Phnom Penh - Ho Chi Minh Buses. The best and the worst

As I was sitting on a 6 hour bus ride the other day with nothing to do, I started to contemplate this excellent waste of time. If you are catching a bus to somewhere for the first time, then it's a little fascinating, however when you are on a bus trip that you have actually done numerous times, it's just dead time unless you have a book to check out, some work to do, or you take pleasure in viewing movies with voice dubbing. I have gotten an in depth understanding about many of the bus business that operate the flat as a pancake run from Phnom Penh to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and back.

Plane or bus?

The air travel is generally around $165USD minimum and takes fifty minutes or so. The bus expenses between $8 and $12 and takes 6 hours normally, so you are paying $1.02 for each minute of the one hundred and fifty minutes you are conserving.

Bus-lines ranked by score

Mekong Express Lmousine Bus (8/10) $12.

When the bus shows up, the well dressed bus guide, will show you to your seat. The Cambodian crowd that you fulfill on this bus are normally well mannered and friendly. The bus leaves from O'Russey market in Phnom Penh generally and completes it's journey in Pham Ngu Lao HCMC.

Sapaco Tourist 7/10 $12.

They have a toilet in the middle of the bus (sunken a little into the floor with steps). These people do about 7 buses every day in both instructions and are the first choice for the Vietnamese tourists (primarily company travelers). The bus leaves from Olympic Stadium location in Phnom Penh typically and completes it's journey in Pham Ngu Lao HCMC.

Malinh Express/ Malinh Tourist 6.5/ 10 $9-10.

They do everything from micro taxis, to big buses and everything in between. The buses are normally good brand-new Hyundais without a toilet which implies that they stop sometimes for a toilet break. The personnel don't normally speak much English or Khmer, but they typically attempt to be valuable by handing you a fake-silk pillow to rest your head on.

The bus leaves from Olympic Arena area in Phnom Penh normally and completes it's trip in Pham Ngu Lao HCMC. Tickets can be brought through agents and hotels all over.
 

Kumho Samco 6/10 $11.

Strange name, nice bus. I just recently found this bus services returning from Saigon. They have newish Samco/Hino buses withe the toilet in the middle of the car. They have lowered the seating storage capacity to 32people, thereby providing some nice additional legroom and seats that recline a long way. The staff were nice enough, but completely disorganised at the start. When we reached the border, they enhanced. The primary downsides where that they left twenty 5 minutes late because they were awaiting a traveler that was a pal of one of the personnel as well as that the volume on the home entertainment system was expensive. Their taste in voice dubbed movies was also appalling, but hey, absolutely nothing brand-new there. The bus leaves from somewhere in Phnom Penh normally and completes it's trip in Pham Ngu Lao HCMC. Tickets can be brought through representatives and hotels in some places. I believe this company is poorly managed, but they have good buses:-RRB-.

Phnom Penh Sorya 168 Bus Company 6/10 $6-7.

These people are OKAY, they are simply a cheapo bus services. Ageing Hyundai buses, sometimes with doors that do not close properly. The bus leaves from Central market in Phnom Penh usually and finishes it's trip in Pham Ngu Lao HCMC.

Van Rec Co 5/10 $6-7.

Ageing buses that they generate like fighter planes. If you are in a hurry, good. Begins? lands? I flagged it down on the bridge over the Bassac river. It dropped in an area of HCMC that I am not familiar with. I simply got onto a motorcycle taxi.

Paramount Angkor Express 2/10 $10-12.

The very first time I attempted them, their bus left fifteen minutes ahead of schedule and I had to say for a refund. The second time, the personnel spent the whole time cackling their heads off so you could not hear yourself think. After thirty minutes, I strolled and grabbed a public bus on the Vietnam side.

There it is folks. I hope my understanding on this odd matter will assist someone in their quest for a smooth bus trip in between these 2 cities.

BL.

If you are capturing a bus to somewhere for the very first time, then it's a little fascinating, but when you are on a bus ride that you have actually done many times, it's simply dead time unless you have a book to check out, some work to do, or you delight in watching movies with voice dubbing. When the bus arrives, the well dressed bus guide, will show you to your seat. The bus leaves from O'Russey market in Phnom Penh typically and completes it's trip in Pham Ngu Lao HCMC. The bus leaves from Olympic Arena area in Phnom Penh usually and finishes it's journey in Pham Ngu Lao HCMC. The bus leaves from Central market in Phnom Penh generally and finishes it's trip in Pham Ngu Lao HCMC.