Cambodia operates two parallel transportation networks that rarely intersect. Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville form a triangle served by sealed roads and scheduled bus companies. Beyond this triangle, laterite tracks, motorcycle taxis, and boat routes dominate. The Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake function as highways during wet season and barriers during dry season. Infrastructure completion dates shift annually. What worked last year may not exist this year, and routes marked impassable on old maps may now carry articulated trucks.
National Highway 6 connects Phnom Penh to Siem Reap across 314 kilometers of sealed surface completed in segments between 2007 and 2013. Giant Ibis, Mekong Express, Virak Buntham, and Kampot Express run this route with buses departing between 0700 and 1500 daily. Journey time ranges from five and a half to seven hours depending on morning fog delays near Kampong Thom. Ticket prices fluctuate between seven and twelve United States dollars. Giant Ibis provides seat assignment and operates Mercedes vehicles manufactured after 2018. Mekong Express uses a mixture of Hyundai and Chinese coaches with purchase years visible on door manufacturer plates.
National Highway 4 runs 226 kilometers southwest from Phnom Penh through Kampot to Sihanoukville. The road was reconstructed between 2008 and 2014 by China Overseas Engineering Group. Bus companies complete this route in four to five hours. Virak Buntham operates twelve daily departures. Kampot serves as a midpoint stop where fifty percent of passengers disembark. The highway crosses Pich Nil Pass in the Elephant Mountains at 600 meters elevation where fog reduces visibility between November and February before 1000 hours. Motorcycles use the sealed shoulder. Trucks carrying construction materials to Sihanoukville port developments create queues at the single-lane sections near Veal Renh between 1400 and 1700.
Battambang lies 291 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh via National Highway 5. This route deteriorated between 2015 and 2020 as Chinese-built Sihanoukville port diverted maintenance funding. Rith Mony and Phnom Penh Sorya operate this route with journey times extending to eight hours when wet season damage creates detours. The road crosses Tonle Sap floodplain where water covers the surface between August and October in heavy rain years. Buses depart Phnom Penh's Central Market station and Battambang's southeast station near Psar Nat market. Ticket prices range from six to nine dollars. Passengers carry motorbikes on roof racks for an additional three to five dollars.
The Phnom Penh to Kratie route follows National Highway 7 for 350 kilometers along the Mekong's west bank. Sealed surface ends at Kampong Cham, 124 kilometers from Phnom Penh. Beyond Kampong Cham, laterite and crushed stone create journey times of nine to eleven hours. Sorya Transport and Rith Mony run one departure daily at 0700. The road parallels the Mekong but river boat services ceased in 2014 when fast boat operators in Kratie switched to overland tourist routes. Dry season exposes sandbars that force the remaining cargo boats into a channel too narrow for passenger operations. Wet season currents run at four to six kilometers per hour against upstream travel.
Kampot to Kep covers 25 kilometers on National Highway 33, sealed in 2011. Shared taxis operate this route continuously between 0600 and 1800, departing when four passengers accumulate. Journey time is thirty minutes. Cost is two dollars per seat or eight dollars for vehicle charter. The road runs parallel to the Gulf of Thailand coast one to three kilometers inland. Turnoffs to Kep Beach and Rabbit Island ferry pier are marked with painted concrete signs erected by provincial tourism department in 2016. Motorcycle taxis wait at Kep roundabout charging one dollar for trips within town boundaries.
Siem Reap to Battambang formerly operated as a boat route across Tonle Sap Lake. The Tonle Sap ferry ceased scheduled passenger service in 2016 after National Road 6 improvements made bus travel faster. Private boat charters still run this route during high water season from July through November when lake depth exceeds three meters. Charter cost ranges from 150 to 250 dollars for boats carrying six to ten passengers. Journey time is five to seven hours depending on water level and engine horsepower. Boats depart from Chong Khneas floating village 15 kilometers south of Siem Reap town center and arrive at Prek Toal or Kampong Khleang on Battambang side. No fixed schedule exists. Arrangements require advance booking through guesthouse operators who contact boat owners by phone.
Phnom Penh airport taxis operate on a voucher system. Passengers purchase vouchers at desks immediately after customs exit. Price to central Phnom Penh is twelve dollars. Price to Riverside area is nine dollars. The voucher system was implemented in 2006 to prevent fare disputes. Journey time to central districts ranges from twenty-five to forty minutes depending on traffic density on Norodom Boulevard. Tuk-tuks wait outside the voucher zone and negotiate prices between seven and ten dollars. Grab and PassApp ride services function at Phnom Penh airport but drivers cannot enter the arrival terminal zone. Passengers must walk to the departure level or exit the airport perimeter.
Siem Reap airport is eight kilometers from town center. Tuk-tuks charge five to seven dollars. Taxi vouchers cost twelve dollars. The airport road was widened in 2018. Journey time is fifteen to twenty minutes. Guesthouses offer pickup service for customers who book directly, usually free for stays exceeding three nights. Motorcycle taxi drivers at the airport quote three to four dollars but this price applies only to passengers without luggage. A backpack requires tuk-tuk space.
Phnom Penh city transport relies on tuk-tuks, motorcycle taxis, and recently introduced bus routes. The municipal bus system began operation in 2014 with three routes. Route 01 runs from Olympic Stadium to Chbar Ampov crossing the Japanese Friendship Bridge. Route 03 runs north-south along Norodom Boulevard to Russian Market. Fare is 1,500 riel, approximately thirty-seven cents. Buses run from 0530 to 2030 at intervals of fifteen to twenty minutes. The system expanded to thirteen routes by 2023. Route maps exist in Khmer and English on laminated posters at major stops. Bus numbers are painted on vehicle front and sides.
Tuk-tuks in Phnom Penh charge one to two dollars for trips within central districts. A journey from Royal Palace to Russian Market typically costs two dollars. Night rates after 2100 increase by fifty percent. Drivers rarely use meters. Fare negotiation occurs before departure. PassApp and Grab set fixed prices based on GPS distance. Grab entered Cambodia market in 2018. PassApp launched in 2016 as a local competitor. Both apps function in English and Khmer. Payment is cash on delivery. Digital payment options exist but adoption remains below twenty percent as of 2024.
Motorcycle taxis in Phnom Penh wear numbered vests issued by municipal authority. Orange vests indicate legal operation. Unlicensed drivers wear no vest or unofficial colors. Fare for short trips within two kilometers is 2,000 to 4,000 riel. Passengers must supply their own helmet. Drivers carry a spare helmet approximately thirty percent of the time. Police checkpoints on major roads require helmets. Fine for violation is 15,000 riel assessed to the driver, who typically requests reimbursement from passenger.
Siem Reap operates primarily on tuk-tuk and motorcycle taxi transport. The town covers twelve square kilometers of developed area. Tuk-tuks charge one to three dollars for trips within town. Temple visits require full-day or half-day rental. Full-day rate is fifteen to twenty dollars for Angkor Wat circuit. This includes waiting time at temple sites. Drivers do not enter temple complexes. They wait in designated parking areas. Half-day rate for sunrise or sunset tours is ten to twelve dollars. Drivers depart hotels at 0500 for sunrise at Angkor Wat, which occurs between 0545 and 0610 depending on season.