Lao Bao border crossing , open round the clock, is the main route used by foreigners to travel overland between Vietnam and Laos. It's a scenic ride up from Xepon, but the road is rough and the crossing not always hassle-free. Vietnamese officials will send you back if your visa is not stamped for "Lao Bao". Motorcyclists have also reported problems, with officials unwilling to allow larger bikes to enter.

The only way to reach the border from Xepon is by catching one of the slow buses to Daen Sawan, where you can hire a motorcycle taxi for the final one-kilometre ride to the immigration post. On the Vietnamese side, buses leave for the nineteen-kilometre journey to Khe Sanh every thirty minutes, with some going straight through to Dong Ha on Route 1, where bus or train connections can be made to Hanoi and Hué .

Entering Laos from Vietnam , two buses to Savannakhet leave from Daen Sawan in the morning, the second at 10am. There's also an early afternoon bus to Xepon. Accommodation is available on both sides of the pass for those who miss their bus connections or have visa problems.