You can now get a train to Luang Prabang
Laos has reopened, so you can now ride the Laos-China Railway.
Greetings from Luang Prabang! I was last here four years ago, partly to have a look at the progress of the railway construction. I said to myself on that trip that the next time I come to Luang Prabang I will arrive by train. The Laos-China railway was completed in 2021, and Laos reopened for international travel this month. I was in Bangkok when Laos reopened, so I got the train from Bangkok to the Laos border and then got the train from Vientiane to Luang Prabang
It is still a bit surreal to be able to say “I got the train from Bangkok to Luang Prabang”. I will ride the length of the railway and back again while I am in Laos, so I will do a full guide on how to get tickets and other important information after.
Assorted travel reads
• On the subject of new trains in Southeast Asia, this week I worked out how long it would take to get from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City on the proposed express railway.
• Nomadico by @timleffel is a newsletter with "tips for the working traveler". My article about digital nomad history is featured in the first issue. Check it out here: Digital Nomad History/Plan B Residences/Remote Jobs Board
• A brief guide and history of travelling experimentally
• Start-up airline, Bonza, to embrace Uber model
Starting an airline is hard anywhere, especially in Australia. I watch with interest to see if another new airline can make it.
• On safari in the Transylvanian Alps, where bison roam once more
• Bach Long bridge, Song La: World's longest glass-bottomed bridge opens in Vietnam
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The Nomadic Notes Travel Newsletter is a weekly newsletter of the best travel reads and interesting travel news from around the web, and random ramblings by the editor.
- James Clark
Wow! That used to be such a hellish bus trip from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. The first time I did it in 2006, a guy with a submachine gun sat on our bus through all the twists and turns.
This must be so much fun for you! To have been studying and writing for years about the train system, and now this new line is a reality.