Imagine a High-Speed Train from Vientiane to Luang Prabang and on to China.
Normally the long and rough 9-10 hour drive from Vientiane to Luang Prabang ( via Vang Vieng) can now be done in comfort by train in around 2 hours! So now in the Land of PDR- which is a reminder to Please Don’t Rush… you can now speed up your trip out of Vientiane to relax in Luang Prabang. The train makes a stop enroute in Vang Vieng... which is also a famous traveler stop along the Nam Song River set amidst limestone mountains. A slower train is also available which makes more local stops.
I love trains and finally got to ride the Lao China Railway in December with some Bali family and it was quite amazing…

Very comfy traveling up to 160km per hour.
The LCR Train Stations are huge and other wordly looking in little Laos…

The USD 6 billion China-Laos railway opened in December 2021 and will eventually provide a direct route from Kunming in China to Bangkok and the Gulf of Thailand and on through Malaysia to Singapore when existing rail lines are upgraded. This is a symbol of Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road expansion strategy to “break the bottleneck in Asian connectivity.”

No doubt there are benefits to the local people with more connectivity, but dare I ask at what other price? I cannot imagine Laos will be able to repay the loans to China easily so there may be more land exchanges to come. Again changes ahead that seem unstoppable while local people need to adapt, hopefully for a better and prosperous future. 

Above is the Second Class car with seating 3  and  2.  First Class is more spacious with 2-2 seating.

Tickets Vientiane to Luang Prabang for second class are only equiv. USD 15  and First Class USD 25. 
There is also a more premium Business Class.  I am reminded of the High-Speed Whoosh between Bandung and Jakarta which travels up to 350km per hour-  there was no time for me to finish my coffee!  The LCR Train served some snacks and refreshments but there was no coffee… so make sure to have a good Lao coffee before boarding the train!

Passing Vang Vieng, it is beautiful to look out to the scenery of limestone karst mountains. 

Closer to Luang Prabang there are several tunnels to pass through- quite amazing how this railway was constructed. It certainly beats a long bumpy bus ride unless you are keen on those adventures or have not yet experienced the more timeless travel.

The LCR stations are located quite far from the town centers- approx 30-40 minutes drive.
Tickets are only available 3 days in advance and they sell out quickly.
LCR- Lao China Rail has an APP however currently you still NEED to have either a Lao, China or Thai mobile number to register!
You can have a local Lao agent or see if your hotel can assist with tickets.

More info on:
https://www.laostraintickets.com/

Vientiane – Southeast Asia’s smallest capital but largest city in Laos…

Often overlooked, Vientiane has several interesting historical sites, precious temples and monuments.
See More Here

And once reaching Luang Prabang- the old royal capital- take time to slow down by the Mekong River

Click Here for more on Luang Prabang and more in Laos

Enjoy Lao Journeys- Sabaidee !