Vietnam’s largest city is a huge metropolitan area home to around 12 million people and still growing at an unstoppable pace. Despite this, the heart of the city is full of unique buildings and pleasant streets with theaters and cathedrals from the French colonial era. After spending some time in this French city, you might want to discover another Asian pearl where you can also see French colonial architecture. Cambodia’s capital and largest city, Phnom Penh boasts exceptional architecture as well as temples and palaces, and is only a short distance from Siem Reap, the gateway to the spectacular Angkor Wat. If you’re thinking of visiting these two cities, keep reading our guide to find out the best way to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh.
Travel options from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
The simplest road route from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh is about 230 kilometers, which at first glance does not seem like much. However, the roads in this part of the world are not very fast, so the journey may take longer than you imagine. You also have to reckon with the fact that you will cross the border between Vietnam and Cambodia, so you should have a little more time to complete the process. There are daily buses and vans from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh and there are always different services to choose from. Without a doubt, the cheapest means of transport between the two cities is the bus, but it is also the slowest. The alternative to the bus is faster, although much more expensive, because it involves a plane.
From Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by bus
There are four main companies that regularly provide services to Phnom Penh: Giant Ibis Transport, Mekong Express, The SinhTourist and Kumho Samco. Out of all of them, Giant Ibis Transport is usually rated the best for safety and service, so expect to pay a few euros more for traveling with this company. They offer at least one departure per day, which leaves in the morning and arrives in Phnom Penh about six hours later. In times of more tourists, they also offer an afternoon service. The large buses they use to service from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh include Wi-Fi and drinks and snacks.
SinhTourist is another operator that offers three services a day, although it increases to four at busier times, starting early in the morning and ending in the middle of the afternoon. The buses are comparable to the Giant Ibis, but without Wi-Fi, although they do have toilets and TVs.
Mekong Express operates express buses with hostesses and snacks on board and offers three daily departures from Ho Chi Minh City. Finally, Kumho Samco offers the largest number of departures and is usually the cheapest option. They have VIP buses with beds so you’ll have more space than other buses and you can recline your seat while enjoying the scenery. Despite offering this service, they do not have night buses. Most buses leave in the morning and only a few in the early afternoon.
From Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by van
Toyota vehicle often used as a minibus or minivan in Southeast Asia © nitinut380 / Shutterstock.com
If you like a cheap bus but prefer to travel with a bit of privacy, you may want to consider a van ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh. Mekong Express, in addition to bus services, offers several van trips per day. A van ticket costs little more than a bus ticket. You might think you’ll have less space and less services in a van, but they’re usually a good option for people traveling in a group because that way you can have a whole private van, which is not the case with buses.
Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport © AsiaTravel / Shutterstock.com
The last option to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh is by plane. Flying can save you a day on a bus or van, but it also has its downsides. A plane ticket to Phnom Penh is at least five times more expensive. With this in mind, flights are a great option if you don’t have to look at the money and want to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh in the shortest possible time, as the flight time is only 45 minutes.
There are four different airlines to choose from, so do your research to find the best deals. Airlines include Qatar Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Cambodia Angkor Air.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the airport to go to is Tan Son Nhat International Airport, which is located north of the city center. Phnom Penh International Airport is 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city. Both are large airports, so it’s always easy to get to or go into the city.
When planning a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, be sure to add extra time to get to the airport, as well as waiting times and security checks. Still, adding this time should save you a few hours compared to taking the bus, although you’ll have to decide if the extra time is worth saving. Also remember that if you choose to fly by plane, you will miss the beautiful scenery seen from the road. The bus travels over the Mekong River and through cities and towns you wouldn’t otherwise see. For this reason, and also because of the economic savings, we believe that the bus is the best option to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh.