Lao Cai is a town in northern Vietnam. It is on the border with China, adjacent to Hekou.

Contents 1 Get in 2 Get around 3 See 4 Do 5 Money 6 Buy 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 10 Contact 11 Get out

[edit] Get in

There are several night trains each day from and to Hanoi (about 9h, ca. 20$ for a soft sleeper depending on the train).

Buses run from Kunming and other cities in Yunnan (China) to Hekou from where it is only a short walk over the border to Lao Cai. The border is open from 7am to 5pm (8am to 6pm Chinese time).

[edit] Get around

Minibuses to Sapa can be found on the other end of the first bridge after the border but also driving around town on the search for more passengers. A minibus to Sapa costs around 25'000d and leaves only when full. Watch out for the motorbike touts outside the exit. They will attempt to get you to pay anything up to 150'000d to get to Sapa, and are very persistent indeed. Sit down and they will sit around you staring until you make a deal. Walk away and they will tail you at walking pace on their bikes.

[edit] See

Everything you will see is either water or land. The place is a dry old mainland.

[edit] Do

[edit] Money

There are a couple of ATMs in Lao Cai. The Techcom Bank has ATMs on the square of the train station as well as close to the border. However, they accept only some international cards. There is one ATM accepting all international cards but it's neither close to the border nor to the railway station. Motorbike drivers usually know it and will drive you there (one-way 10'000d)

As soon as you leave the immigration building you will be approached by money changers. They usually offer poorer exchange rates than the bank. There are two banks just next to the border and a third one just at the other end of the first bridge, though these are all annoyingly closed at weekends. Banks in Hanoi will also readily exchange your RMB for Dongs.

[edit] Buy

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Contact

[edit] Get out

• Bac Ha
• Sapa

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