Walking to Wattay International Airport (in Vientiane)

[Hal65]

How walkable is the airport entrance? I learned not to do this at Udon Thani. But if VTE has entrance sidewalks then I'll enjoy a nice long walk there.

[ChristianBlessing]

I haven't walked it but rode my bicycle out of the airport into town. It was quite easy and quick.

[Hal65]

5 minutes ago, ChristianBlessing said:

I haven't walked it but rode my bicycle out of the airport into town. It was quite easy and quick.

Do you remember if there was a checkpoint with guards? When I walked to Udon Thani, the guards called the TSA equivalent people inside and they frisked me fairly hard and in a unfriendly way. They clearly don't get much walk traffic

Edited November 29, 2018 by Hal65

[PatOngo]

How much luggage are you carrying?

[Hal65]

14 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

How much luggage are you carrying?

Just my backpack, I'm traveling light

Edited November 29, 2018 by Hal65

[bendejo]

I walked out of there once, a few years ago.  Don't recall any bother.  There is a local bus that goes past it, I don't see why entering on foot should matter.  Don't forget, Udon is in another country.

 

 

[ChristianBlessing]

1 hour ago, Hal65 said:

Do you remember if there was a checkpoint with guards? When I walked to Udon Thani, the guards called the TSA equivalent people inside and they frisked me fairly hard and in a unfriendly way. They clearly don't get much walk traffic

My bicycle was my luggage, plus a pannier set. Do mind, I was exiting the airport. Nobody gave me a second look.

[BritTim]

Looking at this map, https://www.google.com/maps/@17.9755167,102.5662778,372m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en-US, I would expect walking to be pretty easy. My vague recollection is of walking out of the airport once about three years ago to then flag down a taxi more cheaply than from inside the airport itself. I seem to remember it was not far. However, the airport is a fair way from the city, and you will surely end up taking a taxi or bus eventually.

Edited November 29, 2018 by BritTim

[PREM-R]

I was at Wattay airport a couple of weeks ago, I had intended to use the Airport Shuttle bus from the bus station (Morning Market) but it only runs once every couple of hours, so no good to me.  I took a 'tuk-tuk' for 30,000 Kip (about 120 baht) which I thought was expensive until we got underway.  It was MUCH further than I had anticipated, took around 10-12 minutes to get there.   I would not have like to have walked it.

 

        The road to the airport has a pavement (sidewalk) all the way (but not on the road inside the airport)  with shops on both sides of the road, you are not really out of the city.

 

       At the entrance to the airport I seem to remember a security box but the tuk-tuk did not stop and was not challenged. 

[bendejo]

I used to stay in an area that was closer to Wattay than downtown.  I'd go shopping in the Talat Sao area a few times a week, usually would walk there, but would take the bus back.  I was pretty sure the bus originated at the market but could never figure out which one it was, so I would wait for it on Rue Setthathilath about a half block west of Lane Xang; mind you I didn't really take note of the name of the street until looking it up on google maps just now  .

Anyway I had the impression this bus went all the way to Vang Vieng, the other passengers would be country folk with sacks and baskets of produce, live poultry, etc -- no pressed trousers and shiny shoes in this bunch.  I would guess it's about 2 miles from Talat Sao to Wattay.

Thing about VTE is it's really a spread-out place.  There is a big Chinese market somewhere near the airport I've never been to.  I don't like using taxis/tuktuks unless I have to.

 

 

[basatop]

if you walk,you will save 7U$ - the cost of airport bus.The trick is to go in the airport direction and get of on the main road next to airport,then walk remaining 5 minutes.