Phnom Penh to/from Siem Reap
Air
Bangkok Airways offer several daily flights to/from Phnom Penh. See the flight schedule page for more information.
Buses
Bus travel is now the most popular means of overland transport between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The road (National Route #6) is paved and smooth and there are several regularly scheduled daily buses in both directions, taking only 5 or 6 hours to make the trip. Several bus companies, guesthouses and travel agencies offer a/c bus transport. Generally speaking, it is easiest to buy tickets through your guesthouse or travel agency. Prices and level of service varies from comfortable, basic a/c buses to deluxe a/c buses with entertainment, snacks and on-board toilet. Most buses make at least two stops along the way - at Skun and Kampong Thom for a snack or lunch.
Phnom Penh does not have a centralized bus station. Buses from different companies depart from different stations. See the individual bus company for the departure location.
In Siem Reap the Chong Kov Sou bus station is located near Phsar Leu (the 'Upper Market') a couple of kilometers west of town center. On arrival, motodups from the station into town run $1-$2 and tuk-tuks cost about $2.50-$3. For passengers departing Siem Reap, most bus companies offer a free shuttle service from the hotel/guesthouse to the bus station.
The following bus companies offer regularly scheduled daily service between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh:
Neak Krorhorm Travel
PP Station: Corner of Street 110 and Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023-219496
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Fare: 16,000R/pax
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:30, 10:30, 12:30
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh - 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:30, 10:30, 12:30
Mailinh Open Tours
PP Station: #391, Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 023-221666
SR Office: Wat Bo area. Tel: 063-762888
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - 7:00, 14:00
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh - 7:00, 14:00
Phnom Penh Sorya Transport
PP Station: Near the southwest corner of Phsar Thmey. Tel: 023-210359
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Fare: 16,000R/pax
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - 7:00, 7:45, 8:45, 11:30, 12:45, 13:45
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh - 7:00, 7:15, 8:30, 12:30, 13:30
Capitol Guesthouse
PP Station: Corner Streets 111 / 182 Tel: 023-217627
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Fare: 16,000R/pax
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 10:15, 12:00, 13:30
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh - 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 10:15, 12:00, 13:30
Mekong Express - Deluxe a/c buses.
PP Station: #87 Sisowath Quay at the corner of Street 102. Tel: 023-427518
SR Office: #14A, Sivatha Blvd. Tel: 063-963662.
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Fare: US$10/pax
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - 7:30, 8:30, 12:30, 14:00
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh - 7:00, 7:30, 8:30, 12:30
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Local Transport: Taxi
Local shared taxi: ~$10 per person. Departs from southwest corner of Central Market in Phnom Penh. 5-8 hours
Private taxi: US$50 or more for the whole car. 4-5 hours. Negotiate the price with a local taxi or arrange a private taxi through your hotel or travel agent. Generally speaking, the better the car, the higher the price.
Motorcycling to Siem Reap
The road to Siem Reap is in good condition, but driving in Cambodia is still challenging in the extreme, and should be attempted only by experienced riders. Speeding taxis, wandering cows and oblivious children on the road are the norm. The trip calls for a dirt or road bike, no smaller than 250cc. It can be made in an easy day, but two days with a layover in Kampong Thom is a more relaxed alternative and allows time to visit the pre-Angkorian ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk as well as explore some of the other sites and minor ruins along the way.
Leave Phnom Penh via the ‘Japanese Bridge’ and follow 6A north 75km to the Skun intersection. (Skun is known for its exotic foods - check out the fried spiders, turtle eggs and more at road side stands.) Bear left and follow Rte. 6 to Kampong Thom - about 2-3 hours. In Kampong Thom, the Arunras Hotel (062-961294), Stung Sen Royal Hotel (012-309495) and Mittapheap Hotel are all decent mid-range places. Arunras Guesthouses and Restaurant next to the hotel is the place to eat cheaply. From Kampong Thom to Siem Reap the trip takes another 2 hours..
River Ferry
For most of the year (July - March) daily ferries ply theTonle Sap river and lake between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The end of the trip is marked by a hill, Phnom Krom, near the ferry dock at Chong Khneas 15 km south of Siem Reap. During the dry season when the water is low, the ferry stops short of the dock and passengers transfer to smaller boats to traverse the final few hundred meters.
Ferries depart at 7:30AM daily from the Phnom Penh Port on Sisowath Quay near Street 104. Tickets $25-$35, (251km, 4-6 hours). Tickets can be purchased through hotels and travel agents. At Siem Reap, the ferry docks at Chong Khneas, 15km south of Siem Reap town. Taxis and motodups await passengers at the dock. Travel is best during the wet season when the river level is high. The ferries are ‘local transport’ and are of variable quality and comfort, often noisy, crowded and over-air conditioned. Though generally safe, these ferries have experienced breakdowns, groundings and other difficulties. These ferries in no way meet international safety standards. Travel is best during the wet season when the river level is high. During the dry season when the water is low, ferry service is usually suspended.
Siem Reap to/from Battambang
Boat
Siem Reap to Battambang Daily ferry departs Siem Reap for Battambang at 7:30am. $25/person. It's a picturesque, 4 - 6 hour journey across the Tonle Sap and up the Sangker River in the wet season, but can be considerably longer (8-11 hours) in the dry season due to low water levels. Ask about current conditions. The boats in no way meet international safety standards. There is no direct boat between Battambang and Phnom Penh.
Road
Siem Reap to Battambang (National Routes #6 and #5, via Sisophon): Road travel is generally the easiest, fastest, most reliable way to travel between Siem Reap and Battambang. The road goes around the lake, first west from Siem Reap to Sisophon (National Route #6), then back southeast from Sisophon to Battambang on National Route #5. Much of the stretch between Siem Reap and Sisophon is under construction and in fair condition. The road from Sisophon toBattambang is paved and in good condition.
From Thailand to Siem Reap
See the overland international border crossing page for details on travel from Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border crossing and other international border crossings.