Chiang Mai To Vientianne

[TenDreams]

Need to go get a new visa. Figured I would stay in Vientianne a few days.

Figured someone here would know...

Are their busses or trains from Chiang Mai? Is it easier to go on an organised run?

Also, any tips on guesthouses/bars/etc in Vientianne would be well appreciated, its my first time.

Thanks,

TD

[JuniorExPat]

Take a quick look at a few old threads -

here,

here,

here,

here,

and here may be good places to start.

JxP

[sceadugenga]

Need to go get a new visa. Figured I would stay in Vientianne a few days.

Figured someone here would know...

Are their busses or trains from Chiang Mai? Is it easier to go on an organised run?

Also, any tips on guesthouses/bars/etc in Vientianne would be well appreciated, its my first time.

Thanks,

TD

You can get a bus from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani, from there it's an hour to the border at Nong Khai.

If you're a bit more adventurous you could get the bus to Chiang Khong then cross the river to Huay Xai and another bus to Vientiane. Allow at least two days for that though.

I always stay at the Saysana Hotel near the river. It was 400B a night last year, air con, hot water. Watch the stairs if you're coming back after a few Beer Laos.

There's a couple of bars I like, the Sam Lo Pub is "interesting" and Kop Chai Der is the fashionable place. They were closing early when I was there but some of the big hotels have "supper clubs" that go very late. There's a few small places along the river front and watching the sun go down over Thailand with a bottle of Beer Lao in an open air restaurant is a must.

Edited October 5, 2007 by sceadugenga

[TenDreams]

Thanks JxP,

Loads of useful information there.

Didn't find the one answer I was looking for though. How to get to Vientianne from Chiang Mai by bus or train?

Should I re-word it to -

Can you get to V from CM by bus or train?

seeing as the only mention was plane travel, which I would prefer to avoid.

Anyway, thanks again for the response,

TD

[TenDreams]

excellent, cheers!

[adjan jb]

Can you get to V from CM by bus or train?

Take a bus from Arcade bus station to Udon Thani. Then another bus from Udon to Nongkhai. From the Friendship bridge a shuttle will take to Laos. Then a taxi or a songthaew to go to Vientiane.

by train from CM it's not easy.

Say Lom Yen guesthouse on Say Lom Yen road is a good place to stay and it's not too far from the Thai embassy.

Edited October 5, 2007 by adjan jb

[JuniorExPat]

Thanks JxP,

Loads of useful information there.

Didn't find the one answer I was looking for though. How to get to Vientianne from Chiang Mai by bus or train?

Should I re-word it to -

Can you get to V from CM by bus or train?

seeing as the only mention was plane travel, which I would prefer to avoid.

Anyway, thanks again for the response,

TD

Apologies TD, was focussed on the surrounding info and not the travel! Looks like you've got it covered now though.

JxP