When exploring Southeast Asia, a great way to start learning about each country is to visit its capitals. The capital of Laos is the city of Vientiane. In Vientiane, known for its laid-back atmosphere, you can stroll through the old quarter, watch the world go by from one of the cafés, or visit temples and French colonial architecture. From the capital of Laos, you can head northeast to discover the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi. Hanoi also boasts French colonial architecture, but also Chinese and Southeast Asian cultures mix here in a unique way. Explore small temples and pagodas, shop in the old quarter, and enjoy surprisingly cheap accommodation and food.
Travel options from Vientiane to Hanoi
Traveling by plane from Vientiane to Hanoi is very quick, as the straight-line distance between these cities is 477 kilometers. If you are looking for the quickest way to get from one place to another, you will see that there are several flights available, although it is also the most expensive mode of transport for this route. A much cheaper option is the bus. However, overland travel takes a long time, as the asphalt winds between valleys and mountains for up to 752 kilometers. Even if you drove your own car and didn’t make any stops, the journey would take no less than 14 hours. Buses take even longer to arrive because they have to slow down and stop along the way. Below are the details of the two options.
From Vientiane to Hanoi by bus
Saving money when traveling so you can visit more places is always a good idea. Traveling by bus from Vientiane to Hanoi is undoubtedly the cheapest transport option between the two cities. The main disadvantage of taking this route by bus is the time. If you want to take a bus from Vientiane to Hanoi, you should take into account that the trip will take 20 to 24 hours, which means spending the whole night and most of the next day on the road.
Spending so much time in such a small space is not suitable for any traveler. Fortunately, the buses that serve this route are not standard buses, but sleeper or semi-sleeper buses. Tickets can be booked at 12Go.asia with HTX Van Tai 277. This company operates one bus a day from Vientiane to Hanoi, known as Semi Sleeper. This is a modern bus with three rows of “beds”. These are not fully foldable beds, but seats that allow you to lie down almost completely. These seats provide plenty of legroom for a more comfortable journey than in a conventional bus.
The HTX bus leaves Vientiane South Bus Terminal at 5:00 PM and arrives at Nuoc Ngam Station in Hanoi 24 hours later.
If you can’t book a ticket from Vientiane to Hanoi with HTX, you can also try The Sinh Tourist company. Fares are very similar, and the trip is on a sleeper bus, meaning it has beds or reclining seats similar to those on the HTX bus.
Flight from Vientiane to Hanoi
Vietnam Airlines at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport. The same Airbus A321 is used for flights to Vientiane © Karasev Victor / Shutterstock.com
Traveling by bus saves you money, but you have to decide if the savings are worth it considering you lose a whole day of travel. An alternative to the bus is the plane. While it is more expensive, it is a much faster option. The flight takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes and there are usually two airlines operating this route: Vietnam Airlines and Lao Airlines. Ticket prices are similar with both companies, but do some research before booking and remember that the earlier you book, the better deals you’ll find.
Each airline offers one daily flight from Vientiane to Hanoi. There are flights every day of the week, so it shouldn’t be hard to find one that suits your travel plans. Flights depart in the afternoon and arrive in Hanoi at a reasonable time. You can book tickets through the 12Go Travel website.
Keep in mind that if you decide to fly by plane, you will have to count the time it takes to get to the airport, go through security and wait to board. Vientiane Wattay International Airport is a few miles from the city center, so it’s easy to get to the airport by tuk-tuk or shuttle bus. However, in Hanoi the situation is completely different. Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport is much larger than Vientiane Airport. This means it is much more crowded and getting off the plane and going through immigration or customs can take a long time due to the number of passengers passing through the airport. The transfer from the airport to Hanoi also takes some time, as the distance to the city is 35 kilometers. Fortunately, there are cheap public buses that run regularly, and it takes about an hour to get to Hanoi’s bus station.
Extra time spent at airports and on the bus to the city is not a big problem. Similarly, a flight from Vientiane to Hanoi will be much faster by plane than by bus. Therefore, if you do not want to spend the whole day on a car trip, we recommend flying by plane. It is more expensive but saves a lot of time.