How to travel from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville by train

The past couple of decades haven’t been kind to Sihanoukville. This once quiet and attractive coastal city has been disfigured and transformed by years of overdevelopment and a distinct lack of regulation or planning. Most people taking the train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville only stay in town long enough to catch an onward ferry to the altogether more appealing Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem islands, 25km away.

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Route map and details

For the first 10km after leaving Phnom Penh, the Sihanoukville and Battambang lines share a single track. Just past Phnom Penh International Airport, the lines diverge and the Sihanoukville line heads southwards towards the coast.

The route then passes through the popular tourist towns of Kep and Kampot before arriving into Sihanoukville’s small main station, 270km from Phnom Penh.

If your onward ferry connection to the islands is leaving on the same day, the ferry terminal is only 2km away, which is either walkable or via tuk-tuk (the drivers are tough negotiators though).

Timetables

Only one train per day runs on the line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, departing early in the morning.

How to buy tickets

The easiest way to buy train tickets in Cambodia is online rather than going to the station. You do pay a very small commission but the ease and convenience makes it worthwhile in our opinion.

Baolau is the best site to use for buying train tickets, they have access to the official Royal Railways booking engine, so you can easily see availability, timetables and prices.

Payment can be made using international credit card and PDF confirmation tickets are sent to your email address within a few minutes. This is the actual ticket you need to board the train, so there’s no need to exchange it at the station before travel. You may prefer to print the pdf out, but it’s also fine to show it on your mobile phone to the conductors and station staff.

Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville train tickets

How much does it cost?

There is only one type of ticket on the train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, which is for a soft seat (unreserved seating). Most trains on the route aren’t air-conditioned but, with the windows open, it’s a very pleasant ride.

Modern air-conditioned carriages are slowly being introduced to the Cambodian Railway network, including on this route.