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Getting There by Air
The national airline of Laos is Lao
Airlines . There are no direct
flights from the USA or Europe;
flights are mainly via Bangkok,
China, Vietnam or Cambodia.
Main Airports
Vientiane (VTE) (Wattay) is 3km (2
miles) from the city (journey time -
20 minutes). To/from the airport:
Taxis are available. Facilities:
Bank/bureaux de change, bars, post
office, restaurants and car hire.
Departure Tax
Usually included in the ticket
price.
Getting There by Water
It is possible to travel from the
Thai border to Luang Prabang by
speedboat, slow boat or by a deluxe
one-day boat. The slow boat takes
about two days and usually involves
an overnight stay in Pak Beng. The
speedboat goes from Houaixay on the
Laos border to Luang Prabang in
around six hours.
It may also possible to travel the
Cambodian part of the Laos-Cambodia
crossing by slow boat or speed boat,
instead of by bus or taxi (see
Getting There by Road). Visitors
should be aware that accidents can
and do happen when travelling at
high speeds along the unpredictable
Mekong River.
Getting There by Rail
There are no railways in Laos, but
the Thai system stretches from
Bangkok via Nakhon Ratchasima to
Nong Khai on the Laos/Thailand
border. A bridge links the Lao side
of the Mekong, 19km (12 miles) east
of Vientiane, although a short
stretch of railway is under
construction across the Friendship
Bridge from Nong Khai.
Getting There by Road
It is possible to enter Laos from
Thailand at Nong Khai over the
Friendship Bridge. Other border
crossings include Chiang Kong
(Thailand)-Houaixay (Laos) in the
north; Mukdahan (Thailand)-Savannakhet
(Laos); Chong Mek (between Pakse and
Ubon Ratchathani) and Nakorn Phanom
(Thailand)-Tha Kek (Laos).
It is possible to enter Laos by road
from Vietnam at several places,
though not all can arrange visa on
arrival. The most popular route is
from Lao Bao in Vietnam to Donsavanh
in Laos.. Laos can also be entered
from China, from Mengla in Yunnan
province to Luang Namtha.
Overland travel to Myanmar is not
feasible owing to security risks.
It is possible to enter Laos from
Cambodia between Stung Treng
(Cambodia) and Don Det (Laos) with
some degree of hassle, although this
crossing is by no means reliable and
it is not possible to get a visa on
arrival. Check for the latest
information locally.
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