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27-Aug-2005
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Local Buses  don't really exist in Phnom Penh.  Most Cambodians use motos (motorcycles 'taxis') or cyclos (3-wheel bikes) to get around the city.  Fares for foreigners always start high and the more 'tourist' you look, the higher the fare.  In reality, 2,000 Riel will get you just about anywhere you want to go (locals will pay only 500 Riel for the same trip) but expect to have a starting price of up to $2!  Bargain hard and the price will plunge.  Long haul transportation prices are 'set' if purchased from the company and not a hotel or guesthouse.

Local Bus Companies and Stations - June 2004

There are at least a dozen or more main bus companies that ply the roads between the various cities of Cambodia and Phnom Penh.  Most famous for ex-pats and tourists are Capitol, G.S.T., Mekong Express, etc. 

Each bus company uses its own 'station' within each city.  G.S.T.'s station is behind the Shell Gas Station at the Central Market whereas Mekong Express (as the name implies) is located down on the Tonle Sap river front where the ferries from Siem Reap dock.  Depending on which bus you take can depend on how close you are to a particular guest house or part of town you wish to stay in.  In Phnom Penh however, pay no more than 2000 riel to be taken to wherever you wish to go within the city.

If you are using Capitol or Narrin buses, you will be taken to an area close to Olympic Stadium just off Monivong and 214.  Around these stations you will guest house like the Sunday G.H., Capitol G.H., Narrin G.H. and the Swiss G.H.  You can also get your visas here as Lucky Motorbike on Monivong is just around the corner.

If you don't mind walking, it is about a 30 minute walk to the river front and Sisoway Quay.  If you wish to take a moto, once again, do not pay anymore than 2,000 Riel. -- Charles

Capitol Tours runs a large operation from its Guest Houses on Street 182, about a block off of Monivong Avenue.  Buses and boats from there run to several locations in Cambodia and to Vietnam.  As of February 2004 the times and prices were as follows:

You will also find some of the least expensive food here as well with a decent omelet and a large glass of coffee running you less than $1 USD.

The Red Dragon Bus Company

As you continue along the river front towards the "Japanese Bridge" that crosses the Tonle Sap River, you will see the "Rendez Vous Cafe" (their spelling) on the corner of Street 108 and Sisoway Quay, just before you reach the large opening that is the end of Russian Boulevard.

If you make an immediate left here, you will notice the large signs for the "Neak Krorhorm" (Red Dragon) Travel Agency which runs busses between major points such as Bangkok and Ho Chi Ming City. 

The Red Dragon busses will take you to Bangkok from Phnom Penh for $14, departing at 7 AM and arriving Bangkok, Thailand at 21:00 (9PM).  The same company runs buses to Ho Chi Ming City (old Saigon) for 24,000 Cambodian Riel or $6.00.