Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital city of Cambodia.

Hitching out

Southwest towards Sihanoukville, Koh Kong by Expressway E4

From Central Market area take a bus number 3 towards Borey Son Ti Pheap 2. The bus stop is located on the western side of the market on Street 128, not far from the junction with Monivong Boulevard, which is the main thoroughfare of Phnom Penh. Alternatively you can take a bus number 4B from the same area, the bus stop is located on Charles de Gaulle Boulevard (Street 217). Before covid this bus was going farther west along NR4, unfortunately now it goes south along NR3 and finishes at the same spot as bus 3. Whichever bus you take get off near Chom Chao Flyover which is a multilevel junction where the National Road 3 and 4 start. The bus ride is 1500 riel, cash only, no change given. From there you have to use Passapp or Grab apps to order tuk tuk which can get you to the expressway entrance. Tuk tuk should cost around 2 dollars. You can hitch just after the roundabout, but there is more traffic further up the road where flyover merges. Toll plaza is less than 4 km away, but pedestrians are prohibited on this motorway.

Southeast towards Bavet, Ho Chi Minh City by National Road 1

From Monivong Boulevard which is the main avenue running north-south take a bus number 1 to the last stop which is now located near Veal Sbov Pagoda and primary school along the National Road 1 (1500 riel, cash only, no change given). You have to take a bus that goes in the southern direction. Some buses might display 1A instead of 1, but after covid lines 1A and 1B have been merged. You can hitchhike right were you got off the bus as this is the main road to Bavet at the Vietnamese border and to Ho Chi Minh City. You can also walk for 2km (or order a tuk tuk using Passapp or Grab) and get further south to the junction with Street 114 which is part of Ring Road 2 bypassing Phnom Penh and Ta Khmao town from the south. This road is used by many truckers and they enter NR1 at this junction. You can hitch near Total petrol station right after the junction or walk after the weigh bridge where less local buses pull in. There's an advertising banner above the road which provides some shadow. Make a sign Bavet and you can get a direct right to the border.

South southwest towards Kampot, Kep by National Road 3

From Central Market area take a bus number 3 towards Borey Son Ti Pheap 2. The bus stop is located on the western side of the market on Street 128, not far from the junction with Monivong Boulevard, which is the main thoroughfare of Phnom Penh. Once on the bus you will pass by the airport and Chom Chao Flyover which is a multilevel junction where national road 3 and 4 start. Once there tell the conductor that you want to get off at Total gas station which is on the right hand side. Just before Total there is a PTT gas station on the left. The bus ride is 1500 riel, cash only, no change given. The national road 3 was upgraded to dual carriageway standard in 2022, but it's not a motorway so pedestrians, bicycles and motorbikes are allowed. A few hundred metres behind Total there's a massive advertising banner above the road which provides much needed shadow.

South towards Takeo, Cần Thơ by National Road 2

You can take a cheap minivan to the Tonloap Market (ផ្សារទន្លាប់), on the border with Vietnam, at the Caltex Petrol Station of Daeum Kou Market [11.55285N, 104.9037E] or at the Sokimex Petrol Station of Steung Mean Chey [11.5348N, 104.8857E] (to both of these spots you can get by bus 4B). Otherwise, head south on Chamkar Doung Road (Road 271) towards the Killing Fields (ជើងឯក) from the Sokimex Petrol Station, and hitchhike from there.

Northwest towards Siem Reap by NR6 and northeast towards Kratie, Laos by NR7

You can hitch just after Phrom Bayon Statue and roundabout on the eastern side of Chroy Changvar Bridge, where National Road 6 starts. You can get here from Monivong Boulevard by bus 1 heading north (1500 riel, cash only, no change given). Make sure to make a sign as first of all you will have a lot of local traffic here, and secondly the roads later split. The NR6 continues northwest towards Siem Reap, but if you want to go to Kratie (Kracheh) and towards Laos you have to take NR7 which starts 70 km north from this spot.

Northwest towards Battambang, Poi Pet, Bangkok by National Road 5

From Monivong Boulevard take the public bus line 1 as far north as it goes which should be somewhere around Prek Pnov Market and walk further north to find a good spot. There is a Sokimex petrol station with a lot of space for cars to stop. Alternatively take a tuk tuk just north of Chroy Changvar bridge [approx. 11.5872N, 104.91914E], which usually go as far as Udong (about 40km away).

Public Transport

Before covid there were 17 bus lines bringing people to the farthest outskirts. For two years during the pandemic they were all suspended and as of March 2023 only 5 lines are back and running. The vehicles are modern with AC onboard and they run between 5.30am and 8.30pm with an interval of 10-20 minutes depending on the line. One ride costs 1500 riel, cash only, no change given (late 2022).

Unfortunately you can't find Phnom Penh public transport on Google Maps, nor on Moovit app, however all the 17 lines are visible on Openstreetmap and on a related app called Osmand. Lines 1, 2 and 3 have all the stops added and directions will work on these lines in Osmand app in the same way as in Google, showing connections and walking time between stops. Other lines don't work this way. There's also an app provided by the PP City Bus Authority that shows all the 17 lines and most stops as well as live position of the buses from their GPS.

Besides buses there's plenty of three wheeler tuk tuks. There are two apps used by locals to order a tuk tuk: Passapp and Grab. With these apps you will know the price to your destination before ordering, so you don't need to worry about being ripped off. Prices start at 4000 riel (USD 1) for the shortest ride up to 1km and a distance of 10km should cost around 10,000 riel, or 2.5 dollars (late 2022).

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