Kampong Cham is on National Road 7, the main highway from Phnom Penh towards Laos and Vietnam, about 120 kilometres northeast of the capital — three hours by road on a good day. Frequent minibuses and shared taxis run from Phnom Penh's Central Market and Sorya Mall stations through the day; comfortable air-conditioned Giant Ibis buses run twice daily. Coming from the north, buses from Kratie and Stung Treng stop here, and there are direct minivans from Siem Reap several times a day.
Slow boats up the Mekong from Phnom Penh ran for a few years in the 2010s but no longer operate on a regular schedule. Private boat charters can still be arranged for groups.