Important notes for overland travel to Vietnam

All the above border crossings can arrange on arrival visa (one-month visa only) but it strongly recommends you should arrange visa in advance, at the Vietnamese Consulates to avoid any unexpected problems that may break your plan;

Schedule to arrive at the border crossings after 7.30am and before 4.30pm (working hour) as they do not stamp foreign passports before or after that time. You also need time to shop around and bargain for good transportation and accommodation;

Try and get a group together as local buses will not leave without a full van load. And customs seem easier for a big group;

Prepare some small denomination US dollars handy (commonly acceptable) and local currencies for local service purchases. Black market can be an option as there are few legal money-changing facilities, but you should be careful.
Local currencies include: Dong (Vietnamese), Renminbi (Chinese), Kip (Laos) and Riel (Cambodian).