Busy and chaotic in comparison to the rest of the country, it is calm compared with any other city in Asia.  Vientiane, as all of Lao’s most important cities, is situated on the Mekong River which structures the sustenance of the nation.  Vientiane is the core for all passers through in the country.  The city has a population of 450,000, about 10% of the state. French Colonial architecture situates next to golden temples.  Freshly baked French bread is served next to shops serving noodles.

There is little modern in Vientiane.  Old French colonial houses are being restored as offices and as restaurants and hotels. There are only a handful of recent buildings which sometimes seems extraordinarily out of place in this quiet capital.
Vientiane’s Wattay Airport is just to the west of the city. International services are quite limited, but there are fairly frequent flights from Bangkok and Hanoi. Most hotels offer a pickup service, or you can take a jumbo or taxi for US$6. (Rides to the airport should be cheaper.)
Visas are available on arrival at the airport, and the fee is US$30. Until recently these were only for 14 days, however, 30 day visas are now being issued on arrival. There is a US$10 departure tax for international flights.
From Bangkok and Singapore, many visitors choose to fly into Udon Thani in Thailand instead, and cross the border by bus, as this domestic flight is considerably cheaper than a direct international flight. There is a direct shuttle from the airport to the Thai border at Nong Khai, and there are also direct cross-border bus services from Udon Thani to Vientiane. This option takes about 1hr longer than a direct Bangkok to Vientiane flight.
Plans to connect Vientiane to the Thai railway network remain just plans, so for now the railhead remains at Nong Khai, on the Thai side of the Friendship Bridge.

The Friendship Bridge (Saphan Mittaphap) from Nong Khai, Thailand is the most common means of entry. The bridge cannot be crossed on foot, but there are frequent 20 baht shuttle buses just past Thai immigration. Bicycles can be carried on buses in the cargo compartment.
Direct buses to/from Nong Khai (30 baht) and Udon Thani (80 baht) arrive and depart from the Talat Sao bus terminal. These are cheap, comfortable, hassle-free and popular, so book ahead or arrive early.
Lao visas are available on arrival (until recently, only 15 day, but as of July 2006, this has increased to 30 days) and the official fee is US$30 (plus US$1 outside working hours and on weekends). The fee is considerably higher if paid with Thai baht (about US$9 more at current exchange rates), so bring clean US$ notes. A passport photo is also required, however an extra 40 baht or US$1 can usually be paid if you’re unable to provide one. A 10 baht “entry fee” is charged once through, though walking straight past this desk seems not to be difficult.

Once through immigration, you can take a jumbo (posted price 150 baht) or taxi (200 baht) to any destination in the city. Shared jumbos are cheaper and local buses to Talat Sao cheapest of all, but signage is nonexistent and you may be in for a wait. You should be able to negotiate to about 50 baht/person if you’re prepared to share (and possibly wait). It’s about 20km from the bridge to Vientiane; allow at least 30 minutes.
When arriving via the Friendship Bridge, you might like to visit the Buddha Park sculpture garden before going on to Vientiane, and save yourself a return trip back past the border crossing later. The same local bus that connects the Morning Market and the Friendship Bridge checkpoint also continues on to Buddha Park.
Going the opposite way, asking around the bus station for Friendship Bridge is effective. There are no immigration fees when exiting Laos via the Bridge, except at weekends when a token 2500 kip “overtime charge” applies.
Tickets from Vientiane to Udon Thani can only be bought from the Talat Sao bus station on the day itself for 22,000 kip.
A direct bus from Hanoi will take at least 20 hours (despite what the travel agents might say) and should cost about US$15-20.
Buses to all provinces in Laos depart from the Talat Sao bus terminal, just east of the Morning Market. There is an informative schedule and schematic diagram of the bus piers painted on the central building, which is where you can also buy in tickets.
The Southern Bus Terminal, used by all buses going south (including VIP), is quite far from town leaving you at the mercy of the taxi bullies. Note that if you buy a ticket in town you should be able to get a free ride to the terminal.