Getting to Cambodia
Both of Cambodia's main airports moved in the last three years, and most travel advice online still describes the old ones. Here is the current picture, with transfer times that are real.
Two airports, both new, both further out than you expect
This is the single most out-of-date thing on the internet about Cambodia, so it is worth stating plainly.
| Siem Reap - Angkor International (SAI) | Opened 2023, replacing the old airport beside the temples. It is about 45 km east of Siem Reap, roughly 50 to 60 minutes by road. |
| Techo International, Phnom Penh (KTI) | Opened 9 September 2025, replacing Pochentong. About 20 km south of the centre, 45 to 60 minutes in normal traffic and longer in the evening peak. |
| Sihanoukville (KOS) | Still where it was. Useful only if the coast is your first stop. |
| Transfers we include | Every trip on this site includes both airport transfers, in a private car, with a driver holding a sign with your name and a working phone. |
An hour each way from the airport is now normal at both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. A flight landing at 18:00 means dinner at 20:00, not 19:00, and a 07:00 departure means a 04:30 alarm. Plan the first and last days accordingly.
Where the flights come from
Cambodia has almost no long-haul direct service. Nearly everyone connects through one of five hubs.
| Hub | To Siem Reap | To Phnom Penh | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | About 1 hour | About 1 hour | The most frequent and usually cheapest connection |
| Singapore | 2 - 2.5 hours | 2 hours | Good for arrivals from Europe and Australia |
| Kuala Lumpur | 2 hours | 2 hours | Frequent low-cost options |
| Ho Chi Minh City | 1 hour | 45 minutes | Natural if you are combining with Vietnam |
| Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Guangzhou | 3 - 5 hours | 3 - 5 hours | Strong regional network |
Fly into Siem Reap and out of Phnom Penh, or the reverse, rather than returning to your arrival city. Open-jaw tickets on the same alliance rarely cost more and save you a whole day of backtracking.
Land borders that actually work
Cambodia has many land crossings and about five that are worth using. These are the ones we book.
| Crossing | Between | Realistic time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poipet - Aranyaprathet | Bangkok and Siem Reap | 8 - 10 hours total | The busiest. Slow, and long-standing touting problems on the Thai side. |
| Bavet - Moc Bai | Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh | 6 - 7 hours | The easiest crossing in the country. Sealed road both sides. |
| Kaam Samnor - Vinh Xuong | Chau Doc and Phnom Penh | 5 - 8 hours by boat | The Mekong route. Slow and genuinely worth it. |
| Ha Tien - Prek Chak | Phu Quoc or the Mekong Delta and Kep | 3 - 4 hours from Kep | Quiet, easy, and the natural way onto the Cambodian coast. |
| Trapeang Sre - Loc Ninh | Ho Chi Minh City and Kratie or Mondulkiri | 6 - 8 hours | Only worth it if you are heading straight to the east. |
At every crossing, the rule is the same: use the official window, pay the official fee, and refuse the 'processing' or 'quarantine' charges that appear at some posts. Our drivers meet you on the Cambodian side and wait as long as it takes.
The river from Vietnam
There is a boat route from Chau Doc in the Vietnamese delta up the Mekong to Phnom Penh, clearing immigration mid-river at Kaam Samnor. It takes most of a day, costs more than the bus, and is the only border crossing in the region that people describe fondly afterwards.
It runs daily in normal conditions and can be interrupted by very low water in April and May. If your trip starts in Vietnam and you have a spare day, this is what we would suggest doing with it.
Arriving overland from Laos
The Nong Nok Khiene - Trapeang Kriel crossing, between Si Phan Don in southern Laos and Stung Treng, is open and used regularly. Expect informal fees on both sides despite them having no legal basis; the amounts are small and arguing costs an hour.
From Stung Treng it is about two hours to Kratie and another five to Phnom Penh. If you are coming this way, build the Mekong into your route rather than driving past it.
Questions travellers ask most
Which airport should I fly into?
Siem Reap if your trip starts with Angkor, which is most people. Phnom Penh if you are heading east or to the coast first. Flying into one and out of the other is almost always the better plan.
How long does the airport transfer take now?
About 50 to 60 minutes at Siem Reap and 45 to 60 minutes at Phnom Penh, longer in the evening peak. Both airports are recent and considerably further out than the ones they replaced.
Is the Poipet border from Thailand as bad as people say?
It is slow and it is the one crossing where touts are a genuine nuisance, but it is manageable if someone is waiting for you on the Cambodian side. If your dates allow, the Bangkok to Siem Reap flight is one hour and removes the problem.
Can I get from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh in a day?
Comfortably. It is six to seven hours door to door by road including the Bavet border, or 45 minutes in the air. The river route through Chau Doc takes a full day and is the nicest of the three.
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