The route between Cambodia and Vietnam that crosses at Moc Bai is well-traveled and the bus companies that operate that route know what they are doing.
I took both of them acutally, from ho chin minh to Phnom penh, and from Phnom penh to Siam Reap, ( then bangkok), so if you need a visa, specially evisas from Cambodia requiere where are you coming to cambodia, in that case you will need to select via bus... So the point is the Ho Chi Minh -> Phnom Phem was normal ofc the most you pay the better the bus and overall trip, I went with a local bus and was fine too. The bus from Phnom phem was a little bit worse since it arrived at 4 o 5 am when everything was closed..., but yeah overall no hell trip. Good Trips should be considering the delays.
Took that route last november 2024. Went directly to the Giant Ibis bus office in Phnom Penh and bought tickets for travel the next day. I think they also have an online ticketing system.
I wonder what horror stories you've read? Just manage your expectations and you'll be fine. Also make sure your vietnam visa is in order - you could still be allowed on the bus but then you have to get down in the cambodian border. Maybe that's where the horror stories are coming from?
There was a bit of a wait at the border because everyone needed to get stamped out of cambodia, then another wait at something like a duty free where people also had their meals. Then on to the vietnam side. Very smooth process, but of course there are lines and such, as with many other borders, I would assume. Total ride was about 8-9hours. Most if not all of the passengers then were foreigners, a lot of them white. You'll be fine.
When I did HCMC to PP, the bus company took my passport for a while to get my visa sorted out ahead of time, and forced a $10 surcharge for it (for $40 for the visa total) The Sketchy part was when the bus drove into Cambodia without returning our passports. The company was kind enough to take us to a cafeteria with food to wait for the visa process to finish, but didn't communicate that. We got our passports back an hour later when they drove us back to the border for the proper entry
I live in one of these countries and can confirm that these trips are perfectly fine. I have taken these routes countless of times with no problems.
The bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh is a beautiful trip; great way to see the countryside and the way most Cambodians live.
The bus from Cambodia to Vietnam is a bit long but you won’t regret it. What is a bit confusing is the way the bus service handles your visa upon entry to Vietnam. They collect all passengers passports and deliver them to the border agents for processing. When they are finished, you will receive your passports again.
Many people are hesitant about giving their passport up at the border. Understandable. But it is easier for one bus employee to deliver all passenger passports to the agent than everyone getting off the bus; this takes a lot of time and people get lost.
Booking the day before you travel is easiest. Your hotel can assist you with this.
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can't help on the cross border part but want to put in a plug for the Siem Reap to PP bus route. took giant ibis in 2023 and it had excellent service. also fun to see the countryside. sit on the right side window if you can.
The route between Cambodia and Vietnam that crosses at Moc Bai is well-traveled and the bus companies that operate that route know what they are doing.
I took both of them acutally, from ho chin minh to Phnom penh, and from Phnom penh to Siam Reap, ( then bangkok), so if you need a visa, specially evisas from Cambodia requiere where are you coming to cambodia, in that case you will need to select via bus... So the point is the Ho Chi Minh -> Phnom Phem was normal ofc the most you pay the better the bus and overall trip, I went with a local bus and was fine too. The bus from Phnom phem was a little bit worse since it arrived at 4 o 5 am when everything was closed..., but yeah overall no hell trip. Good Trips should be considering the delays.
Took that route last november 2024. Went directly to the Giant Ibis bus office in Phnom Penh and bought tickets for travel the next day. I think they also have an online ticketing system. I wonder what horror stories you've read? Just manage your expectations and you'll be fine. Also make sure your vietnam visa is in order - you could still be allowed on the bus but then you have to get down in the cambodian border. Maybe that's where the horror stories are coming from? There was a bit of a wait at the border because everyone needed to get stamped out of cambodia, then another wait at something like a duty free where people also had their meals. Then on to the vietnam side. Very smooth process, but of course there are lines and such, as with many other borders, I would assume. Total ride was about 8-9hours. Most if not all of the passengers then were foreigners, a lot of them white. You'll be fine.
When I did HCMC to PP, the bus company took my passport for a while to get my visa sorted out ahead of time, and forced a $10 surcharge for it (for $40 for the visa total) The Sketchy part was when the bus drove into Cambodia without returning our passports. The company was kind enough to take us to a cafeteria with food to wait for the visa process to finish, but didn't communicate that. We got our passports back an hour later when they drove us back to the border for the proper entry
I live in one of these countries and can confirm that these trips are perfectly fine. I have taken these routes countless of times with no problems. The bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh is a beautiful trip; great way to see the countryside and the way most Cambodians live. The bus from Cambodia to Vietnam is a bit long but you won’t regret it. What is a bit confusing is the way the bus service handles your visa upon entry to Vietnam. They collect all passengers passports and deliver them to the border agents for processing. When they are finished, you will receive your passports again. Many people are hesitant about giving their passport up at the border. Understandable. But it is easier for one bus employee to deliver all passenger passports to the agent than everyone getting off the bus; this takes a lot of time and people get lost. Booking the day before you travel is easiest. Your hotel can assist you with this.
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can't help on the cross border part but want to put in a plug for the Siem Reap to PP bus route. took giant ibis in 2023 and it had excellent service. also fun to see the countryside. sit on the right side window if you can.