mekong river, which marks the thai border to thanaleng station, 13 kilometres from the capital, vientianeess from bangkok to run a shuttle train meets the express from bangkok to run across and into laos, where you can get a visa on arrival. to reach the capital, you then have to take a bus or a taxi. until the rail network expands, the ideal way to travel in laos is by riverboat on the mekong, though go downstream from the fine city of luang prabang to vientiane. unless you've got plenty of time on your hands to travel against the current. whether you or after a slow boat or a fast train, whether you are after a slow boat or a fast train, the travel show is here to help, so e—mail your question to the travel show at bbc.co.uk, and i'll do my very best to find you an answer. from me, simon calder, the global guru, bye for now and see you next time. vladivostok in russia's far east is home to over 500,000 people. and it's no stranger to traffic jams, partly because there's no subway system here. but what do lie beneath the hills are the remnants of what used to be one of the most powerful