Sales open seven days before departureLaos train tickets
Choose your route. We handle the train booking.
Select your departure and seat. You will see the total price before payment and tell us what to do if your first choice sells out.
Independent Laos travel guide ສະບາຍດີ
Cities, river towns and mountain roads — this is Laos.
Decide where to go, how long to stay and how to travel between stops. Our guides cover the details that are easy to miss. If a local booking process becomes difficult, you can ask us to handle it.
Independent destination guidesRealistic routes and travel timesLocal help only when you want it
Before you travel
Six steps, in the order that matters.
Two of these steps open inside a fixed window. Train tickets go on sale exactly seven days before departure, at 06:30 Vientiane time, and the Lao arrival form can only be submitted during the 72 hours before you land. The remaining steps can be prepared at your own pace.
- eVisaOur serviceCheck whether your passport requires a visa, then apply online. Processing takes three working days.
- Arrival cardOur service · $8The Lao arrival form can only be submitted during the 72 hours before you land. If your passport requires an eVisa, that approval must come first.
- Train ticketsOur serviceSeats on the Laos–China Railway go on sale seven days before departure, at 06:30 Vientiane time.
- Where to sleepFree guideUnderstand the difference between guesthouses, hotels and homestays before you compare rooms.
- Getting an eSIMFree guideCompare a local SIM card, an eSIM bought before departure and hotel Wi-Fi.
- Tours and day tripsFree guideSee which day trips are worth arranging in advance, with affiliate links clearly labelled.
Requirements can change. Our guides link to the official Lao eVisa and Department of Immigration websites.
Local help from Vientiane
Three things that are easy to get wrong before you arrive
Booking opens seven days before departure, at 06:30 Vientiane time, and the most popular departures sell out within hours.
The Lao arrival form can only be submitted during the 72 hours before you land — not earlier, and not on arrival.
The eVisa requires three working days to process, and a single incorrect detail restarts the application.
Each of these has a fixed window. Once it closes, the remaining options are a later train or a longer wait at the border.
Sales open seven days before departure
Before departure
Laos eVisa assistance
Select your passport country to see the total price. We prepare and check the application before submission.
Government charge included · Approval is not guaranteedCheck my eVisa price
Within 3 days of arrival
Digital arrival form
We confirm that your checkpoint uses the form, then file it during the official window.
US$8 per traveller · Filed inside the official windowPrepare my arrivalWe are based in Vientiane. We work with these systems daily, we read the Lao-language interfaces, and we are available the moment each window opens. One flat fee per service, the full amount shown before payment.
Total price before checkoutSecure details requested privatelyFree guides remain available
Choose your next stop
Explore all destination guides →Start with the places travellers know best.
See what each place feels like, how long to stay and what is worth doing before you build the rest of the route.
A first Laos route
Your first Laos route does not need to cover everything.
Follow the railway for an easy northern trip, then add the south only if you have enough time to enjoy it.
How this site works
Read our editorial promiseFree guidance first. Paid help only when it saves a headache.
Affiliate links and our own services are labelled clearly. You see the total price before payment, and we explain what the service includes before asking for personal documents.