Short time trip from Bangkok to Vang Vieng / travel advise

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ShogunRua
ShogunRua

Hi,

in a couple of months I'll be going to Thailand with three friends and we want to include a trip to Vang Vieng to do tubing. Two of my friends are not very fond to do the trip but we finally agreed to do it :)

We'll land Saturday 13:00 in BKK and want to spend the day + night in Bangkok. The trip to Laos can start on Sunday early in the morning.

We plan maximum of one night in Laos what makes the timing very tight (that was the compromise we had to make)

From what I read there are three ways:
1. Flight to Vientiane
The flight and return flight times are not very favorable (planes leaving 9:35 / 9:45 / 20:25). As there are about 5 hours travel time to Vang Vieng and you should start tubing latest 12:00 o'clock we'd arrive to late

  1. Flight to Udon Thani and bus
    The flight goes early in the morning (5:55) and costs 1/4 of the flight to Vientiane

  2. Night train from Bangkok
    Not a real option as we want to stay one night in Bangkok. How about going back by night train from Laos to Bangkok?

What would your advise to do this with just one night in LAos? (except "stay at least two nights")

Right now I'd favor flying by Thai Lion Air leaving 5:55 at Bangkok DMK, arriving 6:55. Then taking the bus/train to Vang Vieng and hopefully arrive before 12:00. Tubing til 18:00.

But how to return to Bangkok? Any way to catch a night train?
Alternative: Stay in Vang Vieng / Vientiane and fly back to Bangkok/Samui (that's the next station on the trip)

If you have any advise and proposals I'll be thankful (I'havn't done a lot of traveling by loacal train/busses, just one time in Vietnam)

Thanks

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ae123456
ae123456

If you go by rail you would still have to get from Vientiane to VV. There are no trains to VV.
I doubt that it would be worth just one night. Visas cost $35.

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ShogunRua
ShogunRua
In response to #1

okay, thanks. Seems rail from Bangkok to Vientiane/VV is no option if we stick with our schedule.

Going from Laos back to Bangkok won't work as well if the departe times I found are right:
Nong Khai depart by mainline train:
06:00
18:20
19:15 (we won't make it back until then)

Likely way is:
Flying by Thai Lion Air leaving 5:55 at Bangkok DMK, arriving 6:55.
Take the bus/train to Vang Vieng and hopefully arrive before 12:00. (question: will this work out?)
Tubing til 18:00 or later
One night in VV
Catch the plane at 11:50 from Vientiane to Bangkok

I am aware that we will be wasted after this trip...

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sofa99
sofa99

Seems a bit crazy to do essentially a day trip to Laos for the tubing. We did it maybe a week ago but ended up staying in VV for a few days first as weather wasn't great.

It's nice place to hang around in and a fun activity. You should have at least one night out in VV as well (if you bar hop you can get free drinks from 9pm-11pm easily).

You are right to start tubing around midday and you need to return your tube before 6pm to get full deposit back (but you still get some back between 6pm-8pm).

Your best option would be to fly from Bangkok to Vientiane and then bus to VV, followed by a return trip. But to be honest you should extend your time in Laos or just save time/money and spend it in Thailand. Koh Samui is a big party island but Koh Tao is a much better atmosphere and location.

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ShogunRua
ShogunRua
In response to #3

The main problem with flying directly to Vientiane are the departure times in Bangkok (planes leaving 9:35 / 9:45 / 20:25). With immigration and 4h transit to VV we'd arrive too late.

I've been to Koh Samui/Phangan/Tao before and especially Koh Tao is great!

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dogeatinghotchips
dogeatinghotchips

The Tubing ain't what it used to be since the crackdown, hope you won't be disappointed, have to say I agree with #1.

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choudoufu
choudoufu

you're wasting your time. all that trouble to go tubing? and half your group
isn't really interested? prepare to have some ex-friends.

surely you can find something interesting to do in/around bangkok, or a
stop along the way to samui.

"I am aware that we will be wasted after this trip.." <-- isn't that the point!!

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westwood
westwood

I loved tubing but I wouldnt go to VV just to do that then return to Thailand. Go to Chiang Mai and do the zip lining stuff. My son did it with 2 of his Grey Nomad uncles and said it was great. The uncles actually went back on a latter trip and did it again.

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bigal1
bigal1

sorry think you are mad.

Even if you arrive on a flight at the airport by 07.00 you will have to get through immigration (collect luggage?), get to the bus station wait for the next bus to VV chances are you will not get there much before 3pm at earliest. NO chance of being there by mid day

If you really wanting to do this I would get taxi straight from airport and again unlikely to be able to catch the 11.50 flight you would need to check in by 10.50 and once again you would need a taxi (but you could at least do a deal and book the taxi both ways (pay his hotel and get a decent deal)

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nabanga
nabanga

If you arrive at Udon at 6.55, you will not be in Vientiane till 9 at the very earliest, and probably not leaving on a bus to VV till between 10-11am, so you would not get there till 2-3pm. Then you have to get to a guesthouse, drop your bags, rent a tube, and get up to the start of the tubing run. You wouldn't be in the water till 3-4pm, which barely allows enough time to drift back to town before dark, even if you don't stop at any of the tubing bars.
With taxis, flights, visas and bus fares you will be spending about $200 each. You could have a lot of fun in Bangkok for that.

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