Cambodia’s public transportation system is evolving. Once dominated by informal travel modes and patchy connections, the transport network is slowly modernizing thanks to new investments in urban transit, improved highways, international airports, and waterborne services along its extensive river systems. Daily life — from commuting in Phnom Penh to traveling between provinces or crossing borders — requires a mix of buses, moto-taxis, tuktuks, ferry boats, regional flights, and emerging intercity coach links. For residents and visitors alike, understanding how to get around reflects both the nation’s progress and its remaining challenges.
Land Transportation: Roads, Buses, and Urban Mobility
For most Cambodians, land transport remains the most commonly used mode. Within cities such as Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville, tuk-tuks, motos, and ride-hailing apps dominate short distances. Phnom Penh’s skyline may be changing, but the sight of colorful tuk-tuks weaving past motorbikes and buses is an everyday reality.
City Transit and Emerging Routes
Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital and largest city, lacks a formal mass rapid transit system like those in Singapore or Bangkok, but it has made strides with city buses and organized public routes. Phnom Penh City Bus, introduced in 2014, now operates multiple routes that serve residential neighborhoods, markets, and major attractions. Fares are low, making this service invaluable for daily commuters, though schedules are modest by international standards.
Tuktuk driver and community member Sokha Kim shares his perspective: “People still depend a lot on tuk-tuks for short trips because buses are too slow or routes don’t always reach where they live. But buses help students and workers who can’t afford other options.”
In recent years, Cambodia has pushed to improve intercity highways. The newly upgraded Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway has reduced travel time dramatically between the capital and the coastal economic hub, supporting business travel and tourism. Intercity buses and private coaches regularly ply these and other long-distance routes, linking provinces with daily departures that vary by season.
Railway Services
Rail transport in Cambodia is functional but limited. Intercity rail links connect Phnom Penh with Sihanoukville in the southwest and Poipet on the Thai border, with steel rails winding across fields and towns. Trains are slow compared to buses, but they offer an affordable and scenic alternative, ideal for travelers who prefer daytime journeys through rural landscapes. Efforts to rehabilitate and expand rail infrastructure continue, but progress is steady rather than rapid.
Waterways: Rivers, Ferries, and Marine Routes
Cambodia’s river systems — most notably the Mekong and Tonle Sap — have traditionally supported transport and trade, even before paved roads existed. Today, waterways continue to play a role in moving people and goods, especially in rural and floodplain regions.
In Phnom Penh, river ferries and small passenger boats connect neighborhoods along the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. These crossings are essential in areas where bridges are scarce and can save significant travel time compared to circuitous road routes. Long-distance boat services, including journeys between Phnom Penh and relevant river towns during high water seasons, remain an attraction for adventurous travelers and locals alike.
Fisherman and boat operator Chenda Rith reflects on his trade: “People still come to the river for transport — it’s part of life. When the water is high, boats move faster and carry goods to the markets that trucks cannot reach.”
Along Cambodia’s coasts, services between coastal towns and islands operate on a seasonal schedule, taking advantage of calmer waters. These connections are particularly important for tourism — linking places like Sihanoukville, Koh Rong, and Koh Rong Sanloem — though safety standards vary and schedules depend on weather conditions.
Air Transport: Linking Provinces and the World
Air travel is a vital piece of Cambodia’s transport landscape. The busiest airport, Phnom Penh International Airport, handles both domestic flights and international connections to destinations across Asia. Siem Reap International Airport, gateway to Angkor’s world-famous temples, sees heavy tourist traffic, while Sihanoukville International Airport supports coastal tourism and regional flights.
Local carrier Cambodia Angkor Air and several regional airlines operate domestic and international routes, ensuring fast travel between urban hubs and reducing travel time compared with long land or water journeys. For travelers wanting to reach the temples of Angkor, or to connect quickly between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, flights are often the most convenient choice — especially during peak seasons.
Passenger Yuranan Phalla notes: “Flying from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap cuts travel time from nearly five hours by road to just over an hour in the air, which helps business trips and holidays.”
Challenges and Future Directions
Despite progress, Cambodia’s public transport system still faces significant challenges. Urban traffic congestion, especially in Phnom Penh, continues to worsen, and plans for a mass rapid transit system are still in development. Rural areas remain reliant on informal transport and underdeveloped roads, which are vulnerable to seasonal flooding and wear. Safety concerns persist on both land and water routes, highlighting ongoing needs for regulation, enforcement, and infrastructure investment.
To tackle these issues, the government, private sector partners, and international donors are prioritizing investments in highways, port upgrades, eco-friendly buses, and improved logistics corridors that can support economic growth. Discussions about expanding railway networks and integrating technologies for ticketing and route planning reflect a broader ambition to modernize how Cambodians travel.
What It Means for People and Growth
For Cambodians, improved public transportation offers clearer economic opportunities. Faster and more reliable connections allow workers to reach jobs farther from home, students to commute safely, and goods to flow more efficiently to markets. Tourism — a key sector for Cambodia — benefits directly from better airports and streamlined land routes, making iconic destinations more accessible to international visitors.
For visitors, navigating Cambodia’s public transport requires some flexibility: bus and boat schedules can shift with seasons, roads vary in condition, and informal operators are common. However, there is now more choice than ever before — from city buses to coastal ferries and quick domestic flights — allowing travelers to tailor their journeys to time, budget, and experience.
Looking Ahead
As Cambodia moves further into the 2020s, investments in urban transit, intercity connectivity, waterways, and air services are shaping a transport ecosystem that supports progress and inclusion. Whether riding a bus in Phnom Penh, boarding a river ferry in the flooded plains, or flying between provinces, the nation’s mobility story is one of growing options, persistent challenges, and an ongoing drive toward connectivity that moves people and the economy forward.
