# Vang Vieng Bus & Train Tickets: Getting There and Around > Getting to Vang Vieng from Vientiane or Luang Prabang by bus, van or train: where each station actually is, what the ride into town costs, and which mode wins. **Source:** https://laosbustickets.com/vang-vieng-bus-train-tickets/ **Language:** en **Last verified:** 5 September 2026 **Written by:** Laos Bus Tickets, Vientiane, Laos **Other languages:** [Français](https://laosbustickets.com/fr/vang-vieng-bus-train-tickets.md) · [Deutsch](https://laosbustickets.com/de/vang-vieng-bus-train-tickets.md) · [Español](https://laosbustickets.com/es/vang-vieng-bus-train-tickets.md) · [한국어](https://laosbustickets.com/ko/vang-vieng-bus-train-tickets.md) · [Русский](https://laosbustickets.com/ru/vang-vieng-bus-train-tickets.md) · [日本語](https://laosbustickets.com/ja/vang-vieng-bus-train-tickets.md) --- ## Quick answer Vang Vieng is served by two separate stations, neither of them in town. The railway station is 3 to 4 km north; the bus station is about 2 km north on Route 13, with a second, smaller South Bus Terminal near the Nam Song toll bridge. From Vientiane the train takes about an hour against roughly four by road, though station transfers narrow the gap. From Luang Prabang the bus or van takes about six hours; the train covers the same route in about an hour but still requires the transfer at each end. ## Routes | Route | Border crossing | Duration | Bookable | |---|---|---|---| | Vientiane to Vang Vieng | Domestic | approx 4 hrs by road | Yes | | Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng | Domestic | approx 6 hrs by road | Yes | | Vientiane to Vang Vieng | Domestic | about 1 hr | Yes | | Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang | Domestic | about 1 hr | Yes | ## Common questions ### Where is the Vang Vieng railway station? 3 to 4 km north of town. A minivan or the green shared bus costs 40,000 kip, or take a tuk tuk, about 10 minutes. This is a different station from the bus terminal. ### Where is the Vang Vieng bus station? About 2 km north of town on Route 13, near the high school. Organised tuk tuks at the station run about 10,000 kip per person into town; a shared songthaew is around 25,000 kip. A smaller South Bus Terminal, about 750 m from the Nam Song toll bridge, handles some minivan services and is closer in. ### Train or bus from Vientiane to Vang Vieng? The train takes about an hour against roughly four by road, but add the transfer at both stations and the door-to-door gap narrows. The bus or van is cheaper and drops closer to some guesthouses; the train is more comfortable and far less affected by traffic. ### How do I get from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng? By road, about six hours by bus or van. By train, about an hour, the single biggest time saving on this corridor, though you still transfer at both stations. ### Is there a direct tuk tuk or songthaew from either station? Yes at both. Drivers meet every arrival. Agree the fare before getting in, since the difference between the organised rate and what an independent driver first quotes is usually a few thousand kip either way. ## Sources - [Lao Department of Immigration](https://immigration.gov.la): checkpoint list, opening hours and visa status - [Travelfish: how to get to Vang Vieng](https://www.travelfish.org/transport/laos/vientiane_and_surrounds/vientiane/vang_vieng/all): bus station location and tuk tuk fares - [Laos Life: Vang Vieng South Bus Terminal](https://www.laoslife.info/vang-vieng-south-bus-terminal/): the second, smaller terminal near the Nam Song bridge - [Wikivoyage: Laos](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Laos): background on overland travel and bus classes --- _Written and maintained from Vientiane. The people behind this site have lived in Laos for two decades and cross these borders themselves. Routes and visa rules get rechecked whenever something changes, not on a fixed schedule that lets stale information sit for months._