Bus Travel

All of Cambodia’s National Routes are paved and in good condition and buses have are the preferred form of inter-provincial transportation.Several bus companies offer comfortable a/c buses fromPhnom Penh to the larger provincial destinations includingSiem Reap, Battambang, Sihanoukville, Kampot, Kep, Koh Kong as well as other other major towns. There are also regular bus routes between major provincial cities and some night buses between the most popular tourist destinations (Phnom Penh/Siem Reap/Sihanoukville). ‘Deluxe buses,’ offering a higher standard of service, safety and comfort, have become more popular over the past few of years with companies such Mekong Express and Giant Ibis running buses Phnom Penh to/from Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Internationally there are several daily direct buses running between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City and now Phnom Penh (via Siem Reap) to/from Bangkok as well.

All of the major bus companies use comparatively good quality, a/c buses, and some companies offer deluxe buses - slightly more expensive, usually newer and with tour guide, snacks, on-board toilet and other amenities. Generally speaking, it is easiest to buy bus tickets through your guesthouse or travel agency, though you can buy it directly from the bus company office as well.

Night buses run between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, and are better avoided. Depending on which route you take and with which company, you’ll have between one and 10 bathroom breaks. The buses usually stop at designated rest stations with public bathrooms. Most will have squat toilets and no toilet paper so bring your own if you require it. Not the best toilets you’ll find in Asia, but certainly not the worst, either, as they are generally clean. The rest areas will also usually sell snacks such as fresh fruit and boiled eggs as well as cold beverages. You’ll be given 10 to 15 minutes at each stop. Be sure to keep an eye on the bus, because although they will make sure to look for the barang before they leave, people have been known to be left behind.

Overall, even though they may not be as nice as those in Malaysia or Thailand, buses in Cambodia are a fine way to get around and see the country.

Bus Stations

There is no centralized bus station inPhnom Penh. Buses from different companies depart from different stations.Some buses depart/arrive from the bus company office, others from remote bus stands such as market parking lots. One of the largest bus stations in Phnom Penh - Phnom Penh Sorya Transport - is next to Phsar Thmey (Central Market). Several bus company offices are also concentrated near Street 104 and Sisowath Quay on the riverfront. The rest are scattered around town.

In most provincial cities, including Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, there is a centralized bus station from which all buses arrive and depart. In Siem Reap the Chong Kov Sou station is located 7km west of town center. On arrival, motodups from the station into town run $1.50-$2 and tuk-tuks for $3. For departing passengers, most companies offer a free shuttle service to the bus. In Sihanoukville, the bus station is located near the Independence Square, at least a couple of kilometers from most hotels and beaches. Motos run $1-$3 and tuk-tuks $4-$6 from the bus station to the town or beaches, depending on your destination.

Some recommendations on bus companies

Mekong Express

Cambodia Asia travel co., Ltd well known as the Mekong Express Limousine Bus or simply “Mekong Express” is a Cambodia company and commenced operation in 2002. Mekong Express is the leading and fastest growing passenger transport bus company in Cambodia. Mekong Express operates daily schedule, services to major destinations in Cambodia and also cross border service to Vietnam. from the outset, ” Mekong Express ” has a great reputation among the international travelers as a company has high level safety and rigid maintenance standard. Our vehicles are sourced from Japan, of course, well known for comfortable ride on and highest mechanical quality control in worldwide. Since our inception, many other companies tried to copy our achievements, but would not success in this stage.

Service on board
• On all our passengers will be served a complimentary light snack and a bottle of chilled water,
• All of our vehicles are quipped air conditioning. On board toilet and facilities as well as audio visual.
• Our uniformed friendly and helpful crews are all fluent in khmer and English and conducts commentaries and information about points of historical or other interests along the way in both khmer and English.
• Luggage allowance of 25Kg per passenger, additional luggage maybe pre booked basis, or is accepted on a luggage space available basis with small excess charge.
• All luggage is checked in and receipt of given for your security and peace of mind.
“Mekong Express” is the ground transport service company. To assist and support not only khmer but also international passengers alike.Our mission is to provide for all customers with reliable safe and punctual courteous and comfortable service in each time and every time.

Limousine Bus
Air-conditioned, modern, spacious, comfortable 40 seats buses, with tinted window glass, curtains, on-board toilet give you a comfortable and relaxed journey, regardless of destination.Service Convenience
• For your particular service, we provide a complimentary pick up service to take you bus check-in point from your travel agent, hotel or guest house upon request basis.
• For cross-border services between Cambodia and Vietnam, our crew take care of all official documentation for passport and visa issue or checking and easy you through all immigrations and customers procedures.
Please note, however, valid visa is required prior to entry to Vietnam. For Cambodia, Visa on arrival is simply and quickly obtains at the Cambodian border.

Their web site with schedule and more information Mekong Express

Phnom Penh Sorya Transportation

Providing travelers with passenger services in the kingdom of Cambodia and overseas in Vietnam. They have 123 staffs and 45 Buses which Travel to many provinces. The service starts from Phnom Penh and goes to Takeo, kampongchhnang, Nakloeung, Oudung, Chreythom, kirivong, Rokakongphnomdel, kompong speu, Sihanouk ville, kampong cham, Soung, Seim reap, kratie, Stung treng, Battambang, and travel oversea to Vietnam. Passport and visa service and Hotel pickup free

There web site with schedule and more info Phnom Penh Sorya Transportation

Giant Ibis Affordable luxury

Free wifi is available on every bus with speeds from 2-4 Mb and unlimited data, so you’ll be able to stay connected during your trip.

Every seat on every bus is equipped with lap seat belts for your safety. We even have safety belts on our sleeping beds too.

We’ll provide a complimentary Blue Pumpkin pastry on our long haul trips to tide you over until lunch. You’ll get water and cold towels too. Our VN buses even have free coffee!

We have more legroom than our competitors because we gave up one row of seats on each bus so that you could be more comfortable.

Sometimes taken for granted, but not always guaranteed when traveling in Cambodia. Our buses nice cold air conditioning will keep you comfortable the whole way.

Bring your charger and plug in so you’re able to actually use the free wifi and leave the bus with a full charge. You won’t be able to take any great photos with a dead phone!

Our night bus sleeping beds aren’t completely flat, but with a 15% angle you should be comfortable enough to get some sleep on the way.

The GPS units installed on every bus help us monitor driver performance and sends notifications immediately if there is an incident.

We’ve got you covered with passenger liability insurance through our provider Infinity Insurance.

At Giant Ibis Transport, we’re not fans of onboard toilets. They take up a lot of space and smell bad. That’s why we only have them on our night bus.

We use the cleanest burning diesel fuel available in Cambodia from our petrol provider Total Cambodge.

As the BirdLife International Giant Ibis Species Champion, a portion of every ticket sold goes toward the preservation of the National Bird of Cambodia.

Destinations:

Phnom Penh

Siem Reap

Kampot

Sihanoukville

Ho Chi Minh City

Giant Ibis web site for schedule booking and more info

Public Buses Phnom Penh

Getting around Phnom Penh is always a challenge. There’s a range of transport options, in the form of tuk tuk drivers with their distinct cry of “OK, tuk tuk”, andmoto-dops who hang out on their bikes in the shade waiting for passengers. Negotiating prices and hoping your driver knows where he’s going are all part of the fun. Others prefer the naturally-provided biped transportation — at least you don’t pay to get lost when you’re walking. Now, Phnom Penh City is trialling apublic bus service and if you’re in town during February, you might like to take a ride.

The last public bus trial, more than 10 years ago, was not popular, as locals preferred the door to door service of the two-wheeled variety. This new City Bus trial, partly funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, will discover if attitudes have changed. There are some clear benefits for visitors to the city, including the icy air-con, the impossibility of bag snatching, a set fare, and a clearly marked route.

With a standard fare of 1500 riel (37 US cents), the first route runs down Monivong Boulevard from the Old Stadium roundabout in the north by the Chroy Chungvar bridge to Chbar Ampov after the Monivong flyover in the far south. Buses run from 05:30 to 20:30 with an interval of 10 to 15 minutes, with bus stops clearly marked. The experiment runs until 4 March 2014 and if successful, the service will be rolled out on five routes around the city. I understand the trial was a success.

Tuk-tuks

Tuk-tuks consist of a motorcycle with a cabin for the passengers hitched to the back. They are cheap (Per tuk-tuk: US$1-3 for a trip in the city, $7 to the airport) and plentiful. Negotiate the price ahead of time and make sure the driver knows how to get to your destination. Driving standards vary. Drivers in tourist areas usually speak some English, but if going to a destination that is not well known it is best to make sure the driver really understands. Drivers generally do not know their way around and may stop to ask for directions. Most tuk-tuk drivers can be hired for the day (~$20-$25) or half day (~$12-$15).

Motorbikes to rent a motorbike

Motorbikes can be rented for US$5-6 per day, sometimes through guesthouses. Traffic is chaotic and dangerous, even by Southeast Asian standards - wear a helmet and drive carefully. Two rental shops are in Monivong Boulevard - Lucky Bike Rental and New Bike Rental. Accept that paying US$1-2 police ‘fines’ is part of driving. Theft is common: park in designated guarded areas and pay a small parking fee or use a lock and chain, which should be provided.

Motorbike-taxis

Motorbike taxis should take you anywhere cheaply. A trip from Sisowath Quay to Central Market costs about 2,000 riel (US$0.50). Fares are higher at night and with more than one passenger. Often little English is spoken. No helmets are provided

Taxis

Taxis are growing much more common with well more than 100 meter taxis now operating in the city. They can be found in tourist areas such as the riverfront and Street 51 bar area in the evening. Easier, call one of the taxi companies for pick-up. Non-meter taxis still run throughout the city and can be found along the riverfront tourist area and near major hotels. Fares must be agreed in advance. Fares vary; your accommodation provider may help. Global taxi, Tranchoic taxi and Taxi Association offer on-call 24/7 taxi service. Both are generally available only on-call, although the new Global taxis sometimes wait in tourist areas, especially late at night. More common are unmarked, unmetered taxis, usually Camrys, which can be arranged through your hotel or travel agent. They can also be found waiting outside major hotels. Taxi/car with a driver costs $25-$35/day. Short jaunts around town run a minimum of $4-$5.

Cyclos

Cyclos are three-wheeled pedal cycle-rickshaws. They are slow, scenic, traditional and romantic, though waning in number.

Car Rental with or without a Driver

You can rent a car but suggest you have a driver If you go with Avis they provide a service to get you a Cambodia DL

Here are a couple Car rental companies:

Avis Car Rental Cambodia

AVIS Cambodia’s services include the followings that fulfill all types of customers’ requirement for business trip, leisure or field work.

Self-Drive car rental: customer can enjoy driving on their own and explore Cambodia with their own agenda.
Chauffeur drive rental: the most comfortable way of driving, AVIS chauffeur drive and transfer offers you a suitable vehicle for every occasion from the luxurious Ford Explorer to Ford Limousine VIP.
Car Leasing: customer can benefit from lower monthly payment compared to car rental and various other benefits such as choice of preferred vehicle and more.

We commit to a high standard car rental service by providing:

Brand new Ford vehicles
Maintenance service in excellent condition every 5,000Km by professional and with genuine parts
Equipped with First Aid kit, Fire Extinguisher, and all necessary tools.
Experienced and English speaking chauffeurs
Self-drive option
Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly rental

AVIS Cambodia’s service is available in two locations in Cambodia, Phnom Penh city and Siem Reap province. “Meet and Greet” at the both Phnom Penh International Airport and Siem Reap International Airport are also available upon request.

AVIS Cambodia offer license transfer service from your national driving license to Cambodian driving license and also renew of your expired Cambodian driving license. The application process will take 24 hours; a temporary document will be issued to allow the applicant to drive. The original Cambodian driving license will be issue in 30 days.
For more information about fees and requirement documents, please contact AVIS Cambodia at [email protected]
Condition of in Cambodia:Deposit Original PassportDeposit 1,000$, (by cash or Credit Card

A1 Car Rental Cambodia

A. Rent A Car With an English speaking Driver

It is very easy! Pay & Go!

Rent a car with and English speaking driver is very simple, no complication and headache. It means that your responsible is nothing, such as:

1. When the car breakdown outside the coverage areas of 50km from Phnom Penh, we will take full responsible to pay for all the related cost of repair and/or towing into Phnom Penh etc…,

2. Damage of the vehicle(s) caused by the negligent driving of our driver, no Insurance Deductible of $100.00 from you in each of the cases is required,

3. No deposit of your Passport, and No Refundable Deposit of US$500.00.

4. But you are requested to pay $100.00 as a refundable deposit for the cost of returning the car back into our office in full tank, since we released you at the first time was in full tank of fuel.

Since, we are the only one renting out the car with unlimited mileage, the thing to worry is to refill the fuel by yourself.

The quoted price is including the insurance coverage everywhere in the territory of Cambodia and the separate meal and accommodation of the driver. It means that the driverwill stay and take his own three-times meal separately.

Boat and waterways

Ferries connect Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and usually take 6 hr; tickets for foreigners cost US$32. Many, but not all, of these ferries offer the option of sitting on the roof, which makes for a much more scenic, albeit less comfortable ride than the bus; take sunblock, a hat, and enough water to last you for several hours just in case the boat gets stuck.The boat leave 7:30am. Fast boats leave every morning around 8AM from Chau Doc in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta and take 5 hr to reach Phnom Penh. The boats make the return journey the same day and leave Phnom Penh around 1PM arriving in Chau Doc in the early evening.

There are 3 choices of boat to Chau Doc:

Hang Chau Speed Boat (no pickup, tour guide, water, snack, insurance), leaves at 12:00, takes 4hours, Price US$22
Mekong Tour Slow Boat, leaves at 7hr 30 min, takes 7-8hours, price US$12
Cawaco hydrofoil from Can Tho ( contact directly for cost)

Cambodia’s 1900km of navigable waterways are a key element in the country’s transportation system, particularly given the state of many roads and the railways. North of Phnom Penh, the Mekong is easily navigable as far as Kratie, but there are no longer regular passenger services on these routes as the roads have taken all the business. There are fast-boat services between Siem Reap and Battambang, and Tonlé Sap Lake is also navigable year-round, although only by smaller boats between March and July.

Traditionally the most popular boat services with foreigners are those that run between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The express services do the trip in as little as five hours, but the boats between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are horrendously overcrowded and foreigners are charged almost twice the price of Khmers for the ‘privilege’ of sitting on the roof. It is not the most interesting boat journey in Cambodia, as Tonlé Sap Lake is like a vast sea, offering little scenery. It’s much smarter to take a bus on the new road instead.

The small boat between Siem Reap and Battambang is more rewarding, as the river scenery is truly memorable, but it can take forever. Whichever fast-boat journey takes your fancy, you may well end up on the roof so remember to use sun block and wear a head covering.

There are now longtail rocket boats operating on northern stretches of the Mekong between Stung Treng and the Lao border. These are super fast, but are super dangerous if overcrowded or travelling after dark. Never risk departing late if it means travelling at night.

Many travellers use the fast boat between Sihanoukville and Krong Koh Kong to travel between Thailand and Cambodia.