Getting around Cambodia

Distances are short, roads have improved enormously in the last decade, and almost everywhere worth going is reachable in a day. The main decisions are which kind of bus, and when the extra thirty dollars for a flight buys back half a day you would rather spend somewhere else.

In town

Two kinds of tuk-tuk: the classic carriage towed behind a motorbike, and the small enclosed rickshaw that arrived with the ride apps. Use PassApp or Grab and the fare is metered, agreed in advance and roughly a third of what you will be quoted on the street. Both apps work in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, and both accept cash on arrival.

For a full day of temples or a countryside loop, hire a driver directly for the day — twenty to thirty dollars including waiting time, and infinitely more useful than a chain of separate rides.

Between cities

Full-size coaches are the cheapest and slowest, stopping frequently. Shared minivans are faster, cramped, and driven with commitment. Express minibuses sold as a premium service sit in between and are usually the right compromise. Book through your hotel or a reputable operator rather than the cheapest ticket on a street board, and always take a day service over a night one.

Night buses exist on the long routes and are best avoided: the roads have unlit hazards, the sleeper berths are short, and you arrive at five in the morning to a closed hotel.

Flying

Domestic flights link Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville in about forty-five minutes for a fare that is often under a hundred dollars. Worth it for Phnom Penh to Siem Reap only if your time is short, and worth it almost always for the coast, which is a long uncomfortable road otherwise.

Boats and trains

Ferries to the islands leave from Sihanoukville and take thirty to ninety minutes. In high water, the Siem Reap to Battambang river boat is one of the great journeys in the country. The railway has come back to life with a slow, cheap and pleasant service linking Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and Poipet — not fast, but far more comfortable than a minivan and the only way to see that landscape from a window.

Driving yourself

Scooters are easy to rent and traffic in Phnom Penh is not for a first-timer. Outside the capital it is manageable and genuinely rewarding around Kampot, Battambang and Mondulkiri. You need a Cambodian or international licence to be legally covered, and almost no travel insurance will pay out for a motorbike accident without one. Wear the helmet.

Common questions