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Visas are available on arrival at the airport, and the fee is US$30. Note that you'll only get a 14 day entry permit stamp - if you want a 30 day entry permit stamp, you must obtain a visa in advance. There is a US$10 departure tax for international flights. From Bangkok, 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.
From Thailand Visas are available on arrival, and the fee is US$30 (plus $1 outside working hours and on weekends) and a passport photo- you can usually pay an extra 40 baht or $1 if you forget to bring a photo. The fee is considerably higher if paid with Thai baht, so bring USD notes (about $9 more at current exchange rates). Up until recently, one could only obtain a 15-day visa at this border, but as of July of 2006, one can now obtain a 30-day visa at the border. There is a 15 baht fee for the bus to cross the bridge (20 baht after 4 p.m.) An additional 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 B50 per person but it will be shared and you will probably wait. Most Tuk Tuks have a fare chart as well. Going the opposite way, asking around the bus station for Friendship Bridge is effective. Direct buses to/from Nong Khai (30 baht) and Udon Thani (80 baht) arrive and depart from the Talat Sao bus terminal four times a day each. These are cheap, comfortable, hassle-free and popular, so book ahead or arrive early; however, if going from Thailand to Laos, you will need to have arranged your visa in advance. Exiting Laos via the Bridge is free, except on weekends when a token 2500K "Overtime Charge" applies. Note: You can arrange for your jumbo or tuk tuk driver to first bring you to Buddha Park before going on to Vientiane, saving you the hassle of an extra trip out to see this fascinating sculpture garden. Also these are the slowest Tuk Tuk's on earth. it is about 20km from the bridge to Vientienne, give yourself at least 30 minutes. From elsewhere in Laos The Southern Bus Terminal, used by VIP buses from the south, 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.
Getting around Vientiane is generally easy, as the traffic is far less murderous than in larger Southeast Asian cities like Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City. Street signage is, however, rather lacking so a good map comes in handy. Many storefronts feature full mailing addresses in Roman letters, and these are often the best way to determine the street one is walking. Vientiane's sewage system consists of drainage gullies on the roadside, usually obscured by concrete slabs. These concrete slabs are sometimes damaged and very precariously balanced; people rapidly learn to take care before stepping on anything that looks like a slab!
Despite the poor standard of local driving, cycling is fairly safe in the city because the traffic is quite slow (maybe because of the condition of the roads). But take extra care when the roads are wet, because many are unsurfaced (even in the city center), and they can be muddy and slippery - innocent-looking puddles sometimes conceal deep potholes.
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