Cheapest way to Luang Prabang from thailand ?

[Sandman77]

Hello! I want fly after new year aprox jan 4 for 2 weeks to Luang Prabang for escape the noisy pattaya now the cheapest offer I found was Thai from bk when I would book on 31 dec have promotion 8000 b go and back 16000 for 2 people

Air asia no flights avalible fly from new this year connection avalible utapao chiang mai is more then 12000 b

Twice the double price like any other asian country when I would fly with air Asia to somewhere else

So what other route could be cheaper what is nearest Thai airport with a connection to Luang Prabang

Is the road there realy so bad and a 3 hour horror trip when I would come by bus?

[craigt3365]

I've not done that bus ride in some time, but the buses are not very good. They put small seats in the isles to fully fill the bus up. Stop on the road to let you pee. Men in the front, women in the back. And the road is (was) lined with armed soldiers at one point. Definitely don't do the ride at night.

That's a very expensive time of year to fly. And LP will also be packed....and noisy.

[samsensam]

the cheapest way would be local buses but it wouldn't be quick and it certainly wouldn't be comfortable, do they still fill the bus aisles with passengers in Laos?

[asanee]

WHY not simple state from where in TH? Or is TH in your opinion limited to that dreadful big brothel known as Pattaya?

Direct BUSlinks to LP are from:

Chiang Mai, but thats a very long near 20 hhrs-the bus is OK though, Thai VIP/1st class, and not cheap either.

From via Vientiane-obviously, every hour, van or big bus, choice of classes, also overnite, long and winding road along Vang Vieng. BUS to VTE from Udorn, Khon Kaen and BKK. or the van from UT airport to border/bridge.

1/day, daytime, from LOEI, via a fairly new borderpoint, Loei now also has 1 AirAsia/day-will not connect, or overnite ex BKK. All these buses are by BoKoSo and bookable via thaiticketmajor, but only from TH, not back.

There is a kind of combo-probably far too difficult/complicated for you, also from NAN.

Yes, you have chosen about the worst time of year for last minute bookings.

[phuketrichard]

Cheapest?
bus all the way

best

fly to udon, bus to the border/Vientiane an than bus or fly from there to LP

as stated LP will be Packed out so u better first see if u can get accommodations, (try booking.com)

[redwhiteandblue]

Hi guys

I have been searching around and cannot find anything on this so, I want to ask the question: Does anyone know about the bus from Rayong/Pattaya/Chonburi to Nong Khai. I believe it is called the number 407?

I can't find any information on line, so I was wondering if anyone has any info on this bus.

Timetable, cost, where it picks up (in Chonburi preferably) and most importantly how to book it. A contact number would also be nice.

Thanks everyone.

[phuketrichard]

have u gone to the bus station or asked a travel agent?

seems better idea than asking here

[Seligne2]

Hi guys

I have been searching around and cannot find anything on this so, I want to ask the question: Does anyone know about the bus from Rayong/Pattaya/Chonburi to Nong Khai. I believe it is called the number 407?

I can't find any information on line, so I was wondering if anyone has any info on this bus.

Timetable, cost, where it picks up (in Chonburi preferably) and most importantly how to book it. A contact number would also be nice.

Thanks everyone.

The bus company is named 407 Pattana. It has several buses daily from Nong Khai to Rayong and vice-versa. They stop in Pattaya (and many other points in-between). Google it and you will find many links to discussions, some on TV right where you are now.

[Sandman77]

THx for info , what is regular price bk Luang Prabang when it will be begin cheaper after new year?

[wanderingstray]

Taking the bus from Chiang Rai to Laos border is OK. Taking a 12 hour (which actually took 15 hours) bus from the nearest Laos border town to Luang Prabang is awful. Leaves at 6pm and arrives in LP 9:30 am. 2nd driver on bus we took was actually a mechanic. We had to stop for up to 45 minutes every 2 hours so that he could fix something under the bus, ( I suspect a radiator hose). Going through mountains on a wet night at 4 am and the back end started sliding. Good job I had brown pants on. Stopped at some place at 6am (first pee break since midnight) and was charged 10c to pee up a wall. Then some locals with their kids got on who where on their way to market with their wares. They sat in the aisles or asked people to move over so that 2 seats became 3 My seat didn't recline at all.......and all this on the more expensive VIP bus. (This was May 2014) My advice...take the plane

[Searat7]

Is Lao Central Airlines still in business ? They had very cheap flights from BKK to Vientiane and from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. Some friends took van and told me the roads were terrible from LP to Vientiane.

[Asiantravel]

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Edited December 24, 2015 by Asiantravel

[Asiantravel]

I did this trip three weeks ago. I flew there and took the infamous overnight VIP sleeping bus on the way back.

It wasn't too bad although the first 50% of the journey (a 12 hour journey) was better than the final 50% because as you get closer to Vientiane they seem to be more potholes in the road.

This bus has no seats only beds

Edited December 24, 2015 by Asiantravel

[Guitar God]

Flying from Pakse to Luang Prabang isn't the cheapest.

Either BKK to Luang Pranbang on I think Bangkok Air, or go to Udon Thani, 40 min by bus to Vientiane and then Laos air to Luang Pranbang.

Buses would be cheaper but longer and less fun.

[alex8912]

Hitch hike. Merry Christmas!

[jobsworth]

a long time ago i did this journey by bus. 2 weeks later the hmong tribesmen attacked the same bus and every body was killed. of course they need soldiers on the road for protection. many years before that tourists were forbidden to use the bus and could only travel by air from vientiane to luang prabang. i replied i had a ticket to australia which used to be a good country so why would i want to fly to luang prabang. years before that a fellow swedish traveller told me that he had done the trip by lorry and been fired upon with distant ak47's. he and his driver returned fire but they were out of range. luang prabang is an interesting place. the only decent hotel was the rajah hotel which served an excellent breakfast. unfortunately it suffered from group bookings of thai people on package tours out of bangkok as mentioned in this thread and we were always and eventually threatened with eviction. do it you will not regret it. oh and don't forget vang viene half way with the runway used by air america to smuggle heroin, as in the book/film, now full of drunken backpackers.

try to take the government bus and not the tourist bus. it is cheaper and better even though it smells of fish and ice as the locals take their produce to market.

[Briggsy]

You can drive from Pattaya to Luang Prabang. I recommend the Nan crossing. It will take you 2 days.

[F4UCorsair]

Luang Prabang is not the place to be early January if you want peace and quiet.

[Briggsy]

In fact if you drive from Pattaya, you should just stop in Xayabouli, about 100 kms short of Luang Prabang. It is quiet and peaceful and has many guesthouses at half the price of Luang Prabang.

[phuketrichard]

You can drive from Pattaya to Luang Prabang. I recommend the Nan crossing. It will take you 2 days.

pattaya to Vientiane in a day next day to LP

[dddave]

Did the bus from Vientiane to LP 2 years ago, a 10-12 hour ride. Standard, single level bus, seats ok but nothing special. Three hours out of Vientiane you get into the mountains...twisty, turney road shared with a lot of trucks. The mountain scenery is spectacular.

Going back took 14 hours as the bus broke down several times....happens often enough that a mechanic rides along.

[Briggsy]

You can drive from Pattaya to Luang Prabang. I recommend the Nan crossing. It will take you 2 days.

pattaya to Vientiane in a day next day to LP

Indeed, that is also entirely feasible and might be faster, except you may be held up at the border crossing in Nong Khai which gets busy.

[phuketrichard]

i have driven it, so its quite easy

border is not bad at all, 3 trip thru Nong Khai , never more than 30 minutes and that was doing car papers as well

also Vientiane to LP was 2 days for me

but i drove down from LP to Vang Vieng in 4

and stayed the night

thna the next day on to Vientiane about 4 hours

have also done LP via Pongsavan- VV- Vientiane