How to Get to Kampot From Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap, or Sihanoukville
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The chill, riverside city of Kampot is easy to reach from anywhere in Cambodia. You can get to Kampot from Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang or Sihanoukville. However, the travel time is significantly shorter if you go from Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville. Here’s everything you need to know about how to get to Kampot from these four places (and vice versa).
How to get from Phnom Penh to Kampot (and vice versa)
Bus or minivan
Travel time: 3 – 4 hours
Cost: $8 – 11 USD
How to book: 12Go.Asia, Camboticket, Bookmebus, or Checkmybus.
Whether you’re going from Phnom Penh to Kampot or Kampot to Phnom Penh, there are plenty of buses and minivans that frequently run every day. I took a van operated by Pacific Express, which was a smooth and quick ride. Giant Ibis, one of the best and safest transportation companies in Cambodia, has one large bus a day driving this route. I recommend going with either of those two companies.
Train
Travel time: 4 hours and 40 minutes
Cost: $9 USD
How to book: Royal Railway’s booking website, call a Royal Railway branch, or purchase a ticket at the train station.
The train between Kampot and Phnom Penh is a scenic journey. The tradeoff is it’ll take a bit longer to get to your destination and there’s only one train each day. From Phnom Penh, the train leaves at 7 AM. And from Kampot, it leaves at 4 PM. If you have a flexible schedule, taking the train is a wonderful local experience that costs the same as taking the bus.
Taxi or private car/van
Travel time: 3.5 hours
Cost: $60+ USD
How to book: 12Go.Asia, Camboticket, Bookmebus, I Am Cambodia Taxi, Cambodia Taxi Driver, or ask your accommodation.
For the most flexibility and comfort, get a taxi or private driver. Rates start at $60 USD for a car that can seat four passengers. If you have a larger group, get a private van instead. Some of them can seat up to 15 people, which brings the cost per person down to the same as taking a bus.
How to get from Siem Reap to Kampot (and vice versa)
Bus
Travel time: 9 – 9.5 hours
Cost: $22 – 27 USD
How to book: 12Go.Asia or Camboticket.
It’s a long drive between Siem Reap and Kampot. So if you’re headed to Kampot, I recommend going from Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville instead. But if you’ve got to take this route, get ready for an overnight bus – it’s your only option. On the plus side, you save a night of accommodation.
The few overnight buses that run from Siem Reap to Kampot and back leave between 10:30 PM and 12:30 AM. There are only three bus companies to choose from: Giant Ibis, Virak Buntham, and Olongpich Transport. Giant Ibis is the most reputable out of the three, and I only had good experiences with them when I was traveling throughout Cambodia for a month.
Taxi or private car/van
Travel time: 8 hours
Cost: $140+ USD
How to book: 12Go.Asia, Camboticket, I Am Cambodia Taxi, Cambodia Taxi Driver, or ask your accommodation.
Getting a taxi or private car is the best way to go for such a long trip. If it makes financial sense for you, taking a taxi is the most comfortable transportation method. You won’t have to share space with strangers and you can ask the driver to stop at any point along the way.
How to get from Battambang to Kampot (and vice versa)
The only direct way to get from Battambang to Kampot and back is by taking a taxi or private car. If you want to take public transportation, you’ll need to transfer in Phnom Penh. It’s a good opportunity to break up your travel and see Phnom Penh if you haven’t yet. As the capital of Cambodia, Phnnom Penh is filled with history and cultural attractions. Spend a day or two learning about the Khmer Rouge, exploring busy markets, and seeing what local life is like in a busy city.
Minibus/van
Travel time: 8 – 12 hours + transfer time
Cost: $18 – 28 USD
How to book: 12Go.Asia, Camboticket, Bookmebus, or Checkmybus.
Going from Battambang to Kampot, you’ll need to book two separate tickets. The first is from Battambang to Phnom Penh, which is a five to seven-hour ride. The second leg of your trip is three to four hours, from Phnom Penh to Kampot.
You can do the entire trip in one go. It’ll just be a long day. Since you’ll need to transfer, make sure you know where you’ll be dropped off in Phnom Penh and where you need to go for your second minibus. It’s also important to leave yourself more than enough time to make the transfer (and maybe grab lunch).
Train
Travel time: 13 hours + overnight stay in Phnom Penh
Cost: $17 USD
How to book: Royal Railway’s booking website, call a Royal Railway branch, or purchase a ticket at the train station.
Royal Railway, Cambodia’s national railway, doesn’t connect all major places. But it does run between Battambang, Phnom Penh, and Kampot, so you can take the train the entire way. However, you’ll need to stay overnight in Phnom Penh.
Only one train departs from each city every day. The train from Battambang to Phnom Penh leaves at 3 PM, and the train from Phnom Penh to Kampot departs at 7 AM. I highly recommend extending your stay in Phnom Penh if you decide to go this route. Otherwise, you’ll be arriving in Phnom Penh very late and getting up early the next day to catch the train.
Train + minibus/van
Travel time: 10 – 12.5 hours + overnight stay in Phnom Penh
Cost: $16 – 26 USD
How to book: Royal Railway’s booking website for the train + 12Go.Asia, Camboticket, Bookmebus, or Checkmybus for the minibus/van.
Since you’re forced to transfer in Phnom Penh when going from Battambang to Kampot, you can take the train for one leg of the journey and a minibus for the other. Mix and match the two however you like. The bad news is you’ll need to stay the night in Phnom Penh because the train and minibus schedules don’t line up.
An exception is when you’re going from Kampot to Battambang. You don’t need to stay overnight as long as you take the 4 PM train from Kampot to Phnom Penh. You’ll arrive in Phnom Penh around 9 PM. Then, catch one of the overnight buses to Battambang that leave at 10 or 10:30 PM. I wouldn’t recommend trying to do this though. The train might leave late, and you don’t have much of a buffer in case anything goes wrong.
Taxi or private car/van
Travel time: 8 hours
Cost: $135+ USD
How to book: Camboticket, Bookmebus, Taxi in Cambodia, or ask your accommodation.
Taking a taxi is the ideal way to travel between Battambang and Kampot, since there’s no other direct way to get between the two cities. The catch? It comes at a cost.
While it’s the most expensive per person, the price isn’t that bad when you split it among multiple people. If you can fill a four-person car that costs $135 USD, that’s only about $34 each. It’s a reasonable price, given the eight-hour drive.
How to get from Sihanoukville to Kampot (and vice versa)
Train
Travel time: 2 hours
Cost: $6 USD
How to book: Royal Railway’s booking website, call a Royal Railway branch, or purchase a ticket at the train station.
Going from Sihanoukville to Kampot or vice versa, the train is your fastest and cheapest option. It’s one of the rare times in Cambodia when taking the train is the best method. So if you haven’t taken the train yet, this is the perfect opportunity to give it a try.
The train leaves at 2 PM from Sihanoukville every day. From Kampot, it leaves at 10:40 AM. Both train stations are a short tuk tuk ride away from the city center.
Minibus/van
Travel time: 2 – 3 hours
Cost: $10 – 11 USD
How to book: 12Go.Asia, Camboticket, Bookmebus, or Checkmybus.
It’s a quick, easy journey between Sihanoukville and Kampot. If you’re not keen on a train ride, taking a minibus or van is the next best option that balances time and cost.
While there are multiple departure times and companies to choose from, note the last van from Sihanoukville leaves at 2:45 PM and the last one from Kampot leaves at 2:30 PM. To leave later than that, you’ll need to catch a taxi.
Taxi or private car/van
Travel time: 2 – 2.5 hours
Cost: $50+ USD
How to book: 12Go.Asia, Bookmebus, Taxi in Cambodia, or ask your accommodation.
With such a short ride between Kampot and Sihanoukville, I don’t think it’s worth getting a private driver. You’ll get to your destination in roughly the same amount of time it takes when going by train or minibus. But if you prioritize comfort, want to be picked up and dropped off at your accommodation, and don’t mind paying more, then book yourself a taxi.
