So you want to get from Battambang to Phnom Penh? You’re in the right place. In this article we’ll explain all of the options available for you to travel from Battambang to Phnom Penh, and which is the most convenient & cost effective to take your journey with.
There are 3 ways you can travel from Battambang to Phnom Penh:
- Train ($10USD) – 7:30 hours +/- 1-2hours, 3pm everyday outside the railway station
- Bus ($12-17) – 5/8 hours journey time, available on the hour, every 35 minutes past and 30 minutes past
- Motorcycle rental ($5-10/day) – riding time about 7 hours
Getting The Train From Battambang to Phnom Penh
There is a single train that departs from Battambang station to Phnom Penh at 3pm daily. It’s a fairly unreliable service, and the ride is extremely rocky, if not somewhat dangerous to ride, but the views are absolutely phenomenal. If you’re into adventure, I’d recommend taking this train for the experience, but it is in no way efficient or nice to travel on. There is no AC, the ticket is pretty expensive considering the conditions, and the horn blares the entire way making it impossible to sleep.
Before you leave off from the station, there are also some housing settlements built along the train that are pretty interesting to explore if you’re into the more edgy side of travelling. Everyone was friendly when I went, but the area is quite a dodgy-looking one. I was told by some Cambodians, that this area is used as temporary housing for workers that travel from other provinces, so it’s not considered a slum as such, but it definitely feels similar to one.
It was incredibly fun to ride and experience, but I wouldn’t recommend doing this more than once. The bus is slightly better to travel in, as there is AC and it’s pretty cool, but the seats and sleeper beds are not built for anyone above 170cm. You’ll also have to share a sleep compartment with someone on the sleeper bus.
Where To Get The Train
To get the train, you will have to go to Battambang Royal Railway Station. The station is closed most of the day, and only opens at 2pm to sell tickets to travellers. There is usually no one inside the ticket booths and you have to purchase a ticket from a man or woman standing outside. There are no uniforms, so look for someone with a shoulder bag carrying money. Usually they will ask you if you’re getting a train ticket, but this can be difficult to discern if you’ve never taken the journey before.
Bus (Sleeper, VIP & Hotel Bus)
Bus is the most efficient way to get from Battambang to Phnom Penh, with buses from different transport companies taking the route daily, you’ll have more than enough options to get from A to B. The price is pretty economical, but can range depending on whether you’re getting a sleeper bus, VIP bus, or just a regular sitting bus. The regular VIP buses are the cheapest, but they are not the best comfort-wise.
There are 3 types of bus you can get from Battambang’s station:
- VIP Minivan ($11) – every hour/half hour, upright seating, AC is ok, fast, cheap, reliable
- Hotel ($14) – every day at 10pm, fully extended bed you can lie down on, AC is great, relatively quick
- Sleeper ($12) – every day at 10pm, not fully extended bed, have to share a compartment with someone else, AC is good
We suggest opting for Hotel or Sleeper buses when travelling in Cambodia.
However, it should be noted that in the sleeper buses you’ll have to share a sleeping compartment with another traveller which, if you don’t know them, can be quite unsettling/uncomfortable. Additionally, the seats are not made for people who are any taller than 170cm, so expect for a pretty uncomfortable, bumpy ride.
There’s are a lot of reviews online to back up the experience being pretty poor, with loud music playing, the driver going too fast and not enough space. I can confirm all of this is true in my experience.
Private Van Hire Using App
Some food delivery apps have started to offer Minivan travel services that you can book directly through the app. One is Nham 24, and at the time of writing this article, they are offering good promotional deals which make the journey much cheaper. I’m not sure if the service is good for this type of travel, as I haven’t personally used it myself, but there are some people online who recommend using it.
Which Are The Best Bus Companies To Choose for Battambang to Phnom Penh?
Virak Buntham Express is the best bus service to use when travelling from Battambang to Phnom Penh. The AC is good, and the leg room is better than Saly. Both are good, but Virak Buntham has the slight edge over Saly.
If you are travelling a route that is available on Giant Ibis (Battambang isn’t) – use them instead. They provide a much smoother service, with great AC, space and amenities for a decent price.
I’m Harry – and I was tired of the same old “10 best places I’ve never been but I’m writing about for some reason” blog posts. So… I’m a young traveller on a mission to travel the world and share my true, unfiltered experience, including all the gristly details. From packing my life into one bag for a year, to traveling Vietnam by motorbike, to sorting out Visas for specific countries – I’ve done it all, am doing it all and only give my advice on things I have done – not regurgitated cr*p from another source *cough* most publications *cough*. So bear with us! This project will take some time to grow, and will take a fair bit of money. But I’m determined to make it the single best source of information about traveling on the internet.
