Verified 5 November 2026
Laos has land crossings with all four neighbours: Thailand (six, five of them Friendship Bridges), Vietnam (nine, none issuing a Vietnamese visa on arrival, so get the e-visa first), Cambodia (one, open 06:00–18:00) and China (Boten, by road or rail). All 33 official checkpoints are here, with opening hours, visa rules and fares.
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Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia all run scheduled buses into Laos. From China the railway has replaced the through-bus for most travellers. Each row links to the crossing that route uses; which visa each crossing issues is in the Laos visa guide, and every checkpoint on the official list is in the checkpoint register.
| From | Direct service? | Crossing used | Typical journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Yes, several daily | Five Friendship Bridges | 1 hr Nong Khai–Vientiane, 20–24 hrs from Bangkok |
| Vietnam | Yes, mostly overnight sleepers | Nine checkpoints | approx 24 hrs Hanoi–Vientiane |
| Cambodia | Yes, one route only | Nongnokkhene, the only one | approx 6 hrs Stung Treng–Pakse |
| China | Rail, not bus | Boten–Mohan | Laos–China Railway via Boten |
| Journey | Border crossing | Typical duration | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vientiane → Bangkok | 1st Friendship Bridge | 20–24 hrs | Vientiane–Bangkok guide |
| Vientiane → Hanoi | Nam Phao – Cầu Treo | approx 24 hrs | Vientiane–Hanoi guide |
| Pakse → Siem Reap | Nongnokkhene | 9.5–10 hrs advertised | Laos–Cambodia border |
| Luang Prabang → Chiang Mai | 4th Friendship Bridge | approx 20 hrs | Chiang Mai–Luang Prabang guide |
| Savannakhet → Hue | Dansavanh – Lao Bảo | approx 12 hrs | Laos–Vietnam border |
| 4000 Islands → Siem Reap | Nongnokkhene | approx 8 hrs advertised | Laos–Cambodia border |
| Vientiane → Luang Prabang | domestic, train is fastest | 1 h 46 m by train | Laos train guide |
| Vientiane → Kunming | Boten – Mohan | 9.5–10 hrs by train | Laos–China border |
| Paksan → Bueng Kan | 5th Friendship Bridge (new) | approx 3 hrs | Laos–Thailand border |
Most trips inside Laos follow one north–south line: Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang above Vientiane, Thakhek and Pakse below it, Nong Khiaw further north. The train is fastest where it runs, but most stations sit well outside the towns they serve, so start with the station.
The hub for almost every routeVientianeWhich terminal for which direction, the airport, and the railway station.Getting there →
2 stations, neither centralVang ViengWhich station, and what the ride into town costs.Getting there →
3 hubs, none in the old townLuang PrabangNorthern or southern bus station, plus the airport and the railway.Getting there →
Road only, then boatNong KhiawNo airport, no railway, and the Nam Ou boat onward to Muang Ngoi.Getting there →
Flight or long busPhonsavanThe Plain of Jars: 40 minutes by air from Vientiane, or a long day by road.Getting there →
Direct bus, approx 8–9 hrsThakhekThe bus station, the loop that starts here, and the crossing to Thailand.Getting there →
Overnight sleeper, approx 10 hrsPakseThree bus stations by direction, plus Wat Phou, the 4000 Islands and the Bolaven Loop.Getting there →
Bus or train, VIP or sleeper, and when to book ahead: getting around Laos by bus compares them.
The long-haul option on this border, usually run as an overnight sleeper. Many travellers cover the same ground more cheaply by crossing at Nong Khai and continuing separately on a Thai bus or train.
The busiest hop on this border, and the easiest place to change onto Thailand's onward network, including the overnight sleeper train to Bangkok.
The long way round by road. Many travellers do only one leg this way and take the Mekong slow boat for the other, rather than the same road twice.
The short final hop for travellers who took the two-day Mekong slow boat down from Luang Prabang.
An overnight sleeper between the two capitals, the main road link on this border.
The busiest Laos–Vietnam gate, on the way to Hue's imperial citadel.
Runs through Phonsavan to the Nam Kan – Nậm Cắn border; coming the other way, that gate issues no Lao visa on arrival.
The gateway to Angkor Wat, on Laos's only crossing into Cambodia.
Starts right at the border, shaving hours off the same journey from Pakse.
The gateway to Vang Vieng's karst scenery, and the shortest hop on the Laos–China Railway.
The country's best-connected long-haul run, with an overnight VIP bus alongside the much faster railway.
Laos Bus Tickets
Written and kept up to date from Vientiane by people who have lived in Laos for two decades and take these buses, trains and boats themselves, around the country and across its borders. Each page is checked against Lao government, immigration and operator sources and the news, and the routes it lists are tested online on several dates. We recheck whenever something changes, not on a fixed schedule (how we check things).