Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: How to Get Around Cambodia
Cambodia is one of those countries that we found ourselves using every mode of transportation to get around the country. At times, it can be an adventure in itself but these days, transportation has improved quite drastically in recent years and isn’t too challenging anymore. Here are some tips and tricks we’ve learned to move through the country affordably and easily.
Grab / Passapp
The best advice we received before we arrived in Cambodia was to download the Grab and/or Passapp apps on our phones. Grab and Passapp are like the Uber and Lyft of Cambodia, Grab being specific to SE Asia and Passapp being a local home-grown app. To use either of these apps, you will need to have a local phone number. To get one, you will need to buy a local Cambodian SIM card.
When we landed in Phnom Penh, we immediately purchased a SIM card from the airport arrivals area. There are a number of vendors like Cellcard, Metfone, Smart, and Seatel. SIM cards and phone/data plans are cheap in Cambodia with a 7-day 40GB plan around $5 USD and a 30-day 40GB plan for around $12 USD. Staff at these stores will help you get set up and activate your SIM card for you.
Once you have a local phone number, signing up for Grab and Passapp is easy and once you’re in the app, it takes less than a minute usually to hail a tuk-tuk or taxi. We did this at the airport to flag a tuk tuk ride to our hotel and the $5 ride was paid through a credit card linked in the app. Not only did we not have to negotiate or struggle with communicating how much the ride was, we didn’t have to physically exchange any cash either. Easy!
Flight
Most travellers wonder what’s the best way to get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap or vice-versa. One fairly convenient way is to take a non-stop 50 minute flight. We did this when travelling to Siem Reap and took Angkor Air. Initially I was worried about delays or cancellations especially with a smaller airlines. However, everything was smooth and promptly on-time. Additionally, if you book far enough in advance, you can snag good deals. We found one-way flights for $98 USD per person.
Flying to other cities in Cambodia is a little less straightforward but can be found. For example, a flight from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville is also about 1 hour. We couldn’t find a cheap flight between these two cities and opted to take a private car instead.
Private Car
We took a private car from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville as we couldn’t find great flight fares between the two cities. This was quite an experience as the journey was 8 hours long! Thankfully, we had a very comfortable air-conditioned SUV with a lovely driver. For the two of us, it was $175 USD for the drive. For the most part, the roads were in great condition as new highways have opened up across the country.
Bus
Bus is probably the most popular way to get around the country for most travellers. We took a 4 hour bus ride from Kep to Phnom Penh on Giant Ibis - the most recommended bus company. The bus was very comfortable, with WiFi, comfy seats, air-conditioning, power plugs, and even snacks and water!
Other companies we’ve heard of but can’t say for sure are good would be Mekong Express and Virak Buntham. Giant Ibis is a tiny bit more expensive (by a few dollars) than these other companies but I think it’s worth it for a bus company that’s reliable, safe, and comfortable.
Buses are easily booked online through the company website itself, with your hotel (if available), or on 12Go.Asia.
Train
Finally, we took a lovely little train ride from Sihanoukville to Kampot on Cambodia Royal Railway. The 1.5-2 hour journey was comfortable and a great way to see the scenic countryside. It was very simple (and surprisingly affordable!) to book tickets through 12Go.Asia. We booked two seats for $15 USD and our tickets were sent to us via email.
Train routes are also available between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville or Battambang. The trains are not the fastest as they were built during the French Colonial era but are certainly a more memorable way to move around the country.
Scooter
Finally, another mode of transport - if you’re down for the two-wheeled adventure - is a scooter! Scooters are available to rent across the country but certain cities seem to offer it more readily than others. In larger cities like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, it was harder to come across a scooter rental place - they exist - but I don’t think it’s as common for tourists to rent a scooter here. Mostly because the streets are pretty chaotic and likely not the best place to jump on a scooter. That being said, in quieter towns like Kampot and Kep, scooters can easily be rented; oftentimes directly from your hotel (and for cheap, ~$5 USD per day). We rented scooters from our hotel in Kampot for a day-trip up Bokor Mountain.
