Trains from Luang Prabang to Khon Kaen

By train you can complete the journey from Luang Prabang to Khon Kaen in just under 8 hours, although you do need to buy two separate train tickets. The same journey by bus takes at least 14 hours.

Train 1: Luang Prabang to Khon Kaen

There are currently no direct trains from Luang Prabang to Khon Kaen. However, you can take a direct train to Vientiane to connect with another train service to Khon Kaen.

• Buy tickets from Luang Prabang to Vientiane.

Stage 2: Vientiane to Khon Kaen

The once a day train service from Vientiane to Khon Kaen departs in the early evening, just after sunset, and is scheduled to complete the journey during the same day.

• Buy tickets from Vientiane to Khon Kaen.

Location of Luang Prabang Train Station

Luang Prabang Train Station is located 25 minutes by road to the east of Luang Prabang city centre.

Location of Vientiane Laos – China Railway Station

Laos-China Railway Station is located about 40 minutes by road to the north east of Vientiane city centre.

Location of Khamsavath Vientiane Train Station

Khamsavath Railway Station is located about 25 minutes by road to the east of Vientiane city centre.

Khon Kaen Train Station

Khon Kaen Train Station is conveniently located in Khon Kaen city centre.

About Train Travel to Khon Kaen

Following the commencement of a new high speed train service in Laos, and the extension of Thai train services to Vientiane, train travel has become a fast, safe, and convenient way to travel between Luang Prabang and Khon Kaen. There is one inconvenient aspect to travelling by train, and that’s the need to change trains in Vientiane because the first train terminates at a different train station some distance from the station where trains to Thailand depart. However, travel by train is still the fastest option.

Luang Prabang to Vientiane

The first stage of the journey to Khon Kaen is very fast. It takes from 1 hour 46 minutes to 2 hours 53 minutes to travel from Luang to Vientiane depending upon which train service you take. The same journey by bus typically takes around 8 hours.

Trains on the Laos-China Railway Line are also very comfortable. The operator keeps the trains very clean and a variety of different seat types are available:

• Business Class
• 1st Class A/C Seat
• 2nd Class A/C Seat
• Hard Seat (Ordinary trains only)

To reach Luang Prabang Train Station you can either take a private car or tuk-tuk from Luang Prabang City (200,000 to 250,000 LAK), or you can enquire at your hotel or a local travel agent about shared minivan services to the train station, which typically cost around 40,000 LAK per person.

Arrival in Vientiane

Trains from Vientiane to Luang Prabang arrive into the Laos-China Railway Station. From there passengers need to make their own way, 16 km by road, to Khamsavath Railway Station. Please note, you need to leave a gap of at least an hour between the arrival of the first train from Luang Prabang and the departure of the second train to Khon Kaen. This is to allow enough time to travel between the two stations and then complete immigration procedures for leaving Laos, all before you can board the next train.

There are two ways to travel by public transport from Laos-China Railway Station to Khamsavath Railway Station:

• Public Bus
  • Bus Number: Route 12 (Outbound).
  • Departure Times: 09:00, 12:50, 15:20 and 16:50.
  • Scheduled Journey Time: 30 minutes
• Private Tuk-Tuk
  • Fare: around 250,000 LAK (to be negotiated with the driver)
  • Capacity: 5 passengers
  • Journey Time: around 30 minutes.

Vientiane to Khon Kaen

The second train journey, from Vientiane to Khon Kaen, is scheduled to take 4 hours 24 minutes, which is about twice as long as the first stage of the journey.

However, bear in mind that 30 minutes after departing from Vientiane, Train #134 (from Vientiane to Khon Kaen) stops at Nong Khai Railway Station for 1 hour 20 minutes. This is to allow all passengers sufficient time to leave the train to complete immigration procedures for entering Thailand at the immigration desk in Nong Khai Railway Station. When Train #134 does finally depart from Nong Khai Railway Station (at 20:15) the remainder of the journey to Khon Kaen is scheduled to take only 2 hours 34 minutes.

Food and drink will be available on Train #134 after it departs from Nong Khai, as are a variety of different seat types including sleeper berths:

• 2nd Class A/C Sleeper
• 2nd Class A/C Seat
• 3rd Class Fan Seat

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