Cheap flights from London to Sihanoukville

Start with the shoulder weeks around the turn of the seasons, when the rains are easing and the coast is still quiet. That is where the low fares sit: October is the cheapest month on the fare calendar for this route, at the tail of the green season before the dry months pull the crowds in.

From November through February the weather dries and fares sit above October's, with the Christmas and New Year stretch tending to price highest. April matters too, because Khmer New Year falls then and travel across Cambodia picks up — book those dates well ahead. Midweek departures often come in below weekend ones, and the price calendar here runs from autumn into the following spring.

What separates the options is where you change planes. Qatar Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines route through Doha, Dubai or Istanbul; Vietnam Airlines, Asiana Airlines and EVA Air connect inside Asia, which often shortens the total day. Air France and British Airways add European routings, and American Airlines and Delta usually appear as partner airlines on tickets sold under another name.

None of them flies this pair nonstop, so every itinerary is a connection, and all are full-service carriers: checked baggage and meals come with the long-haul ticket. The fare moves with the stopover — an unhurried layover often prices lower than a tight one.

Getting into town is the easy part. The terminal at Sihanoukville is small, the transfer to the centre and the beach side of the city is a short drive, and you are usually outside with your bags quickly. Taxis and tuk-tuks wait at the door, hotel pickups are simple to arrange, and agreeing the fare before you set off keeps things simple.

There is only one airport, so nothing needs comparing on arrival — the real choice sits at the London end, among Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Luton and Stansted. What deserves attention here is the entry line: if you take a visa on arrival, a small hall can back up when a long-haul load lands, so keep your documents and your hotel address to hand.

Currency

KHR (៛)

Power sockets

Type A, C, G · 230 V

Language

Khmer

Emergency number

117, 118, 119

Driving side

right

Calling code

+855

Internet domain

.kh

Population of Sihanoukville

71 k (2019)

Time zone

UTC+07 (Asia/Phnom_Penh)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check the visa Cambodia requires for your passport and arrange it before you fly, whether that is an e-visa or a visa on arrival.
• Make sure your passport is valid well past your return date.
• Confirm which of London's five airports your ticket leaves from, because Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Luton and Stansted are not interchangeable.
• Book the journey as a single ticket: with no nonstop flights on this route, a missed connection on separate tickets is yours to fix.
• Weigh the layover city and its length against the fare before you commit.
• Aim for October for the lowest fares, and book early for the dry months and Khmer New Year.