Travel - Internal
Note
During major festivals
(especially Hari Raya Pusa, the Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Haji),
internal travel becomes extremely difficult, unless tickets have been
pre-booked long in advance. Domestic express bus tickets often go on sale up
to two months before the festivals and sell out within one or two weeks.
Even domestic flights tend to be packed during these periods.
Air
Malaysia Airlines (MH) serves
numerous commercial airports in peninsular Malaysia. In East Malaysia,
Malaysia Airlines, backed by Pelangi Air, crisscross both Sabah and Sarawak
and also fly to Brunei. Transmile Air offer discounts on domestic flights to
Sabah and Sarawak. Also the Air Asia offer lot’s of domestic flight in
Malaysia (visit
www.airasia.com).
Domestic Airport
KLIA has replace the old Kuala
Lumpur Subang (KUL) airport. All domestic flight departure from the domestic
departure hall. International airport (LCCT) is referring to budget airline,
more info please click here.
Departure Tax
RM50
Sea/River
Coastal ferries sail frequently
between Penang and Butterworth also Langkawi Ialand and Pangkor Island and
there is a scheduled passenger service linking Port Kelang with both Sarawak
and Sabah. 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). Boats may easily be chartered and river buses and taxis are
plentiful.
Rail
Malayan Railway (Keretapi Tanah
Melayu Berhad) (tel: (03) 22 72 28 28; fax: (03) 22 73 65 27; e-mail:
passenger@ktmb.com.my; web site:
www.ktmb.com.my, operates nearly 2100km (1300 miles) of line. There are
three classes of train: Deluxe or First Class (with upholstered seats),
Executive or Second Class (with padded leather seats) and Economic or Third
Class (with cushioned plastic seats). The fast daytime 'Express Rakyat' runs
from Singapore to Butterworth, and continues on to Thailand. Express trains
are modern, and some have sleeping berths and buffet cars. Some trains are
air-conditioned.
East Malaysia has one railway
line, known by travellers as the Jungle Railway, In Sahah, it runs along the
coast from Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), then inland up a steep jungle valley to
the small town of Tenom, Beaufort and Padas . Other than this line, there
are two main lines operated for a passenger service. One runs along the west
coast and from Singapore which runs northwards to Kuala Lumpur and
Butterworth, meeting the Thai railways at the border. The other line
separates from the west coast line at the town of Gemas and takes a
north-eastern route to Kota Bharu and Tenom.
There is also a passenger
service to two of Malaysia's seaports - Penang and Padang Besar on the west
coast. The KTM Komuter, a commuter service, runs from Kuala Lumpur to Port
Klang (west), Rawang (north) and Seremban (south). There are no rail
services in Sarawak.
Cheap Fair
Children under four travel
free; children 4-11 pay half fare. For further information on discount fares
available to passengers, contact Malayan Railway.
Special Tickets
The Malayan Railway Pass is
available in 10- and 30-day tickets, giving unlimited travel on all trains
through peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. The pass can be purchased from
train stations in Butterworth, Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Padang Besar, Port
Kelang, Rantau Panjang, Wakaf Bharu and Singapore. However, reservations
must be made in advance for seats in First Class air-conditioned trains and
a supplement is charged. Reservations may be made up to three months in
advance from the Director of Commerce, Malayan Railway, Jalan Sultan
Hishamuddin, Kuala Lumpur
www.ktmb.com.my.
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 highway,
spanning 890km (553 miles) from Bukit Kayu Hitam (on the Kedah-Thailand
border) to Johor Bahru is now fully open to traffic since the Sultan opened
the last stretch between Tapah and Gopeng. Another East-West highway
spanning about 350km that link between Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan. The dual
carriageway will provide shorter travel times between towns.
Bus: Local bus networks are
extensive; there are almost 1000 routes, with regular services in and
between all principal cities. Four-wheel-drive buses are used in rural areas
of Sabah and Sarawak. Trishaw: Available in Penang and Malacca, these are
inexpensive for short trips. Fares should be negotiated in advance. Taxi:
Shared and normal taxis are a fast means of inter-town travel, but delays
may be encountered whilst drivers get their passenger load before moving
off. Ask drivers to turn the meter on before starting the journey.
There is a 50% surcharge for
fares between 0000-0600 and an extra RM1 is charged for taxis booked by
phone. Taxi coupons providing fixed prices to specific destinations can be
purchased at the Kuala Lumpur railway station and the airport. Car hire:
This is available through several agencies. Some agencies provide cars on an
unlimited-mileage basis. Cars with driver are also available.
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.
Urban
Parking in the centre of Kuala
Lumpur and other towns is restricted to spaces for which a charge is made
and a receipt is given. Public transport services in Kuala Lumpur are
provided by conventional buses; Metro and Intrakota fixed-route throughout
the Klang Valley, taxis and pedi-cabs (trishaws) licensed by the Government.
The PUTRA Light Rail Transit (LRT), STAR and Monorail is a quick way to get
around the city and provides links to the eastern and western suburbs of
Kuala Lumpur.
Estimate Journey Times
The following chart gives
approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Kuala Lumpur to other
major centres in Malaysia.
Air Road Rail
Ipoh
0.30 2.00 4.30
Penang 0.45
5.00 9.30
Alor Setar
0.45 7.00 7.30
Kuantan
0.35 4.00 N/A
Johor Bahru 0.35
3.00 6.00
Singapore
0.45 6.00 7.00 |