Every now and then as a long-term traveller, you come across a journey that’s notoriously bad. The last time I seriously considered replacing a chunk of travel with an overpriced flight was when I travelled from Cali to Quito by bus on a road reported to have frequent hijackings and muggings.
As I headed north through Laos, it became apparent that another hellish journey was on the horizon. Other bloggers had described it as a nightmare journey of over 38 hours and the ‘bus ride from hell’. This particular route was Luang Prabang to Hanoi by bus.
SO, WHY DID I BOOK IT?!
I’d like to pretend this was an entirely selfless decision with the sole intention of sharing the most up-to-date information, but the truth is, the bus is at least 2.5 times cheaper than flying (380,000 kip vs 1030,000 kip – on a good day). To put it in context, that’s about two weeks’ accommodation, or 65 big bottles of Beer Lao, AND you save on a night in a hostel and transport to the airport.
What’s more, I’m glad I took the gamble because this journey really isn’t that bad. Sure, there are plenty of annoyances, but with a bit of pre-planning it’s borderline luxury (by backpacker standards…)!
REASONS TO LOVE THE SLEEPER BUS
Air Con
Air con is pretty hard to come by in Laos, unless you pay significantly more for the luxury. Some hostels turn it on during the night, but even then it rarely seems to work. Luang Prabang can get extremely stuffy, and room fans often keep you awake as stray hairs tickle your face and your sheets billow up like parachutes. The air con on this sleeper bus is just cool enough to keep you comfortable, without freezing your ass off, as most Latin American bus companies do.
Blankets and Pillows
As you board, there’s a generous supply of blankets and stuffed cushions, and you can grab whatever you need. The pillows are really helpful in supporting your head as you go round sharp bends in the road.
Seats Like Beds
I’m baffled when people say the sleeper bus beds in Asia are uncomfortable. Even the most luxurious (and far more expensive) long-distance buses in South America only have chairs that partially recline, and don’t even get me started on Europe. Fair enough, there’s not a lot of room to manoeuvre – especially if you bring your valuables on with you in your hand luggage – but as buses go, it’s a rare treat for someone of 5″10′ to be able to stretch out horizontally with room to spare.
Regular Bathroom Breaks
Contrary to other reports on this journey, our bus stopped every few hours for people to use the bathroom – and this was never just by the roadside. Not all of the restrooms had toilet roll or a sink to wash your hands, and most were squatty loos, but that’s hardly the exception in Southeast Asia.
WHAT TO PACK
The following items should definitely make it into your hand luggage. I’d also recommend bringing all of your valuables with you and keeping them close (not difficult considering the space available).
🚌 A selection of snacks (assume you won’t be able to buy anything, even though you probably will)
🚌 Water
🚌 A generous supply of toilet roll
🚌 Hand sanitiser
🚌 An extra layer of clothing (to wear or use as extra head support)
🚌 Eye mask
🚌 Ear plugs and/or head phones (I use an app called White Noise, which drowns out distracting sounds and makes me sleep like a baby)
🚌 Entertainment (books, podcasts, music, movies, games, etc)
If you subscribe to services like CloudDesktopOnline.com or CloudAppsPortal.com, you could even use the time to catch up with work as you travel.
Always take your bag with you when you get off the bus.
ANNOYANCES
Obviously, when you’re travelling for so long in a bus with loads of other people, there will be things that irritate you. All you can do is prepare as best you can.
Lack of Charging Points
There are no charging points on the bus, so make sure all your electronic devices are fully charged before you set off, and turn them off when you’re not using them.
Light and Noise
When you first board, it looks and sounds like a disco, with Asian rave music blaring out full volume and multicoloured lights flashing down the length of the bus. Don’t worry. Things calm down significantly once you’re on the road. The bus is kept dark and quiet for most of the night. The main irritant is the constant horn beeping bus drivers in Asia use to warn motorbikes and other traffic of their approach, but you learn to ignore it. It’s a good idea to try to sleep soon after you board, at 6 pm, as you’ll find it much more difficult after sunrise.
Bumps, Curves and Frequent Stops
This journey isn’t smooth going. Some of the curves in the road seem to go on forever, throwing your bodyweight around like silly putty, and forcing limbs into uncomfortable positions. The best way to get comfortable is to brace yourself with as many bags, cushions and blankets as you can find, so you stay relatively still regardless of the motion of the bus. You’ll also find that the bus stops randomly and frequently to let people on and off, and to pick up and drop off small packages. It seems it doubles as a postal service. Try to block it out. If you’re stopping for a border crossing or official break, they will wake you.
BORDER CROSSING
The bus often arrives at the border with Vietnam at least a few hours before the immigration offices open for business. It’s unclear whether this is to give the bus driver a chance to rest, or to act as contingency in case there are problems on the road, but rather than be annoyed by the wait, it’s worth considering that the alternative would have been leaving from Luang Prabang a little later in the evening and getting less sleep. It’s also a chance to get some shut eye without contending with the constant motion and noise of the bus.
Just after 7, things come to life and you’re herded through the departure point. Make sure you have your departure card to hand.
After a welcome chance to stretch the legs while strolling a few hundred metres to reach the Vietnamese side, you might be asked to cough for an official in the least effective border health check imaginable, before hoisting your bags off the bus and watching them go through a security scanner noone appears to be monitoring.
ARRIVING IN HANOI
In total, the crossing should take about an hour. We arrived at our ‘not so final’ destination as advertised, just before 6 pm – 24 hours after leaving Luang Prabang. What hadn’t been advertised was the two-hour transfer into the city centre on a cramped bus that was decorated head to toe in flowery curtains and blasting more of the Asian rave tunes.
The last stage of the journey was a taxi to downtown Hanoi from the bus station. There are loads of scooter taxis offering to give you a ride, but around the corner is a proper taxi rank. A big car cost 150,000 VND and our driver looked only mildly put out that he had to wait for five of us to get cash out of an ATM on the way. It’s a good idea to have a map or screenshots of your hostel location to show the taxi driver, as some have very limited English.
FIND ACCOMMODATION DEALS
I’ve recently started using HotelsCombined to search for accommodation. It’s really cool because it aggregates the results of online searches from over 40 travel sites to bring you the best deals much faster than if you had to look them up to compare them separately.
VERDICT
This journey wasn’t the highlight of Southeast Asia, but it was never going to be. It’s a much cheaper alternative to flying and far more comfortable than routes of similar distance in other countries. If you need 5* luxury, it’s not for you, but if you like to have new experiences, save your pennies for further adventures, and make friends on the road, this is your best bet.
hey where did you buy the bus ticket? at an agency or at the bus station directly? and do u think its cheaper to buy the ticket at the station?
Hi Sharita. I bought my ticket from an agency on the main road. I asked in loads of places and went with the cheapest, although they’re generally a similar price. The bus station is a little bit out of town, so if you want to get your bus ticket in advance, I imagine any money you’d save by getting it at the station would go towards transport costs there and back. I could be wrong though. I didn’t actually inquire about how much they cost at the station. One thing I wouldn’t advise is just showing up at the time you want to catch the bus. The Luang Prabang – Hanoi route is popular and buses get full. I booked my ticket a few days in advance just to be on the safe side. Good luck! Comment again if you find out any useful information! All the best, Ari
Hello! I am planning to do this same journey this summer and am trying to do some research but getting some totally mixed things all over the internet… This bus from Luang Prabang to Hanoi seems to be something of a ghost bus, as you say, some people describe it as the notorious ‘nightmare bus’ or ‘bus from hell’, and in other places it seems to not exist at all, with people claiming that you’d have to go back to Vientiane to get a bus to Hanoi. If you don’t mind me asking specifically, what is the route that the bus you were on took, did it have to go back through Vientiane? And also, if you don’t mind, could I please ask how much it cost you? Thank you! Claire x
Hi Claire! I’ll do my best to help you out. I was there in October, which isn’t that long ago, so I don’t expect the situation to have changed much. There were daily buses leaving Lauang Prabang at around 6 pm. I paid 380,000 kip (just under US$50), although different travel agencies charge slightly different prices. I would recommend you book the bus ticket from an agency in Luang Prabang a couple of days in advance if you can, as they do get full. The bus station is a little out of town, so I don’t know if it’s a bit cheaper to buy your ticket there (probably not worth the effort of the round trip). Ask a few agencies their prices and go with the lowest. Our bus did not backtrack to Vientiane. It went north east. It’s a very long journey, so be prepared – but it’s not hellish. It’s reasonably comfortable, you can sleep through a lot of it, and if you bring enough entertainment, you might even enjoy it. Good luck!
Hi,
So grateful for this info. My friend and i will do this trip in a couple of weeks. I just wonder if you remember what’s the name of the travel agency you bought your ticket from or the bus company. Thank you!
Cheers,
Kath
I’m afraid I’m not sure now. I asked around a lot of agencies in town and they all quoted similar prices. I think the one I eventually chose was on Chao Fa Ngum Road. Having said that, they forgot to pick me up for the transfer to the bus station, which was quite stressful, so perhaps they’re not the best agency to go with! I recommend just popping into a few on the high street when you’re there so you can judge their professionalism and make a call on whether or not it’s worth paying marginally more for a company that seems better… Bear in mind that some tickets might include a transfer to the bus station and some won’t so make sure you know you’re comparing like for like… Have a great trip!
Thanks for your information here. We are a family hoping to do this in July, we have two kids age 10 and 13. We have been put off the bus after so many bad reports but really need to follow a tight budget. Did you see many families on the bus? Also thinking of a boat journey if not bus. Did they offer that in LP, a boat to Vietnam? Thanks very much.
I’m not sure about a boat journey. I don’t think that’s possible. When I was researching it, the options appeared to be bus or plane, and the bus was significantly cheaper. I didn’t see kids on the bus, but I did see an older couple and they seemed absolutely fine. It’s a long journey, so you need patience, but it’s comfortable enough to sleep through a lot of it. Your kids might even see it as an adventure! I know I’d have found it quite exciting when I was little. If you do decide to go for it, just make sure you have lots of entertainment and food and drink so you’re not uncomfortable during the journey. Good luck! I’d love to hear how you get on.
Thanks a lot for this tip. My friends and I will take this journey on June 23! I’m so excited to try the bus from hell. I hope it’s really not hellish!
I hope it’s not hellish too! I’d like to hear your feedback :) Good luck!
Hi im planning to do the same this July, I just want to know the bus company you took for this trip. Thank you
I’m afraid I don’t remember the name of the company. I’m pretty sure there was a daily bus run by one company, and each of the tourism offices in town were selling tickets for it at similar prices. Your best bet is to arrive in LP and shop around a few tour companies to find the best deal. I’d recommend you do this a couple of days before you want to leave, if possible.
Alright… how long you took this trip? 38hrs? Or less? Sorry im confused of the time line, thanks anyway
I think it took about 27 hours all together. We had to transfer from the main bus to a more crowded one for the last couple of hours in Hanoi, and then get a taxi from the bus terminal. It took a couple of hours longer than advertised…
Hi! Thanks for this blog post! I was wondering what was your experience like in terms of getting your Vietnam visa? I’m reading so many diff.information and unsure about how updated it is. I’m in Vientiane and thinking about taking the bus to Hanoi in the next 4 days, or if not fly into Hanoi. Did you have to get an “approval letter” in advance before paying for a visa? And at what costs? Thank you!
Hi Kevin! I thought about writing about the visa process but decided it would only cause confusion because the situation seems to change so often and can be different depending on where you’re from, what your travel plans are and how you intend to enter the country. I got a single entry Vietnam visa that lasted one month and I applied for it and picked it up in Luang Prabang. I’m sure you can do the same in Vientiane, but be aware that the immigration offices may be closed on weekends or public holidays. From what I remember, you could pay slightly more to get it back faster. I think mine took a couple of days and cost around US$70. I didn’t need an approval letter. I literally just showed up at immigration with my passport and then made sure I had my receipt and the correct amount of cash when I went to collect it. If you’re getting the bus to Hanoi I’m almost certain you need to have your visa sorted in advance. I could be wrong as I’m no expert, but I think the approval letter is for people applying on arrival at airports… Good luck!
Hiya Ari,
Your blog entry on this sounds open and honest :)
I was just wondering if you remember what boarder crossing you went through? It’s just because my friend and I have to let our employer know which checkpoint we’ll pass through so we can collect our work visa’s there!
Yikes! I’m afraid I couldn’t say for sure. I was asleep through most of the journey and there were no obvious signs to say where we were. I think the bus companies might use different routes depending on traffic/the weather, etc and I wouldn’t want to speculate. Can you not have them sent to Luang Prabang? If the embassy there will sort out Vietnam travel visas then maybe they can hold onto your work visa too until you arrive. I hope you find a way and sorry I can’t be more help!
Hi Ari,
I just want to ask if the trip is relatively safe?
I heard of hijacks and muggings but, i assume that was long ago when Laos was still very underdeveloped so i am not very concerned about that.
However, my biggest worry is the driver. 24 plus hours of driving seems very long and exhausting for just one driver to handle. During your journey, were there multiple drivers taking turns to drive?
Thank you and lovely post by the way!
Hi there! Thanks for your comment. I will do my best to answer. I felt safe, although I did sleep through most of it! I haven’t heard of any recent muggings or hijackings. This kind of thing still happens a fair bit in Latin America, but I think the odds in Asia are very low as you say. You make a good point about the driver, and I’m afraid to say that I didn’t check if more than one driver shared the load. We did spend a few hours at the Laos/Vietnam border checkpoint, which I assumed was because it was closed when we arrived in the early hours of the morning. Perhaps they do this on purpose to give the driver a chance to sleep, or maybe we were just early… Our journey took over 27 hours and I’m not sure anyone has it in them to stay focused that long. While I can’t say for sure, I assume he had help. The only time I’ve been in a car with someone who drove for 18 hours, he kept swerving off the road. To do more than that, you’d have to be superhuman! Perhaps you could check with some of the local tour providers to ease your mind.
busing from Luang prabang to Hanoi is absolutely insanely stupid, I have done this trip 4 times, I did bus it the first time and wasted probably 18-20 hours of my time…it’s not romantic, it’s not peaceful, it is brutal, it is cramped. ..spend 97 dollars (probably now 110 dollars) and fly ..it takes about (from hotel to airport and from airport to hotel) 4 hours maximum ..don’t take the bus…
Hi Jeff. Thanks for your comment. I think it’s really a matter of preference and circumstances. Obviously, if people can afford it, the flight is a more comfortable option. I just wanted to let people know that my experience on the bus wasn’t so bad. I travel for months at a time and one of the ways I can afford it is by making sacrifices when it comes to comfort. For me, the fact that my savings from choosing this option would cover many nights of accommodation in hostels meant it was definitely worth it. Also, I’ve done plenty of night buses all over the world and I thought this was one of the most comfortable. In South America, the seats only recline a little bit and backpackers don’t think twice about journeys that last a day or more. There will certainly be people who find this journey challenging, but I still believe that for many of us it’s the best option.
Hey, is it possible to pay by card? Thanks!
Hi Maya. I’m afraid I can’t comment on that. I paid by cash and bought my ticket from a tour agency. I would imagine that different agencies will have different rules on how to pay and you’re best off just asking around when you get there or emailing a few tour companies in advance for their expert opinion. Good luck!
Hi Ari,
Greatly appreciate you sharing this valuable information. What were the luggage storage options on the bus? Specifically, I am traveling with a couple of large bags. Do you know if the bus can accommodate space? And is there an additional charge?
Teck
Teck recently posted..5 of the Best City Breaks in Western Europe
Hi Teck. Thanks for your comment. I don’t think they charge any extra for large baggage. I had a big backpack, which went in a hold, as well as a smaller bag with valuables in it, which I brought with me on the bus. If you have significantly more than this, or a large item like a surf board, you might want to inquire in advance. If the bus company can’t help you out, your next best bet might be to email or call a local tourism information centre or one of the many tour agencies in Luang Prabang.
Hi! I am doing an Indochina trip this Aug. But will start in Hanoi then Luang Prabang. Would you knlw how long ans how much will be the travel by bus?
Thanks!
Hi Jeanne. The bus ride in total took about 25 hours for me. There was a transfer of an hour within Hanoi, but the remaining 24 hours was all on the same bus. It might seem like a long time, but I personally found the bed-like seats to be comfortable. Obviously it’s not for everyone, but if you’re wanting to save money it’s a lot cheaper than flying. The journey cost me 380,000 Laos kip, although the price does vary at different travel companies. I don’t know about the easiest way to book from Hanoi, but I assume you would be able to find a tour company or accommodation selling tickets. It would possibly be cheaper to just buy it at the bus terminal, but as the terminal might be quite far from your accommodation I’d recommend against it. I booked other bus journeys from Hanoi via the reception desk at Vietnam Backpackers, and those buses left from the main road around the corner from the hostel. I hope this helps! Enjoy your travels!
Loved the adventure, Especially
Putting a furiously mad pregnant pig into the hold of the bus somewhere in the mountains at 1 am took 4 guys to do it. Great for sleeping.. ladies should carry a. Sheewe in case of lack of washrooms.. do it again maybe but glad I did an adventure.it is not for whoosies.
Hey, do you know how to to this in reverse? Where to buy tickets in Hanoi? Or just ask around? Thanks.
Hi Cezar. I’m sorry, but I don’t. My suggestion would be to ask at your accommodation or at one of the many street-side travel agencies. Although I didn’t book this journey from Hanoi, I did buy a set of bus tickets for travel throughout Vietnam. I’m sure you would be able to get a pretty good deal on arrival in Hanoi. Shop around a little bit and don’t be afraid to barter.