Vientiane

Getting Here & Around

By Air

Vientiane's Wattay International Airport is about 4 km (2½ mi) from the city center. You can take a metered taxi from Wattay International Airport into the city for $7; get a taxi voucher from the kiosk in the arrivals hall. The ride to the city center takes about 15 minutes. Alternatively, if you don't have much luggage, walk out of the airport gate and take a tuk-tuk for 40,000 kip (about $5).

By Bus

The best way to get to Vientiane from Thailand via bus is to take one of the hourly buses from either Udon Thani (two hours, B80) or Nong Khai (one hour, B55). These buses take you straight to Talat Sao, Vientiane's morning market, but you cannot board them unless you already have a Lao visa.

If you don't have an advance visa, you can take a bus from Udon Thani to Nong Khai, then a tuk-tuk to the border (B30 to B50), cross the Friendship Bridge on a B20 shuttle bus, and take a taxi (B350), tuk-tuk (B150), or public bus (B20) from the Lao side of the border into Vientiane.

The Northern Bus Terminal for trips to and from northern Laos is 3 km (2 mi) northwest of the center, while southern buses leave from the Southern Bus Station, which is out on Highway 13. The Talat Sao (Morning Market) Bus Station handles local departures.

Although there's city bus service in Vientiane, schedules and routes are confusing for visitors, so it's best to stick to tuk-tuks and taxis. The city bus station is next to the Morning Market.

By Taxi & Tuk-Tuk

You can cover Vientiane on foot, but tuk-tuks and jumbos, their larger brethren, are easy to flag down. Be sure to negotiate the price before setting off; you can expect to pay about 30,000 kip for a ride within the city if you are a firm negotiator. Taxis are available but must be reserved, which you can do through your hotel or at the Morning Market. For day trips outside the city, ask your hotel or guesthouse to book a car with a driver.