Skip to main content

Transportation options around Cambodia and its cities

Your choice of transportation within Cambodia will depend on the climate, the distance you wish to travel, the time you have, and the money you want to spend.
By airplane

Two domestic airlines operate within Cambodia, making daily flights between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. (A third airline, PMTAir, has suspended its domestic routes for the time being.)

Cambodian Angkor Air - the national flag carrier's office can be found at 1-2 294 Mao Tse Toung Blvd., Phnom Penh, operating between the hours of 8am and 5pm. Phone: +855 23 6666786, +855 23 424 496, or +855 23 990 840.

Royal Khmer Airlines - their main office can be found at #36B, 245 Mao Tse Toung Blvd., Phnom Penh. Phone: +855 23 994 888.

By moto

Around the major urban centers - Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville –the moto (motorbike taxi) is the most common form of public transport. Motos are speedy, cheap, and available everywhere. English-speaking moto drivers are most commonly found around tourist hotspots. Negotiate your price before your trip, whether for a one-off trip or a whole day's service.
Moto drivers won't always know where you want to go, but won't admit their ignorance for fear of losing your fare. Not all of them overcharge, but most will be loath to turn over any change for the fare. Make sure you carry small change if you want to give the exact fare.

By cyclo

Like its motorized counterpart, the cyclo is quite common in the cities – while it’s slower, it’s a far more pleasant and laid back way to get around. Like the moto, you should negotiate the price before beginning your ride.

By taxi

Taxis are easy to find when arriving at Phnom Penh – they’re lined up outside the arrival hall. Fares from the airport to Phnom Penh will set you back US$7 and the trip will take about 15 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. In Siem Reap, airport-to-town fares cost US$5.

By motorcycle

You might also rent a motorcycle to drive yourself around the city, but be warned: traffic in Phnom Penh is extremely chaotic, and should only be challenged by experienced motorcycle riders. It's better to rent a motorcycle to visit areas outside of Phnom Penh; renting one will set you back $5-8 a day for a dirtbike, $3-4 for a moto. Do this only if you're willing to chance the nigh-nonexistent medical care in the countryside. Wear a helmet, and slow down in the villages. Animals and children have a nasty tendency to run out into your path, so be vigilant!
Police in Siem Reap have forbidden motorcycle rental outlets from renting cycles to tourists.

By rented car

Nothing beats a rented car for safety and comfort: getting one, driver included, will set you back about US$20-$30 daily. Self-drive car hire is not recommended, giv3n the parlous state of most roads and traffic. Ask your hotel or guesthouse if they can arrange to hire a car for you.

By train

Cambodia’s railway network runs along two lines - from Phnom Penh to Battambang, and from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. The trains are old and decrepit, and the tracks are constantly under repair. Still, this is a cheap and scenic way to travel, and you'll get to meet a lot of locals you'll never otherwise encounter. While this is slow going, you’ll have a view of the countryside and the coast that no other travelers will ever see. Inquire at the station for the train schedule.

By bus

The rapidly developing bus services in Cambodia offer low-cost travel to key cities in the country. From Phnom Penh, you can catch a bus to Siem Reap (six hours, $4), Sihanoukville (four hours, $4), or Battambang (six hours, $4). Bus services also run from Phnom Penh to Cambodia border crossings - Moc Bai (Vietnam) and Poi Pet (Thailand) among them.

By ferry

You can ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and back on the ferries that cross the Tonle Sap Lake. Trouble is, most of them charge exorbitant rates (about $25), don’t meet international safety standards, and set you up for extreme overcrowding.
You can ride a boat from Siem Reap to Battambang and back, although it's a far second choice next to the land route. Better to take the boat connecting Koh Kong to Sihanoukville; this is the best way to travel between the two points when the monsoon season makes the roads almost impassable.

By pick-up and share taxi

They're crowded but effective vehicles on Cambodia's hellish roads, traversing country lanes to far-flung towns like Koh Kong. Share taxis often ply the same routes; look for them at Phnom Penh's central market, where you can either hire them solo or share the ride with other passengers going your way.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

How to make a balloon fly

How does a hot-air balloon work (in theory)? In a word: buoyancy . Hot-air balloons float in the sky for pretty much the same reason that boats float on the sea. A boat floats because it's supported by the water beneath it: the weight of the boat (pulling downward) is exactly counterbalanced by the pressure of the water beneath it (pushing upward). A boat doesn't float perfectly on the water surface but sinks partly into the water according to how heavy it is. The bigger the boat, the bigger the area of water beneath it, the greater the force of the water pressure pushing upward on it, and the more weight it can carry. Here's another way to look at it: generally speaking, an object will float if it's less dense than water (in other words, lighter than an equal volume of water) and sink if it's more dense (heavier than an equal volume of water). Imagine a block of lead the size of your arm dropped into a bathtub filled with water. An "armful of lea...
Read more

What is the Difference Between a Jet & a Plane?

One of the most common types of airplanes in use today is the jet, which has largely replaced traditional aircraft powered by propellers. Although propeller planes are still used in some instances, jets dominate commercial and private air travel due to their greater speed, ability to fly at higher altitudes and mechanical reliability. General Airplane History While efforts toward powered flight date back to the earliest inventors, the first successful flight of a fixed-wing aircraft was performed famously by the Wright brothers in 1903. Their plane, known as the Wright Flyer I, was made of wood and used a gasoline engine to spin a pair of wooden propellers. Over the next several years, the Wright brothers continued to refine the design that would provide the basis for aircraft over the coming decades. World War I provided a major incentive for the design and construction of better airplanes. Planes were originally used purely for surveying the enemy's positions. This l...
Read more

About Renting a Plane

  http://www.zmetravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/private-jet.jpg Flying on a private plane used to be a luxury that was reserved solely for the rich and famous. But with the increased enrollment in private pilot programs, the advancements in air travel and increased availability of small planes, renting a private plane has become more common than ever. With the economy in a downward spiral and commercial flight access in a decline, chartering a private plane offers a way for people to travel for business and pleasure. Renting a plane affords customers the peace of mind that comes with the luxury of flexible travel in complete privacy.  Features Private jet rental packages come equipped with a flight crew including flight attendants and a number of pilots depending on the size of the aircraft. You can create a custom package of in-flight catering and beverage services, as well as other amenities like entertainment and phone service. Flight attendants...
Read more