Cambodia Post VIP Van is one of my favorite ways to travel around Cambodia. They’ve just resumed operations again, so I’ve updated this post, which is about the Phnom Penh to Siem Reap route with Cambodia Post VIP Van’s 2022 schedule and what you should know regarding Covid-19. (This is also the van you take from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap to Kampong Thom.) Here’s the full report.
tl;dr: Cambodia Post VIP Van is great. Buy a ticket.
Pick up your mail before you depart in style from the historic Phnom Penh post office.
The Cambodia Post VIP Van, a transport service owned by the Cambodian government and post office, runs minibuses between several cities. The novelty of the Cambodia Post transport service is that they are actually using the mini-buses to bring mail and packages from one city to another. But they aren’t old, run-down mail trucks as you might expect. Cambodia Post has purchased a fleet of brand-new Toyota HiAces, my preferred model of mini-bus because of their wide, comfortable seats. Buses and passengers are insured by Caminco Insurance, which was reassuring.
On my last trip, we left from the Siem Reap post office a few minutes early because everyone was already there, and the trip took under 6 hours. Tickets from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap cost $10.50. The buses are new, the trip was fast, the driving was cautious, and the food at the restaurant stop was good.
The WiFi sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t, and I am not sure why it does on some trips and not others. If you’re worried about whether or not you’ll have WiFi, I would suggest getting a cheap data package on a Cellcard SIM, which all in can be had for less than $5. But usually you’ll get at least some WiFi on these bus trips.
Cambodia Post VIP Van uses a fleet of brand-new (and very comfy) Toyota HiAce vans.
Usually a HiAce can seat 15 passengers plus the driver, but Cambodia Post has pulled out two of the seats in the back row for mail and luggage, which makes the back row less crowded. Because there are only three seats across the front, seats A1 and A2 (the front window seat, aka “shotgun”) are slightly more roomy. The second row has three seats across, A3, A4, and A5. The third row has a pair of seats, A6 and A7, and then one solo seat, A8. This solo seat has extra legroom as long as overflow baggage isn’t stored there. The fourth row is in the same configuration, with a pair of seats, A9 and A10, and a solo seat, A11. In the back are an additional two seats, A12 and A13, that they hold until the last minute in case they need them for more mail. These two seats aren’t sold online.
During the trip from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh the bus stopped twice, first in Kampong Thom at the Golden Chenla Hotel, and then in Skun at a rest stop that served food. The Golden Chenla Hotel had a menu for Khmers and one in English, with the prices in English double the price for the same dishes on the Khmer menu (if you can order in Khmer you’ll usually get the local price). Both stops had toilets, and as per usual there is no toilet paper, so bring your own if you need it.
If you are looking to go between Phnom Penh or Siem Reap and Kampong Thom, this is also the van you will take. I’ve included the time of the Kampong Thom stop in the table below.
In Siem Reap, the Cambodia Post departs from the centrally located post office.
The Cambodia Post VIP Van leaves from and terminates at the main post office in each city. They do not do hotel pick-ups. Most of the other mini-bus companies are forced to do hotel pick-ups because their offices are not in town, but the post offices are centrally located and walkable to many hotels.
Covid-19 protocols: As of 2022, you will be expected to wear a mask during travel on Cambodia Post VIP Van. I will update this page if that changes.
Is it too good to be true? They even want to know how their driving is.
Tickets can be purchased online in advance and you can see real-time seating charts and pick which seat you want. I got my ticket this way, printed it out and presented it at the Siem Reap post office and had no problem boarding the bus. Tickets can also be purchased at the main post office in each city.
In addition to the Phnom Penh to Siem Reap route, Cambodia Post VIP Van goes from Phnom Penh to Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampot, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kep, Poipet, Pursat, and Sihanoukville, as well as Siem Reap to Kampong Thom.
Buses from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (stopping in Kampong Thom)
| Phnom Penh | Kampong Thom | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| 7 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 12:45 p.m. |
| 9 a.m. | 12 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. |
| 2 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
Buses run from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (stopping in Kampong Thom)
| Siem Reap | Kampong Thom | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| 7 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | 12:45 p.m. |
| 9 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. | 2:30 p.m. |
| 2 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
Cambodia Post VIP Van
Wat Phnom Post Office
Street 13 at Street 102, Phnom Penh
T: 012 931 555; 010 778 555; 088 39 93 555
Siem Reap Post Office
Pokambor Ave, Siem Reap
T: +855 (0)88 8711 807
Book Cambodia Post VIP Van tickets online
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i got the bus from phnom penh to siem reap they picked me up from my hotel and we left on time . stopped a couple times ,free wifi,air con and arrived on time great value for 8 us. Did the return trip same trip no complaints. Booked on line 3 months in advance
Thanks for suggesting the post passenger service. I made a reservation for Phnom Penh to Kep through bookmebus. Printed the e-ticket and showed it at the post office. Now typing this comment while driving into Kep using the van’s wifi. We are the only 2 passengers. The driver is surprisingly skilled. Only one quick stop at Kampot office. Travelling time 4 hours in total. Great!
GRRRR! I just took the van from PP to Sihanoukville, and the driver dumped us out at the edge of town, out near the container ship port. I asked him to take me to the Post Office, as my hotel was a 5-minute walk from there. He replied, “My post office very far from here,” got back into the van and drove away. Yes, and that meant my hotel was very far from there, too. FURIOUS.
That is crazy! The whole point of the post office van is that it goes from post office to post office. I have no idea why he wouldn’t be going there anyway. Did you buy your ticket through BookMeBus? If so, I can forward your complaint along to them and have them follow up with the company.
Hi, Lina,
Yes, I booked the ticket from BookMeBus via the link above in this post.
I’ve already left a bad review on TripAdvisor, and I’ll speak to someone in the PO (either PP or Sihanoukville, as well.)
I don’t want to make a mountain out of a molehill, but transport companies that dump passengers off at other than the appointed place really get my goat. Call it a pet peeve.
Contact BookMeBus and have them talk to the PO. This is definitely not PO policy so if one of their drivers is going rogue it’s better that they know about it. A lot of my friends have been taking this bus and this has never happened before. Sorry that it happened to you!
Cambodia Post VIP Van has dual pricing as well now unfortunately. We payed 10 dollars each as “non-cambodians”.
Yes, they have changed the price to $9 for foreigners (the extra $1 is a processing fee for those using credit cards). I’ll update this blog post to reflect that.
Is the post VIP van air conditioned?
Can I reserve an extra seat for our luggage?
Yes, and I assume so.
How would you get from the airport in Phnom Penh to the main post office to get the post van please.? And how much would it cost
How to get from the airport into Phnom Penh: https://movetocambodia.com/phnom-penh/how-to-get-from-the-airport-into-phnom-penh/
And we’re taking it from Phnom Penh to Kep tomorrow.
Do the vans run on Sundays and holidays, too? Or just regular business days?
Every day as far as I know. Definitely weekends, but I’m not sure about holidays.
May i ask which company of buses that offer 100% flat bed? and midnight departure ?
Giant Ibis has a 11:30 departure with flat beds.
Is luggage – small/big suitcase – allowed on this trip?
Yes, but they will grumble if it’s too big. If it’s big, show up early so they can put it in first.