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Vientiane to Luang Prabang Train

Laos-China Railway electric trains link Vientiane and Luang Prabang in about 2 hours, with first and second class seats booked in the LCR Ticket app or at station windows.

Day train  Laos

Take one of the Laos-China Railway (LCR) electric trains. They are the only passenger rail link between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, and the trip takes roughly 2 hours instead of the 6 to 8 hours the road needed before the line opened.[1] Tickets are sold in the LCR Ticket app and at station windows.[2]

On 16 October 2026 LCR's ticket sheet listed four trains leaving Vientiane that stop at Luang Prabang: D88 at 08:00, C92 at 09:20, D84 at 11:25 and C86 at 15:15. In the other direction it listed C91 at 12:28 and C85 at 18:35 from Luang Prabang, plus the Kunming trains D83 and D87.[3] Which of these run on your date is shown in the app.

Vientiane Railway StationLuang Prabang Railway Station

Map: Natural Earth (public domain) · Lines drawn through the stations of each service

Train, Bus, Flight and Ferry tickets

Booking and payment are handled by 12Go, not GoAsia. We may receive a commission when you book through our links.

Which train to take

All trains on the Laos section call at Luang Prabang.[1] The C trains (C92, C86, C91, C85) are domestic services. D88 and D84 are the international trains to Kunming: D88 leaves Vientiane at 08:00 and was reported to reach Luang Prabang in under 2 hours, and a Lao official used it for a day trip to Luang Prabang.[1] D84 runs from Vientiane to Kunming via Luang Prabang.[4] LCR publishes only the departure time of each train's first station on its ticket sheet, so arrival times at Luang Prabang are not listed here. Booking platforms show journey times of 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 35 minutes depending on the train (October 2026).[5]

Pick the departure that fits your day first. The morning trains from Vientiane (D88 and C92) give you most of a day in Luang Prabang, and C91 at 12:28 and C85 at 18:35 are the departures back to Vientiane.[3]

Classes and seats

The trains offer first class and second class seats, all reserved. The international Xishuangbanna to Luang Prabang trains of the same fleet have eight cars with one first class car and seven second class cars, one of them with a snack bar, and a capacity of 720 passengers.[6] Seats have Chinese and Lao power sockets underneath, and passenger information and announcements are in Chinese, Lao and English.[4] Fares are shown in the app and at the windows; LCR does not publish a fare table on its website.

How to book

LCR Ticket is the operator's official app. It covers ticket search, reservation, online payment, changes, refunds and order lookup.[7] At its launch it accepted Visa, UnionPay, WeChat and Alipay, and passengers registered with real names using an ID card or, for foreigners, a passport.[2] Since version 2.0.002 of February 2024 you can register with a phone number from Laos, Thailand or China, or with an email address.[7]

Boarding works by QR code from the app or by a paper ticket collected at the station ticket window, and the ID used for the booking has to be with you.[2] Tickets can also be bought at the station windows and at ticket points in the cities.[2] How many days ahead domestic tickets go on sale is shown in the app; the operator's cross-border rules mention 15 days for international tickets only.[8]

Stations

Vientiane Railway Station and Luang Prabang Railway Station are the end points of this service. Vang Vieng lies between them, and the international trains stop there as well.[4] Phonhong and Kasi are further stations on the line. Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang all have ticket windows for the international trains.[8] In Vientiane the passenger hall has a collection window for paper tickets, and queues form there early in the morning.[1]

On board

The line is electrified and the Lancang EMU trains run at up to 160 km/h.[4] Luggage on the international trains is limited to 20 kg per adult passenger and pieces up to 130 cm in the sum of length, width and height.[8] Peak season runs from November to April, when trains on the Laos section are almost always full.[1]

Status

The service runs. LCR posted its remaining-tickets sheet for 16 October 2026 with all of the trains above.[3] Operating days and extra or merged trains change by season and demand, so confirm the exact train in the app on the day you book.

Timetable

Vientiane to Luang Prabang

TrainDepartsArrivesDaysClass
D88EMU, international train to Kunming South08:00Vientianenot published Luang Prabangsee LCR Ticket appFirst Class Seat, Second Class Seat
C92EMU09:20Vientianenot published Luang Prabangsee LCR Ticket appFirst Class Seat, Second Class Seat
D84EMU, international train to Kunming11:25Vientianenot published Luang Prabangsee LCR Ticket appFirst Class Seat, Second Class Seat
C86EMU15:15Vientianenot published Luang Prabangsee LCR Ticket appFirst Class Seat, Second Class Seat

Luang Prabang to Vientiane

TrainDepartsArrivesDaysClass
C91EMU12:28Luang Prabangnot published Vientianesee LCR Ticket appFirst Class Seat, Second Class Seat
C85EMU18:35Luang Prabangnot published Vientianesee LCR Ticket appFirst Class Seat, Second Class Seat

Timetable source: LCR remaining-tickets sheet of 16 October 2026 (departure times from first station)[3]. Times change with timetable revisions. Check the operator's timetable before you travel.

Classes and fares

ClassTypeFare
First Class Seat Reserved seat in the first class car.Seat Air-conditionedUSD 55[9] price on booking platforms for 4 November 2026, checked October 2026; train C92
Second Class Seat Reserved seat in the second class cars.Seat Air-conditionedUSD 32 to USD 45[9] price on booking platforms for 4 November 2026, checked October 2026; trains C92, C96, D84 and D88

Stations

Main stations in travel order. Distances from the first station, where the operator publishes them.

  1. Vientiane Railway Station

    Vientiane

  2. Vang Vieng

    Station on the line between Vientiane and Luang Prabang with ticket windows for international trains.

    Vang Vieng

  3. Luang Prabang Railway Station

    Luang Prabang

How to book

Train, Bus, Flight and Ferry tickets

Booking and payment are handled by 12Go, not GoAsia. We may receive a commission when you book through our links.

  • Book with the operator

    LCR Ticket app[2]

  • At the station

    Ticket windows at the stations and ticket points in the cities[2]

Sources and background

Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.

  1. [1] People's Daily: 中老铁路的二十四小时 (People's Daily report on the Laos section, reprinted by Xinhua Silk Road). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  2. [2] Lao News Agency (KPL): Laos-China Railway to start official online ticket sales app on 15 March (KPL). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  3. [3] Laos-China Railway Company Limited: Laos-China Railway Company Limited, Facebook post with remaining-tickets sheet for 16 October 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  4. [4] China State Railway Group: 中老铁路新增昆明至万象国际旅客列车 (China State Railway Group, 22 July 2025). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  5. [5] 12Go: 12Go timetable Vientiane to Luang Prabang, booking platform listing (journey time, October 2026). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  6. [6] China State Railway Group: 中老铁路增开国际旅客列车 (China State Railway Group, 14 April 2024). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  7. [7] Laos-China Railway Company Limited: LCR Ticket, official ticketing app of Laos-China Railway (App Store listing and version history). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  8. [8] China Railway (12306): Notice for international passengers on China-Laos Railway international trains. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  9. [9] 12Go: 12Go Vientiane to Luang Prabang, trips for 4 November 2026 (booking platform listing). Retrieved October 19, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the train from Vientiane to Luang Prabang take?

About 2 hours. D88 was reported to cover the distance in under 2 hours, and booking platforms show 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 35 minutes depending on the train (October 2026).

When do the trains leave Vientiane?

LCR's ticket sheet of 16 October 2026 listed D88 at 08:00, C92 at 09:20, D84 at 11:25 and C86 at 15:15. Check the LCR Ticket app for the trains on your date.

Where do I buy tickets?

In the LCR Ticket app, at the station ticket windows or at ticket points in the cities. You need an ID card or passport for the booking.

Do I need a paper ticket?

You can board with the QR code from the app or with a paper ticket from the station window. Bring the ID you booked with.

Which classes are there?

First class and second class seats, all reserved. There are no sleepers on this line.

Do the trains stop at Vang Vieng?

Vang Vieng is on the line between Vientiane and Luang Prabang and the international trains stop there. The app shows the stops of each train.