Ayutthaya

Getting Here & Around

By Boat

River King Cruise (02/673-0966 www.riverkingcruise.net/) runs daytrips to Ayutthaya. You'll take the bus there early in the morning (they'll pick you up from most Bangkok hotels at around 6:30 am), stopping at Bang Pa-In Palace, and return to Bangkok by boat at 4 pm. The B1,700 ticket price includes lunch.

By Bus

Buses to Ayutthaya (1½ hours) leave Bangkok's Mo Chit Northern Bus Terminal about once an hour between 6 am and 7 pm. Tickets are B50 baht for the 1½-hour trip.

By Car

Driving to Ayutthaya from Bangkok is an easy day trip once you're out of the congestion of the big city. Kanchanaphisek Road, Bangkok's outer ring road, is the best route to take, costing around B120 in tolls. Following this road will drop you into Bang Pa-In—a good opportunity to visit the Royal Palace before continuing to Ayutthaya.

By Taxi & Tuk-Tuk

All forms of local transport are available from samlors to a few songthaews, but the brightly colored tuk-tuks are more frequently used. Tuk-tuks can be hired for an hour for around B200 or the day for around B600 to B700 and make easier work of Ayutthaya's historical sites.

By Train

The Northeastern Line, which heads all the way up to Isan, has frequent service from Bangkok to Ayutthaya. Beginning at 4:30 am, trains depart frequently (roughly every 40 minutes) from Bangkok's Hua Lamphong Station, arriving in Ayutthaya 80 minutes later.