Best way to get to Vientiane from Bangkok

Do I take the plane, bus or train from Bangkok to Vientiane?

There are 4 main ways to travel from Bangkok to Vientiane. When I made this trip, I had to weigh out the pros and cons as with any circumstance where I am about to spend 10 hours of my life doing something I’d rather not be doing, like sitting on a bus seat for 10 hours.

I designed this chart to help you decide which way you’d like to go. There’s lot of resources available online for detailed reference on how to do it once you’ve made your decision and all ways are simple enough.

As of December 2015:

Mode of Transport	Cost US$ (Baht)	Travel Time**	Pros	Cons
Fly	100-200* (4000 – 7000 baht)	1 hour	· Fastest · Direct city to city	· Most expensive · Restricted baggage
Bus	25 (900 baht)	11-12 hours	· Affordable · Direct city to city	· Save on accommodation
Train***	25 (900 baht)	12-13 hours	· Affordable · Comfortable	· Affordable · Comfortable · Save on accommodation
Fly and Ride (via Bus) offered by Nok Air***	50 (1800 baht)	4 hours	· Reasonable Price · Time efficient, cuts travel time via land by half	· Still not the cheapest mode of transport

*depends on the time of year and airlineI place this as a reminder that the cost will be approximate. Remember if you are flying you will need to factor in accommodation for the night versus if you travel via sleeper bus. Also, travel to the airport and airport food is way more expensive. So know that this is probably the most costly option.

** Time spent on mode of transportation. This excludes other time factors such as arriving at the airport 2 hours before, delays, wait times that are variable and impossible to gage.

*** These options include an additional mode of transportation, via either shuttle or minivan to cross the border. It’s all fairly simple and really easy to figure out once you are there

In the end, I decided with the guidance of Buddha to take the middle path and go with the option of Fly N Ride. I have being confined in a seat for long periods of time and would rather not if I didn’t have to, so I chose this option. My second option would have been to take the Train. Flying in my opinion is only for emergencies and if you are pressed for time.