Bus from Da Lat, Vietnam to Laos

it would not be a direct bus, but multiple buses, to the closest Laos Border is Xayden Loas, which is Sekong Province, then a bus to Pakse...might want to just return to HCM and fly to BKK or somewhere cheap...

Assuming a foreigner can cross at that border and get a Tourist Visa upon entry...

The closest border crossing is Lao Bao, which is pretty far north, only accessible from Hue or Danang. There are no border crossings for foreigners in southern Vietnam.

Concievably if your Vietnam visa is about to expire, and you want to go by land, you might be better off retreating to HCMC, and crossing into Cambodia from there. Of course, then you will have to pay the Cambodia visa fee ($35US?), in addition to the Laos visa fee.

The closest international border check point from Da Lat between Vietnam and Laos is "Bo Y(VN)/Phou Keua(Laos) border".
■Da Lat→Pleiku(=Gia Lai)→Bo Y(VN)/Phou Keua(Laos)border→Pakse■ .
↓
*Da Lat→Pleiku----by local bus(or shared minibus)/about 8 hours
*Pleiku to Pakse---by direct bus operated by Mai Linh Express/10～11 hours/Departure place: from Duc Long bus station, 2km south of city center/Dep.time from Pleiku: around 07:30am→Arr.time to Pakse: around 18:00pm
＞Which border crossings in southern Laos are you able to obtain a visa?
----if it means obtaining "Lao visa", you can obtain it by VOA at Phou Keua Lao border.
-------------------------
to #1 ＜mrmoto＞
＞to the closest Laos Border is Xayden Loas
＞Assuming a foreigner can cross at that border and get a Tourist Visa upon entry...
---i think its correct Lao border gate name is "Phou Keua"(119km from Attapeu) , and VN border gate name is "Bo Y"(19km from Ngoc Hoi) .

My recognition of international border check points between Vietnam and Laos we foreign travelers can cross and obtain Lao visa by VOA are as below(i crossed all .international border check points　from both sides , especially many times ③④⑨）
↓
（map of International border check points around Laos）
https://www.laos-guide-999.com/laos-border.html
↓
(Vietnam/Lao border---in the order of "from north to south" )
③Tay Trang/Pang Hok border(the former Lao border gate name was "Sop Hun")---direct bus runs between DBP and Muang Khua etc.
④Na Meo/Nam Xoi border---direct bus runs between Thanh Hoa and Sam Neua

⑤Cao Treo/Nam Phao border---direct bus runs between Ha Noi and Vientiane
⑥Nam Can/Nam Khan border---direct bus runs between Vinh and Phonsavan
⑦Cha Lo/Na Phao border---direct bus runs between Dong Hoi and Thakhek now
⑧Lao Bao/Densavanh border---direct bus runs between Hue and Savanakhet/Vientiane
⑨Bo Y/Phou Keua border---direct buses run between Pleiku/Kon Tum/Ngoc Hoi in VN and Attapeu/Pakse in Laos

So the closest & most southern international Lao border check point from Da Lat is not ⑧Lao Bao/Densavanh border which ＜mstep＞ mentioned in #2 but ⑨Bo Y/Phou Keua border which ＜mrmoto＞ wrote incorrectly as "Xayden Lao border" in Laos) .
As for VOA for entering into Laos, it's avalable at ③④⑤⑥⑧⑨ but i'm not sure at ⑦ because i crossed this border check point many years ago.

PS) if OP don't mind=hesitate to go to Cambodia to avoid expiring your Vietnam visa while you are in Vietnam, taking a route "Da Lat→HCMC→Bavet Cambodian border(or Phnom Penh)" is better because it's easier and more certain to get buses--- both of "from Da Lat to HCMC" and "from HCMC to Bavet Cambodian border(or Phnom Penh)".
---It takes7～8 hours from Da Lat to HCMC by bus so required time from Da Lat to HCMC is almost the same to the one from Da Lat to Pleiku so you can surely cross border before your Vietnam visa's expiring, of course, VOA is avalable at Bavet Cambodian border.

If you have the time to make this a nice side trip, the Bo Y/Phou Keua border---direct buses run between Pleiku/Kon Tum/Ngoc Hoi in VN and Attapeu/Pakse in Laos, this region is gorgoeus, lots of waterfalls and small ethnic villages as well, the all the main towns have been boom towns, Attapue, Sekong, Paksong are worth hanging out a night. Rent mopeds locally...Pakse is a major hub for transport, and the largest most metropolitan area in the south...

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