Planning: Bangkok to Vientiane

The first leg should be pretty easy (he says). The best information for this trip, as well as all the train journeys I have taken in recent years is http://www.seat61.com. More about these fine people in a later post.

From Hua Lumphong Station (the site of many a memorable Family Fieldtrip) there is an overnight sleeper train that gets into Nong Kai on the Thai/Laos border at 8:25am. At 9:30am you take the 15 minute ride over the Friendship bridge to Tanaleng International station for visas and passport control.

It's then a 13k hop on a tuk tuk taxi or bus to Vientiane and some baguettes and coffee!

Sounds easy and costs 1,200 baht (26GBP or $37)