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How to buy tickets for the Laos-China Railway

September 21, 2024 By James Clark 6 Comments

How to buy Laos-China Railway tickets, including buying tickets online, by mobile phone app, ticket offices, and travel agents. The Laos-China Railway is a modern and efficient semi-high-speed railway system, but buying tickets isn’t as smooth as the train ride. The official website at www.lcrc.ltd doesn’t sell tickets, and there are rules and time restrictions […]

Filed Under: Train Travel Tagged With: laos, laos-china railway, southeast asia rail

Laos-China Railway travel guide

September 21, 2024 By James Clark 48 Comments

A guide to the Laos-China Railway from Vientiane to Boten, including tickets, train types, station guides, onboard amenities, and transport to stations. The Laos-China Railway is a semi-high-speed railway in Laos that operates from Vientiane to Boten, with main stations in Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, and Muang Xai. Here everything you need to know about […]

Filed Under: Train Travel Tagged With: laos, laos-china railway, luang prabang, southeast asia rail, vientiane

Southeast Asia train travel guide

September 21, 2024 By James Clark 16 Comments

A guide to train travel Southeast Asia, featuring resources for buying tickets and reviews of rail travel in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia railways index Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Southeast Asia train travel resources Southeast Asia train travel FAQs Future Southeast Asia railways Cambodia Railway Operator: Royal Railway. Buy Cambodia train […]

Filed Under: Train Travel Tagged With: cambodia, indonesia, java, laos, malaysia, myanmar (burma), philippines, railway, singapore, southeast asia rail, sumatra, thailand, train, vietnam

Vientiane Khamsavath Railway Station Guide

September 12, 2024 By James Clark 2 Comments

A guide to Vientiane Khamsavath railway station, including station amenities, tickets, and transport to and from the station. Vientiane Khamsavath railway station (also known as Khamsavath railway station and Vientiane-Tai railway station) is a railway station that connects Vientiane to Thailand’s Northeastern Line. The new station and railway extension from the border means that it’s […]

Filed Under: Train Travel Tagged With: laos, southeast asia rail, train station, vientiane

Udon Thani to Vientiane by train: cross the Mekong on this local international rail service

August 29, 2024 By James Clark 11 Comments

The Udon Thani to Vientiane train is a service connecting Northeast Thailand to the capital of Laos. This service began operations in July 2024 (along with the Bangkok to Vientiane overnight service) when the station at Vientiane Khamsavath was officially opened. This short service is a more pleasant way to cross the border compared to […]

Filed Under: Train Travel Tagged With: laos, southeast asia rail, thailand, udon thani, vientiane

Notes on Vang Vieng: Trains and tubing in Laos

November 9, 2023 By James Clark 5 Comments

Vang Vieng became famous for being a big backpacker town, with people drawn to its karst topography and the river that runs through the landscape. I visited in 2010, and at its peak it was like a Wild West town for backpacker hedonism. The town was best known for tubing down the river and stopping […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: laos, vang vieng

Notes on Boten: The border station of the Laos-China Railway

October 12, 2023 By James Clark 2 Comments

Boten is a town in Laos on the China–Laos border and the most northern stop on the Laos-China Railway, which was what brought me there. Boten is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) that features in the news for all the wrong reasons. I have been keeping track of Boten news and construction projects at Future […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: boten, laos

Notes on Muang Xai: A stop on the Laos-China Railway

October 5, 2023 By James Clark 4 Comments

Muang Xai is the capital city of Oudomxai Province in Northern Laos. The city is one of the main stops of the Laos-China Railway, which was what brought me there. Muang Xai isn’t a touristy city, but I wanted to see what it was like and if the railway could change its fortunes. I also […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: laos, muang xai

Notes on Luang Prabang in the new era of the train

September 7, 2023 By James Clark 10 Comments

I visited Luang Prabang by train from Vientiane shortly after Laos reopened in 2022. While Luang Prabang was abnormally quiet then, it was evident that Luang Prabang would be transformed by the Laos-China Railway. This is my trip report and general observations. Visiting Luang Prabang before the train My first visit to Luang Prabang was […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: laos, luang prabang

Notes on Vientiane: Riding the new railway and the gravitational pull of China

May 25, 2023 By James Clark 6 Comments

I visited Vientiane not long after the borders reopened in May 2022. I was there to ride the new Laos-China Railway, which had been running since December 2021. The last time I was in Vientiane was via train from Bangkok, and the next time I visit will probably be when the line from Thailand is […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: laos, vientiane

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James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

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