The China-Laos Cross-Border International Train officially departed on April 13, 2023. By October 23, 2024, it has operated over 60,000 passenger trains and has transported a total of 41.2 million passengers. This train brings many conveniences for people in travel, business and cultural exchange. Here are four tips about taking China-Laos cross-border train.
（Pha That Luang Stupa, Vientiane, Laos.）
1.Apply for Visa in Advance
The China-Laos Cross-Border International Train involves exiting and entering two countries, so we advise you to ensure that your passport and visa are valid to proceed for your planned trip. If your visa is invalid, please apply for visa in advance.
2.Pick-up Paper Ticket
The China-Laos Cross-Border International Train consists of two parts: the China segment and the Laos segment. While China Railway implements e-tickets, where the passport is linked to the train ticket and can be used as a boarding voucher, Laos Railway requires paper train tickets. Therefore, passengers must present their passports to collect the paper ticket at a designated counter at the station in advance (please refer to the table below).
Station |
Location |
Ticket Window |
Kunming Railway Station |
North Ticket Hall |
No.1 |
South Ticket Hall |
||
Kunming Nan Railway Station |
The 3rd Ticket Office |
No.20 |
No.21 |
||
Waiting Hall |
Customer Service Center |
|
Yuxi Railway Station |
Ticket Counter |
No.1 |
No.2 |
||
Pu’er Railway Station |
Integrated Service Center |
No.1 |
Xishuangbanna Railway Station |
No.2 |
|
Mengla Railway Station |
Waiting Hall |
Service Counter |
Mohan Railway Station |
Integrated Service Center |
No.1 |
3.Custom
The China-Laos Cross-Border International Train implements a customs model called ‘Two Places, Two Inspections.’ The train will stop at Mohan Station (China) and Boten Station (Laos) for 52 minutes at each station to complete the inspection.
Exit Inspection: After the train arrives at Mohan Railway Station (China), cross-border passengers must carry all their baggage and get off the train to go to the exit customs area, where they will cooperate with the Chinese customs officer to complete the exit inspection. The passengers then return to the train after the inspection is complete.
Entry Inspection: In about 10 minutes, the train will arrived at Boten Railway Station (Laos) after leaving Mohan Station. Cross-border passengers must carry all their baggage and get off the train again to go to the entry customs area, where they will cooperate with the Laos customs officer and complete the entry inspection. The passengers then return to the train and continue their trip.
4.Rules for Changing Ticket
According to the rules of the China-Laos Cross-Border International Train, passengers can only change their tickets once to another train on the same day before the departure time. However, currently, there is only one China-Laos cross-border train per day. In other words, it is impossible to change to another train at this time, and the departure date cannot be changed either. However, if more China-Laos cross-border trains are added in the future, you will then be able to change your ticket to another train on the same day.
Even though you cannot change the date or switch to another train, you can still change your seat, upgrade, or downgrade your seat class once on the same train before the departure time.
Last but no least, we hope you have a nice trip in China or Laos! Welcome to book train ticket with China Train Booking!
