Getting there and away

Air

The Dien Bien Phu Airport is located very near the centre of town, along the road to Muong Lay -- to get here, take a left past the bus station, and the terminal is a kilometre down on the right.

There are two departures to Hanoi daily, at 11:20 and 15:00, and flights to here from Hanoi leave at 09:40 and 13:22 -- the flight takes an hour. You can buy a ticket at the airport, or at any big hotel in town, but you'll save a good bit by booking ahead in Hanoi. Currently, flights are going for 820,000 VND one way for tickets purchased at the airport, 570,000 booking in advance. The airport ticket office has very skinny operating hours, so if you want to purchase a same day ticket, head to the the Airport Hotel near the Thanh Binh bridge. Same price as at the airport, but more convenient.

You must clear security at least a half hour before the flight departs.

Dien Bien Phu Airport: Along the road to Muong Lay, Dien Bien Phu. T: (0230) 824 948. Ticket Office Hours: 10:00 to 10:45, 13:00 to 17:00.

Bus

To reach the bus station, turn off 7-5 Road at the market, and it's across the bridge on the right. Departures are few, and mostly in the early morning, so plan ahead.

Dien Bien Phu Bus Station: T: (0230) 824 558; (0230) 828 487. Hours: 04;00 to 19:00 daily.

Hanoi: leaving at 04:30, 05:00 and 06:30, costing 160,000 VND and taking 14.5 hours.
Lai Chau: leaving at 05:00, 07:00, 10:00, 12:30, costing 82,000 VND and taking 6-7 hours.
Lao Cai: leaving at 06:00, costing 100,000 VND and taking 6 hours.
Muong Lay: leaving at 08:00, 09:00, 13:30 and 16:00, costing 40,000 VND and taking 3 hours.
Muong Te: leaving at 05:30, costing 80,000 VND and taking 7 hours.
Sinh Ho: leaving at 05:30, costing 64,000 VND and taking 7 hours.
Son La: leaving at 04:30, 12:00, costing 68,000 VND and taking 6 hours.
Tay Trung Border: leaving at 05:30, Mon, Weds., Fri., and Sun only, costing 75,000 VND and taking 2 hours.
Thai Binh: leaving at 04:00 and 05:00, costing 190,000 VND and taking 13 hours.
Tuan Giao: leaving at 06:20, 11:00, 15:30, costing 32,000 VND and taking 5 hours.

If you're heading to Laos from Dien Bien Phu, there are daily buses to Muang Khua in Phongsali province. The bus leaves at around 05:30 and costs 80,000VND. Note if there is little business, the bus may be cancelled till the following day. If you want to do the trip without the bus, it is possible to get a xe-om to the border crossing, but once you're on the Lao side there is no regular onwards transport. Instead you're looking at a motorbike trip to the hamlet of Muang Mai (accommodation is available, but no money changing facilities) 35km from the border. From there you need to either get another motorbike ride, or get a seat on a truck for the next 50km to Muang Khua -- bargain hard!

Getting Around

Motorcycle taxis congregate at the central market and cruise for foreigners elsewhere in town. A trip to the airport should be 10,000 VND, and to the Tay Trung border, 100,000 VND. Most drivers can be persuaded to shuttle you from site to site on the war tour for US$10 a day. Or, you can simply rent the motorbike out from underneath them for about the same price.