Vientiane Motorbike and Bicycle Rental in Laos

Motorbike and Bicycle Rental in Vientiane

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. 

Motorbike Rental in VientianePosing 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. 

Laos Bike Rental Hello KittyVientiane 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.
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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
Jumbo Tuk Tuk Vientiane 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.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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