Possible To Reach Vientiane From Udon For 9.45Am Flight?

[patient]

Do you think I can leave udon early in the morning and arrive at the Vientiane airport in time for a 9.45 AM flight to KL?

Or best to stay overnight...

[ozzydom]

Check in for international flights is normally 3 hours prior to departure,so to get through Immigration at the border and taxi to airport would put you well late.

Best to stay the night in Vientienne and save all the panic(and the probability of missing your flight).

[patient]

yeah, i actually managed to forget it was international..how silly is that... the time is so short and being from Australia, all international flights tend to be (except to NZ) very long...to me it seemed like a domestic flight...oops! i

[craigt3365]

I think for peace of mind, staying the night before is your best bet. I'm sure you'd hate to miss that flight. A small road accident could delay you significantly. We were in Issan a few weeks ago and were stuck for 45 minutes while they cleaned up one.

Head up early, enjoy the city and you'll also be able to sleep in a bit!

[patient]

yep, you are quite right craig, no point risking an accident delaying the process and then missing the flight.

cheers

[NanLaew]

There's direct flights from Wattay to KUL?

[patient]

yep and cheaper too.

i just booked including fee for $70 aud for tues - although typically it will be more than that during the month-that seems the lowest price and a great saving (before visa/hotel costs) compared with udon -> don muang -> KL

[Tomtomtom69]

Check in for international flights is normally 3 hours prior to departure,so to get through Immigration at the border and taxi to airport would put you well late.

Best to stay the night in Vientienne and save all the panic(and the probability of missing your flight).

From Vientiane, you don't check in 3 hours before your flight. 3 hours before is if you're departing from India, the US, the UK or other countries with a lot of security requirements AND a lot of flights. This suggestion is both ridiculous and unnecessary for Vientiane, an airport the size of Lampang or Phitsanulok and only slightly more flights than either. For starters, I think that the check-in counters only open 2 hours before flights departing from Vientiane, and since the airport there is so small, 45 mins to 1 hour before departure is plenty of time to make your flight BUT would I want to get up really, really early to not only have to travel 45 mins to the border and then risk delays at the border, plus another 30-40 mins from there to the airport?

If you don't mind getting up at 6am and have transport immediately waiting to take you, OK you can do it - aim to arrive at the check-in counter no later than 8.45 or 9am. However, I'd personally stay in Vientiane, it's actually a much nicer city than Udon, more things to do, more foreigners and easier to get around in. If you must stay on the Thai side, choose a hotel next to the border at Nong Khai immigration for 400 Baht a night (I've stayed there before when I arrived too late to make the crossing that day). That way you can cross at like 7am and be at the airport in time for your flight well in advance of departure.

[Tomtomtom69]

yeah, i actually managed to forget it was international..how silly is that... the time is so short and being from Australia, all international flights tend to be (except to NZ) very long...to me it seemed like a domestic flight...oops! i

Actually in Vientiane, it doesn't matter whether it's domestic or international. Departure formalities don't take any longer for international flights than for domestic flights. I think you are making a mistake by comparing Vientiane to Sydney airport for example. The number of flights departing from Vientiane in a day is comparable to Sydney in half an hour. The airport is also very small - when you go through the security and baggage screener there is also no need to separate your notebook from its case if you have one. Vientiane is a very relaxed airport and with only one flight departing at a time (usually) the time it takes from the check-in counter to the gate is only about 10-15mins. Vientiane is one of the smallest international airports in the region and that makes departing and arriving from the airport very relaxed and convenient...at least for now.

[patient]

Thanks Tom!

GReat to have this insight. Really grateful.

Thus is why I love Thaivisa...such good info. ...

I would like to confirm I can actually cross at 7AM. For some reason I imagined the Laos border/ immigration office didn't open until around 8AM.

Cheers

PS 6AM is quite late for me ...I spend most of my time in a Thai forest monastery ...

[NanLaew]

yep and cheaper too.

i just booked including fee for $70 aud for tues - although typically it will be more than that during the month-that seems the lowest price and a great saving (before visa/hotel costs) compared with udon -> don muang -> KL

I hoped you would mention who the carrier is.

[asanee]

Thus is why I love Thaivisa...such good info. ...

I would like to confirm I can actually cross at 7AM. For some reason I imagined the Laos border/ immigration office didn't open until around 8AM.

ONLY after you weed out all the rubbish and other confusing info. This forum also excels in first giving wrong or misleading info.

The airline is AirAsia- now the regular punters can again start their regular moaning.

The border IS open from around 6.00- and late till 23/24.00 or so- bBUT before 8 ()maybe 8.30) and after 17.00 you have to pay extra 1 or 2 US$ as ''overtime'' fee on the Lao side.

You also omiited to mention nationality- most likely you also have to fork out for a Lao visa- which negates even more ''savings'' (vs via DMK and a short change -both also AA)

[Tomtomtom69]

Thus is why I love Thaivisa...such good info. ...

I would like to confirm I can actually cross at 7AM. For some reason I imagined the Laos border/ immigration office didn't open until around 8AM.

ONLY after you weed out all the rubbish and other confusing info. This forum also excels in first giving wrong or misleading info.

The airline is AirAsia- now the regular punters can again start their regular moaning.

The border IS open from around 6.00- and late till 23/24.00 or so- bBUT before 8 ()maybe 8.30) and after 17.00 you have to pay extra 1 or 2 US$ as ''overtime'' fee on the Lao side.

You also omiited to mention nationality- most likely you also have to fork out for a Lao visa- which negates even more ''savings'' (vs via DMK and a short change -both also AA)

Sounds like the OP is Australian. VOA for Laos is thus US$30 + US$1 overtime fee (if applicable). However, bring US$40 in small bills just in case as these things are subject to change.

The Friendship Bridge opening hours are (or until recently were) 6am to 10pm. I can confirm these hours as I have arrived late in a number of instances and just made the crossing (shortly before 10pm). If you arrive between 9.30pm and 10pm, you really have to hurry up as they may not let you pass after around 9.30pm, but it depends on the mood of the officials and whether you have transport or not.

[Lakegeneve]

Thus is why I love Thaivisa...such good info. ...

I would like to confirm I can actually cross at 7AM. For some reason I imagined the Laos border/ immigration office didn't open until around 8AM.

ONLY after you weed out all the rubbish and other confusing info. This forum also excels in first giving wrong or misleading info.

The airline is AirAsia- now the regular punters can again start their regular moaning.

The border IS open from around 6.00- and late till 23/24.00 or so- bBUT before 8 ()maybe 8.30) and after 17.00 you have to pay extra 1 or 2 US$ as ''overtime'' fee on the Lao side.

You also omiited to mention nationality- most likely you also have to fork out for a Lao visa- which negates even more ''savings'' (vs via DMK and a short change -both also AA)

Sounds like the OP is Australian. VOA for Laos is thus US$30 + US$1 overtime fee (if applicable). However, bring US$40 in small bills just in case as these things are subject to change.

The Friendship Bridge opening hours are (or until recently were) 6am to 10pm. I can confirm these hours as I have arrived late in a number of instances and just made the crossing (shortly before 10pm). If you arrive between 9.30pm and 10pm, you really have to hurry up as they may not let you pass after around 9.30pm, but it depends on the mood of the officials and whether you have transport or not.

Opening hours are as stated above, 6am-10pm and VOA fee as stated above (don't forget a pic for the visa app & don't pay the baht price which is significantly more). The $70 flight gets to the $100+ range when you factoring in the Loas visa but it would be about the same for cheap travel to BKK.

Tom's advice is good about staying in Nong Khai but try to stay close to the FB rather than in town to save time. Your other option is to depart Udon before 5am arr and cross without O/N in Nong Khai but that would assume either private travel or an early van/bus option.

However, personally I'd go with the staying in Vientiane O/N option, plenty of cheap places if money is an issue. It is not about the check in as I'd be aiming for 8:30am myself. It is more to avoid the possible stress and potential delays/complications of the various legs that you need to complete. Udon (or Nong Khai) to the border, crossing the border, transport into Vientiane and/or taxi to the airport. Each of those legs has small potentials for delay, unlikely at that time of day but still a potential.

You can achieve the whole journey in around 2-2.5 hrs all going well ex Udon but why not have it done the day before departure, enjoy a relaxing breaky in Vientiane and then travel to the airport.

[patient]

Thanks for all the great advice.

If I can find a bank with small USD books I will stay in Vientiane and enjoy a great coconut smoothie. But today the banks only offered large $100 USD bills - maybe I only tried in central plaza (air conditioning) kept me indoors. Will try again on main street tomorrow. Hotels in Vientiane want USD or charge a premium same as for VISA payment.

Yes air Asia flight and I do mention cost of VISA in my post. Due to the fact it is a last minute decision this is the cheapest option.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Patient

When you look for U.S. $$$ be sure to get very good and crisp bills, no marks, no writing, no tears. "Soiled" bills are often refused in Laos.

Mac

[patient]

thanks Mac

[lovelaos]

Thanks for all the great advice.

If I can find a bank with small USD books I will stay in Vientiane and enjoy a great coconut smoothie. But today the banks only offered large $100 USD bills - maybe I only tried in central plaza (air conditioning) kept me indoors. Will try again on main street tomorrow. Hotels in Vientiane want USD or charge a premium same as for VISA payment.

Yes air Asia flight and I do mention cost of VISA in my post. Due to the fact it is a last minute decision this is the cheapest option.

No they don't!! You can pay kip, Baht, USD anywhere and everywhere for anything in Laos. I have never come across a hotel who charge for using a credit card either.

[patient]

for others following this topic, here is an update:

i crossed over the bridge into Laos on monday afternoon directly from leaving Udon. and there was a delay! for about 45 minutes we were stuck on the bridge due to lots of petrol tankers also crossing. it was hot and frustrating (mainly because many cars would over take on the other lane and we were stuck). eventually the driver took the risk and did like wise and we managed to about 3/4 of the way over the bridge. a foreigner asked the driver to open the doors and he got off, i quickly followed suit and so did a number of thais/lao nationals. and we walked the last 10 minutes. it was cooler outside (say 2pm) than inside the bus! so it was a good thing i did crossed the day before!

i caught the local bus at a cost of 6,000 kip to the central bus station. then went to look for hotels. one was very cheap 100K Kip but no wife. a couple of others were 175K and 165K. then i settled on Khamkhoun Hotel for 135,000 Kip including eggs toast and coffee for breakfast. i like the location, very small room but just to sleep is fine. and next door is the Talat Sao Mall where one of the cafes has great coconut smoothies. they were closing up but after some pleading they made two for me , i left a generous tip that night and again in the morning when i ordered two more for the bus ride to the airport.

in the morning after breakfast and purchasing the smoothies i went to the bus station and hoped on the bus to the airport (i located the correct bus stand when i arrived the previous afternoon from the friendship bridge). the ride in peak hour traffic (about 8.25 am) was 10 minutes ithought it would be much longer, so was please.

the bus drops you off outside the entrance to the airport and i walked about 5 minutes to the international terminal. a very small line but disorganised with people jumping ahead. i showed the counter staff my downloaded airasia ticket on my mobile and passport. they weighed my carry on luggage then i was done. say 10 minutes in all. through customs and security then sitting down waiting for the plane in a very crowded departure lounge for 1/2 an hour.

so cheap and smooth journey, thanks for the tips everyone.

lovelaos;

​

i was speaking from MY personal experience...but it was also an anecdote from one just hotel experience: villa Sisavad. usd price is $17 on agoda, or $15 if you email them directly http://www.villasisavad.com/. but when it came time to pay on checkout i only had $14 usd or a $20 USD and they would not give change. the price quoted if i paid in Kip was higher but i dont remember the sum just that it was excessive.

this time i went to three hotels and settled on http://orchidhotelgroup.com/lao/pinkorchid.php "Khamkhoun Hotel". it was very close to the bus station where i caught the bus early the next morning to the airport. all three/four hotels i saw quoted me in kip and offered USD as an option. so i guess villa sisavad is an outliner, i would stay there again even though it is far from the city (relatively speaking) i really liked it and they have a beautiful swimming pool, good wife and great tv

cheers

[Thanyaburi Mac]

"Good 'wife'"??? You didn't take your own along from Thailand? They have "wives" for rent there??

Hmmm, guess I'll look at that hotel next trip....

Mac

[patient]

"Good 'wife'"??? You didn't take your own along from Thailand? They have "wives" for rent there??

Hmmm, guess I'll look at that hotel next trip....

Mac

haha

nice freudian slip by me ...suppose to be wifi,

[Lakegeneve]

Nice to see someone actually take the time to post their experience/ info post the event. Well done.

Too many ask a query, get lots of info, then never bother to let everyone know how it all went and what they learned.