jeklah

Hi, I'm not a frequent poster but have spent many weeks scouring the site to see if this question is already answered ... obviously I couldn't find it so apologies if it is (!)

I have to go to SIN for a couple of days and am thinking about taking my older children (14 & 15) and have always wanted to see Penang ... can anyone fill me in on the logistics of driving myself there - is it easily done and a good idea, and is it safe for a female traveller to drive (with 2 kids in tow) ?

Appreciate anyone's input, thanks !

mario33

On average SIN-KL would take 4hrs and KL-PEN another 4hrs on the highway.

Its not worth the drive, best to just take a flight ...

Sydham

Hi there
I think you will be much better off, taking the plane. It not very expensive and quick.

I have been to Malaysia regularly for many years on biz, only for short times though. I have been flying, taking the train, driving, been driven there. I did not think driving was particularly dangerous (well it is a more Asian style of driving and rules are being not taken all that serious). However imho you can probably do without getting lost, being in traffic jams (in and around KL), paying tolls, having to look at the same sort of landscape for hours in the heat or having to drive in a heavy downpour etc etc.

Rather spend the extra day in Penang

jeklah

Thanks, I was pretty much thinking flying is easier, just thought that the drive might be worth it for the scenery and adventure ... nice to hear your advice ! Cheers

dsgtc0408

Hi, just saw your question and thought I'd weigh in. Note that my view is exactly the same as the other posters, which is to not drive from Singapore to either Kuala Lumpur or Penang but do the flight instead. The difference is that as a long time Singapore resident, I would like to share some anecdotal but factual information about this with you as to why it's not a good idea. In the interest of transparency I don't own a car, however I have gone as far as KL via long distance bus from Singapore and have done this somewhere around 30 to 40 times in the past 10 years.

First is, do you have access to a car in either Singapore or Malaysia? Note that if you rent a Singapore car, often rentals do not allow driving across the Causeway (ie into Malaysia). If you have a Malaysia car even if you can drive into Singapore you will still have to drop it off in Malaysia. As for the drive itself, going to these points can be done on the Federal Highway. Once past Singapore and Malaysian immigration, it would (as Mario33 points out) take four hours to get to KL. Another four hours to Penang sounds about right. On the highway, it's built to a high standard and is like any other limited access toll highway - smooth, straight but monotonous. However note three negatives. First is that all road signs are in the Malaysian language (Bahasa Malaysia); could be problematic if it's an emergency and you can't read the signs. Second is that the long haul drivers use a local signalling conventions for things like passing that after years still don't make sense to me. Finally remember that this is the tropics. If it rains heavily, you might have to deal with driving in monsoon like conditions. Upon arrival in either place you will have to contend with getting to where you want to go - if you get lost, easier if you speak some Bahasa Malaysia, not everyone speaks English. Last but not least, if you rent a Singapore car, you're going to have to go back the way you came; if you rent a Malaysia car in Johor Bahru (southernmost point of Malaysia right next to Singapore), not sure if you can do a one way rental and drop off in Penang.

I'd fly. Look at flying on the low cost carriers - much less aggravating and quite cheap, they do fare sales somewhat regularly albeit the dates tend to be way in advance. You have a choice of Tiger and I think Jetstar, also AirAsia and Firefly (Penang is Firefly's home airport). Look up the threads related to these carriers and the various airports they fly in and out of to get a better handle on these logistics. Good luck and have fun!

jpatokal

All things considered, I'll agree and say that your time is better spent flying, but that said -- while the road from Singapore to KL is indeed deathly dull and getting around in KL is a bit of nightmare, parts of the road from KL to Penang are actually rather scenic, Ipoh makes a nice stopover (for the food alone, mind you, not much else to see), and Penang is one of those places where having your own wheels is very handy. So if you like driving and aren't intimidated by "Asian" driving, you might want to consider flying down to KL, sightseeing there for a bit, and then driving up to Penang.

And yes, you can do one-way rentals, I've done precisely this (pickup in JB, dropoff in Penang) with Hawk Rent-a-car, the surcharge was minimal and the service was excellent: we dropped it off straight at the airport. However, cheap rental cars in Malaysia are all Protons, and you need to pay a bit more to get a decent (read: non-Malaysian) car.

jeklah

Thanks so much for the advice all ... I'm going to do as suggested and fly us up from SIN, then make the decision regarding driving the Penang from there - I really enjoy making my own way in a new place (when the scenery is worth doing so, naturally !) so that I can take my time to see what I want to see ... while I'm asking questions, I have been searching various websites for info on what to do in Malaysia with two teenagers in tow (I've been to SIN before so sort of have that end covered) - anyone got any great suggestions ?

pennywern

You should fly one way and take the bus the other. e.g, fly from Singapore to Penang, then take the bus to KL and the bus from KL to Singapore.

Flying Penang-KL-Singapore doesn't make logistical sense, given the time required.

Also, the buses from KL to Singapore are some of the most comfortable in the world if you take upscale lines like Transtar's First Class service. Only one seat on either side of the aisle, video on demand, meal service at your seat, enough leg room for even the tallest people to stretch out comfortably.

Senator Henry

Hi Pennywern and all,
looking at Transtars website the starting point is only from Singapore to KL.
Any other recommended premium coach services from KL to SIN ?

Thank you

pennywern

The web site is a little weird, but you should be able to book in both directions. I just tried and was able to see seats from KL->Singapore: http://www.transtar.com.sg/olcoachquery.php

You could also try doing it over the phone. Calls to Singapore and Malaysia are normally free or cheap (no more than $0.03/min) with discount calling services.

If Transtar is full, there are a zillion more companies - less fancy but still reasonably nice buses. My friend uses First Coach. I've used Grasslands (aka Extra Nice) several times. It's cheap but there are three seats across (one on the left side and two on the right side of the aisle) so it's not quite as spacious. Aeroline is well-known but I don't find it to be good value.

Senator Henry

Thanks a bunch pennywern, ^ ^ ^

Got it working with your link. Will have a look hopefully enjoy the ride.
Duration should be around 4 -5 hours right ?

Regards

Nugget_Oz

Its much the same as Singapore but a little less sterile. The pasar malams and shopping centres provide great shopping trips. Depending on age and interests you could make a trip to Sunway Lagoon whilst in KL and if you end up driving heading out to Port Dickson or out to Cameron Highlands.

If you haven't given up on driving its a good way to see the West Coast of Malaysia. You don't say how long you have. You could spend a day in Malacca on the way up from Singapore to KL and then on to Ipoh on the way to Penang. Take the bridge from the mainland and then the ferry back or vice versa.

pennywern

KL <-> Singapore is around 5 hours under normal traffic conditions, taking into account the border formalities. If you're on a really late bus that avoids rush hour you might do it under 5 hours, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Yaatri

Flying is easier, but if you want to go by land, you can always take the train, that will take you to Butterworth, from where you can cross into Penang by ferry.