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Cambodia now has no train service, but there are bus links to neighbouring countries.
As always, overland travel will be far more interesting than flying,
as well as better for the environment, and the journeys will be as
much part of your travel experience as the destination cities and
sights. This page will help you plan and make overland journeys
by bus and train to, from and within Cambodia.
| |
 |
| |
Angkor
Wat, Cambodia... |
On this page...
International travel to or from
Cambodia...
Bangkok - Siem Reap - Phnom Penh - Saigon
Across Cambodia between Thailand & Vietnam
Bangkok - Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) full details
of the journey by train, bus & boat
Saigon - Phnom Penh full details
of the journey by air-conditioned bus
Europe
to Cambodia overland by Trans-Siberian Railway
Domestic travel within
Cambodia...
Phnom Penh - Siem Reap by speedboat
Phnom Penh - Siem Reap by bus
Phnom Penh - Battambang by bus
Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville by bus
Phnom Penh - Kampot by bus
Other information...
Visiting the Angkor temples
Hotels in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap & Cambodia
Train service in Cambodia Making a come-back in 2013?
Sponsored
links...
An overview of how to travel across Cambodia between Thailand &
Vietnam...
It's easy to travel between Bangkok in
Thailand and
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in Vietnam across Cambodia overland.
It's cheap, and there's a lot to see on the way. There are
several ways to break up the journey, so here is a summary of the
options. Most travellers will want to go via Siem Reap to see
the world-famous temples at Angkor nearby, and Phnom Penh is
undoubtedly worth a stop as well.
Bangkok ► Siem Reap
(for Angkor) ► Phnom Penh ► Saigon
-
Option 1:
The fastest journey from Bangkok to Saigon takes 2 days, 1
night. Day 1, travel from Bangkok to Siem Reap using the
morning train to Aranyaprathet and onward road transport,
see
here for details. Stay the night in Siem Reap. Day
2, take a morning bus from Siem Reap to Saigon, arriving in the
early evening, see here for details. However, doing this
route in just 2 days won't give you any time to see the Angkor
temples, so I'd suggest extending the journey to 3 days to give
2 nights and one full day in Siem Reap to visit Angkor.
-
Option 2:
Here is a less hectic option, taking 3 days, 2 nights and
avoiding the long 12 hour bus ride from Siem Reap to Saigon
required in option 1. I also highly recommend the
speedboat ride along the river from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh.
Day 1, travel from Bangkok to Siem Reap using the morning
train to Aranyaprathet and onward road transport,
see here for
details. Spend the afternoon in Siem Reap and stop over
night there. Day 2, take a bus (5 hours,
details here) or
better, the river speedboat (6.5 hours,
details here) from Siem
Reap to Phnom Penh. Afternoon in Phnom Penh. Day 3,
take a bus from Phnom Penh to Saigon,
see here for details.
This will only give you time to snatch a quick glimpse at Angkor
Wat, I'd recommend stretching it to 4 days to give 2 nights and
one full day in Siem Reap to visit the Angkor temples.
-
Either option can
be done for as little as $39, hotels extra, or around $64 if you
use the Siem Reap-Phnom Penh speedboat instead of the bus.
Saigon ► Phnom Penh
► Siem Reap (for Angkor) ► Bangkok
-
Option 1:
The fastest journey from Saigon to Bangkok takes 2 days, 1
night. Day 1, travel from Saigon to Siem Reap on a direct
morning bus, see here for details. Stay the night in Siem
Reap. Day 2, take road transport to the border at Poipet
and the afternoon train from Aranyaprathet to Bangkok,
details
here. This won't give you any time to see the Angkor
temples, so I'd suggest extending the journey to 3 days to give
2 nights and one full day in Siem Reap to visit Angkor.
-
Option 2:
Here is a less hectic option, taking 3 days, 2 nights and
avoiding the long 12 hour bus ride from Saigon to Siem Reap
required in option 1. I also highly recommend the
speedboat ride along the river from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.
Day 1, travel from Saigon to Phnom Penh on a direct
morning bus (6.5 hours), see here for details. Afternoon
and over night stop in Phnom Penh. Day 2, take a bus (5
hours, details here) or better, the river speedboat (6.5 hours,
details here) from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Afternoon in
Siem Reap. Day 3, in the morning take road transport to
the border at Poipet and then take the afternoon train from
Aranyaprathet to Bangkok, details here. Doing this route
in 3 days will only give you a few hours to snatch a quick
glimpse at Angkor Wat, so I'd recommend stretching it to 4 days
to give 2 nights and one full day in Siem Reap to visit the
Angkor temples.
-
Either option can
be done for as little as $39, hotels extra, or around $64 if you
use the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap speedboat instead of the bus.
Since the war in Cambodia, the
railway line between Bangkok and Phnom Penh has only been running between
Bangkok and Aranyaprathet on the Thai side of the Thai/Cambodian
border, and (at least until 2009) between Battambang and Phnom Penh within Cambodia. Train
service across the border between Aranyaprathet and Battambang has been suspended for some
years, although there is talk of restoring the complete Phnom
Penh-Bangkok rail link in the next few years when Cambodia's railways
are rehabilitated. Although there
are direct buses between Phnom Penh and Bangkok, this means a
nightmare 15 hour bus journey. Instead, a trip from
Bangkok to Phnom Penh can be made in relative comfort over 2 days as follows,
with a pleasant train ride instead of a bus for the part of the
journey within Thailand:
Bangkok ► Siem Reap & Phnom Penh
-
Step 1, travel
from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet by train, leaving Bangkok's
main Hualamphong station at 05:55 every day and arriving
Aranyaprathet 11:35. The fare is just 48 baht
(about £1 or $1.60), no reservation necessary, simply turn up
and buy a ticket at the station on the day. The distance
is 255 km, 159 miles. The train is 3rd class only, but
it's clean, spacious and it's a pleasant and enjoyable ride,
clickety clacking along with a breeze blowing through the open
window. There's
also a 13:05
train from Bangkok arriving Aranyaprathet at 17:35, but this is a
bit too
late to move on from the frontier and you may have to spend the
night at Poipet. Useful tip: This train also calls at
Phaya Thai station at 06:10 (next to the Phaya Thai BTS Skytrain
station) and Makkasan station at 06:20 (Makkasan railway station
is not the same as the Airport Rail Link's Makkasan
station, make that clear to your taxi driver). Boarding at
these stations can be more convenient if you're staying in
northern Bangkok.
-
Step 2, take a
tuk tuk from Aranyaprathet station to Poipet.
Aranyaprathet is only 6 kilometres (3.8 miles) from the
Cambodian border at Poipet, and you'll find tuk-tuks waiting for
you at the station. Take a tuk-tuk from the station to
Poiphet, cost 100 baht or perhaps 60 baht if you're good at haggling, journey
time 10 minutes. If you haven't already bought a
Cambodian e-visa, tuk-tuk drivers may try and take you to a
travel agency to buy a Cambodian visa at inflated prices.
This is no real problem, just say 'No' and insist that they take
you direct to the border point and they will do so. They
may tell you it's an 'official' visa office, and
official-looking people may even ask to 'see' your passport or
visa, just ignore them and repeat that you want to be taken to
the official border post, and you'll be taken there. The
official Cambodian visa office is after Thai exit
formalities, between the Thai and Cambodian border posts.
So it's really very simple: If you haven't had your
passport stamped by a Thai border guard at the Thai border post
and passed through the 'Angkor' arch (see the photos of these
below), it ain't the official Cambodian visa office!
The official visa cost is $20.
-
Step 3, walk
across the border. The border is open 07:00-20:00, and
Cambodian visas can be bought there
if you haven't bought a
Cambodian e-visa beforehand. First get your
passport stamped at the Thai side, then walk on for 100 yards
under the 'Angkor' 'Welcome to Cambodia' archway to the
Cambodian border post to buy your Cambodian
visa, have your fingerprints scanned and your passport stamped. Be careful with your
valuables when crossing the border, in case there are pickpockets
around. The whole process should only take around 30
minutes, although at busy times it can take an hour or more. At the exit from the border post onto the big
roundabout, you will see (or be guided to) an official free transit bus
to the 'Poipet Tourist Passenger International Terminal' 10 minutes
down the road from where all the share taxis and buses leave for
Siem Reap or Battambang or Phnom Penh. This shuttle bus
(and the man with the official badge who guides you to it) is
legitimate.
-
Step 4, take a
bus, minivan or share taxi from Poiphet to Siem Reap.
This is 152 km (95 miles) and should take around 2½ hours by share
taxi or 3 hours by bus now that the highway has been improved.
Prices are posted at the ticket counter at the Poipet Tourist
Passenger International Terminal. A shared taxi costs $12 for
a seat or $48 for the whole car. A bus costs $9, minivan $9.
-
Onwards from Siem
Reap to Phnom Penh: Spend a day or two in
Siem Reap visiting the Angkor Wat temples. When you're ready to
move on to PP, there are two options, bus or boat. There's a daily boat along the river from Siem Reap to Phnom
Penh departing 06:30 and arriving 13:00. Distance 251km, fare
$35. Alternatively, there are buses at various
times throughout the day from 06:30 until about 12:30. Journey
time 6 hours, fare around $10, distance 314km. Buses are run
by several operators. Some buses are double-deck, some
have a WC & refreshments.
Phnom Penh & Siem Reap ► Bangkok
-
Travel from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap:
You can travel by bus (5
hours, $10) or more scenically and enjoyably by speedboat (6.5
hours, $35), see here for details. Spend at least 1
night in Siem Reap and maybe visit the Angkor temples.
-
Step 1, travel from Siem Reap to
Poipet by bus or private car: In the morning take a
private car, bus or share taxi from Siem Reap to Poiphet on the
Thai frontier, it's around 152 km or 95 miles. A private
car will cost around $25 for 1 passenger for the whole vehicle,
$40 for 2 passengers, and takes around 2 hours 25 minutes so you
can safely leave just before 09:00. An
air-conditioned bus takes around 3 hours with departures from
Siem Reap bus station (3 km east of the town centre) at 07:30
and 08:30, fare $9, with free hotel pick up prior to those
departure times. You can buy bus tickets or arrange a
private car at any of the many travel agencies around town the
day before departure.
-
Step 2, walk
across the border into Thailand: You'll be dropped at
the entrance to the border point at Poipet. Complete the
passport stamping and fingerprint scanning at the Cambodian
'departures' office at the border entrance, then walk through
the border, past the casinos, under the Cambodian 'Angkor' arch
to the Thai border point 100 yards ahead. Fill out a Thai
arrivals card and get your passport stamped here and emerge from
the border. The whole process should only take around 25
minutes, although at busy times it can take an hour or more. The border is open 07:00-20:00.
-
Step 3, take a
tuk-tuk from Poipet to Aranyaprathet station. Now
you're in Thailand. Find a tuk-tuk and take it the 6
kilometres (3.8 miles) from Poipet to Aranyaprathet railway
station. A tuk-tuk costs 100 baht ($3, £2) although you
can bargain for a cheaper price if you're good at haggling.
If you need a meal or a beer, there's a simple and cheap
Vietnamese restaurant at the road junction at the foot of the
station approach, and there's an ATM up the road from the
restaurant, simply turn your back towards the station and walk
up that road about 300 yards.
-
Step 4, take a
train from Aranyaprathet to Bangkok. Two reliable trains a
day run from Aranyaprathet to Bangkok, 255 km or 159 miles. You should be able to
make the 13:55 departure from Aranyaprathet, arriving Bangkok at
19:55. The other train leaves Aranyaprathet at 06:40,
arriving Bangkok at 12:05. Both trains are 3rd class only,
but they are clean and it's a very pleasant ride with a breeze
blowing in through the open window. The fare
is only 48 baht (£1/$1.60), no reservation necessary, simply
turn up and buy a ticket at the station. The train also
drops off at Makkasan (19:40) and Phaya Thai (19:46) before
arriving at Bangkok Hualamphong, these can be more convenient
stations at which to get off if you're staying in northern
Bangkok.
Bangkok to Siem
Reap & Angkor Wat, in pictures...
 |
|
 |
|
Bangkok Hualamphong station. Designed by an
Italian architect and opened in 1916, your journey to
Cambodia starts here, in central Bangkok... |
|
The Cambodia Express... It may not officially
carry that name, but the morning train to Aranyaprathet
takes you to within 6 kilometres (3.8 miles) of the
Cambodian border. |
 |
|
 |
|
The Bangkok to Aranyaprathet train is 3rd class only,
but it's cheap, clean and pretty comfortable with a pleasant
breeze blowing through the open windows. Vendors sell food
and drink, and there are toilets at the end of each car. |
 |
|
 |
|
At Aranyaprathet railway station, you'll find tuk-tuks
waiting for you outside... |
 |
|
 |
|
It's just 10 minutes by tuk-tuk to the border... |
|
This is the Thai border post, you start the procedures
here... |
 |
|
 |
| Welcome to
Cambodia! After passing through Thai exit checks,
you walk under this 'Welcome to Cambodia' archway to the
Cambodia border checks... |
|
The road
between Poipet and Siem Reap (for Angkor Wat) has been
improved, and it's now a good road taking 2.5 hours by car
or around 3 hours by bus... |
Travellers'
reports...
Traveller Cynthia O'Brien
travelled from Bangkok to Siem Reap in 2010: "Travelling from Bangkok to Siem Reap this way
was much easier than I expected, after reading many older stories
about this route. I took the
05:55 train from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet, for 48 baht.
From the station at Aranyaprathet, I took a tuk-tuk for 60 baht to
the border at Poiphet. However, the driver made a detour to
a travel agency, which is one of the visa scam places. I
already had an e-visa,
which I would recommend to avoid the hassle at the border.
The salesman at the travel agency wanted me to go into his office
to talk to him and asked to see my passport. I refused to
hand him my passport and the tuk-tuk driver drove me away quickly
when I told other travellers not to get their visa at that place,
but to get it from Cambodian immigration at the border, where it
will cost less. The biggest change from the older accounts
is transportation to Siem Reap from the border. As soon as you
cross into Cambodia, there is a stop for a free shuttle bus. Do
not hesitate to take this free bus to their nearby travel centre.
It is operated by a company that arranges legitimate, hassle free
transportation to Siem Reap. The two best choices are a mini-van
for $9 per passenger, which leaves as soon as it has nine
passengers, or a share taxi for $12 per passenger, which leaves
when it has four passengers. The prices are non-negotiable, and
you buy your ticket for either option at a ticket window, rather
than haggling with a driver. The third option is a public bus that
leaves at 2:30pm, also for $9. However, I do not know how long the
journey takes by bus. Since I was travelling alone, I took the
mini-van, which only took about an hour to get nine passengers.
The highway is now complete, so the ride only took 2 hours and 20
minutes, which included a 30 minute break at a restaurant. When we
arrived in Siem Reap, they brought us to a guest house and asked
us if we wanted to look, but there was no pressure. There was
nothing wrong with the guest house and it was in a good location,
but I already paid for another. Included in the ticket price was a
tuk tuk ride to your guesthouse. And if you do not have a guest
house, the driver will take you around until you find one that you
like."
Traveller Andreas Klein
also travelled
this way: "We caught the 05:55 train from
Bangkok to Aranyaprathet. Tickets are still 48 Baht and are easy
to book. I'd recommend getting to the station at around 5
o'clock to get this done. Although only 3rd class is
available, the train is really good. It was reasonably
clean, the seats are comfortable and there are small fans for
every compartment. Additionally, you can open the windows
which gives you a nice breath of air. The train ride was
very interesting due to the landscape and cities you travel
through and the (very friendly) people you meet in the train.
Every now and then people come to sell food and drinks. We
found it also possible to get some hours of sleep in the train.
The way to the border is exactly as you describe on your website:
We took a tuk-tuk. I can only recommend getting an e-visa.
It was very helpful to avoid getting in contact with all the scams
offering other types of visa shortly before you cross the border.
The signs to the visa entry point are not the best and hence you
might fall for one of the help offers from the scams. To cross the
border, just walk along the main road through the entry gate and
you will find the visa-checkpoint right at the end on the right
side. The entry-process is very easy. Finding a
reasonable transportation to Siem Reap cost us about 1.5 hours in
the sun and lots of negotiation. Some scammers claimed to be
from a governmental organisation and tried to sell far too
expensive transportation (US$60 to Siem Reap). Avoid getting
caught by them and their "official / governmental" bus and
organisation (they all wear nice shirts with a Cambodia emblem,
but we are still not sure whether this is real), which will only
bring you to their taxi stand. Like you say on your website,
reasonable transport by taxi to Siem Reap should be $25, which we
managed to achieve by walking along the main road, followed
by several taxi drivers, who reduced their fares steadily
the closer we came to the bus station. It is about 140km." Further
feedback
from travellers who have used this route between Bangkok and Phnom
Penh or Siem Reap would be appreciated, as information is difficult to come by.
Saigon (HCMC) to Phnom Penh by bus...
There is no
railway (at least, not yet) between Saigon & Phnom Penh. However, a number of bus companies each operate a range
of daily air-conditioned buses in each direction, taking about 6½ hours (they usually quote 5-6 hours,
but assuming 6.5 hours is more realistic). There's no point in
flying for such a short trip, as flights on this route are
expensive, and they save little time. Flying will take up to
4 hours once travel to and from
airports, check-in & baggage reclaim are included. The bus
costs less than a tenth of the flight price, and even includes a short
crossing of the Mekong by ferry.
Saigon ► Phnom Penh & Siem Reap
(bus service)
|
| Bus
operator: |
Sapaco |
Mekong Express |
Kumho Samco |
| Depart Saigon
(Pham Ngu Lao street) |
06:00 |
07:00 |
08:00 |
09:00 |
10:00 |
11:30 |
13:00 |
14:00 |
15:00 |
07:00 |
08:30 |
11:00 |
13:00 |
07:30 |
10:30 |
12:30 |
15:00 |
| Arrive Phnom Penh: |
12:30 |
13:30 |
14:30 |
15:30 |
16:30 |
17:30 |
19:30 |
20:30 |
21:30 |
13:30 |
15:00 |
17:30 |
19:30 |
14:00 |
17:00 |
19:00 |
21:30 |
| Arrive
Siem Reap (bus station): |
18:30 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
19:30 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Phnom Penh & Siem Reap ► Saigon
(bus service)
|
| Bus
operator: |
Kumho Samco |
Mekong Express |
Sapaco |
| Depart
Siem Reap (bus station): |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
07:00 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
06:00 |
- |
- |
| Depart Phnom Penh: |
07:30 |
10:30 |
12:30 |
15:00 |
06:30 |
07:00 |
08:30 |
14:00 |
06:00 |
07:00 |
08:00 |
09:00 |
10:00 |
11:30 |
13:00 |
14:00 |
15:00 |
| Arrive Saigon
(Pham Ngu Lao street): |
14:00 |
17:00 |
19:00 |
21:30 |
13:00 |
13:30 |
15:00 |
20:30 |
12:30 |
13:30 |
14:30 |
15:30 |
16:30 |
18:00 |
19:30 |
20:30 |
21:30 |
Saigon to Phnom Penh is 240km, 150 miles.
Use these times only as a guide as you're quoted different times
in different places! Just 3 operators are shown here,
but there are several others.
The
buses operate via Moc Bai (Vietnamese border point) and Bavet
(Cambodian border point). Cambodian visas can be bought
at the frontier or you can
buy an e-visa
online in advance.
In Saigon, Kumho
Samco, Mekong Express Limousine & Mai Linh buses leave from the bus
station at 237 Pham Ngu Lao Street, Ben Nghe Ward, 1Dist, HCMC.
In Phnom Penh,
there is no centralised bus station. Mekong Express Limousine
leaves from their office at 87 Sisowath Quay at the corner of Street
102 on the riverfront. MaiLinh buses leave from the Olympic
stadium. However, some of these bus companies offer a free
transfer from your hotel, just ask.
How much does it cost?
|
|
Saigon to Phnom Penh
|
Around $11 |
|
Saigon to Siem Reap
|
Around $17 |
Which bus operator?
Reliable companies operating
modern direct buses between Saigon & Phnom Penh include (1) Mekong
Express Limousine Bus, (2) Sapaco Tourist, (3) Kumho Samco, and (4)
Mai Linh.
This Tripadvisor link is useful in giving the low-down on each
bus company. It's best to avoid the 'budget' operators such as
Narin or King who charge $4-$6, use older buses and make you switch
buses at the border, taking 7½
hours.
How to buy
tickets...
You cannot book
these buses online, indeed few of these operators even have a
website. To buy a ticket,
simply walk into any travel agency when you get to Phnom Penh or
Saigon and ask for a bus ticket, or ask at your hotel or guest house. If you really, really insist
on pre-booking a ticket before you get there, in
Saigon try buying tickets from the Sinh Cafe,
www.sinhcafe.com or
www.deltaadventuretours.com, and in Phnom Penh, try
www.asiavipa.com. There are so many companies and buses, you'll always find a bus with
tickets available, even booking the day before you travel. Email addresses for the operators either don't
exist or typically don't work.
About the
journey...
The Mekong Express bus
from Saigon typically starts boarding around 20 minutes before
departure, across the road from the Mekong Express office on Pham
Ngu Lao in central Saigon. Baggage is tagged and loaded under
the bus and you're given a luggage receipt. The bus is
air-conditioned and there's a clean toilet at the rear. The
bus normally leaves promptly, refreshment towels are handed out and
then mineral water and a snack. The bus staff collect
passports, along with $25 if you haven't got a Cambodian visa.
The bus reaches the Vietnamese border at Moc Bai in around 1 hour 55
minutes. Here, everyone leaves the bus, enters the terminal
and files towards the passport check where the collected passports
are already being stamped. Names are called out, you collect
your passport when called, and you leave the building at the far
door and rejoin the bus, which by now has pulled forward. When
everyone is back on board, the bus drives on 200 yards to the
Cambodian border post at Bavet. Everyone gets off the bus
again and enters the building. If you've an e-visa you'll be
shown to the e-visa desk to have it checked, then you get
fingerprint scanned and passport stamped at the passport desks.
The bus leaves when everyone is back on board, around 2 hours 55
minutes into the journey, driving on for 5 minutes past the casinos
to a lunch stop at a simple cheap restaurant for around 40 minutes.
US dollars, riel and Vietnamese dong are accepted here, and neither
the food nor the beer is expensive. Once in Cambodia the
landscape changes significantly, from urban ribbon development which
has stretched almost all the way from Saigon to the border, to
far more rural scenes with rice fields and water buffalo. The
architecture also changes, from the Chinese-inspired buildings in
Vietnam to temples and shrines more akin to those in Thailand.
Around 5 hours 20 minutes into the journey, the bus queues up to go
on the 10-minute ferry crossing over the Mekong at
Neak Loeung. Expect an arrival in Phnom Penh around 6
hours 30 minutes from Saigon.
 |
|
 |
|
The 08:30 Mekong Express bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh, at
Moc Bai, the Vietnamese border post... |
|
Seating on the Mekong Express bus. Mineral water and
snacks were handed out. There's a toilet at the back. |
 |
|
 |
| Mekong Express bus... |
|
Sapaco bus, in
Saigon... |
Travellers' reports...
Traveller Jon Feltham
took the bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh in 2010: "The bus
trip from Saigon to PP (about 6 hours ) was with Kumho Samco
Buslines. We bought our tickets from a travel agent close to
our hotel, but the bus company's offices in Ho Chi Minh city are at
237 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, HCMC. We took a taxi from
our hotel to their booking office/travel agent/pick up point, where
the coach picked us up. They took our passports and filled the
immigration form in to allow us to enter Cambodia, which was a
pretty nice touch I thought and saved us routing about for pens and
stuff. After the border control formalities, the driver
stopped for a spot of lunch 30-45 mins. Then on to PP which
included a river crossing by ferry which came as a surprise to us.
The bus company runs a daily service from, Ho Chi Minh City to PP at
07:30 10:30 and 15:00. Ticket prices are $10 US. The busses are
pretty modern with air con and have a conductor who rounds everyone
up when the bus is ready to move on."
Traveller Kevin Nathan
took the bus from Phnom Penh to Saigon in 2010: "I bought a
ticket from Capital tours below the Capital Guest House, inside the
restaurant. The fare from PP to HCMC was US$ 9 for an air
conditioned bus. I took a bus which left PP at 06:45 and arrived
in HCMC at 13.30. It was a good bus with good service,
especially when crossing the immigration. They gave free water,
wet face tissue & face mask. We also stopped for lunch before
the border. The bus arrived at De Tham Street (a backpacker
area) in HCMC."
Saigon to Phnom Penh by
river boat...
Alternatively, a
number of local tour operators run a river boat + bus service from
Saigon to Phnom Penh, a very enjoyable way to travel between the two
cities. Try
www.bigpond.com.kh/users/capitol/opentour.htm.
On the down side, the Phnom Penh to Siem
Reap speedboat costs more than the bus ($35 versus $10), takes a bit
longer (but not much) and is less reliable as it can be cancelled if
water levels are low or if there aren't enough tourists to support
it. But on the other hand, seeing rural life on the river from
the sun-drenched deck of a speeding riverboat can be one of the
highlights of visiting Cambodia, highly recommended. The boat
journey is approximately 251 kilometres (157 miles).
Phnom Penh ► Siem Reap
|
|
Siem Reap ► Phnom Penh
|
|
By
speedboat... |
Every day |
By
speedboat... |
Every day |
|
Phnom Penh (Sisowath Quay boat dock) depart: |
07:30 |
Siem Reap (Chong Kneas boat dock) depart: |
06:30 |
|
Siem Reap (Chong Kneas boat dock) arrive: |
14:00 |
Phnom Penh (Sisowath Quay boat dock) arrive: |
13:00 |
In Phnom
Penh, the speedboat leaves from the river boat dock at
the northern end of Sisowath Quay, in central Phnom Penh.
In Siem Reap,
the ferry arrives/departs from the boat dock at the Chong Kneas
floating village, some 11 km (6.8 miles) south of Siem Reap itself.
Transfer from Chong Kneas to central
Siem Reap: When you arrive to catch the boat at Phnom Penh
boat dock, you'll be asked if you want a tuk-tuk into Siem Reap, for
$1 per person. Your name will be taken. On arrival at
the Chong Kneas boat dock, a tuk tuk driver will be holding a card
with your name on, and will take you into central Siem Reap in about
15-20 minutes.
How much does it cost?
|
|
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by
speedboat
|
$35
|
By speedboat from
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap...
 |
|
 |
|
The 07:30 speedboat to Siem Reap, boarding at Phnom
Penh... Inside are bus-like seats. However, most
passengers spend the journey outside on the roof or deck,
even speeding along at 25 knots... |
 |
|
 |
|
Perched on the roof or on the deck around the wheelhouse,
it's the perfect viewpoint to watch Cambodian river life.
Remember the sun cream! The final part of the journey
is over the huge Tonle Sap lake to the floating village of
Chong Kneas, 11km south of Siem Reap itself... |
 |
|
 |
|
Houses on stilts... |
|
A Cambodian tuk
tuk or 'remork' takes you from Chong Kneas into central Siem
Reap... |
Traveller's reports...
Traveller Lenny
Hartley travelled from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by river boat
(2010): "Most hotels and travel agents in Phnom Penh
will book you a ticket which includes pickup by Tuk Tuk driver to
the embarkation port just a short distance away from the main
tourist riverside area of Phnom Penh. Stalls at the
embarkation point will sell you food and water although possibly
better quality can be purchased elsewhere! The boat itself
is more like a river bus and travels at approx 45kph (according to
a sat nav I saw), best to get their early and get a seat on the
bow so you can dangle your legs over the side whilst using the
rail to keep you safe. The roof is curved and although there
is a small rail its easy for your baggage to roll over the side
and into the water never to be seen again if you encounter waves
or swell in the Tonie Sap. The passageway on the deck
between the seating area and the roof is about 18 inches wide with
no handrails for the first couple of metres so to begin with its a
bit scary moving about between seating and roof but after a while
you get used to it. Its a great way to see the countryside and
riverside so the six hours or so pass far faster than a bus or
plane journey. The landing area at Siem Reap is some distance from
town, and you will be swamped by people trying to carry your bags
up the steep gangways or to take a tut tut into town, best to get
your hotel to organise a Tut Tut, if your lucky and get a good
driver try and hold onto him for the duration of your visit."
Traveller Geoff Holman travelled PP to
Siem Reap in Sept 2007: "I
booked this trip
the day before at Capital No.1 Guesthouse in PP. Picked up by a
minivan from guesthouse at 06.30 and transported to wharf. Boat was
about 75% full. Weather was OK for travelling on the roof, bit hard
on the back after a while. Most of the backpackers/international
travellers were up top to take in the views. Take refreshment as
none available. Air conditioning
in cabin was a little cool, but all in all a comfortable and pleasant
trip. Chaos at the
landing at Siem Reap. Host of small boys trying to grab your luggage
for a fee. Local police on hand but made no attempt to intervene. Apparently the
journey can be less enjoyable in the dry season as the lake is quite
shallow and groundings are common."
Traveller Justin Kilby reports: "The
fast boat from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is fairly comfortable and quite
an interesting journey up the Tonle Sap river and across Tonle Sap
Lake, but make sure you take food and water as there is none available
on the boat. Also make sure you buy your ticket from a reputable
source, for example your hotel or legitimate travel agent as there are
reports of travellers buying tickets for non existent boats."
| |
A double-decker bus from Siem Reap to
Phnom Penh. Courtesy of Michelle Moret van der Spek. |
Phnom Penh ► Siem Reap
(bus service)
|
| Bus
operator: |
Mekong Express |
Paramount Angkor Express |
| Depart Phnom Penh |
07:30 |
08:30 |
12:30 |
14:25 |
07:30 |
08:30 |
10:00 |
11:00 |
12:30 |
14:00 |
| Arrive
Siem Reap bus station |
13:30 |
14:30 |
18:30 |
20:25 |
13:30 |
14:30 |
16:00 |
17:00 |
18:30 |
20:00 |
Siem Reap ► Phnom Penh
(bus service)
|
| Bus
operator: |
Mekong Express |
Paramount Angkor
Express |
| Depart
Siem Reap bus station |
07:30 |
08:30 |
12:30 |
15:00 |
07:00 |
07:30 |
08:30 |
09:30 |
12:30 |
13:30 |
| Arrive
Phnom Penh |
13:30 |
14:30 |
18:30 |
21:00 |
13:00 |
13:30 |
14:30 |
15:30 |
18:30 |
19:30 |
In Phnom Penh,
there is no centralised bus station. Mekong Express Limousine
leaves from their office at 87 Sisowath Quay at the corner of Street
102 on the riverfront. Bus companies often offer a free
transfer from your hotel.
In Siem Reap,
the bus station is 3km east of town. Bus companies often offer
a free transfer from your hotel.
There are several
other companies operating this route, including some offering a
night sleeper bus, and slightly faster minibuses.
To buy tickets, ask at your hotel
or go to any local travel agency. The road distance is
approximately 314 kilometres (196 miles).
How much does it cost?
|
|
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
|
Mekong
Express = $11
Paramount Angkor = $7 |
Phnom Penh ► Battambang (bus service)
|
|
Bus operator: |
Capitol Bus |
Phnom Penh Sorya |
|
Depart Phnom Penh |
06:45 |
07:00 |
08:00 |
09:00 |
10:00 |
11:30 |
12:30 |
06:30 |
07:45 |
08:45 |
10:45 |
11:45 |
12:45 |
13:00 |
13:45 |
15:15 |
|
Arrive Battambang |
12:45 |
13:00 |
14:00 |
15:00 |
16:00 |
17:30 |
18:30 |
11:45 |
13:45 |
16:45 |
18:30 |
20:30 |
18:45 |
19:00 |
19:45 |
21:15 |
Battambang ► Phnom Penh (bus service)
|
|
Bus operator: |
Capitol Bus |
Phnom Penh Sorya |
|
Depart Battambang |
06:45 |
07:00 |
08:00 |
09:00 |
10:00 |
11:30 |
12:30 |
06:30 |
07:45 |
08:45 |
10:45 |
11:45 |
12:45 |
13:00 |
13:45 |
15:15 |
|
Arrive Phnom Penh |
12:45 |
13:00 |
14:00 |
15:00 |
16:00 |
17:30 |
18:30 |
11:45 |
13:45 |
16:45 |
18:30 |
20:30 |
18:45 |
19:00 |
19:45 |
21:15 |
In Phnom Penh,
there is no centralised bus station. Mekong Express Limousine
leaves from their office at 87 Sisowath Quay at the corner of Street
102 on the riverfront. Bus companies often offer a free
transfer from your hotel.
To buy tickets,
ask at your hotel or go to any local travel agency.
How much does it cost?
|
|
Phnom Penh to Battambang
|
Capitol Bus
= $6
Phnom Penh Sorya=
$5 |
| |
An Angkor Paramount Express air-conditioned bus... |
Phnom Penh ► Sihanoukville (bus service)
|
|
Bus operator: |
Mekong Express |
Paramount Angkor Express |
|
Depart Phnom Penh |
07:45 |
14:30 |
07:45 |
09:45 |
12:45 |
14:30 |
16:30 |
|
Arrive Sihanoukville |
11:45 |
18:30 |
11:45 |
13:45 |
16:45 |
18:30 |
20:30 |
Sihanoukville ► Phnom Penh
(bus service)
|
|
Bus operator: |
Mekong Express |
Paramount Angkor
Express |
|
Depart
Sihanoukville |
07:45 |
14:30 |
07:45 |
08:45 |
12:45 |
14:45 |
|
Arrive Phnom Penh: |
11:45 |
18:30 |
11:45 |
12:45 |
16:45 |
18:45 |
In Phnom Penh,
there is no centralised bus station. Mekong Express Limousine
leaves from their office at 87 Sisowath Quay at the corner of Street
102 on the riverfront. Bus companies often offer a free
transfer from your hotel.
To buy tickets,
ask at your hotel or go to any local travel agency.
How much does it cost?
|
|
Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
|
Mekong
Express = $7
Paramount Angkor = $6 |
Phnom Penh ► Kampot (bus service)
|
|
Bus operator: |
Capitol Bus |
Phnom Penh Sorya |
|
Depart Phnom Penh |
07:45 |
14:30 |
07:30 |
09:30 |
12:30 |
14:15 |
|
Arrive Kampot |
11:45 |
18:30 |
11:45 |
13:30 |
16:30 |
18:15 |
Kampot ► Phnom Penh
(bus service)
|
|
Bus operator: |
Capitol Bus |
Paramount Angkor
Express |
|
Depart Kampot |
??:?? |
??:?? |
06:45 |
07:45 |
12:30 |
13:30 |
|
Arrive Phnom Penh: |
??:?? |
??:?? |
10:45 |
11:45 |
16:30 |
17:30 |
In Phnom Penh,
there is no centralised bus station. Bus companies often offer a free
transfer from your hotel.
To buy tickets,
ask at your hotel or go to any local travel agency.
How much does it cost?
|
|
Phnom Penh to Kampot
|
Capitol
Bus = $5
Phnom Penh Sorya = $4.50 |
|
|
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