Getting Around

Getting Around by Water

Coastal ferries sail frequently between Penang and Butterworth (website: www.penangport.com.my) and there is a scheduled passenger service linking Port Kelang with Kuantan, Sarawak and Sabah. Ferries also run between Kuala Perlis, Kuala Kedah, Penang, Satun and Langkawi. Regular boat services connect Lumut to Pangkor Island and Tunjung Gemak or Mersing to Tioman Island.

In Sabah, long boats connect Labuan to Menumbak. Small rivercraft often provide the most practical means of getting about in East Malaysia, even in the towns, and they are the only way to reach the more isolated settlements (unless one has access to a helicopter). In rural Sarawak the major means of transport are air-conditioned express boats. Boats may easily be chartered and river buses and taxis are plentiful.

Rail Passes

KTM Rail Pass: available to foreign tourists and valid for five, 10 or 15 days. Passes permit unlimited travel on Intercity train services on the KTM network and into Singapore. Supplements apply for sleeping berths and on night trains. Passes can be purchased through agents selling rail tickets and at major railways stations.

Cheap fares: Children under four travel free; children aged four to 11 pay 50% of the adult fare.

Getting Around by Road

Traffic drives on the left. Most roads in the peninsular states are paved and signs leading to the various destinations are well placed and clear. The north-south expressway spans 890km (553 miles) from Bukit Kayu Hitam (on the Kedah-Thailand border) to Johor Bahru is the main highway.

Coach: Local coach networks are extensive, with regular services in and between all principal cities. 4-wheel drive vehicles are used in rural areas of Sabah and Sarawak. The main operator is Transnasional (tel: (03) 2273 6473; website: www.nadi.com.my/transportation_home.asp).

Car hire: This is available through international and domestic agencies.

Regulations: Speed limits are 110kph (68 mph) on expressways, 90kph (55 mph) on main roads and 60kph (38 mph) in urban areas unless otherwise posted. Seat belts must be worn at all times. The use of handheld mobile phones is prohibited when driving. Penalties for drinking and driving are severe.

Emergency breakdown service: The Automobile Association of Malaysia (tel: 1 800 880 808; website: www.aam.org.my) provides a 24-hour emergency breakdown service.

Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. For UK citizens, a national driving licence is sufficient, but it has to be endorsed by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles in Malaysia.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

Public transport services in Kuala Lumpur are provided by conventional buses (operated by Citylinker and Intrakota), ‘Bas Mini' fixed-route minibuses, taxis and pedi-cabs (trishaws). Taxi drivers are usually not tipped. The two Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines, run by Putra LRT and STAR LRT, are a quick way to get around the city and provide links to the eastern and western suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. In addition, Keretapi Tanah Melayu operates two KTM Kommuter lines, electric trains which run from Sentul to Port Kelang and Rawang to Seremban, while the KL Monorail serves destinations from Titiwangsa in the north to a stop near Kuala Lumpur's Sentral Station and destinations in the Golden Triangle. 

Taxis, city buses, the Georgetown shuttle bus and trishaws are all ways of getting around Penang. 

Buses, taxis and trishaws comprise Malacca's efficient public transport system.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Kuala Lumpur to other major centres in Malaysia.

Getting Around by Rail

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM Berhad) (tel: (03) 2267 1200; website: www.ktmb.com.my) operates train services in Peninsular Malaysia. The main line heads north from Kuala Lumpur to Thailand and south to Singapore. Another line separates from the west coast line at the town of Gemas and takes a northeastern route to Kota Bharu. There is also a passenger service to two of Malaysia's seaports - Penang and Padang Besar on the west coast.

East Malaysia has one railway line, the preserved steam-operated North Borneo Railway (tel: (088) 263 933; website: www.northborneorailway.com.my). It runs on a scenic line along the coast from Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) to the town of Papar. There are no rail services in Sarawak.