If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, please check the visa requirement first to make sure a valid Vietnam visa is required for your trip or not. But if you are in Vietnam and wish to visit one of its neighboring countries via land border and wonder which border suits your itinerary, the following information may be helpful to you.

To Laos

There are two border crossings to Laos:

► Keo Nua Pass (also known as Cau Treo): From Hanoi, you can take direct overnight buses to Vientiane, across the border at Cau Treo, 80kms from Vinh City in Vietnam’s Central Provinces. For tickets and information, contact Hanoi’s tours and travel agents, under Travel Contacts.

► Lao Bao: From Hue, direct buses for Savannakhet cross the border at Lao Bao, near Dong Ha in the Central Provinces.

To Cambodia

There are three border crossings to Cambodia:

► Moc Bai: The main overland border crossing to Cambodia is northwest of  Ho Chi Minh City at Moc Bai (in Tay Ninh Province). Direct buses from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh take around eight hours. Tickets cost between $8-16.

►Vinh Xuong: A new riverside border crossing called Vinh Xuong is located 30kms north of Chau Doc, in the Mekong Delta at Vinh Xuong. For boat transfers up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh,

► Tinh Bien: The third international border between Cambodia and Vietnam had been opened at Tinh Bien, about 25 km west of  Chau Doc.

To China

There are three border crossings over China:

► Lao Cai – Ha Khau The Hekou Bridge overland border to China is at Lao Cai, (the main train station for Sapa) in the northwest. Twice weekly trains also run from Hanoi to Kunming in China; you can also board the train at Lao Cai Train Station. .

► Mong Cai – Dong Hung The Mong Cai – Dong Hung – the third border crossing China can be found at Mong Cai Town,  northeastern of Vietnam. To get there, you can get hydrofoils direct from Hai Phong or Ha Long (see hidrofoils). Contact the main boat jetties in town for tickets & information.

► Huu Nghi: Huu Nghi is an overland border of 18kms north of Lang Son, in the northeast. From Hanoi, minibuses depart from Gia Lam Bus Station for Lang Son. There are also local trains from Hanoi, which stop at Dong Dang Station, 4kms away from Huu Nghi. The international train for China (Beijing) departs Hanoi’s main train station via Dong Dang Station, but you can only join the train at Hanoi.