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Vientiane Motorbike and Bicycle Rental in Laos

Vientiane Motorbike and Bicycle Rental in Laos

vientiane-scooter-bike-rental Vientiane Motorbike and Bicycle Rental in Laos
Motorcycle and bicycle rentals are easily found in Vientiane town as numerous companies offer bike rentals, and most of them can be found in the popular area near the Mekong River.

While this may be tricky for families, it would greatly benefit single or couple travellers, as renting a bike here will save you a lot of money and time moving around this beautiful city in Laos. 

vientiane-motorbike-rental-david-jr Vientiane Motorbike and Bicycle Rental in LaosPosing with my rented motorbike in Vientiane

Vientiane Motorbike and Bicycle Rental In Vientiane



Renting a bike in Vientiane was suggested to me by another traveller whom I met in a local guesthouse where I was staying at.

Since I got there, I have been moving around with the local tuk-tuks in Vientiane, where every trip I made to one place cost me around US$2-$3.

After the recommendation, I got my Suzuki Smash 125cc motorbike for US$7 rental a day from one of the local shops around Quai Fa Ngum Road. This made everything so much easier.

Here’s the catch – When you rent a bike, they will ask you to leave your passport with them during your rental period, and you have a choice of two options.

If you think it is unsafe, you can leave a US$300 deposit with them, but that is a lot of cash to carry around.

I was sceptical at first, but when the owner went in and took out a bag of about 20 passports, I reluctantly gave him mine as I did not carry any USD with me.

Overall, it is safe from my personal experience. Hence it is entirely up to you to do this, and please do it with reputable bike rental companies here. 

vientiane-bicycle-rental Vientiane Motorbike and Bicycle Rental in LaosVientiane Hello Kitty bicycles for rent.

Another thing that you must be very careful about is that you should always carry your bike rental papers with you at all times.

This is because the Lao police make random checks, and getting caught without the papers could lead to trouble. You should also always wear your helmet when riding around Vientiane too.

Gas prices are low in Vientiane, so moving around is not a problem. I even rode on my rented bike out of Vientiane for over four hours to visit Buddha Park and the most popular tourist site, The Golden Stupa or That Lung Stupa.

Tuk Tuk / Jumbo ride around Vientiane Town Video



Alternatively, everyone takes the local Tuk Tuk or Jumbo in Vientiane town. They are similar to the Thailand Tuk Tuk and are found just about anywhere in town.

Prices are reasonable and cost around US$1 to $3 per trip. They are also relatively safe, as I used them for my first two days in Vientiane until another traveller advised me to rent a bike instead.



Video of Jumbo (Tuk Tuk) rides around Vientiane, Laos.



Vientiane is easy to navigate as the town area is pretty small, where most of the hotels and guesthouses are located around Quai Fa Ngum Road.

Most of the time, you would rent the bike to travel to various sites in and out of Vientiane, like visiting temples.

Requirements for renting a motorbike in Vientiane;

  • First, this information is based on 2009; prices have increased since then.
  • Generally, you need to know how to ride a bike
  • No driving license is required, just a passport
  • The alternative is to give a US$200-$300 deposit if you do not want to leave your passport.
  • Bike rentals cost from US$7 to $35, depending on the size of the bike
  • Bicycles cost about KIP10,000 (US$2) a day
laos-vientiane-jumbo-tuk-tuk-taxi-transport Vientiane Motorbike and Bicycle Rental in Laos
Vientiane Jumbo is a larger version of a tuk-tuk.

Be Careful Of…
For first-timers, you really need to be careful when riding a bike in a foreign land. There have been great stories like mine and horror stories where people have lost passports, met with accidents, and so on. 
I would personally ask you to be careful of the following and take note;
  1. Always rent from a licenced bike rental business
  2. Always wear your helmet when riding; not only does it save lives, you risk getting stopped by local enforcement there.
  3. Ride cautiously, not recklessly, and on the correct side of the road
  4. Be careful of the local tuk tuk’s and jumbo’s there
  5. Always give way to the locals, and don’t toot your horn as and when you like
  6. Apologize if you have made a mistake or done a wrong turn
  7. In any accident event, go to the nearest police station to make a report
Conclusion

I was confident that renting a bike here and moving around made my travels much more accessible and time-consuming. I recommend doing this if you know how to ride a motorbike or bicycle.
But this was back in 2009, so things may have changed over the last decade, so nowadays, it is best to check and see which is practical and affordable.

And if you are visiting Vientiane for long periods, you are much better off renting a motorbike or bicycle in Vientiane, there as it is much cheaper in costs and easier to get around. Have a great time in Laos.

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comments user
Borneo Falcon

I drive a motorcycle too in my home town. Will fancy do the same thing there one day. Surrender my passport is not what I have in mind.

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Cool, do you ride a normal bike or one of those super bikes?

David

comments user
Henry Lee

i dont know how to ride a bike but i used to follow my cousin around on his bike… like the breeze of riding on it XD but guessed im still a car person more 🙂

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Henry, I think at one stage in our lives, bikes were the thing. I used to ride a bike to school when I was 16 and 17. Was an awesome experience if you ask me. So getting back on a bike in Vientiane brought back memories. But hey, I'm a MPV person now 🙂

Regards,
David

comments user
Anonymous

Hi David, I like the story of bike rental in Laos. Thanks for sharing.

comments user
Virginia bed and breakfast | Victorian inn bed and breakfast | Romantic bed and breakfasts

I was in Vientiane last week, Lots of places to rent a bike, paid 180'000 Kip for a shifted scooter 110cc for three days, nobody mentioned not taking it further than 20 km from the city center. We rode a lot further than that!

Regards,

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Anon, thanks very much.

Virginia Bed & Breakfast, 60,000 KIP is about US$7 a day which is the standard rate. Good deal too. Also, no one told me that we could not go out of town when I rented the bike there. We went to Buddha Park which was a 40 minute ride with getting lost.

Regards,
David

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comments user
hector

These are great bike rentals system. I like your photos of bikes. Thanks for sharing these up!

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Thank Hector, if you ever visit Laos, you should try renting a bike there. It is quite fun.

David

comments user
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