Any help on this Q? Would go train, maybe bus. Getting across Laos seems troublesome.

There's a bus that runs from Vientiane to Kunming

648 posts and you know nothing!

648 posts and you know nothing!

ahhhhh train thru Laos

No train North from Chiang Mai, I'm afraid we're the end-of-the-line, unless the second freight-line from China to the ports ever gets built.

The plane is your best answer, there's a daily flight (takes 1 hour 20 mins) direct, operated by China Eastern.

or hitch a ride with some Chinese truckers

...isn't there new Chinese road built through Laos?

I know I could be way wrong about it. I know once you get much past Louang Prabang (ancient Laos capital), roads degenerate pretty quickly.

Many mountain ranges to clear prior to arrival in Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam. Helluva historical battle site from horrific battles in 1954.

Make your way to Jinhong in Yunnan. Take a cargo boat or even a speed boat to Chiang Kong in Chiang Rai province. Never done it but google it to get all the info.

very easy to grab bus's from Luang Prabang- Luang Namtha- Boten- Kumming

Make sure u have ur Chinese visa in advance or u can get one in LN but takes 3-4days

Road between LP and Udomaxi is sheer s#@t for about 80 kms thnan its good all the way the border.

Buy a motorcycle in Laos ride it north.

For the train come back in 10 years or so,

About 1000 km over land via Burma or Laos to Kunming?

You should do a documentation and sell to National Geographic.

How many days do you plan to travel?

Indeed there seem to be a road connection from Nong Khai/Vientiane to Kunming.

That's the road where our lovely Chinese friends drive down with their camping vans