Nong Khai -> Vientiane By Train

[a269652]

How long does it take to get from Nong Khai to Vientiane by train?

Thanks.

[roamer]

About 30 mins I would guess if the link is now up and running ? But I seem to recall it was due to stop somewhere short of Vientiane. Maybe most folks still bus it across ?

[a269652]

Thanks.

[ajarnpot]

approx 12 hours if you get the express

sleeper takes a bit longer

[Lakegeneve]

It only take 15 mins from Nong Khai to Tha Na Lang station in Laos. There are two services a day - a third may have been added around lunchtime but cannot confirm.

However, note that the station is ONLY 3 kms across the border into Laos and is NOT in Vietiane. Thus you will need to take a taxi from the station to Vietiane.

You can read trip reports here; http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3768

SRT timetables are available here; http://www.railway.co.th/English/Time_PDF.asp

The line will be extended 8km to the south area of Vietiane in the next few years.

[Lakegeneve]

approx 12 hours if you get the express

sleeper takes a bit longer

Not sure what sort of an express service your taking to travel 3km in 12hrs!!!!!

(Check the thread title)

[sharecropper]

A more convenient way across is to get the scheduled bus from Nong Khai bus station (departs every couple of hours from memory) for less than 100 baht (again, from memory I think 80 baht), and take that - but you have to have a visa in your passport to do so.

I was recently rejected by the bus company, as I didn't have a visa, so I drove myself to the border, well over half an hour after the scheduled bus had departed, and quickly got through to the other side, where I was highly amused to see the bus still waiting for the Thais to finish their own immigration formalities.

On the way back we took the bus from Vientiane to the border, got off to buy some booze, and made our own way across the border, taking a trike into Nong Khai town for 80 Baht. It still makes more sense to do it like that, as the journey from Vientiane to the border is well worth the price of the ticket even if you leave the bus at the border.

[bangkokburning]

get off at nong khai > B30 to border > b20 on the transit bus > b50 from lao border to talat sao. incl making the visa about an hour.