Travel Oudom Xay

Travel and Transport Info for Oudom Xay, Laos by Hobo Maps - - - Home

Oudom Xay (pronounced "Oodom Sai") is also known as Meuang Xay (pronounced "Moong Sai")

Images below courtesy of Oudom Xay Tourism Office Oct. 2020

Travel Oudom Xay
- Oudom Xay (also known as Muang Xay) is at the crossroads of Northern Laos with direct routes to China, Vietnam and Thailand. It's not that large and all points can be reached by walking. Most visitors come for business or as a stopover on longer travel trips and not as tourists. Some nice hiking and biking routes are just outside of town in the surrounding hills where locals rarely see visitors. Bike rentals are sometimes available but usually not. Dining & nightlife options are very limited.

The tourism office is located at grid code HX210 on this map HERE and is open Monday to Friday 08:00 - 12:00 & 13:30 to 16:30.

The new Lao-China Railway line is now complete and trains are running. Railway travel tickets can be purchased at the station during very limited times. The station is conveniently located about 1.5 km southwest of town center as seen on our Oudom Xay Map . It is a very quiet place when trains are not arriving or departing. Small buses are waiting when trains arrive and in Feb. 2024 were charging 30,000 kip for transport into town with drop off at the destination of choice.

June 2024 Oudom Xay railway station hours below for buying tickets and main station entrance:

Railway Station images below:

Oudom Xay Railway station site picture below taken during construction looking east.

Chart below shows railway ticket fares for trains departing from Oudom Xay (Muang Xay). Excludes extra 20,000 kip extra charge for tickets bought with App or not at railway station. No trains to China from Oudom Xay.

Fast train, Freight train & Ordinary train images below all near Vang Vieng in 2022.

The ordinary train travels slower at 120 km per hour and can carry 732 passengers in air conditioned carriages - 590 chair seats, 106 wide chair seats and 36 seater/sleeper beds. For this service tickets may be sold for same-day travel and immediate departure so passengers may be pretty sure to a get a ticket and a seat if they arrive early and won't need to purchase tickets the day before. Fares are lower than fares for the high-speed trains and passengers can carry more baggage than the 20 kilogram limit per passenger on the fast trains.

E-cigarettes and vaping are illegal in Laos and these items may be confiscated by train station security staff. Separate police action with fines or prosecution is possible.

The Oudom Xay Domestic & Intl. Bus Station at the junction of Hwy. 13 & Hwy. 2 about 5 km south of central town. The Bus Station is shown on our Highway 13 map HERE.

Oudom Xay bus schedule below as of July 2024.

Oudom Xay bus schedule and fares images below taken February 2024.

The bus to Bokeo (Huay Xay) below at 09:00 AM also stops at Luang Namtha outer bus station on the way. No need to wait for the 12:00 noon bus to L. Namtha but it will cost more.

The bus schedules above don't show all of the buses going thru Oudom Xay as many buses start their trips in other cities such as Luang Prabang, Luang Namtha, etc. and only stop in Oudom Xay for a few minutes to discharge and take on passengers.

Buses from Luang Prabang that start their trips around 09:00 (to L. Namtha or Bokeo) will come thru Oudom Xay around 14:30 and most will stop at the bus station and take on passengers. Buses that start from Luang Namtha at 09:00 (going to L. Prabang) will stop in Oudom Xay around 12:00 noon.

Buses coming in from Pak Beng that start at 09:00 will arrive at South Bus Station (outer) around 12:30 or 13:00. Passengers going to L. Namtha can then wait for the buses from L. Prabang to pass thru around 14:30 and get to L. Namtha or Bokeo the same day.

Oudom Xay airport is at grid code IG222 on this map HERE.

Tourism Office below:

Saimangkorn International Hospital image below: