Vietnam forum

bus from Chau Doc to Ho Chi Minh City

tazgirl

longtail driver
Posts: 6

I'm sure heaps of people have done this but I can't seem to find any info about how long the bus from Chau Doc to HCMC takes and whether it runs on a Sunday?
I'm planning to get on a boat from Phnom Penh on Saturday, overnight in Chau Doc, onto HCMC on Sunday, be at the airport to meet someone Monday morning. Easy done?
Cheerio

#1 Posted: 13/7/2009 - 15:06
BruceMoon

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Posts: 1941
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Taz

In Chau Doc, the bus station to Saigon is at the eastern end of town (back towards Cambodia from the main ferry landing) and near the dry goods market.

The express bus takes about 6 hours. I can't remember what time they leave. I recall there were 2 a day, but don't hold me to that. But, as your boat will deposit you in Chao Doc on Sat afternoon, you'll probably have heaps of time to organise.

I can't say whether the bus goes on a Sunday, but I'd be surprised if it doesn't.

Cheers

#2 Posted: 13/7/2009 - 18:29

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amazon_blon-
de

tuk tuk driver
Posts: 116

There are lots of mini-buses plying this route too. If push came to shove, you could always go to Can Tho and then pick up a bus to HCMC from there. Not the most direct route, but there were oodles of buses between CT and HCMC per day (more than one per hour) on several different bus lines.
There isn't so much "magic" to Sundays in Vietnam as there is in western countries. So like Brucemoon, I can't remember whether the buses run on Sundays, but I'd be really really surprised if they didn't. It's a major transit corridor.

#3 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 00:05

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EdSue

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Similarly, at the end of Feb 2010 we are considering travelling by bus from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc, then perhaps boat on to Saigon. Is this 'do-able' at a reasonable price and leaving enough time to have a look around or would it be better to do a 1 night/2 day trip out of Saigon separately?

#4 Posted: 2/11/2009 - 18:36
somtam2000

admin
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Hi EdSue,

There are regular boats (daily) from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc , not buses. Likewise there are buses from Chau Doc to Saigon, not regular boats, so if you invert what you are planning it is more than doable.

#5 Posted: 3/11/2009 - 11:00

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effi_kiki

backpacker
Posts: 14

Hi, I'm thinking of doing this journey in a couple of weeks so this is really helpful:) does anyone know how much the express from Chau Doc to Ho Chi Minh is likely to cost?

Cheers
Kiki

#6 Posted: 6/11/2009 - 05:00
somtam2000

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Last time we did a Saigon update (last year) we had the bus from there to Chau Doc coming in at 120,000 dong and taking about six and a half hours.

Hope that helps

#7 Posted: 6/11/2009 - 07:17

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effi_kiki

backpacker
Posts: 14

thats great thanks :)

#8 Posted: 6/11/2009 - 23:13
pugwash

newbie
Posts: 3

Am in Chau Doc at the moment -bus from HCMC cost 110,000 dong and I was told they left every hour on the hour ( got 0900 one and we got here 1445.

Fast ferry to Phnom Penh is 18 dollars and leaves 0800.

BTW I came from Dalat to HCMC by bus and that cost 110,000 also with regular buses through the day. The road is a bit hairy after the storms but we had no problems.

Hope this helps.

#9 Posted: 15/11/2009 - 21:28
pugwash

newbie
Posts: 3

Further to my previous post the $18 fast boat turned out to be 3 boats and a 90 minute minibus ride getting us in to Phnom Penh 1500 after starting 0730. Of course we weren't told any of this at the beginning of the day.....moral is you get what you pay for and I would happily have paid a few dollars more for a proper fast boat!

#10 Posted: 19/11/2009 - 12:27