Luang Prabang Railway Station — Local services in Luang Prabang

This train/railway station does what it is supposed to do: it gets people around the country, and it does so quickly and affordabily. However, the station was built in the middle of nowhere, many kilometers outside of the city center. It is virtually identical to the stations one can use in China*, with one key exception: there is no affordable means of traveling to it.

Anyone wanting to go to city from the station (or vice versa) must pay for a tuk tuk or minivan at a rate that is almost as much as an entire train journey - a journey covering several hundred kilometers and featuring modern railway technology and infrastructure. That is a terrible deal, akin to taking a taxi from an airport to the nearest city.

Because the station did not bother to set up a website for ordering tickets online, that means people must inconvenience themselves by physically traveling to the station just to buy tickets, and then return to the station yet again if the departure date is not the same as the present date. For that reason, most people have their hotel or hostel buy tickets on their behalf, which results in yet another ridiculous expensive that must be paid for. (The 'service charge' is included in the cost of tickets sold by hotels, hostels, and travel agencies.)

When you arrive at the station to buy tickets, you will be forced to wear a mask - presumably to avoid spreading the Caronavirus. If the station railway network was serious about preventing viral transmission, it would set up a website where tickets could be purchased! If you go to buy your ticket in person, you will discoverer that the vast majority of people waiting in queue at the ticket counter are agents, not passengers. They act as middlemen and rip off passengers because the station was curiously built so far away from anything.

As I was waiting to buy a ticket at the counter, a woman "jumped the queue." Once I brought this incident to their attention, neither the security guard nor the ticketing staff did anything about it. The only apparent function of the security guard is to harass people into doning a mask once they arrive at the ticketing office.

= China built Laos' railway network, and it shows. The stations have architecture that vaguely resembles traditional Chinese architecture, have the exact same tiles and counters as Chinese stations, and lack any kind of ports or power sockets for charging mobile phones.

Other than Laos script, the only other kind of writing featured on the majority of signs is Simplified Chinese. English would have been a much more sensible choice since it is the language used by the majority of non-local travelers across the entire world.

As with Chinese railway stations, there is a machine that dispenses clean water that is suitable for drinking, and the only temperature you can get the water at is boiling hot. This is ridiculously inconvenient: the majority of people who want to drink water (passengers) are not carrying ceramic mugs or bowls with them, the water is so hot that it melts plastic bottles, and it poses a serious risk of burning injuries.

Unlike China, the majority of people in southeast Asia prefer to drink cool - or at least lukewarm - water to help them cool down from outdoor heat. No one who is hot and thirsty from having just come inside wants to spend 30+ minutes waiting for water to cool down! It was culturally insensitive to only install hot water dispensers, but some potable water is better than the usual alternative: contributing to environmental harm and pollution by forcing tourists to buy beverages in plastic bottles or styrofoam cups - containers that were only intended to be used once and then end up getting burned or sit for decades...

I took the high speed train during peak travel season. It’s definitely an improvement to have high speed trains in Laos which greatly reduces travel time between Luang Prabang-Vang Vieng-Vientiane.

Let’s start with getting the LCR ticket. You could only buy the ticket 3 days in advance. It’s definitely not ideal for someone who likes to plan ahead and there aren’t that many high speed trains in a day. For tourists like me, we can only buy through:

LCR app 12go app Buy ourselves at train station which is 30mins outside the city Buy at the LCR ticket office near city center (Google for location) Buy from travel agent/third party/ask hotel to buy for you

Option 1- The recommended one but holy moly. Tickets sold out fast. So you really really have to buy it as soon as the window opens.

Option 2- The worst of all. 12go is basically just a broker and charge much higher fees. Some folks purchased from them and not getting the tickets at the end. Buying from them is NOT a guarantee you will get your tickets. The website will show there are tickets available but don’t be fooled as the availability is NOT accurate! It’s also extremely hard to get in touch with them so my advice is to AVOID them!

Option 3- I didn’t try option 3 at all coz that requires physically going to the train station which is located 30mins outside the city

Option 4- Similar to LCR app. The office is near the city center so it’s more accessible than the train station itself. I imagine they will give you the physical tickets here. I will add the whatsapp number for the LCR office here.

Option 5- If for whatever reasons, you’ve exhausted all of the options above and still couldn’t get tickets. I suggest you try calling some travel agents in the city. Though the website says sold out, you could still sometimes buy from travel agents though they would charge higher fees for commissions

The train station itself. The ride there is pretty bumpy. The station is located 30mins outside the city center in a pretty remote location. When we were there, there were no elevators or none we saw that was in service. So we had to carry our big suitcases through several flights of stairs! At least there was a ramp next to the stairs but elevator would’ve been a lot better. Just a word of caution there. No problem for people who like to travel light ofc. Security is a brisk, not an issue. They check your passport and screen your belongings like at airports. There are shops inside the station where you can buy food, snacks, drinks. My only qualm is the toilets. No toilet paper and soap. For someone who’s pretty germaphobic, that’s just a big no no for me. The ceiling is also moldy from water damage or moisture..

The train itself is pretty nice and clean. No complaints there but we did notice there were still plenty of empty seats in our carriage which was confusing since the websites, etc said sold out and fully booked. The only other feedback is the lack of space for the big luggages but Shinkansen also has the same issue so not a big deal.

Overall, there are still improvements needed but it is still pretty amazing to have high speed...

Unfortunately, I had a terrible experience at Luang Prabang station that led my friend and me to leave the country prematurely. After traveling from Thailand by sleeping bus, we had planned to spend a few days in Luang Prabang and then continue our journey south to the 4000 islands and subsequently to Cambodia. However, the experience at the station forced us to change our plans. The checks at the station are extremely rigorous, which is understandable, but what we experienced was beyond any expectation. I had with me a vape, purchased in Thailand, of which I was unaware was illegal in Laos. I expected it to be confiscated, as usual, but instead, my friend and I were taken by two individuals in purple uniforms to a room. As soon as we entered, one of the two lowered the window blinds and they began shouting and threatening us, saying they would take us to the police. We agreed to this possibility just to get out of that room. We were held for about three-quarters of an hour, during which I started experiencing a panic attack because they refused to contact my embassy. At that point, they called two more individuals, also in purple uniforms, showing us handcuffs and further increasing our anxiety. Additionally, they didn't speak English, which made communication even more challenging. All of this happened because they wanted money from us. We were risking missing our train, and the situation only resolved when I took out my wallet and gave them everything I had, about 1000,000 Lak, equivalent to about 50 euros. It was during this encounter that they started recording videos of us, laughing and mocking us. It was a humiliating and terrifying experience that no traveler should have to endure. It's a shame that such a beautiful country is run by corrupt...