A few different crossings link Laos to Cambodia, but let's look at the crossing from Southern Laos near Don Det. It's the Nong Nok Khieng to Trapaing Kreal crossing. This information deals with a British or Irish passport holder. Read on for some cheap travel tips! []

Have a look around Don Det for the bus you want and get it booked.

What do you need to get from Laos to Cambodia?

- Your valid passport

- One passport photo (or two just in case)

- $27 US Dollars (the cheapest you could get it for in 2012)

- All the forms filled in

Sorting out your Cambodian Visa:

To get your visa for Cambodia sorted you need to book things yourself. It will save you time, hassle and most of all money. Plus as a traveller it is always better to do things for yourself rather than pay others. You will get your visa forms just before the border so fill them in and you are ready to hit Cambodia.

Do you have to pay to leave Laos at Nong Nok Khieng?

Realistically it should be free but the officials are corrupt and will try and charge you $2 US Dollars so be ready for them and argue as much as you can to try and avoid it.

At weekends particularly they try to charge an overtime fee which is outrageous and costs $2 US so for advice don't cross the border at the weekend.

How to cross the border from Laos into Cambodia:

You simply walk along the road across a bridge past the obvious border between the two countries, a flag on either side plus barriers mark the border. It was so quiet and not busy at all. The bus I had booked to Phnom Penh was waiting on the other side of the border for me, and once in Cambodia head to the immigration hut on your right hand side. Pay them $25, fill in the forms, give them a passport photo and you're in! Don't let them charge you any "animal fee" or "immigration fee" as there isn't any. $25 for your Cambodian Visa and that's it.

You have arrived in the Cambodian border point of Trapeang Kreal.

Trapaing Kreal is just the border village that you arrive into. There's really nothing much there to see or do and you may have a delay waiting on your bus but don't worry. There is cheap beer and food to enjoy!

The sun was beating down and it was hot. I had paid $27 US Dollars to leave Laos and enter Cambodia and we then learned that a beer here was only 50 cents. Still on a slight budget, Anthony (from Cork) and I had a beer each and sat in the shade. I read my lonely planet book and we chatted about all things in life and relaxed. Within two hours we were safely on the bus to Phnom Penh. The bus took a further 12 hours that day to get us to the city of Phnom Penh just before midnight, but it was a great trip. If you want to break up the journey and get off the beaten track a bit - there are buses to Stung Treng, Kratie and Kompong Cham as well. I was happily heading straight to Phnom Penh though!

The total cost to get from Laos into Cambodia:

The grand total was $27 US, which was $2 US to leave Laos and $25 for the Visa for Cambodia. The cheapest you can really get this for is $25 US.