All you need to know about how to get from Phnom Penh to Kampot and all the other mainland Cambodian hotspots. Right here. Right now.
So, whether you’re looking to get in and out of Phnom Penh quickie style, or are moving on after properly indulging in the gems this wondrous city has to offer…
There’s good news…
The Cambodian capital is extremely well connected to the other key travel destinations around the country.
In this article, we’re going to sort you out with all of the cheapest and quickest transport options for anyone traveling onwards from Phnom Penh to Kampot & Beyond – Siem Reap, Battambang & Sihanoukville.
We’ve pretty much used every form of transport possible to jump between these hotspots, so will hook you up with the traveling goods.
But hey…
If you manage to find a sparkly lamp at one of the Phnom Penh markets that has a genie inside it, maybe you can wish your way there.
For the record…
That would be a terrible idea. A huge waste of a wish, but it’s your rodeo after all.
Let’s kick off with getting from Phnom Penh to Kampot…
Best Backpacker Transport Routes: Phnom Penh To Kampot
The time has come to head down to the coast from Phnom Penh to Kampot eh? You lucky son of a gun!
Kampot is an unreal little backpacker destination. The stuff of fairytales…
Phnom Penh To Kampot: Mini Bus
The Mini Bus is called into action once again, and this time it’s the transportation wizards of Giant Ibis that hit the headlines. The Giant Ibis Mini Bus company place a huge emphasis on safety and are pretty damn comfortable as well.
They have 21-seat vehicles that shepherd you down from Phnom Penh to Kampot in about two and a half hours. The journey usually costs about $9.
Giant Ibis departure timetable:
Phnom Penh to Kampot: 8am, 2:45pm
Phnom Penh To Kampot: Taxi
It’s only short journey down to Kampot. So if you can suck it up and pile into a shared taxi with some travel buddies, the journey from Phnom Penh to Kampot will only cost $5.
Let’s get real…
It’s going to get very cramped and stinky in this wagon. Just get those windows down, plug in the headphones and count down the 150 minutes.
If you’re still left wanting after these two options, there is also a bus route from Phnom Penh to Kampot. This is even more jarring than the shared taxi as the buses tend to stop in Kep first, which means the journey can take up to 5 hours sometimes.
Feck that.
Whichever way you choose to travel from Phnom Penh to Kampot, this is what we have in store for you when you touch down at ‘Mad Monkey Hostel Kampot‘…
Best Backpacker Transport Routes: Phnom Penh To Sihanoukville
If you’re heading southwest from Phnom Penh, we would advise going to Kampot before Sihanoukville. It’s dreamy.
But, if you do decide to leapfrog straight to Sihanoukville then no worries, the journey is pretty simple as well.
We’ve got another Mini Bus against Bus showdown here.
Which one will win your hearts and minds…
Phnom Penh To Sihanoukville: Mini Bus
Giant Ibis, hello again our old four-wheeled friend. Once again, they are extremely reliable with safe drivers, seat belts and sometimes even a touch of WiFi here and there.
The Giant Ibis mini buses can house up to 17 travelers and tend to pick you up from your Phnom Penh hostel.
It is likely you will stop once for a quick-fire toilet break and munchies run.
Tickets are usually $10 and can be purchased online, at travel agents, and probably from your hostel. The journey takes around 4 hours.
Giant Ibis departure timetable:
Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville: 8am, 9:30am, 12:30pm
Phnom Penh To Sihanoukville: Bus
The buses that run these routes are renowned for stopping off too many times, both to drop passengers and to allow too many toilet breaks.
Sometimes the journey can take up to 6 hours because of this constant pit-stopping. We’ll stick with the 4 hour mini-bus option thank you very much driver.
If you do decide to commit transportation suicide with this Bus journey, Capitol Tours are definitely the best way to commit this suicide. You will also save yourselves a couple of dollars, at $6 a ticket.
Tickets can usually be bought from your hostel and at the travel agents.
Capitol Tours departure timetable:
Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville: 7:15am, 8:45am, 9:45am, 11:15am, 12:15pm, 2:30pm
Sitting just across the ocean from Sihanoukville is the absolutely stunning tropical island of ‘Koh Rong Samloem‘…
Best Backpacker Transport Routes: Phnom Penh To Siem Reap
At present, there are a whole host of transport options when it comes to traveling from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap; including plane, bus, mini-bus and even a boat. The choice all depends on your budget and itinerary…
Image courtesy of unesco
Phnom Penh To Siem Reap: Plane
If your purse strings can stretch this far, the plane is of course the easiest and quickest way of jumping from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. There are, on average, 5 flights out of Phnom Penh to Siem Reap everyday.
There are 3 airlines that will be vying for your business, one of which I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole:
- Cambodia Angkor Air (around $80) – Cambodia Angkor Air has been a backpacker favourite in Cambodia for years, thanks to it’s top notch safety standards which are heavily policed by the government.
- Bassaka Air (around $40) – this airline is a new player in the Cambodian aviation game, and is making some waves among backpackers (especially as it’s the cheapest). Bassaka, like Cambodia Angkor, is a very trusted airline.
- Cambodia Bayon Airlines (around $100) – these guys have got it very wrong. Not only are they the most expensive option, but they are also flying the lackluster Chinese MA60 propelled planes, which have been outlawed by a number of countries. Avoid at all costs.
Flight time for all 3 (let’s hope Bayon makes it) is around 45 minutes. Quick power nap and you’re in the city of the temples.
Phnom Penh To Siem Reap: Bus
The Bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is also very easy to be honest. The roads are still in fairly good condition and the journey opens your eyes to the beautiful rice paddies, grazing buffalos, and rural Cambodian lifestyle.
There are a number of companies running this route. However, by far the best company to travel with is…
The one and only, Giant Ibis. They’ve been controlling the roads for travelers since 2012. The buses are very comfortable and some even have their own WiFi and power outlets. Tickets are $15 and the journey from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap will be around 6 hours.
Giant Ibis departure timetable:
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: 8:45am, 9:45am, 12:30pm, 10:30pm, 11pm, 11:30pm
Phnom Penh To Siem Reap: Mini Bus
Mini-buses inevitably ping along the roads slightly quicker than the buses, but you do run the risk of it being packed out more than a tin of sardines. Sweat box.
The journey time tends to be around 5 hours. If it’s the mini-bus that’s taking your fancy, we would highly recommend traveling with Cambodia Post VIP Van. The mini bus company not only has VIP in its name, but it’s also a very trustworthy, government-owned business.
The icing on the cake…
They have a fair pricing plan, meaning they charge both locals and travelers the same price (around $8 for the journey from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap).
However, they do only run two shuttles a day…
Cambodia Post VIP Van departure timetable:
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: 7:30am, 2pm
If those two departure times don’t fit in with your itinerary, then Seila Angkor mini-bus company will certainly have something that’ll work. They spoil you for choice with 18 departures each day.
The only downside…
They tend to have a dual pricing plan, charging locals $8 and travelers $10. Cheeky so and so’s.
Seila Angkor departure timetable:
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: 6:30am, 7am, 7:30am, 8am, 8:30am, 9am, 9:30am, 10am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:45pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm, 11pm
Phnom Penh To Siem Reap: Boat
If adventure’s your game, then the boat could well be the transport option for you. Due to the inevitable lack of water in the dry season, the ferries only tend to run across Tonle Sap Lake when it’s at it moistest between July and March.
Adventure inevitably comes with its ups and downs…
The boats have been known to break down from time to time. However, if they manage to haul ass the whole way to Siem Reap, it’s a glorious experience chilling out on the sun deck and waving at the gob smacked cows as you float on by.
Tickets cost around $35 and the journey can take between 4 and 8 hours.
The boat departs around 7:30am from the Phnom Penh Port on Sisowath Quay near Street 104.
Heading to Siem Reap?! Have a look through all of our top travel tips in our ‘Backpackers’ Guide To Siem Reap‘.
Best Backpacker Transport Routes: Phnom Penh To Battambang
Fun fact of the day – Battambang is actually the second largest city in Cambodia.
Right, pick your jaws up off the floor and buckle up for the transport options from Phnom Penh to Battambang…
Phnom Penh To Battambang: Bus
Battambang is about 180 miles West of Phnom Penh and this bus journey can take between 6 and 7 hours. Of the big bus companies, Capitol Tours is our favourite four-wheeled vessel to get you from Phnom Penh to Battambang.
Tickets are around $6, but be prepared for regular pit stops and even some debatable Cambodian karaoke videos.
The Battambang bus station has been moved just outside of the city, so after disembarking you’ll need to grab a tuk-tuk into town.
Capitol Tours departure timetable:
Phnom Penh to Battambang: 7am, 8am, 9am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1pm, 2:15pm, 2:45pm, 4pm, 5:30pm
Buses depart from the Capitol Guesthouse, very close to Orussey Market.
Phnom Penh To Battambang: Mini Bus
The blessing of the mini-bus is that they tend to pick you up from your hostel, saving you having to trek across town to the bus station.
Journey time is also quicker. You’ll be touching down in Battambang after about 4 hours.
There are 2 mini-bus companies that we can fully advocate for blitizing this route…
Mekong Express is the most expensive option at $12, but that comes with small luxuries in the form of leg room and comfortable chairs. However, they have been also known to blast the Cambodian karaoke videos.
Mekong Express departure timetable:
Phnom Penh to Battambang: 5:30am, 6:20am, 7:30am, 8:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm
The new wild card on this mini-bus route is the up and coming, Mean Chey Express. They’ve recently turned over a new leaf with 16-seater mini buses that are clean, provide cold water and don’t blast karaoke.
Mean Chey Express tickets cost around $9.
Mean Chey Express departure timetable:
Phnom Penh to Battambang: 7:30am, 1:30pm
Hot travel tip…
Try and either book or bagsy seats near the front of the mini-bus. The road to Battambang can be quite bumpy so the back-seat riders can end up playing an involuntary game of musical chairs.
Fast & Furious…
We hope you you’ve loved every second of your Phnom Penh experience and have managed to cram as much good munching, partying, and sight-seeing into your itinerary as possible.
This set of transport options should assure that you can get to your next destination safe and sound; and without spending too much money, or time in a mobile sweat-box.
Be sure to have a gander at all our juicy travel tips on whichever destination you arrive at next.
Safe travels till next time, over and out!
From Phnom Penh To Kampot & Beyond – How Did We Do?
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