I took a 24-hour bus ride from Vietnam to Laos. It was uncomfortable but only cost $45, and more memorable than flying.

Hannah Shewan StevensFeb 11, 2023, 17:14 IST

The author took a 24-hour bus between Vietnam and Laos and paid $45 for a one-way ticket.Hannah Shewan Stevens

I took a 24-hour bus between Vietnam and Laos instead of a one-hour flight to save money.
I paid $45 for a one-way ride with broken toilets, a long border crossing, and very little sleep.

I took a 24-hour bus ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Vientiane, Laos. I think it's the best way to save money while traveling between the two countries.

The 24-hour bus from Hanoi to Vientiane.Hannah Shewan Stevens

Riding a bus for 24 hours is far cheaper than flying.

The author paid $45 for her one-way ticket.Hannah Shewan Stevens

My email confirmation stated that I should first arrive at the third-party ticket office three hours before the bus was due to depart.

The author on the way to the bus depot in Hanoi, Vietnam.Hannah Shewan Stevens

I went to the ticket counter to exchange my email voucher for a bus ticket.

The author collecting her bus ticket.Hannah Shewan Stevens

The bus was ready to board 30 minutes before departure.

The author's bus.Hannah Shewan Stevens

Onboard, the bus was split into three rows of double-decker seats, which could be kept fully upright or reclined to a 45-degree angle.

Almost every seat on the bus was taken.Hannah Shewan Stevens

I thought my seat was fairly large but as a 5-foot, 8-inch-tall person, it could have been bigger.

The bus had two bunk-style layers seating.Hannah Shewan Stevens

The bus left on time at 6 p.m. and the first leg of the journey took approximately three and a half hours until the first rest stop.

The first rest stop had a toilet and a food hall.Hannah Shewan Stevens

After reboarding the bus, we drove until we arrived at the Laos border four and a half hours later.

The bus arrives early at the Laos border so passengers can sleep.Hannah Shewan Stevens

I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk outside to pass the time.

While the other passengers slept, the author took a walk outside.Hannah Shewan Stevens

At 6 a.m., the driver pulled up to the border and told everyone to get off the bus.

As the author waited to cross the border into Laos, she played with a puppy.Hannah Shewan Stevens

The Vietnamese border crossing appeared to be empty.

There was no staff at the Vietnamese border crossing when the author arrived.Hannah Shewan Stevens

When the border agent arrived, I had to pay a fee for an exit stamp for my passport.

The author's traveling companion pretending to check passports.Hannah Shewan Stevens

After going through Vietnamese border control, I walked about a mile down the road to Laos border control in my bus slippers.

The author and other travelers wearing their bus slippers.Hannah Shewan Stevens

The last stage of the journey started smoothly but I thought it got progressively more uncomfortable as we neared the end.

A local man helped repair the bus' broken wheel.Hannah Shewan Stevens

The bus did not stop again until we arrived in Vientiane.

The author got to see remote parts of Vietnam and Laos on the ride.Hannah Shewan Stevens

Exactly 24 hours after departing Hanoi, the bus pulled into the Vientiane bus station.

The author would take the bus from Vietnam to Laos again.Hannah Shewan Stevens

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