Sukhothai

Train

The nearest train station is in Phitsanulok. For those transferring to SUkhothai from Phitsanulok by bus, a 2nd-class fan bus costs 30B.

Bus

The bus station is an unfortunate 3 to 4 km away from the main backpacker center at Phra Ruang Bridge. It is a standard 20 baht per person share songthaew ride from the bus station. The bus station also has a good accommodation listings board in the waiting area at the north end of the bus station. Worth a look.

Other

The bus stop for shared songthaew to the old city is about 300 meters down the road from the Phra Ruang Bridge towards the old city. It is easy to find. The trip is a pricey 20 baht per person. They are using the older, large-capacity and slow-moving trucks for this run. It's pretty charming really, and runs frequently at about 10 to 15 minute intervals.

If you really want, you could rent bicycles in town and ride to the old city, but taking the bus and then renting a bicycle at the old city gates is a much better option. Figure 30 baht per day per bicycle at the old city area. The main area of the old walled city is flat and great for bike riding.

To visit the far away ruins, rent a trishaw tuk tuk for around 200 baht per person. The power tuk tuks in Sukhothai are the cart welded onto what would be the front tire of a motorcycle. Anyway, the tuk tuk turned out to be a fun and relaxing way to get around, as our driver picked us up and dropped us off at the guest house, hauled us out to the old city, then acted as a low-key guide taking us around to the outer locations. It is important to note that these areas outside of the main walled area are several kilometre away and not necessarily an easy or fun bike ride.

Getting Around

Pretty much everything of interest to independent travellers is within walking distance of the Phra Ruang Bridge, including most accommodation, the night market, and the bus to the old city, but there are plenty of bicycle and motorised trishaws if needed.

Several guest houses also rent motor scooters. The best were the automatics available from TR Guesthouse at 250 baht per day. Similar motorbikes were on offer at J&J for the same price and cheaper, older bikes were rented at Garden House for as little as 150 baht for the day.