There are several bus stations around Sai Gon area that each serve different destinations. Facilities are very basic and are unlikely to have more than food stands serving local snacks.
Services on short journeys depart when they are full and those traveling longer distances generally depart early in the morning. It is not possible to book tickets over the telephone and visitors should go to the relevant bus station the day before to check the schedule for the following day and purchase their ticket. In addition, a very useful telephone number is 1080 where English-speaking operators can give information on timetables.
The bus to Cambodia (better known in Vietnam as Kampuchea), operated by Cong Ty Xe Khach Saigon (tel: (08) 920 3623), departs from 309 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, twice daily for the nine-hour journey to Phnom Penh. The Cambodian visa should be arranged in advance but can be obtained at the border crossing point. Buses to Dalat, Buon Ma Thuot, Nha Trang, Danang, Hue and Hanoi depart from Mien Dong Bus Station (Ben Xe Mien Dong) (tel: (08) 898 4893), on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh in Binh Tan District. Other bus stations include Ben Xe Mien Tay, Kinh Duong Vuong Street, An Lac, Binh Tan District (tel: (08) 875 2953), which has a special booking service located a little nearer to the city center at 765 Le Hong Phong, District 10 (tel: (08) 752 0364); Ben Xe Cholon, 86,Trang Tu, District 5 (tel: (08) 854 8832), and Ben Xe Tay Ninh on Truong Chinh Street, Tan Phu Disctrict, for buses for Tay Ninh Province, has renamed and relocated the passenger pick up area to Ben Xe An Suong, Quoc Lo 22, Xa Ba Diem, Hoc Mon District (tel: (08) 883 2513).
There is one private bus company operating routes within the city, Saigon Star Bus Company tel: (08) 864 2762