Car hire and driving in Lào Cai
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Vietnam traffic drives on the right. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648804 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648805 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2945964.
Drives from Lào Cai
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lào Cai to Bắc Quang | Vietnam | 92 km (57 mi) | about 1 h 24 min |
| Lào Cai to Thị Trấn Thuận Châu | Vietnam | 120 km (75 mi) | about 1 h 50 min |
| Lào Cai to Yên Bái | Vietnam | 129 km (80 mi) | about 1 h 58 min |
| Lào Cai to Sơn La | Vietnam | 129 km (80 mi) | about 1 h 58 min |
| Lào Cai to Tuyên Quang | Vietnam | 148 km (92 mi) | about 2 h 15 min |
| Lào Cai to Thị Trấn Đại Từ | Vietnam | 196 km (122 mi) | about 2 h 59 min |
| Lào Cai to Việt Trì | Vietnam | 196 km (122 mi) | about 3 h |
| Lào Cai to Vĩnh Yên | Vietnam | 213 km (133 mi) | about 3 h 15 min |
| Lào Cai to Ba Vì | Vietnam | 214 km (133 mi) | about 3 h 15 min |
| Lào Cai to Thái Nguyên | Vietnam | 217 km (135 mi) | about 3 h 19 min |
| Lào Cai to Sơn Tây | Vietnam | 218 km (135 mi) | about 3 h 19 min |
| Lào Cai to Thành phố Sông Công | Vietnam | 223 km (139 mi) | about 3 h 24 min |
| Lào Cai to Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 1,327 km (825 mi) | about 20 h 14 min |
| Lào Cai to Hanoi | Vietnam | 252 km (157 mi) | about 3 h 51 min |
| Lào Cai to Bangkok | Thailand | 1,038 km (645 mi) | about 15 h 49 min |
| Lào Cai to Haiphong | Vietnam | 333 km (207 mi) | about 5 h 5 min |
| Lào Cai to Phnom Penh | Cambodia | 1,219 km (757 mi) | about 18 h 35 min |
| Lào Cai to Cần Thơ | Vietnam | 1,398 km (868 mi) | about 21 h 19 min |
| Lào Cai to Huế | Vietnam | 770 km (478 mi) | about 11 h 45 min |
| Lào Cai to Da Nang | Vietnam | 841 km (523 mi) | about 12 h 50 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Lào Cai?
The right, as everywhere in Vietnam.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.