Laos train travel guide (2026)

It was a only a few short years ago that train travel in Laos was non-existent. In this landlocked country, it meant that freight traffic, domestic journeys and those to neighbouring countries involved an arduous road trip, impacting tourist numbers and the local economy.

However, since 2009, significant investment has been made into Laos’ railway network, leading to modern, fast and comfortable trains linking the country to Thailand and China. These new lines have also led to improved domestic connectivity, not least between the two largest cities, Vientiane and Luang Prabang.

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Train routes in Laos

The main train line in Laos is the Vientiane to Boten railway, which is part of the Laos-China Railway (LCR), itself a component of China’s ambitious ‘Belt and Road Initiative’. Running between the Thai and Chinese borders, it’s revolutionised travel within the country and is now a major freight route within Southeast Asia.

Although only running for a short distance within the country, the line from Bangkok to Vientiane service crosses over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in the south of the country and terminates at Khamsavath station (8km east of Vientiane city centre).

What are the Laos stations like?

As the Lao-China Railway is a recent project, all of country’s stations have been newly constructed in the last few years. They’re uniformly neat, tidy, spacious and relatively easy to navigate. Keep in mind that in most cases, they’re a few kilometres away from the city they serve, so always factor in extra time to reach them.

Security is strict at the stations and all bags are thoroughly searched before you’re allowed to board. It’s more akin to airport-style security and you won’t be allowed to proceed with items such as pocket-knives, alcohol or anything that’s flammable. Ticket checking is enthusiastically enforced and you’ll need to show your passport a couple of times before you board.

What are the Laos trains like?

As with the stations, the train carriages are fresh and modern, offering a relaxing and comfortable ride, although they arguably lack some character compared to older-style trains in Southeast Asia.

Using Chinese-built trains capable of travelling at 160kmh, all have air-conditioning, power points, reclining seats and buffet cars. The services are split into three separate categories with slightly different seating arrangements:

• D trains are Chinese-owned and are used on the service from Vientiane to Kunming in China. They stop at fewer stations within Laos and have First and Second Class available.
• C trains are Lao-owned and used on the services from Vientiane to Boten (at the Chinese border). Stopping at a few more stops along the way, these trains have First and Second, plus Business Class.
• K trains operate the slower service, stopping at every station on the entire route. Only hard seats are available.

How to buy Laos train tickets

Most of the Laos railway stations have been built in the past few years, so they’re usually a fair distance away from the city centres. So, even though you could buy tickets in advance at the station, the combination of queues and logistics means it’s much easier to book online.

Tickets booked online only go on sale four days before departure, so you’ll need to be flexible and organised. Many of the more popular routes do sell out in advance.

12Go are our recommended site for booking your Laos train tickets. They’ll accept bookings more than four days in advance and then actually buy your ticket for you when they go on sale. While this doesn’t guarantee you a seat, they’re very well practiced and being the first in the queue for tickets.

As an alternative, tickets can be bought using Baolau, but you can’t book more than four days in advance with them, trains will show as ‘Not yet open’ if you try. Once the booking window is open, tickets will show as ‘Available’ or ‘Sold Out’.

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