Travel in and around Vientiane by Bus

Travel in and around Vientiane by Bus

There are three bus stations in Vientiane: Central Bus Terminal with bus services to destinations in and around Vientiane, a few farther places in Laos, and northeast Thailand; Southern Bus Terminal- the main departure point for buses to the south, to Vietnam and Cambodia and Northern Bus Terminal – the main departure point for buses to northern destinations, Xiengkhuang, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, other provinces and buses to China. Let’s explore Vientiane with:  Indochina travel Laos

City bus system in Vientiane

Bus in Southern Laos

Bus in Southern Laos- source: internet

Thanks to the government of Japan for the work and for their bus donation they put into enhancing the capacity of Vientiane city bus to make widely it available, more comfortable and more reliable, in recent years much work has been put into improving city bus system in Vientiane.

The Central Bus Station, (also known as Morning Market or Talat Sao bus station), situated next to the Morning Market is where all buses running in Vientiane city and surrounding suburbs originate. 25-seat, 45-seat (green white) and electric vehicles that look like sightseeing buses are the buses used for city buses.

25-seat and electric buses run within the city and on the shorter routes while the most of air conditioned Japan-donated 45-seat buses are used for more demand routes and longer distances such as to Dong Kham Xang, the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge, Thangnon and Dong Dok.

Frequency and reliability of City buses

There is a bus every 20-30 minutes for every other route except Dong Dok and the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge – popular routes have a bus every 15 minutes. The service is more reliable and more people are using it now than in the past though during rush hours, delays may occur.

VIP bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang

VIP bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang- source: internet

Service hours

Although some lower passenger demand routes have shorter service hours (start late and end early) and have fewer buses, normally, the service begins at 5:30 AM and ends at 7:00 PM every day.

How to catch city buses

It also can literally be flagged down anywhere along the routes apart from catching the buses at Central Bus Station and designated bus stops.

At the bus station

As there are no clear signs to follow (at the bus station), it still can be confusing even though the city buses are clearly numbered and marked both in Lao and English. The best, quickest and the most highly recommended way to find the right bus is to ask staff at the ticketing windows.

At designated bus stops

In recent years, though a large number of bus stops (with shelters and seats) have been built, because buses do not always automatically stop at the bus stops, most do not get used much. And at most bus stops, it is not easy to find route maps or bus timetable. Indochina travel reviews

Just wait at the bus stop or anywhere on the roadside, and give a sign to the driver by sticking out your hand to wave the bus down if you need to catch a bus. Flagging down a bus in between stops is accepted. As buses in Laos are not very frequent especially in suburbs, it is a common practice. One of the reasons why the drivers are not so strict is that he knows that you miss one you might have to wait a long time for the next bus.

Catching a Vientiane city bus is a good way to see local lifestyle though it might not be the most fascinating experience. Also, it is safer, cheaper and more comfortable than catching a tuk tuk. Why don’t you give it a try?

Getting on the bus

What to expect inside a bus

What to expect inside a bus- source: internet

Get on the bus from the doors widely opened by the driver. Just find your seat or standing spot (if all the seats are occupied) and enjoy the ride and don’t worry about buying or paying ticket just yet!

Getting off the bus  

Press the nearby alighting button or verbally tell the driver and he will pull over where (or close to where) you want to get off whenever you want to get off the bus.

Payment

Give cash to the driver before getting off the bus. If you pay cash, please be considerate by preparing small notes such as 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 or 10,000kip. This will help the driver in a big way.

Bus Routes

Southern Bus Terminal

Southern Bus Terminal- source: internet

If you want to go to Dongdok (National University of Laos), you can catch bus #29, Bus #31 and Bus #33. Catch bus #23 if you want to get to Thangon and Bus #14 from Central Bus Station via Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge and to Buddha Park (locally known as Xiengkhuan).

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