We're hiring a car in Vientiane and plan to drive with our 2 kids (2 and 8) to Luang Prabang (via 2 nights in Vang Vieng). I know roughly what the journey times are by bus. Can anyone tell me what we should expect by car? Also, any helpful tips / info / advice re. driving in Laos in general, or that route in particular?
Many thanks
Esther
Its a windy road so if the kids are prone to getting car sick, you might want to take precautions. And dont drive over any animals running freely on the road in the roadside villages.
Drive to Luang Prabang only in the daytime. Do not drive at night! The road is very windy, no road lights in the mountains, some village houses are next to the road. There has been bad bus accidents with many people killed on night buses.
When I drive to VV and LP for work, so not needing to look at scenery or stop to take pictures etc, it takes 2.5 to 3 hours to VV, and then another 5 to LP. But as you are not in a hurry you should take about the same time as a bus.
Thanks All,
We're driving for a number of reasons. The ability to stop as and when we want so we can look at the view, take pics, stretch legs, and take toilet breaks is pretty important. Plus, as I get older, its my own travel sickness that is an issue. The front seat of a car is fine, but busses are another matter altogether. The idea of feeling sick on a bus for 7 hours on windy mountain roads whilst trying to keep a 2.5 year old entertained is a little off-putting!
We're quite time limited for this stretch of the journey. We only have one night in Vang Vieng. We"ll leave early-ish from VV to get to LP in the daylight. Would we better to leave Vientiane in the morning (having spent the whole day there the day before) to maximise our time in VV, or would we be better to maximise our time in Vientaine and leave for VV later in the day? I seem to have found a very long way of saying, which is nicer, V or VV? Which would we be better spending those extra few hours in??
Many thanks
Leave Vientiane early and spend the afternoon in Vang Veng.
It's a pretty place and I'm sure you'll all enjoy playing by the river more than being in the city.
#6, I suffer from car sickness and in many trips to SEA plus many bus trips there, I have NEVER been sick travelling in a bus. I have been close in a mini van and when going through Tibet in a 4x4, I had to fight to keep my stomach down.
Have you done the journey by car? Do you know for certain it will be better? I would have thought it would be worse for car sickness.
But they main reason I asked is to make sure you're aware of the added risks involved. What if you get a puncture, or anything goes wrong with the car? You really wouldn't want to be doing this journey at night time - I'm sure you'll see a number of vehicles that have had a 'mishap' on the way. I would have thought it's far more stressful driving that route than taking a bus.
Why haven't you considered flying?