I think flights is the last thing that you need to worry about catching,if you’re headed for Pattaya?

on short routes the point to point carriers/no frills airlines have changed the market rules. Return fares on the long routes with full service arilines still cost much less than two one-way tickets. I hope we will live to the time where I can buy a one way ticket at a reasonable cost on the long route. They sometimes do pop-up, many of them probably error fares.

truffledog wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:06 pm on short routes the point to point carriers/no frills airlines have changed the market rules. Return fares on the long routes with full service arilines still cost much less than two one-way tickets. I hope we will live to the time where I can buy a one way ticket at a reasonable cost on the long route. They sometimes do pop-up, many of them probably error fares.

The round-trip tickets out of PNH are really expensive. KUL, CGK and even BKK are much better. One-way tickets on regular carriers cost the round-trip fare minus taxes and fees for the return flight which the carries naturally wont pay to the authorities as no charge applies. But... you still pay fuel surcharges....

The LLCs are often cheaper but not necessarily. If you fly Philippines Airlines rather than Cebu Pacific you pay less for the ticket, have 30kgs luggage, free meal and a coffee. Cebu Pacific and Air Asia tickets can easily be double of a PAL ticket.

I prefer tickets to SGN and then take the scenic overland trip. It might cost me an extra 6-7 hrs plus 14 USD but the savings as compared to PNH tickets are substantial. Take a van to the border, cross, SUV to PNH. No lines at the border unless you happen to meet a busload.

Pizzalover wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 9:28 am I prefer tickets to SGN and then take the scenic overland trip. It might cost me an extra 6-7 hrs plus 14 USD but the savings as compared to PNH tickets are substantial. Take a van to the border, cross, SUV to PNH. No lines at the border unless you happen to meet a busload.

I also use SGN as a hub, although the queues at Immigration can be horrendous.

How do you arrange the van and then SUV links, and how much do they each cost ?

Stravaiger wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 11:58 am

Pizzalover wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 9:28 am I prefer tickets to SGN and then take the scenic overland trip. It might cost me an extra 6-7 hrs plus 14 USD but the savings as compared to PNH tickets are substantial. Take a van to the border, cross, SUV to PNH. No lines at the border unless you happen to meet a busload.

I also use SGN as a hub, although the queues at Immigration can be horrendous.

How do you arrange the van and then SUV links, and how much do they each cost ?

All depends on the budget, big surprise..... People quote funny prices but there is a way around it.
You take a shuttle from An Suong bus station to Moc Bai. 100K VND. Nghia Hue or similar to that. It is the second or third counter from the right at the bus station. Importantly this shuttle takes you to the check point, the other bus does not. The shuttle is very comfy. At the last small town you will be transferred to a simple, worn out van which covers the last 6-7 kms. The company has an office there where you can get your ticket back to HCMC.
You walk just across the border and the Cambo drivers will offer you a car for 50 USD. A seat in a share car is 10 USD.

How to get from the airport to An Suong? Depends on your budget and luggage. Taxis are an obvious choice. Otherwise. Take for 6 or 7k VND the aircon bus No. 4 from the intersection of the airport access road and Huang Van Thu: https://www.google.com/maps/place/V%C3% ... ?entry=ttu

How to get from the airport to the intersection? : Walk, motorbike-taxi, taxi or take the airport bus 21 VND (?) and get off at the intersection. There are cheaper public busses, VND 5K, as well and all stop at the intersection - if you tell them to do so. In case you miss it, wait for the U-turn, cross the street and wait for bus No. 4 at the closest bus stop.

If you're spending the night in district one take bus No. 4 (the same as from the airport intersection) from the public bus station at the big park.

Sounds terribly complicated but it isn't. It is also considerably faster and cheaper than the HCMC-PNH busses from district one. The main attraction is that there is no long holdup at the border.

Importantly: In case you come across a bus to PNH or HCMC at the border, you talk to the driver directly for a lift, say 5 USD, to the final destination. Avoid talking to their handler at the border as they want the full fare.

The stop of the border cars is on Preah Sihanouk near Olympic Market: https://www.google.com/maps/@11.5538395 ... ?entry=ttu

The return trip is as easy. Depending on your destination in HCMC one can take another bus from An Suong into the city.

Flying into SGN to get to Phnom Penh overland seems like a lot of time and effort to save a few dollars, especially for anyone who isn't eligible for Visa Exempt Entry into Vietnam.

PSD-Kiwi wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 12:23 pm Flying into SGN to get to Phnom Penh overland seems like a lot of time and effort to save a few dollars, especially for anyone who isn't eligible for Visa Exempt Entry into Vietnam.

seems easier/cheaper to use Bangkok as the transit\ ( haven't looked but be willing to bet better deals than into SGN)
great deals on flights into Thailand from just about everywhere
and often around $50-60 onto PP in an hour
and visa exempt entry for just about everyone, if you want stop /shop for a few days

than again as the tuk tuk driver says


"up to you"

Pizzalover wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 9:56 am

Stravaiger wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 11:58 am

Pizzalover wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 9:28 am I prefer tickets to SGN and then take the scenic overland trip. It might cost me an extra 6-7 hrs plus 14 USD but the savings as compared to PNH tickets are substantial. Take a van to the border, cross, SUV to PNH. No lines at the border unless you happen to meet a busload.

I also use SGN as a hub, although the queues at Immigration can be horrendous.

How do you arrange the van and then SUV links, and how much do they each cost ?

All depends on the budget, big surprise..... People quote funny prices but there is a way around it.
You take a shuttle from An Suong bus station to Moc Bai. 100K VND.

Thanks for the detailed response. I didn't know that the shuttle service had restarted after Covid.

Returning from Saigon with Long Phuong last week there was a delay getting our stamped-in passports back, but at least we were waiting at the lunch stop, and not standing in a queue.

PSD-Kiwi wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 12:23 pm Flying into SGN to get to Phnom Penh overland seems like a lot of time and effort to save a few dollars, especially for anyone who isn't eligible for Visa Exempt Entry into Vietnam.

Agree with this, although for me it's more avoiding Bangkok that's the benefit. And I would stop in Saigon for a couple of weeks before coming back here as I've done several times this year.

I try not to focus on a final destination when I travel, as it creates a mindset where I just want the journey to be over.