Laos forum

It gets mixed reports, but of all the cross border routes, it gets the fewest complaints. It's also a considerable shorter run than say Tha Khaek to Vinh .

My maid has done this route many times...

I heard it's about six hours. Other reports that it takes a lot longer I believe are exagerations. I've also heard the bus is a little rough... AC is problematical, toilet on board same.

I took the Hue bus, but it was 3 years ago, so don't know how relevant my info is, but...The actual bus trip is only about two or three hours....it's the wait at the border that takes the extra time. When I took the bus there was no-one english speaking on board, and only about three other women. When we got near the border, we stopped for what I assumed was a toilet stop, but half the bus started slinging hammocks across and hopped in..(.a lot of them smoking, I couldn't help think about the smell of petrol that was everywhere)...and went to sleep. It took me a while to realise what was going on, but what happens is the buses line up at the border with their passengers, and get there late at night so they'll be near the front of the queue in the morning.

And as for the next part of the trip, the bus didn't actually stop in Hue, but only nearish, and I got dropped off and had to take (helmetless, of course) a moto taxi ride into the city proper. I didn't have a backpack, but instead a suitcase, so as you see, I wasn't well prepared.
It was an interesting experience, but for most of the trip, I had no idea what was going on. I think I caught the right bus...(I followed Lonely Planet directions)...but it was hard to know...at the time there were no other english speaking tourists in Savannaket, so I was really rather lost. Anyway, one way or another, I got to my destination, and it made for a good story when I got home.