Trains from Bangkok to Luang Prabang

In order to travel by train from Bangkok to Luang Prabang, passengers need to change trains in Vientiane.

Stage 1: Bangkok to Vientiane

There is currently 1 train service a day from Bangkok to Vientiane. Sleeper berths are available on this train.

• Buy tickets from Bangkok to Vientiane.

Stage 2: Vientiane to Luang Prabang

There are currently 6 direct train services a day from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. These are high speed train services operated by Laos-China Railway Company (LCR).

• Buy tickets from Vientiane to Luang Prabang.

Bangkok Train Station

Trains for the first stage of the journey from Bangkok to Luang Prabang depart from the main train terminus in Bangkok, Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station (also known as Bang Sue Grand Station).

Location of Khamsavath Vientiane Train Station

Trains from Bangkok to Vientiane terminate at Khamsavath Train Station.

Location of Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station

The second train you need take to complete the journey from Bangkok to Luang Prabang departs from Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station.

Location of Luang Prabang Train Station

Luang Prabang Train Station is located around 12 km by road from Luang Prabang City Centre.

About Travel to Luang Prabang

At the present time there are no direct trains from Bangkok to Luang Prabang, however, it’s fairly simple to complete the journey using two different trains.

Immigration Procedure for Travel by Train

The first set of passport checks (to exit Thailand) is made in Nong Khai. When the Thailand train service arrives at Nong Khai Train Station passengers travelling onto Vientiane need to briefly leave the train to visit the Thailand immigration desk inside the train station itself. The train stops for 40 minutes in Nong Khai to give all the passengers the time to get a stamp in their passport before exiting Thailand.

The second set of passport checks happens at the Lao immigration desk inside Khamsavath Train Station after you leave the train and make your way out of the station. Khamsavath Train Station is the final destination for the Thailand train services from Bangkok to Vientiane.

Travel Between the Train Stations in Vientiane

Trains from Vientiane to Luang Prabang depart from a different train station to the one where the train from Bangkok terminates. The journey by road between the two train stations should take around 30 minutes.

The fastest way to travel from Khamsavath Train Station to Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station is to take one of the tuk-tuks or taxis which operate from Khamsavath Train Station. For a private tuk-tuk or taxi the fare to Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station is around 250,000 Laos Kip. It’s 50,000 Laos Kip per person in a shared tuk-tuk or taxi so long as the operator can find 5 customers going to the same place to share the vehicle.

There is also a public bus service from Khamsavath Train Station to Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station. The bus service is Route 12 (Outbound). By bus the journey between the two train stations is scheduled to take exactly 30 minutes.

Arrival by Train In Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang Railway Station is located about 20 minutes driving time to the south east of the part of Luang Prabang City where most of the tourist accommodation is located. By tuk-tuk or private hire of a local taxi van the journey from the train station to the city centre will cost around 200,000 to 250,000 Laos Kip depending upon your destination and what the driver agrees to.

Visitor Attractions in Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is a wonderful small city with around 55,000 permanent residents scenically located on the Mekong River in a sparsely populated area of Laos. In terms of things to do and see, Luang Prabang’s visitor attractions fall into two categories.

The first category is places to visit in Luang Prabang’s historic old town area. The ‘Old Town’ in Luang Prabang has a large number of temples, some of which are very old, and a former royal palace which is now open to visitors. In the centre of Luang Prabang there is also a large hill (Phou Si Hill) which is worth climbing to see the views across the city.

The second set of places to visit are located outside of Luang Prabang city centre, and in order to reach those places visitors need to take a boat tour or travel by tour bus or local tuk-tuk. The most popular day trip from Luang Prabang is to travel by road to the Kuang Si Falls, which are located 30 km to the south west of Luang Prabang. The other popular day trip from Luang Prabang is to travel by boat from the city centre to the Pak Ou Caves. The journey by boat to the caves takes about 2 hours and the journey back 1 hour, with a stop on the way at a village famous for making rice whiskey.

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