Being a new operator in this kind of travel, I was quite curious to try the PSD Xpress bus from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, hoping to spend a relaxed weekend on a beach in Otres and runaway from the craziness in the capital during the Water Festival. I packed a small bag and started to cycle from my home half hour before the departure time, definitely the quickest way to travel through the traffic of Phnom Penh. In beginning I was having some problems of finding the PSD Xpress office due to not being a traditional bus station, rather looking more like a converted café (with quite a nice style, by the way). But on street 422 near the corner with street 63, where there is a huge orange gate, I spotted their orange logo on a glass door and soon was inside talking to their lovely staff.
The process was very straightforward, I just had to show the e-ticket that I received from CamboTicket by email on my smartphone and everything was taken care of (a couple of trees somewhere in this world are thanking in this moment for not having to print the tickets.)
Then, quite unexpectedly, and due to have locked my bicycle in a nearby street lamp post with a big metal chain (like I always do), some of their staff told me it would be dangerous to leave it there, worrying that it’ll be stolen while I’m on the trip. And due to the space on the bus trunk for not having a lot of customers during that day, to my surprise they suggested to bring my bicycle free of charge, a pleasant idea that saved me a lot of money on tuk-tuks in my wanderings between Sihanoukville and Otres.
On the time of departure I boarded the bus and their staff (most of them with a very good level of english) offered me a tasty croissant from the Blue Pumpkin brand, a bottle of water and a wet tissue to refresh myself. Inside the bus the space for legs was more than enough, even for a tall person, and in addition to the AC, the smooth driving and their good suspensions (their bus looks quite new) it made the journey quite comfortable and chilled. Worth mention as well the electrical plugs available on every seat, perfect for any traveler with an always-dying smartphone battery or to use the laptop during the journey, a great way to forget about all the traffic we had to face while getting out of Phnom Penh.
In the end of the trip the bus dropped me in their office in Sihanoukville, in a very central location not far away from the main roundabout where is easy to walk or cycle to all the hostels and restaurants. And on the return journey their staff even offered me a PSD Xpress t-shirt from their brand due to having booked the trip online 🙂
If you are interested in travelling with PSD Xpress bus, below are their timings and costs, from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and also from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, other route served by their buses (click on the routes to be redirected to the respective booking pages).
Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville (departure at 10h and 14h, price: $11)
Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh (departure at 8.30h and 15h, price: $11)
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (departure at 9h and 14.30h, price: $15)
Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (departure at 7.30h and 12h, price: $15)
Was definitely a pleasant trip to repeat more times… In case you also want to travel with PSD Xpress Cambodia from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville (or to Siem Reap) check CamboTicket website for booking and more info!
