa. I am travelling on my Australian and British passports so I was eligible for an e-visa. You have to apply for an e-visa online at least three business days prior to the day you arrive. It says it needs three business days to process so I would apply at least four days before you arrive. I found the e-visa exceptionally expensive at $80AUD/£41. It really would put people off wanting to visit Luang Prabang and the Kuang Si Waterfall for an extended stopover on their way between Asian countries.
Once approved the e-visa is emailed to you. Despite it being an e-visa you still need to print it off – just one copy, which you show at immigration.
There was also the option to get a visa on arrival, but reading online you needed to provide two passport photos to do this so I opted against it as that seemed like more effort than applying for the e-visa ahead of time.
Whenever you apply or pay for a visa be sure you are on the official government website. So many website imitate the government website and charge extensive extra and unnecessary fees to do so. The best way to find the official government website is to go through the government travel advice page from your country (for example: Australian Government’s Smart Traveller website often links directly to where you need to apply for visas).
Laos Travelling Tips: Laos Currency
The Laos currency is the Kip and it’s not very valuable. At the time of writing 100,000 kip is $7.30AUD or £3.80. This currency is not exchangeable outside of Laos so you must either make sure you use it all or change it back to your home currency before leaving Laos.
Laos Travelling Tips: Arriving in Laos via Luang Prabang International Airport
Getting cash on arrival in Laos (at Luang Prabang International Airport)
I read online that you need cash on you to exchange to Laos Kip on arrival. I had 50,000 Cambodian Riel ($18.65AUD/£9.70) on me but the Luang Prabang currency exchange wouldn’t accept it (which I thought was really odd but Cambodian Riel is also not a strong currency). However, this wasn’t an issue as there was an ATM just outside the main entrance/exit (a BCEL bank atm). I was able to withdraw cash here at a rough fee of $5AUD/£2.50. I had some problems later though with withdrawing money in Laos (this may have been down to my bank though) which are explained further below.
Getting a sim card in Laos (at Luang Prabang International Airport)
I also read online to avoid getting a sim card at the airport because they’re much cheaper in town. However, at the airport they were selling sim cards for 50,000 Laos Kip ($3.65AUD/£1.90) that came with 17GB of data (there were bigger data packages and for longer durations available as well but this is what I chose). I thought that was cheap enough to buy at the Luang Prabang Airport. While I didn’t actively search for sim cards in Luang Prabang town to compare, I did see one sign advertising a pretty similar rate and, to be honest, for such a cheap airport deal, if it’s a scam price you’re still doing okay. You can buy these sims from the desks as soon as you clear customs and enter the main Luang Prabang airport hall.
Getting a taxi from Luang Prabang Airport to Luang Prabang
Okay, there’s a chance I got a scam price here, I’m really not sure, here is what happened. I left the airport and out the front tried to find a taxi. I spoke to someone and asked how much it was to Mad Monkey Hostel. They told me something over 100,000 Laos Kip. However, I had already read online that the price was about 50,000 Laos Kip. I said this and instead of negotiating he said it’s 80,000 Laos Kip and told me to buy the ticket inside the airport. So I walked back into the Luang Prabang Airport and there was an official looking taxi stand. I bought a 80,000 Laos Kip ticket for a shared tuktuk here. I think everyone paid the same and all had the tickets. However, afterwards online I read a number of places that were still reiterating that it is 50,000 Laos Kip. So it left me feeling unsure if I had been ripped off. However, 80,000 Laos Kip is $5.80AUD/£3, so at the end of the day I wasn’t breaking the bank.
Grab in Laos?
Sadly there is no Grabs in Laos. I got around using tuktuks and walking. You can hire a scooter or car as well if you want to.
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is a small town that is very popular with tourists. As a result, as you walk around the main area there are lots of hotels, guesthouses and hostels as well as restaurants and cafes. So it is a very easy town to be a tourist in. The sunsets over the nearby river are also beautiful.
Laos Travelling Tips: Getting money out in Luang Prabang
While in Luang Prabang I did have issues getting money out of the ATM using my Australian BankWest card. This was quite odd because it worked fine at the Luang Prabang airport when I arrived so I think it may have been an error on my BankWest side as my British Monzo card (which is normally, in my experience, the least reliable while travelling abroad) worked just fine. BankWest ended up telling me that no international debit cards are accepted in Laos which isn’t accurate at all given I got money out with BankWest and Monzo while I was there. As you should while travelling in any country, just make sure you have more than one bank card while travelling Laos.
Laos Travelling Tips: Food prices in Luang Prabang (and Vang Vieng)
I found that while food was cheaper than western countries, the cost of eating out in Luang Prabang (and Vang Vieng) was quite expensive for Asia, especially given that Laos is less developed than other Asian countries. I found that it was common to spend 100,000 to 200,000 Laos Kip ($7.30-14.65AUD, £3.80-£7.55) for a meal.
Where to stay in Luang Prabang?
I had three nights in Luang Prabang (two at the start and one at the end) and stayed at Mad Monkey Hostel and a guesthouse closer to town. While I loved the Mad Monkey Hostel for being incredibly clean, modern and a great social but relaxed atmosphere, for me, it was just too far out of the main area of Luang Prabang (about 25-30 minute walk). As a result, I stayed closer to town on my last night in Luang Prabang because I really wanted to see the sunrise alms giving and didn’t feel comfortable doing the long walk from Mad Monkeys in the dark before dawn (there was no tuktuks on the streets around Mad Monkeys). I won’t mention the guesthouse though because it was pretty dirty and I didn’t like it (although was glad it was closer so I was able to see the alms giving!)
Laos Travelling Tips: How much is a tuktuk from Luang Prabang Train Station to Luang Prabang
If you are coming to Luang Prabang from the Luang Prabang train station, it’s important to know that the Luang Prabang train station is about 20-25 minutes or so drive from Luang Prabang.
When I arrived in Luang Prabang via the train (towards the end of my Laos trip after I had been in Vang Vieng) it cost 40,000 Laos Kip ($2.90/£1.50) to get a shared tuktuk to my accommodation in Luang Prabang. This was the price I had already been told and was on the signs the drivers were holding at the train station. You have to pay in cash and they have change. Someone I met told me when they arrived early in the morning from the train it was only 20,000 Laos Kip to the centre of Luang Prabang and they paid 40,000 Laos Kip when arriving later in the day, but either way it shouldn’t be more than 40,000 Laos Kip.
Helpful Travelling Tips for Laos’ Kuang Si Waterfall
Kuang Si Falls was the main reason I came to Laos.
How to get to Kuang Si Waterfall from Luang Prabang?
Kuang Si Waterfall is located about a 50 minute drive from Luang Prabang (Google Maps directions here)
As mentioned above, there is no Grab in Laos so the options to get here are limited to self-drive or finding a tuktuk. I was not keen on hiring a scooter as I haven’t hired one before and my travel insurance ghosted me when I emailed them to ask if I’m covered on my Australian drivers licence and International Driving Permit (thanks guys haha). I ended up asking my hostel if they had tuktuk drivers and they booked one for me for 600,000 Laos Kip ($43.80AUD/£22.70). This was for the driver to take me there at 645am, wait for me until 10am and then return back to the hostel in Luang Prabang. I am very sure I got ripped off but for the peace of mind of having a guaranteed tuktuk driver (I wanted to go early – more information below) and given going to Kuang Si Waterfall was my entire reason for going to Laos, I was happy to pay. When I was at the falls, a group of about 5 people told me they paid 700,000 Laos Kip for the same return journey. Although that may seem like I got a better deal, online it says that tuktuks are often based on number of people so given they had a group of 5 and I was by myself I think I didn’t get a good price, but like I said, I was still fine with what I paid.
What time does Kuang Si Falls open?
Online it says that Kuang Si Falls opens at 8am; however, I arrived at 730am and had no issue getting in – there was even someone already there ready to take my entrance fee.
How much does Kuang Si Falls cost to visit?
In addition to the cost of getting to Kuang Si Falls, in February 2024 it cost 25,000 Laos Kip ($1.85AUD/£0.95) to enter. You pay this in cash when you arrive at Kuang Si Falls.
How to visit Kuang Si Falls without the crowds?
Let’s be real – Kuang Si Falls is POPULAR and with its popularity comes CROWDS. As a photographer, I hate crowds so that was why I was eager to arrive at Kuang Si Falls earlier in the morning before the tour groups arrived. Did I succeed? Mostly yes but about 5% no. When I arrived at 730am I was pretty much the only person in the area. I went straight up to the top falls and when I arrived there was a couple having a full on catered breakfast (looked like it was arranged by their hotel) at the big falls. We both stayed out of each others way so it was like having the place to yourself. However, about 15 minutes later (before the 8am ‘opening’ time so I really don’t think it is the opening time, I think you can easily get there before 8am), a big (and painful) tour group arrived. However, this group did move through the different waterfall areas quite quickly and then left the falls. After this group left, there were really only one or two people/groups of friends starting to arrive and so it was again fantastic for taking photos and having the place without the crowds.
When I left at about 930am the tour groups really were beginning to arrive and as we drove back down the road to Luang Prabang we passed tour bus after tour bus after tour bus. So if you want to experience Kuang Si Falls without the crowds you need to wake up early (don’t forget to factor in the 50 minute drive from Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Falls into your wake up alarm as well).
Can you swim at Kuang Si Falls?
Bring your swimmers and towel. When I visited some of the pools were open to swim. The top area with the magnificent waterfall is not open to swim and neither is the beautiful terrace waterfall areas (which is great if you want to take photos because there won’t be people climbing all over the area).
Helpful Laos travelling tips for alms giving in Luang Prabang
One of the most popular and famous things to do in Luang Prabang is witness the sunrise alms giving. Alms giving is when devoted people give food to the monks. It happens every morning (you can find out more about it here). When I visited in February, sunrise was slightly later so it occurred from about 630am; however, in summer with an earlier sunrise you can expect it at about 530am.
To find the alms giving in Luang Prabang, just head to this marked place on Google Maps. I was staying closer to town on my last morning in Luang Prabang so I walked here. It seemed pretty safe walking there as there were already a number of people out on the streets. I knew I was getting closer because there was tour bus (minivans) after tour bus heading in the same direction as me.
The alms giving in Luang Prabang is considered very touristy and I can see why. The monks were crowded with cameras and as a result I actually didn’t stay very long here because I was just contributing to that.
Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng is another popular tourist town in Laos. I found this area very beautiful as well but in my opinion I would describe it as a place to do things. This is because a lot of tourist seem to spend their time in Vang Vieng going motorised paragliding, hot air ballooning, and river tubing. I had two nights in Vang Vieng (pretty much just one full day due to the delay getting to Vang Vieng – more on this below)
Laos Travelling Tips: How much is a tuktuk from Vang Vieng Train Station to Vang Vieng?
The Vang Vieng Train Station is pretty close to Vang Vieng (about 10-15 minute drive). When you arrive there are people selling tickets for a shared tuktuk. It costs 30,000 Laos Kip ($2.20AUD/£1.13). Vang Vieng is again an easy town to walk around. Like Luang Prabang it is full of hotels, guesthouses, hostels, cafes and restaurants. This is also quite an underdeveloped town despite the number of tourists that do come through.
Where to stay in Vang Vieng?
There are a number of hostels in Vang Vieng you can stay at. I stayed at the Mad Monkeys Hostel chain again. It was again very clean and modern and in a better location in Vang Vieng than the Mad Monkeys in Luang Prabang. You can book your stay at Mad Monkeys in Vang Vieng here: Mad Monkeys Hostel Vang Vieng.
Laos Travelling Tips: How to get around in Vang Vieng
Like in Luang Prabang the option is tuktuk or self-drive. You can hire scooters everywhere. Mad Monkey was quoting 160,000 Laos Kip ($11.70/£6.05) for scooter hire from 8am-6pm. This is quite a lot more than what is discussed in blogs online as most blogs say closer to 100,000 Laos Kip ($7.30AUD/£3.80) or less for 24 hours (so longer than the 8am-6pm period). This could be down to booking through a hostel which has increased the price but also perhaps travel inflation changes in pricing post pandemic. I chose to get around via TukTuk, which I only needed to use between the Vang Vieng Train Station and Vang Vieng and going to and from the famous Nam Xay Viewpoint.
Helpful Laos Travelling Tips: Nam Xay Viewpoint
How do you get to the Nam Xay Viewpoint from Vang Vieng?
The Nam Xay Viewpoint is only a 20 minutes drive from Vang Vieng (Google Maps directions here)
I got a tuktuk to the Nam Xay Viewpoint. Online I read wild prices like 20,000 Laos Kip ($1.45AUD/£0.75) for a return journey from Vang Vieng to the viewpoint including waiting time. I don’t know if this person missed a 0 or prices have wildly changed or I was wildly ripped off but when I first started talking to tuktuks they were starting at 300,000 Laos Kip ($21.90AUD/£11.35) for the return journey. They would not even consider 50,000 Laos Kip ($3.65AUD/£1.90). I ended up getting the journey for 200,000 Laos Kip ($14.65AUD/£7.55) but I imagine if I was stricter I could’ve gotten it for 150,000 Laos Kip.
How much is the entry to Nam Xay Viewpoint?
In February 2024 the price to hike the Nam Xay Viewpoint is 20,000 Laos Kip ($1.45AUD/£0.75). A lot of blogs say 10,000 Laos Kip but this is inaccurate as the price has risen since (and may even rise again between you reading this and going).
What is the Nam Xay Viewpoint hike like?
I am an avid hiker and I found this hike hard. Online there is a lot of talk about it being short but strenuous and even talk of people doing it in flip flops. I personally can’t see how I could’ve done it in flip flops, I found the whole thing took a lot of concentration not to slip and there was borderline climbing over boulders and holding onto rope to get up. It is doable but just give yourself the time. I think it took me about 30 minutes to get up. On the way back down my ankle went from under my twice and I did fall so again just be careful. Also, it’s hot and sweaty so bring water!
The Nam Xay Viewpoint with motorbikes
When you get to the top, you’ll recognise the famous motorbike view from Nam Xay. Did you know there is actually two motorbikes on either side with a different view? So you can have more than one opportunity to get the shot.
When to do the Nam Xay Viewpoint?
I arrived at the bottom of the Nam Xay hike at about 7am (just after sunrise) and got to the top about 30 minutes later. There was a crowd of people at the top who had obviously gone up for sunrise that were coming down just as I got to the top. So, if you do come just after sunrise you’ll may be lucky like me and miss the crowds.
The view wasn’t as good at this time. It was very hazy and the more famous side of the view was in shadow from the mountain. However, I was still pretty happy with the photos I got here.
Helpful Laos Travelling Tips: Tipsy Tubing in Vang Vieng
One of the most famous things to do in Vang Vieng is the tipsy tubing. Now if you’ve looked up anything about tubing in Vang Vieng or Laos you’ll get a long story about what it used to be like (sorry but to be very honest it bored me reading this over and over again so I’m skipping the history I’m sure you’ve read it). I booked Tipsy Tubing through my hostel and you can book it through your accommodation or find an agent on the street. The main age group is early 20s so at 30 years old I did feel a bit old hanging around them all but not too old for the experience (just wish there had been more people my age!).
What does Tipsy Tubing entail?
When I did it it involved being taken via a tuktuk with a group from my hostel to a starting point on the river, being given a tube and basically being told to go.
It wasn’t just our group on the river but plenty of other hostel groups and independent travellers. Once we started it didn’t take long until we got to the first bar. The bar throws out a rope with a weighted bottle on it so they can pull you in, which is a lot of fun.
You can stay at the bar as long as you want. It’s very party with loud music, dancing and drinking. Whenever you want you can continue on. I found that there were two bars pretty close to each other straight away along the river and then they started to slow down and by the end there really wasn’t much.
How long does Tipsy Tubing in Vang Vieng take?
This depends a little bit on you. When I did it we only spent about 20 minutes at the first bar, but at the second bar the group just didn’t move on and after it had been over an hour I was getting pretty bored and tipsy me continued on solo.
However, once I continued on solo I realised how far up the river I was. I left the second bar at 330pm (we had initially arrived at the river at about 150pm) and I didn’t stop at another bar. I lost a lot of the current so was doing a looooot of movement with my arms and legs – I felt like I was swimming a bit despite the tube! It still took me about 2 hours of almost non-stop paddling to get to the end.
Can I bring alcohol?
Yes! The bars have alcohol and they don’t like you bringing your alcohol in but there is no rules really stopping you from having it on the river and most people bring their own with them. I am confident in the water and so I would’ve brought a few drinks with me had I thought about it beforehand. I bought one small beer at the start of the river tour for 20,000 Laos Kip ($1.45AUD/£0.75)but as we continued on they got more expensive (35,000 Laos Kip ($2.55AUD/£1.30) at the first bar and 45,000 Laos Kip ($3.30AUD/£1.70) at the second bar). Again, not very expensive but just a heads up.
Do I need a dry bag to go Tipsy Tubing?
Yes if you want to bring your phone or any belongings. I didn’t have a full on dry bag but a clear plastic phone bag (the type you have to put your phone underwater) which I put cash and my phone in and this was enough. However, most people had dry bags and they were easy to find and buy in the markets in Vang Vieng. You don’t need to bring your shoes (even flipflops) because you will just lose them in the river.
Do I have to do the whole thing?
No, you don’t and after my experience as to how much of a work out it really did become in order to get back before the sun went down I would suggest not finishing it unless you’ve got the time. Other people in the group ended up giving up not too long after the second bar and just got a tuktuk back.
Other things to do in Vang Vieng
As I had pretty much only a full day in Vang Vieng I had limited options to do other activities. I did want to check out the Vang Vieng Blue Lagoon despite mixed reviews and a lot of people go hot air ballooning in Vang Vieng. It is often spoken about as the cheapest hot air ballooning. However I saw the price was $130USD and I had only paid about $65USD more than this when I went hot air ballooning in Cappadocia (suggested read: Cappadocia Photo Diary), which I would argue is the best place in the world to go hot air ballooning. So personally I didn’t think it was significantly cheaper than much better hot air ballooning experiences but this is just my opinion.
Other than the Nam Xay Viewpoint hike and the Tipsy Tubing I also woke up and walked through the town. At sunrise both days there was a local market right near my hostel that was interesting to walk through, especially as the sunrise hot air balloons were going up.
Booking the Laos Train
Booking the train from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng
So although this is described as helpful travelling Laos tips, this is basically just a summary of what happened when I booked the Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng train. To be honest, I found the booking process annoying.
Basically, I like booking transport in advance and given I was arriving in Laos Monday afternoon and wanting to get the 10am Wednesday morning train it was something I definitely wanted booked in advance. I found the booking system very annoying though and this is an example of it being undeveloped. Basically there is an app you can use to book train tickets; however, the kicker is that you need a Laos number to book them… Which you can only get on arrival in Laos. I saw on 12Go Asia website that they were selling tickets online but I got suspicious (although this ended up being what you needed to do) when they wanted a copy of my passport to book the tickets because I thought… but this is a domestic journey. There was also not an option to receive the tickets electronically with the only option for ticket delivery to be to your hotel. I thought this was really odd and as I wasn’t already at my accommodation I didn’t feel comfortable doing it either. In hindsight I would’ve tried to ask my hostel to book the tickets for me before arriving (as they ended up booking the tickets for me once I arrived) but I’m not sure they would’ve accepted because I don’t think I would’ve been able to pay until I arrived (this is me just guessing though I am not sure). So basically, after talking to some friends who had already been to Laos and they told me they just booked them at a tourist counter I thought it’ll be fine just wait until you arrive.
Unfortunately by the time I arrived in Laos the 10am Wednesday train was sold out… and all the other day trains after that. There are more trains available than what you see online (as some websites say, even official accommodation ones, that the train is two times a day which isn’t accurate). The only train available to book was 19:52… So almost 8pm. Given how short of a time I was staying in Laos and wanting to see both Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng this messed up my travel plans quite a lot and I found it quite frustrating. I don’t really know if the earlier trains in the afternoon had sold out or if my hostel didn’t have the ability to book them (they said something to me about trying to find another place that could book earlier afternoon trains but when I went to ask another hostel they also could only book the 8pm one and I didn’t continue looking after). However, at the end of the day the 19:52 train was the one I was on to travel from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng. To avoid this happening to yourself I’d suggest contacting your accommodation ahead of time to see if they can book the train for you before arriving.
The train was 294,000 Laos Kip ($21.50AUD/£11.10) and this included a pick up from your Luang Prabang hostel to the Luang Prabang train station. You had to send your accommodation a picture of your passport and they went and booked the ticket. An hour or so later they sent me a Whatsapp with my ticket (which surprise, surprise was electronic with a QR code -so it was annoying I couldn’t just book this all online). Helpfully, the ticket also included being picked up from my hostel by minibus and taken to the train station in time for my train.
Booking the train from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang (my return journey)
Because I had to fly out of Luang Prabang, I needed to get the train from Vang Vieng back to Luang Prabang. Because of my issues with timings with the Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng train, I asked my Luang Prabang hostel to book the return train for me rather than wait until I got to Vang Vieng. They did it (I was staying at Mad Monkey hostels in both Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng) but there was some confusion by the time I got to the Vang Vieng hostel, I felt I had to keep explaining over and over again that the ticket was booked in Luang Prabang. When the bus came to pick up people to take to the Vang Vieng train, they had no record of me. However, as always seems to be the case in Asia, they made it work and there was no issue taking me once I showed my train ticket.
Helpful Laos Travelling Tips: What are the trains between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng like?
A big question! I travelled from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng by train and again from Vang Vieng back to Luang Prabang by train and I experienced two different types of trains. The first train Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng was the fast and modern version. It took only 50 minutes to travel to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang and the trains were so modern, clean and efficient.
Unfortunately my hostel (without telling me) booked my Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang train on the slower train. This slower train only took about 1 hour 30 minutes (so wasn’t bad) but it wasn’t the nice, modern train. The train was a lot slower and older and a bit grubbier. However, this train was still completely fine (and I probably wouldn’t have thought much if I hadn’t had the beautiful modern train to compare to).
What is available at the Luang Prabang Train Station and the Vang Vieng Train Station?
I had read online there was nothing available at either Luang Prabang Train Station or Vang Vieng Train Station – this is very out-of-date. The train stations are very modern, clean and big. There are convenience stores and cafes to buy food and drink at. There is also large and clean bathrooms and drinking water (including boiling water) available for free and there is also ample indoor seating.
Laos Train Station Entry
When you arrive at Luang Prabang Train Station and Vang Vieng Train Station there is a lot of security. To enter the train station you need to show your ticket and ID (normally a passport) to match to the ticket, then you need to go through airport style x-ray security (including your bags). My water bottle wasn’t taken from me nor my shampoo so the 100ml liquid rule doesn’t seem to apply.
Be prepared to show your ticket multiple times (to get on the bus to the train, to gain entry to the train station, to gain entry to the platform (via check in, see below), on the train and again to be allowed to leave the train station at your destination.
Laos Train Station Check in
You’re expected to arrive at the Laos train stations about an hour beforehand. Check in starts approximately 25 minutes beforehand. An announcement will go out asking people to line up for check in. This is just another ticket check and after they check your ticket you’ll go out onto the platform. The platform is labelled with the numbers matching your carriage. There are staff there stopping people from crowding on the edge. When the train arrives at the station, the staff also stop the embarking passengers from getting too close to the train until the disembarking passengers have left. It is extremely efficient and well-run and better than anything I have seen across my travels.
The Laos Trains: fast vs slow.
As mentioned above, the fast train of 50 minutes between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng is a very modern, air-conditioned and extremely clean train. The slow train is older and grubbier.
Both trains have what I would consider to be limited storage for luggage given how often travellers go on this. There is a luggage storage rack at the end of each carriage but otherwise just overhead racks (that I could not lift my 15kg suitcase up into). On the slower train (as it was busier when I went on it – potentially due to the time of day) I couldn’t put my luggage in the storage racks or overhead racks so had to sort of tuck it under the seat but mostly in my feet area (leaving room for other people). This was still fine because the journey really isn’t that long even on the slower train.
Long Distance Buses in Laos
I didn’t travel Laos via bus but I heard stories and was shown videos and as a result I did want to flag that it seemed pretty bad. Someone I met travelled up from the south of Laos to Vang Vieng by a bus and it was a sleeper bus but everyone was required to share their single mattress with a stranger. I also met someone else who travelled from Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand to Luang Prabang by sleeper bus and said the same and that the roads were really bad. It’s up to you how to travel but just thought I’d flag it because these bus journeys can be 24 hours long.
Overall I really enjoyed Laos and found it a different experience than a lot of other places I’ve been in Asia. This country can sometimes be overlooked and I would highly recommend you do include it in your itinerary. After visiting Laos for a short time I could see myself being happy to return again (especially to see more waterfalls!) I hope you found these travelling Laos tips helpful!
If you are interested in Helpful Tips for Travelling Laos, you may also be interested in:
