Cambodia is a wonderful destination for families, and Siem Reap is one of the easier places in Southeast Asia to navigate with kids. The airport transfer, though, is not what it used to be — and if you are planning from older advice, this is the bit to update.
First: the airport moved
The old Siem Reap International Airport (REP) was 6-8 km from town. It closed to commercial flights on 15 October 2023. Flights now use Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI), about 50 km east of the city — roughly a 45-60 minute drive.
With children, that difference is the whole story. A 15-minute hop is survivable in almost any vehicle. An hour in the heat, after a flight, with tired kids, needs an actual plan.
The tuk-tuk question, now settled
Every child will want to ride a tuk-tuk, and they should — at some point during your trip. The airport transfer is no longer that moment, and this is no longer a close call.
From the new airport it is a 50 km highway run in an open vehicle with no seatbelts, no child restraints and nowhere secure for bags. Add heat, dust and an hour of it, at the end of a flight. Save the tuk-tuk for a short trip around town when you are settled and travelling light — it is a genuine pleasure there.
Child safety in vehicles
Cambodia does not enforce child car seat laws the way Western countries do, and you will not find child seats in standard taxis or ride-hailing vehicles. If child seats matter to you — and for young children they should, especially now the journey is an hour on a highway — a pre-booked transfer is your only realistic option. Request the seats when booking and confirm they will actually be provided. Do not assume.
For older children, a regular seatbelt in an air-conditioned car is a reasonable compromise.
The airport experience with kids
The new terminal is large, modern and air-conditioned — a real improvement on the old building. Immigration can still take a while, which tests small children. If you are getting a visa on arrival, have everything ready to minimise the queue; applying for an e-visa in advance on the official government portal (evisa.gov.kh) skips that line entirely. Fees are set by the government and are revised, so check the current amount there rather than trusting a figure from a travel article — and avoid the lookalike sites that add large markups.
The arrivals area has restrooms, shops for water and snacks, ATMs and SIM counters. It is a modern airport and you will not be walking far.
Luggage logistics
Families always pack more than they think: a stroller, a car seat brought from home, the extra bag of kid supplies. A standard sedan usually handles a family of four with two large suitcases; add a stroller and it gets tight.
Book a minivan or SUV if you are anywhere near the limit. Over 50 km, cramped stops being a minor annoyance and becomes an hour of one. The price difference is posted at the transport counter in arrivals, or fixed at booking if you arrange it in advance.
Heat and hydration
Siem Reap is hot year-round, regularly above 35°C. This mattered before; it matters more now. An air-conditioned vehicle for an hour is not a luxury with small children.
Fill water bottles before you leave the terminal. The drive is no longer short, and dehydrated, cranky children make everything harder.
A note on prices
We are not quoting figures on this page. The airport does not publish its ground-transport fares, and the numbers on travel sites contradict each other — most are simply the old airport's prices, for a journey six times shorter. The rates are posted at the transport counters in arrivals, and that is the number to trust. Pre-booked transfer prices are fixed when you book.
Our recommendation
If your children are young enough to need a car seat, pre-book a private transfer and request the seats — it is the only way to get them, and an hour on a highway is not the place to compromise.
For families with older kids, any air-conditioned car booked at the transport counter will do the job. Just book something before you walk out of the terminal, rather than improvising 50 km from your hotel with tired children in the heat. Your first tuk-tuk ride as a family should be a fun adventure in town, not a logistical problem at the airport.