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What is the Railway in Laos?
The history of the railway in Laos is relatively new, with particular attention drawn to the construction of the Laos-China Railway, supported by China.
This project commenced in 2016 and was inaugurated in 2021.
Linking Vientiane to Kunming in China, this railway not only impacts domestic logistics and tourism in Laos but also has significant international implications.
Highly convenient for travelers is the Laos-China Railway.
Running from Vientiane through Luang Prabang, Muang Xay, and Boten to Kunming in China, this route spans approximately 414 kilometers, accommodating both passengers and freight.
What used to be a 10-hour bus journey from Vientiane to Luang Prabang now takes just 2 hours by train!
With the availability of the railway, other means of transportation from Vientiane to Luang Prabang have become less practical.
However, a notable challenge for ordinary travelers was the distant location of stations from city centers and the limited public transportation, resulting in high taxi fares to reach the stations.
As a result, obtaining railway tickets was quite a hurdle for regular travelers.
Registration for LCR Ticket App Now Available via Email!
Previously, registering required a local Laotian phone number, meaning travelers had to purchase a SIM card locally to register and book tickets.
However, recently they've introduced registration via email!
Now, even in Japan, you can make reservations for the Laos railway through the LCR Ticket app.
When you download the app from the App Store or Google Play, you can check seat availability without registering.
When you try to make a reservation, you'll see "LOG IN" and "REGISTER" options. Choose "REGISTER," then fill in your name, passport number, and skip "Mobile," entering your email address in the "EMAIL" section as shown in the image below and proceed to the next step.
On the next screen, they will send a verification code to the email address you registered.
Once you receive the verification code, enter it to complete the registration.
The LCR Ticket app does not offer child fares
I think at the moment, they might not offer child fares.
I'm planning to go to Laos with my child next time, and I would like to purchase tickets at the child rate. Unfortunately, it seems that child fares might not be available.
However, considering the hassle and cost of using taxis or other transportation to get to the station, it might still be cost-effective.
Booking through travel agencies in Laos or websites like https://12go.asia tends to be quite expensive.
With the LCR Ticket app, you can reserve tickets for the cheapest class, so it's possible to travel from Vientiane to Luang Prabang for around $11. (May 24, '24)
Additionally, you can book at similar prices through websites like https://www.baolau.com/ja/transportation/.
Railway Reservations in Laos Now Available in Japan: Summary
In this article, we introduced the LCR Ticket app. Now that registration is available in Japan, the usability has increased even further, hasn't it?
