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Hi!
to OP
I'll answer to your questions one by one and i hope my reply heling your trip.
1) How do I cross into Vietnam from Sam Neau? Are there any straight buses or flights from Sam Neau to Hanoi?
---★Xam Neua→Nam Xoi/Na Meo border→Na Meo town→Thanh Hoa---This is normal route from Xam Neua to Ha Noi.
*no straight bus to Ha Noi bust straight bus to Thanh Hoa(coastal big city) avalable, every Saturday once a week.
*Xam Neua to Ha Noi--- no air flight
*local bus from Na Meo town to Thanh Hoa---daily /Dep.11:00~12:00AM/100,000VND(Rips-off price--10~20$)
2) Is the Laos-Vietnam Customs at the border open 24/7?
----*24/7---???
*you ask about open/closed time ?
3) Arriving Sam Neau at 10pm night, will I have any problems finding for a room that late?
---It's entirely no problem. There are so many guesthauses(9~10)near the market/around former old bus atation(had disappeared), so you can find a room very easily even if you arrive bus station late at night.
Now there are 2 newly constructed bus station in Xam Neua---East & South bus station.
You arrive to South bus station 1 Km from tourist area=market area where rmany GHs are concenyrating,once there was only 1 bus station in Xam Neua but today it disappearied. The place of old bus station is in front of Post -Telecom office and both of them are along the main street, you can find many GHs around there.
- very new【Xam Neua Map】showing GHs--- from my Japanese fellow traveller's home page
http://www.geocities.jp/pimpon1993/sammeua_map/sammeua_map.htm
on the map, at right side , 【3Km】shows "East bus station(new)" from where buses leave to Vieng Xai village(famous for Caves), Lao/ Viet Nam border, Thanh Hoa-Viet Nam etc, and 【1Km】at botom on the map shows "South bus station(new)" from where buses leave to LPB , Vientiane,Phonsavan,Vieng Thon etc.
- very new【Accommodation】---from my Japanese fellow traveller's home page
http://www.geocities.jp/pimpon1993/sammeua/sammeua.htm
*on the map, opposite side of main street also have a couple of GHs
4) Approximate time of travel between Sam Neau to Hanoi?
---If you want to take a straight bus to Thanh Hoa, you have to wait till Saturday(not daily but once a week, and if you want to go to Thanh Hoa by local bus , you cross border to Na Meo town.
If unfortunately miss the bus to Thanh Hoa at Na Meo, you can stay at Na Meo town(=about 500m from border gate). There are 2~3 old guesthouses and 1 GH newly built with immigration office(=building)newly newly constructed together.
*Straight bus(=border crossing bus) to Thanh Hoa leaves Xam Neua 08:00AM on Saturday(once a week)
*Xam Neua→Lao border gate (no VOA at both sides)---by songtheaw 2.5~3hours/Dep.07:40AM/27,000Kip≒3$
*from gate to gate about 200m. and VN gate to Na Meo town 300m?--I forgot.
*Na Meo town→Thanh Hoa----by local bus 6~7hours/100,000VND≒6$/but foreigners will be 100% overcharged10~15$=normal rips-off price??!!)
*Thanh Hoa→Ha Noi---catch express bus at passenger pick up point on NR.1 /2.5~3hours/≒3$,
*
Op, I recommend you to stay at "Vieng Xai village" before crossing to Viet Nam.
*Vieng Xai village is one of the best places worth to visit in Laos, very quiet and beautiful village though famous for a sightseeing spot having many Caves.
You can make relax yourself as you are in 4000 islands in southern Laos and also can adjust your departure to Viet Nam from Xam Neua rigion.
***typical Route schedule XamNeua to Ha Noi(sample) ***
*Xam Neua07:00--Lao border gate10:00--Visa formalities& pasport control--Na Meo border10:30--Na Meo town11:00/12:00--Thanh Hoa18:00~19:00--Ha Noi south bus station20:30~21:00--city center(=Old Quarter)21:30
*If you don't mind "cost", Na Meo→Mai Chau→Ha Noi is very wonderful route, but it takes 2 days 1overnight at Mai Chau.
to tomwalt
It seems to me your trip to Ha Noi was very irregular and curious with many points even if you had some troubles on the way to Ha Noi.
Many roads lead to Ha Noi with different routes, and local people using different roads & routes from the ones we foreign tourits are nomally tracing.
So I want to ask you as below. Please answer to my questions with details for next trip of our fellow travelers including me.
*Which route did you take actually?---to Thanh Hoa? to Ninh Binh? to Mai Chau?
**What citys & towns & villages did your bus pass on your route?
*Where did you stay in 3 days?---normally Xam Neua to Ha Noi is within 1day possible and with cheap price(total cost,12~16$)
*What kind of bus did you take from Na Meo first?
*Why didn't the name of "Thanh Hoa" appear in your post?---Thanh Hoa is a coastal big city and the final destination of straigh bus from Xam Neua & local bus from Na Meo.
Thank you, good bye!