UK citizens do not need a visa to visit Malaysia or Singapore.
Page last
updated:
7 february 2012
Train
travel in Singapore & Malaysia
Taking the train is the
safe, comfortable & amazingly cheap way to travel overland between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang & Bangkok. It's
a real experience, unlike flying, and relaxing on a train on the traditional colonial single-track
railway past palm plantations and little country stations is
far nicer than using a bus on an
ugly & depressing modern motorway. Until 30 June 2011,
you used to leave from the
faded colonial grandeur of
Singapore's 1932 art deco railway station,
from 1 July 2011 you now leave from Woodlands Train Checkpoint in
the north of Singapore Island, rumbling slowly
over the famous 1923-built causeway across the Johor Strait into Malaysia
and through the palm plantations and jungle towards Kuala Lumpur. Singapore to Kuala
Lumpur takes 6 hours by leisurely daytime train or 8 hours on a
time-effective overnight sleeper, from just £7 or $10 one-way.
Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth (the station for the ferry to Penang) is of a similar length & cost; Butterworth to
Bangkok on the daily 'International Express' costs around £23 or
$34 and takes less than 24
hours with a comfy sleeper & a restaurant car for dinner &
breakfast, see the pictures
here. The whole 1,233 mile Singapore to Bangkok
journey can be done in just 48 hours
including an afternoon in KL and a morning in Penang, but by
all means stop off for longer in Kuala Lumpur or Penang. Or
why not catch a ferry to Ko Samui or the bus to Phuket or
Krabi? This page
explains all you need to know, including train times,
fares, what the trains are like & how to buy tickets.
Forget planes or buses. Take the train, put your feet up, enjoy the ride.
These are the 1st class seats on a Kuala Lumpur to
Singapore train, just 68 Ringgit (£12 or $21) one way.
Getting a bit worn these days, but very comfortable
and far more of an experience than flying. Photo
courtesy Willy Kaemena.
Train schedules for the main line between Singapore, Malaysia & Thailand...
Where you go is up to you... Here are the train schedules
for the main line linking Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang & Bangkok.
Feel free to take any train on any date between any two stations,
it's up to you. All these trains run every day. Trains
in Malaysia & Thailand run on metre-gauge track, narrower than
European standard gauge. How much does it cost?How to
buy tickets.
Singapore to Bangkok by train:
The whole train journey from Singapore to Bangkok is 1,920 km or 1,233 miles
and involves two or three trains, depending on where you want
to stop off. Look at the timetable below. For a fast
journey with no stopover in KL and just a morning in Penang, you'd
take train 12 Singapore to KL, train 22 KL to Butterworth (Penang)
then train 36 Butterworth to Bangkok. Or for an afternoon
stopover in KL, a morning stopover in Penang, you'd take train 2 to
KL, then train 22 KL to Butterworth, then train 36 Butterworth to
Bangkok. However, I'd recommend stopping at
Kuala Lumpur and Penang for a bit longer as they are both fascinating cities. So
take any train you like from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur,
either one of the daytime trains (train 2 or 12) or the
overnight sleeper train (train 24). Stop over for a day or two,
then take any train you like from
Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth (the station for the ferry shuttle to Penang),
there's a choice of two daytime trains (trains 10 or 2) or an overnight sleeper
(train 22). Finally, take a comfy sleeper
on train 36, the 'International
Express' leaving Butterworth at lunchtime and arriving in Bangkok next
morning.
It's entirely up to you whether you travel from Singapore to Bangkok all in one go in 48
hours or stop off and see places on the way, as each train is booked & ticketed separately. All
3 trains can be booked at any railway
station in Malaysia or Singapore or by
email with Malaysian Railways.
It's really not difficult to read this timetable! Each column is a
separate train, and you read downwards. You can buy tickets for
any train, between any two stations. So for example, in the
second column you see that train number 2, with 1st & 2nd class seats,
running daily, leaves Singapore Woodlands at 08:45, stops at Johor Bahru, Gemas,
Tampin, calls at Kuala Lumpur at
14:56, calls at Ipoh and finally arrives at Butterworth (for Penang) at 21:20.
You could change trains at KL onto train 20 to Hat Yai. Or you could stay on
board till Butterworth, stay overnight and catch train 36 to Bangkok next
day. It's up to you...
Take the train! In contrast to a meaningless flight, or a bus
journey along an ugly motorway built in the 1990s, the
leisurely Singapore-Kuala Lumpur train ride takes you over the famous
causeway, past lush green palm plantations and little wayside
railway stations, along the old colonial Federated Malay States
Railway...
* = Trains 20 & 21 by-pass Butterworth, but they call at Bukit
Mertajam, a small station 11 miles from Butterworth by bus or taxi,
see location map. Northbound train 20 calls
at Bukit Mertajam at 04:19, southbound train 21 calls
at Bukit Mertajam at 21:47.
** = On trains 20 & 21, only one 2nd class sleeper & 2nd class seats car run to
& from Hat Yai. The rest of the train including 1st class sleepers only runs between Kuala Lumpur & Padang Besar.
3 = 3rd class seats (Economy). Modern & fairly comfortable, but basic.
Singapore station in central
Singapore, sometimes called Tanjong Pagar or Keppel Road, sadly closed
permanently on 30 June 2011. From 1 July 2011 all trains are starting
from Woodlands Train Checkpoint in the north of Singapore Island.
Woodlands station
information.
Map showing location of Woodlands.
Butterworth is the station for Georgetown on Penang Island.
Ferries shuttle between Butterworth & Georgetown/Penang every 10
minutes, taking 15 minutes,
see the Penang ferry information.
About this timetable: This timetable
shows all the trains linking Singapore,
Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth & Hat Yai, but there are (1) additional
'shuttle' trains between KL & Ipoh not shown here, and (2) lots more trains
within Thailand between Hat Yai
, Surat Thani, Chumphon, Hua Hin & Bangkok shown in the Bangkok to southern Thailand section
on the Thailand
page. It also doesn't show the luxury Singapore-Bangkok
Eastern & Oriental
Express.
All times are shown in local time, remember that
Thailand is 1 hour behind Malaysian time!
Please check times before you travel at
www.ktmb.com.my
as they change from time to time. And make sure you read the
notes by train number below.
You can find a detailed map of train routes in Malaysia on the
Malaysian Railways InterCity website,
www.ktmintercity.com.my.
Seen from the train: A
green and fertile landscape...
...
and many palm oil and rubber plantations.
...
with strange rock outcrops in places.
... a
lake between Kuala Lumpur & Butterworth.
A first class coach
on train 1 from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth
(Penang. This car has been refurbished with with reclining
leather seats.
Train 1, the Rakyat Express, about
to leave Butterworth for Kuala Lumpur and Singapore...
Train 1 & 2: Ekspress Rakyat.
Runs every day.
1st & 2nd class seats with
refreshment trolley, all fully air-conditioned.
Train 10 & 11: Ekspress Sinaran Utara. Runs every
day. 1st & 2nd class seats,
air-conditioned, refreshments.
Train 12 & 13: Ekspress Sinaran Selatan. Runs
every day. 1st & 2nd class seats, air-conditioned, refreshments.
Train 20 & 21
Express Senandung Langkawi. Runs every day. Bypasses Butterworth,
but calls at Bukit Mertajam some 11 miles from Butterworth by bus or
taxi. Most of this train including the
1st class sleeper only run
between Kuala Lumpur & Padang Besar on the Thai frontier.
Just one Malaysian 2nd class
sleeping-car & one 2nd class seats
car run to/from Hat Yai in Thailand.
Train 35 & 36:
International Express (Ekspress Antarabangsa). Runs every
day. Consists of two modern air-conditioned
2nd class sleepers between
Butterworth & Bangkok provided by the State Railways of Thailand. Between Hat Yai
& Bangkok, these are attached to a restaurant car, a 1st class
sleeper & additional 2nd class sleepers. However, I recommend sticking with the
excellent Thai 2nd class sleepers and not worrying about 1st class, it's really not necessary.
History.
Train 41: Hat Yai-Surat Thani fast air-conditioned
railcar with 2nd class reclining seats.
Actually goes to/from Bangkok, but is not recommended for Bangkok
passengers as it has no sleepers.
Passengers with 1st class
tickets (seat or sleeper) can use the VIP First Class Lounge at
Kuala Lumpur Sentral station. The lounge isn't well signed.
Walk in through the main entrance from the taxi rank at level 2, do
a 180 degree turn to your right up the escalator to level 3, turn
left at the top and immediately left again through the lift lobby to
the lounge entrance. The lounge has seats, a TV and washrooms
with free WiFi & complimentary soft drinks. It's open an hour
before the departure of each train, you should leave it and join
your train 15 minutes before departure.
Traveller's reports...
Traveller Sheena Clowes reports from regular journeys
between Singapore, KL, Penang and Bangkok: I am an
older lady who loves to travel alone and overland, so here are
some recent pointers for added comfort for these journeys
which I have made many times over the past few years, most
recently today from Butterworth-Bangkok. First of all,
the Internasional Ekspress (Butterworth-Penang) is late both
leaving and arriving around 20% of the time. Be prepared
for it, not stressed by it. For instance, it left
yesterday at 15.45 instead of 14.20, and arrived in Bangkok at
just before 2pm today. But even with my delaying for a cup of
good coffee at the station in Bangkok, I was checking into my
hotel at 2.45pm - I wouldn't be checking into a city-centre
hotel 45 minutes after landing at Bangkok international
airport, would I!?
Take some water and a light snack - biscuits, maybe - for the
first few hours of the Internasional Ekspress when there is no
restaurant car. If you forget, you can get food at the bus
station just a short distance from the train station, or if
you are coming from Georgetown, at the stalls at the jetty
there. The Internasional Ekspress carries local
passengers without reservations between the first station
after Butterworth to the last station before Thailand, so don't spread your belongings out too
much, you will end up with them all on your lap soon enough!
There is also usually hot drinking water available at the end
of the 2nd class sleeper for making tea, instant noodles,
re-heating baby food etc. In the centre of these coaches
there is an electricity point where you can recharge your
phone. Make friends with the people sitting there, to keep an
eye on it, and only take as long as you need (it doesn't need
to be fully charged for a quick phone call) as other people
need to charge their phones, too.
The lower berth on the Internasional Ekspress's 2nd
class sleepers offers an unprecedented (in my experience)
amount of space as it is a full metre wide. The size of the
berth, and the way the curtains hang around them, and their
length, means that even an arthritic old woman like me can
change clothes in privacy and rearrange her overnight case. If you like to read in bed, take a book-light
or head torch, and that if you need pitch darkness for
sleeping, take some sort of eyeshade. You only get one pillow
per berth, so fold up some soft clothing if you like your head
higher. The cotton blanket that
you are issued with is freshly-laundered and I find gives just
the right degree of cosiness when wearing a T-shirt and cotton
trousers. Some people are too cold - the
air-conditioning is fairly fierce - and need to put on more
clothes to keep warm! If you don't want an Asian
breakfast or a rather strange Western breakfast, you can just
buy a cup of coffee for 30 baht. It's instant but good and hot
and strong, just the ticket with a couple of Malaysian
"breakfast biscuits" and a carton of yoghurt you bought the
previous day in Butterworth or Georgetown. The food
offered by the "Bogie Restaurant" (orders taken after crossing
the border; dinner is served after Hat Yai and breakfast at
whatever reasonable hour people are getting up) is generally
very good if you like Thai food.
The restlessness of the southern provinces of Thailand is
evidenced by the armed guards on the train overnight and a
policeman patrols the sleeper coaches randomly through the
night - in stocking feet! However, I have never been
aware of any problems in the border areas while I have been
travelling.
If crossing into
Thailand, you should be aware of the security warnings for some parts
of southern
Thailand. These apply mainly to the eastern end of the
Thailand-Malaysia border around Yala & Sungai Kolok, covering the
provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and to a lesser extent
Songkhla. The terrorists aren't
targeting western travellers, but in these provinces, bombs have
gone off outside bars and police stations, and the rail lines to
Yala and Sungai Kolok have been affected on a number of occasions (see
map).
However, the main rail line from Singapore to Bangkok passes
through the largely-unaffected
western end of the Malaysia-Thailand border via Padang Besar.
It does not pass through any part of Pattani, Yala or Narathiwat
provinces, there's just a relatively short 80 km (50 mile) stretch
through the northern part of Songkhla province via Hat Yai. I must
emphasise that travellers should always take advice and be aware of the
latest situation, I certainly don't claim to provide current
security advice, your decision is entirely your own. But purely
for myself, whilst I would not visit Sungai Kolok or Yala, I
would not worry unduly about passing swiftly through 50 miles of the
northern part of Songkhla Province on a direct train on the
Singapore-Bangkok main line.
Singapore or Kuala
Lumpur to Gua Musang & Khota Bahru...
Most people use the main
line from Singapore to KL, Penang, and Bangkok, which heads up the
west coast of Malaysia. But there's alternative route up the
east coast, through jungle scenery to Khota Bahru.
It's possible to take this 'Jungle Line' from KL or Singapore to
Khota Bahru, then a bus or taxi to the frontier, walk across the
border into Thailand to Sungai Kolok railway station, and take a
train to Bangkok (but see the
security
warning). It's worth making the effort to take a
daytime train between Gemas & Khota Bahru (Wakaf
Bahru), as the scenery is superb, and the direct trains from
Singapore and KL travel at night. In Gemas, there's a fair
hotel just outside the station, and there will be plenty of hotels
with rooms to spare in Khota Bahru, even late at night when the
train arrives at Wakaf Bahru.
3 = 3rd class seats (Economy). Modern & fairly comfortable, but basic.
Train
14 & 15 Ekspress Sinaran Timur. Runs every day. 2nd seats,
air-conditioned. No 1st class.
Train
18 & 19 Malayan Tiger. New train introduced Dec
2011 using ex-Japanese Railways 1st & 2nd class sleepers and 2nd
class seats. Runs 3 times a week.
Train
26 & 27 Ekspress Senandung Timuran. Runs every
day. 2nd class
sleepers, 2nd & 3rd class seats. Air-conditioned. No 1st
class sleepers.
Train
28 & 29 Ekspress Senandung Wau. Runs every day. 1st & 2nd
class sleepers, 2nd & 3rd class seats. Air
conditioned.
Trains 81-93:
Run every day. 3rd class slow train, much older
train with basic seats, not air-con. Please check the timetable for these
trains locally, as it changes from time to time.
Which station for Khota Bharu? The closest station to
Khota Bahru is Wakaf Bharu,about 5 km (3 miles)
away. A taxi from Wakaf Bharu to Khota Bharu costs around 12
Ringgits. However, if you want to travel more cheaply by bus,
there's a better and more frequent bus service from Pasir Mas,
19km from Khota Bharu. Buses
run from Pasir Mas to Khota Bahru every 15-20 minutes from 06:45 to
19:00 from a bus station just 100 metres from Pasir Mas railway station.
If you want to complete the whole train journey to Tumpat, no
problem, buses also link Tumpat with Khota Bharu every 45 minutes
06:45-19:30. Bus information for all these routes is at
www.cityliner.com.my,
select 'Kelantan' then 'Khota Bharu' as your location.
Area map.
Heading into Thailand? Bus 29 runs
every half hour from Khota Bahru bus station near the central market
via Pasir Mas to the Thai/Malay border point at Rantau Panjang, fare
5 ringgits (£1),
distance 45 km, journey time about 1 hour. A taxi will cost about 17 ringgits. Walk across the
border from Rantau Panjang (Malay side) to Sungai Kolok (Thai side) and keep walking straight on for 800m to Sungai
Kolok Railway station for trains to Hat
Yai, Surat Thani & Bangkok.
Train information from
Sungai Kolok to Hat Yai, Surat Thani & Bangkok. However, be aware of the
security
warnings for Sungai Kolok and parts of southern Thailand.
Area map.
Passengers with 1st class
tickets (seat or sleeper) can use the VIP First Class Lounge at
Kuala Lumpur Sentral station.
Traveller's
reports from The Jungle Line...
Traveller
Henrik Meurs took the slow train from Gemas to Wakaf Bahru.
"The trip on the Jungle Railway to Kota Bahru is one of the
most beautiful train trips possible. The scenery can
only be described as breathtaking. There are quite a
few stops during the first two or three hours. After
that, villages become rare and the train starts climbing the
first flat mountains. From then on we enjoyed endless
views over primary rain forest, large trees interrupted by
exuberant plants and monkeys at play. After 4 or 5 hours,
when you just start to think that you might have seen all
the wonders the Malaysian jungle has to offer, the
train enters the mountains. Words fail me to describe
the beauty of the scenery of these two or three hours during
which the engine pulls you through the mountains topped with
rain-forest, over wooden bridges and through narrow gorges.
The fare was just 21 Ringgit, about $5..!"
Unlike the modern Malaysian trains on the direct sleeper
trains to/from Singapore and KL, slow train 91/92 is old
and basic, but the ride more than makes up for this.
There is plenty of local transport available from Khota Bahru
to the Thai frontier at Sungai Kolok. Train times from Sungai Kolok to Bangkok are shown on the
Thailand page under 'Bangkok to
Southern Thailand'.
Malaysian
rail fares are very cheap.
You can
check fares on the KTM website, www.ktmb.com.my.
Note that Kuala Lumpur is listed under
'S' as 'Sentral Kuala Lumpur'! KTM
now calls 1st class 'Premier' and 2nd class 'Superior'.
One-way
fare in Ringgits or Singapore $:
3rd class
seat
2nd
class
seat
1st
class
seat
2nd
class
sleeper
1st
class
sleeper
Deluxe sleeper
with
shower & WC
Singapore
to Bangkok
There is no such thing as a Singapore to Bangkok ticket. The cost of a Singapore to Bangkok
train
journey is the sum of the fares for each train you take, Singapore to
KL, KL to
Butterworth, Butterworth to Bangkok.
A strange (you might say
unfair) quirk of the system is that for historical (and probably now
financial) reasons, tickets bought in Singapore must
be paid for in Singapore dollars, but at the Ringgit amount. In
other words, if the fare is 34 Ringgits, you'll be charged 34 Singapore
dollars if you
buy it in
Singapore, even though 34 Ringgit is £7 ($10) and S$34 is £17
($24)! Crazy, eh?! And it's even more crazy now that the
Singapore element is just a short 5 minute ride across the causeway
from Woodlands to Johor Bahru. This also applies to tickets
for any journey starting in Singapore Woodlands booked online using the
e-ticketing facility on www.ktmb.com.my
and to tickets booked through the Malaysian Railways call centre and
collected in Singapore. In fact, if you book online
it's even more confusing, as the online system converts the Singapore
dollar amount back into
Ringgits again, having taken the 34 Ringgit fare, read it as 34 Singapore
dollars, converted the S$34 back into 82 Ringgits and so (at current
exchange rates) it charges you 82 Ringgits for a 34 Ringgit fare. For most
westerners this is not an insurmountable problem as the fares are so
cheap anyway. £7 becoming £17 won't have a huge impact on a
£1,000 holiday. But here are some tips to avoid paying more than
you have to:
Tip 1, the easiest
way around this is to
buy a ticket starting in Johor Bahru rather than Woodlands, then buy
a separate Woodlands to Johor Bahru ticket. For example,
instead of buying a ticket from Woodlands (Singapore) to Kuala
Lumpur, buy a ticket from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur using the
e-ticketing facility on www.ktmb.com.my, self-print your ticket with a confirmed reservation on
the train, then simply buy a S$5 (£2.50 or
$4) one-way 2nd class seat ticket from Woodlands to Johor Bahru for
the same train at the KTM ticket counter at Woodlands to use in
conjunction with your Johor Bahru to KL ticket. The online
system currently won't let you buy a Woodlands to JB ticket online
(though it did for a while - by all means check it and see!)
Feedback is always be
appreciated!
Tip 2, you
should book a return
journey from Singapore to KL as
two separate one-way trips so at least the return leg will be charged in Ringgits.
If you booked it as a return, both legs of a return
ticket starting in Singapore will be charged in Singapore dollars.
But a one-way ticket starting in Malaysia is charged in Ringgits.
Tip 3, if you book
your trains by email or phone with Malaysian Railways,
make sure you collect only the Singapore-KL
ticket in Singapore (biting the bullet and paying in Singapore dollars),
but wait till you
get to KL to collect your KL-Penang & Penang-Bangkok tickets so you
can pay for them in Ringgits. If you
collect all the tickets in Singapore, you'll have to pay for all of
them in Singapore dollars.
Tip 4: For a one-way
journey from Singapore to KL in (say) a deluxe sleeper, you can use the online
e-ticketing facility on www.ktmb.com.my to book a return journey
from KL to Singapore & back, consisting of a dummy
outward trip from KL to Singapore in the cheapest 2nd class seat
(which you won't use), then a 'return' leg from Singapore to KL in the
deluxe sleeper (which you will use). This way, it's a return journey starting in Malaysia so you will be charged in
Malaysia Ringgits, which in this case will save money compared with
paying twice the price for a one-way deluxe sleeper starting in
Singapore, even allowing for the cost of the unused seat ticket from
KL to Singapore. It's not rocket science really!
Some people avoid
paying in Singapore dollars, by taking local transport across the
causeway to Johor Bahru (the first station in Malaysia) so they can
take the train from there. Personally, I'd rather start my
journey in Woodlands and travel across the causeway by train, so the
journey officially starts in Singapore!
Buy train tickets online or by email... You can book
trains between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur & Butterworth (Penang)
online at
www.ktmb.com.my, up to 30
days in advance. The Butterworth-Bangkok train needs
to be booked by email, phone or in person. Read the advice
here first!
...Or buy train tickets in person. This is the KTM InterCity
ticket counter at KL Sentral Station...
Do I need a
reservation?
Yes. All long-distance trains in Malaysia
and Thailand are 'reservation
compulsory', and tickets always include a seat or sleeper reservation
on a specific
train. You cannot 'hop on and off' without a
reservation. Malaysian train reservations open 30 days before departure,
Thai trains open 60 days before departure.
Can I stop off along the
way? Can I hop on and off?
Yes, you can
stop off wherever you like for as long as you like.
But you cannot buy an open ticket and hop on and off trains at
random. In fact, there is no such thing as a
'Singapore to Bangkok ticket', you must buy a separate ticket for
each individual train journey you make, and the ticket will be
printed with a specific seat or berth number on a specific date on a
specific train. You can buy all your tickets in advance or keep your options open and buy them at the
station as you go along, it's up to you. If there are
seats still available (as there usually are), you can buy tickets
right up until the train leaves.
Northbound journeys
from Singapore to Bangkok: You can pre-book a northbound
trip from Singapore to Bangkok by emailing or phoning the KTM call centre as explained here,
requesting reservations on each of the three trains you need to
book, see the
timetable above. Remember that KTM (Malaysian railways)
can book trains within Malaysia and departing from Malaysia into
Thailand, but they cannot book trains wholly within Thailand, or
train 35 from Thailand back into Malaysia. Alternatively, you
can book train numbers 1 to 29
online using www.ktmb.com.my,
although train 36 Butterworth to Bangkok cannot be booked online, so
you'll still need to email or call KTM for that ticket.
Southbound journeys
from Bangkok to Singapore: You can pre-book a
southbound trip from Bangkok to Singapore by first booking the
International Express (train 35) from Bangkok to Butterworth via
Thai booking agency
www.thailandtrainticket.com. Then book your Butterworth to KL & KL
to Singapore trains
either at the station when you get to Butterworth
or online in advance using www.ktmb.com.my or
by phone or email to the KTM call centre.
You
can buy tickets at Woodlands train checkpoint in Singapore or at any railway station in
Malaysia, up to 30 days in advance. KTM has a computerised reservation system,
so the KTM ticket offices at Singapore Woodlands, Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth or any
other Malaysian station (including
the KTM ticket office at the Georgetown ferry terminal in Penang) can
sell tickets and make reservations for any train journey within
Malaysia, or starting in Malaysia heading into Thailand, including Butterworth to Bangkok.
Singapore's Woodlands
station ticket counter accepts
American Express & Diners Club credit cards, but not Visa or
MasterCard.
The ticket offices at Kuala Lumpur Sentral, Butterworth & Georgetown
(Penang) accept MasterCard &
Visa.
Stations in
Malaysia & Singapore cannot book seats or berths on trains
wholly inside
Thailand, nor can they book return journeys from Thailand back to Malaysia
on train 35 (although they can book train 21),
because they cannot access the Thai Railways reservation system.
Just book the return journey from Bangkok to Malaysia when
you get to Bangkok, or by email with the State Railways of Thailand
or by email with a recommended Thai travel agency such as
www.thailandtrainticket.com, as
explained on the Thailand page.
You can buy all the
tickets you need for a Singapore to Bangkok journey at Singapore's
Woodlands
station. However, tickets bought in Singapore will
cost twice as much as one picked up and paid for in Malaysia, so
it's better to buy just your Singapore-Kuala Lumpur ticket at
Woodlands, then buy the Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth and
Butterworth-Bangkok tickets when you get to Kuala Lumpur. You
can still book the KL to Butterworth and Butterworth to Bangkok
trains in advance, using internet or email as shown below.
What trains can
you book online? The
www.ktmb.com.my
e-ticketing system will book any express train running wholly within Singapore
&
Malaysia, in other words trains 1 to 29, including the KTM-run international train from KL to Hat Yai in
Thailand (trains 20 & 21) in both directions. However, it will not book the Thai-run
'International Express' from Butterworth to Bangkok (train 36), which you
should book either by email or in person at any KTM station,
see the next section.
When do
bookings open? 30 days before departure.
How to book
online: Go to
www.ktmb.com.my, the
Malaysian railways (KTM) website, and
use the journey planner on their home page to find a train. On the
results page, click 'Proceed Purchase Ticket'. Alternatively, a
direct link to the booking system is
https://intranet.ktmb.com.my/e-ticket/login.aspx). Now book your train(s).
How are tickets
collected? You pay by credit card and print out your
own ticket. Or you can collect the tickets
from any KTM railway station, including Singapore (Woodlands).
Singapore
is now shown under 'W' as 'Woodlands CIQ'.
Kuala Lumpur
is shown in the list of destinations under 'S' as 'Sentral Kuala Lumpur'!
Prices for
tickets starting in Singapore:
If you are booking tickets starting in Singapore, read the
Tickets bought in Singapore
section, as the Singapore dollar fare will apply, converted back into
Ringgits. In other words, a 40 Ringgit fare for a journey
starting in Singapore will be costed as 40 Singapore dollars then
converted back into Ringgits, in this example about 91 Ringgits.
Crazy, but true...
What does
'label/slot' mean?
The confusingly-named "Label/slot" field on the booking form allows
you to pick your coach (for example, coach 'J1') then when you click
'view' it will show you the available seats or berths in that coach,
allowing you to pick one (for example, 5A, 5B, etc).
To book Malaysian trains
by phone or email with the KTM (Malaysian railways) call
centre, simply email your booking request to
callcenter@ktmb.com.my or call them on + 60 3 2267 1200
(calling from outside Malaysia) or 03 2267 1200 (calling from
within Malaysia).
Your email must specify the train number you want
to book between which stations on which date and in which class.
It must include the names, sex & passport numbers of each
traveller.
Malaysian Railways will
usually reply within about 4
days with a reference
number which you can quote when you pick up and pay for your tickets
in Malaysia or Singapore. Remember that tickets picked up and
paid for in Singapore
will cost twice as much a those picked up in Malaysia, so it is
best to pick up only your Singapore-Kuala Lumpur ticket at
Singapore Woodlands station, then wait until you get to Kuala Lumpur to pick up
the remaining tickets so you can pay in Ringgits. They'll give
you a deadline by which to collect & pay for your tickets, usually
the day before.
You can book a
complete northbound Singapore to Bangkok journey by email or phone
in this way. But please remember that
you're not asking for "a Singapore to Bangkok ticket" as
there's no such thing, you're
asking for 3 separate tickets on 3 separate trains, each reserved for
whatever date you want: Singapore-KL, KL-Butterworth &
Butterworth-Bangkok. Note that KTM's call centre (and for that
matter, their ticket offices) can book the northbound
Butterworth to Bangkok International Express train, but they
cannot book the southbound train starting in Bangkok, or for
that matter any Thai trains wholly within Thailand. A
southbound journey from Bangkok to Malaysia must either be booked at
Bangkok station when
you get there, or booked by email with the State Railways of Thailand
or several recommended Thai travel agencies such as
www.thailandtrainticket.com,
as shown on the Thailand page.
On the trains between
Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth (Penang), it can help to
know how the seats are arranged, as you can choose a specific seat
when booking online, and can request seating options when booking at
stations or by email or phone:
On daytime
trains, seats are numbered by row (1 to 15 in 2nd class, 1
to 12 in 1st class) and lettered by seat across the width of the
car, A-aisle-B-C in 1st class, A-B-aisle-C-D in 2nd class.
So seat 7C is in row 7, and it would be a window seat if it's
first class, an aisle seat if in 2nd class.
In 1st class,
seat 'A' is a solo seat (both window and aisle), seats 'B' and
'C' are two seats abreast on the other side of the aisle, 'B'
aisle, 'C' window. First class seats can be rotated,
so normally almost all face the direction of travel.
In 2nd class,
seats cannot rotate. Rows 1 to 8 normally face forwards
when travelling from Singapore northwards (and rows 9 to 15
backwards), and rows 9 to 15 face forwards when travelling
southwards (rows 1 to 8 backwards).
Rows 1 and 15 in
2nd class have relatively poor window views, being at the end of
the car facing a large TV screen. Similarly, rows 1 and 12
in 1st class are at the extreme ends of the car and have a poor
view from the window. Pick a seat in the middle of the
car.
When booking 2nd class sleepers,
lower berths are wider than upper ones, which is why they're a
fraction more expensive. Pick berths in the centre of the car,
away from the end doors as these will be quieter, away from the
wheels, with no draughts from the door.
Daytime express
trains between Singapore & Kuala Lumpur are modern and
air-conditioned. They have 1st & 2nd class seats, marketed as 'Premier'
& 'Superior'. The trains have a
refreshment trolley and buffet car with a very limited selection of
drinks and snacks, but it's a good idea to bring your own food
and drink along.
First class (Premier) seats are
quite luxurious, although well worn. They recline &
can be rotated to face each other or the direction of travel.
A trolley serves complimentary cake
and water in first class. Instant coffee costs a few
ringgits.
Second class (Superior) seats are also very comfortable,
although they cannot be rotated...
Above, the Rakyat Express
from Butterworth (Penang) to Kuala Lumpur & Singapore
calls at a wayside station.
All Malaysian overnight
trains have modern 2nd class sleepers, marketed as 'Standard Night'.
They are a great way to travel, and are safe,
comfortable, cheap and fun too. In some ways, they are more fun
than the closed compartments of the first class sleepers! They are open-plan, with upper and lower berths
arranged along each
side of a central aisle running down the middle of the coach. Each bunk has
curtains for privacy, and a nice touch in these Malaysian sleeping-cars
is that the upper berth has its own window. Upper berths are cheaper than lower berths, but
they are narrower, so ask for a lower berth if possible, especially if
you are over 6' 2". All necessary bedding is provided, with
blankets and fresh clean sheets. These sleepers are available on
all overnight
trains in Malaysia, including Singapore-Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth (for Penang)-Hat Yai
(in Thailand), Singapore-Tumpat (Khota Bharu) and Kuala Lumpur-Tumpat (Khota
Bharu). The Butterworth (Penang)-Bangkok sleepers are similar, but
provided by the Thai Railways, see
below.
If you would prefer an
enclosed private room, go for a first class sleeper. These older first class
sleeping-cars are very comfortable, and they operate on the Kuala
Lumpur-Butterworth (Penang) and Kuala Lumpur-Tumpat (Khota Bharu)
overnight trains, but not
on the Singapore-KL sleeper train.
These 1st class sleeping-cars, marketed as 'Premier Night', have private
lockable air-conditioned 2-berth compartments with washbasin, opening
off a side corridor. All necessary bedding, towels
and toiletries are provided. Passengers travelling alone can
either pay for both
berths OR book one berth in a 2-bed compartment and share with another
civilised sleeper passenger of the same sex. There are toilets at
the end of the corridor.
The Singapore-Kuala Lumpur overnight train
has a deluxe sleeping-car, with 1 or 2-bed private rooms with
en suite
toilet & shower. See
www.ktmb.com.my
for a 360° virtual tour. Two armchairs face each other over
a table. At night, the seat converts to a lower berth and an upper
bed folds out from the wall. A simple packed meal, served in your
compartment, is included in the fare. All necessary bedding,
towels and toiletries are provided. There's even a TV in the room,
which may or may not work! The private toilet/shower room comes
complete with electric hairdryer. It's fully carpeted, but
this being Southeast Asia, expect the carpet to be grubby!
More photos of the deluxe sleeper.
Virtual tour of deluxe sleeper
The 2nd class air-conditioned sleepers on
train 35/36 are provided by the State Railways of Thailand. There are
no 1st class sleeping-cars on this train, apart from the one that is attached
between Hat Yai & Bangkok, which cannot be reserved from Malaysia.
However, there's no need to travel 1st class, as the 2nd class sleepers
shown here are perfectly good, clean and comfortable. The curtains
at night on each berth, and the bays of two seats with partitions, give
you all the privacy you really need. Today's 'International
Express' is the descendant of the 'Southern Express' which started in
1922, see
history of the International Express.
This
is the International Express from Bangkok at
Butterworth (Penang).
By
night, upper & lower berths, each with curtains...
Cars are open-plan, with bays
of seats either side of the aisle.
By
day, a pair of spacious armchairs for two people...
A restaurant car
is attached between Hat Yai and Bangkok, for dinner & breakfast. The food is
remarkably cheap and good, a set meal costs around 150-200 baht
(£3-£4 or $5-$6). You choose from a leaflet with both
pictures and English captions. Beer is also readily
available and not expensive.
An
air-conditioned restaurant car on train 35 from Bangkok to Hat
Yai.
Malacca is well worth a
day's visit, as it has some of the oldest colonial buildings in SE Asia.
Pictured right: The Stadthuys (town hall), church and clock tower on Malacca's main
square.
Kuala Lumpur to
Malacca: Malacca is not on the rail network, but
modern buses run by several companies run 2 or 3 times every hour from the
Southern bus station in Kuala Lumpur, taking about 3 hours and
costing 9 or 10 Ringgit one-way.
The bus station in KL is known as BTS, Bandar Tasik Selatan, it has
its own stop on the STAR line, KTM Komuter train line and KLIA rail
link. Alternatively, take a train from KL to Tampin station (see
the train timetable above), then take a bus or taxi from there (38
km). A taxi from Tampin to Malacca costs around 70-80 ringgit (£15 or $23),
and you'll usually find some taxis waiting at the station.
Singapore to Malacca: There are
regular buses from Singapore to Malacca taking about 5½ hours. Alternatively, take a
train from Singapore to Tampin station (see the
train timetable above), then take a bus or taxi from there (38
km). A taxi from Tampin to Malacca costs around 80 ringgit Ringgit
(£16 or $24).
From Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi: Step 1, take the overnight 'Langkawi
Express' sleeper train from Kuala Lumpur to either Alor Setar or
Arau, see the train timetable above.
There is little to choose between the Alor Setar or Arau options.
Step 2, from Alor Setar it's a short bus ride or Ringgit 15 taxi ride to the ferry
terminal at Kuala Kedah. Step 3, the Langkawi Ferry (www.langkawi-ferry.com) sails from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi every
30 minutes between 07:00 & 19:00, no advance reservation necessary.
Sailing time is 1 hour 30 minutes, the fare is Ringgit 23 each way.
If you decide to go via Arau, it's a short taxi ride to the ferry
terminal at Kuala Perlis, which is slightly closer to Langkawi than
Kuala Kedah.
www.langkawi-ferry.com sails from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi about
every 30 minutes between 07:00 & 19:00, sailing time 1 hour 15 minutes,
fare Ringgit 18 each way, no advance reservation necessary.
From Singapore to Langkawi: Take the morning train from
Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, spend the afternoon in KL, then take
the overnight sleeper train from KL to Alor Setar or Arau and follow the instructions
above for travel from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi.
From Bangkok or southern Thailand to Langkawi: Take the
International Express from Bangkok or Hat Yai to Arau, small station
just across the border into Malaysia, see the
train timetable above. From Arau, it's a short taxi ride
to the ferry jetty at Kuala Perlis.
www.langkawi-ferry.com sails from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi about
every 30 minutes between 07:00 & 19:00, sailing time 1 hour 15 minutes,
fare Ringgit 18 each way, no advance reservation necessary.
From Penang to Langkawi:
www.langkawi-ferry.com operates a daily fast ferry direct from Penang
to Langkawi
island, leaving at 08:15 and taking 2 hour 45 minutes. The
fare is about 60 Ringgit (£13 or $17) one way, children 3-11 45
Ringgit, children under 3 free. The return
departure from Langkawi to Penang is at 17:15. For times,
fares and online booking, see
www.langkawi-ferry.com. This ferry is the best option if you want to
go to/from Penang itself.
The Perhentian Islands are relatively undeveloped islands off
Malaysia's north eastern coast, excellent for scuba diving.
The ideal way to reach the Perhentians is by overnight sleeper train
from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, taxi transfer then ferry:
Take the overnight sleeper train from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore to either Tanah Merah or Wakaf
Bahru stations, see the Jungle Line section
for train times. The train fare is about 54 Ringgit (£11 or $18)
including a 2nd class sleeper. The
overnight train from KL has both 2nd class
sleepers and 1st class 2-berth sleepers, the
overnight train from Singapore just has
2nd class
sleepers, but even 2nd class sleepers are
comfortable, air-conditioned and
perfectly adequate. Taking the sleeper train saves a hotel
bill, is an experience in itself, and can even save time compared to
flying.
Take a taxi from Tanah Merah or Wakaf Bahru to the main ferry port
at Kuala Besut. Local taxis will be waiting for the train
at either station, the taxi fare is 50 Ringgit (£10 or $15), the journey time about
50 minutes from Wakaf Bahru or 30 minutes from Tanah Merah.
Speedboats
from Kuala Besut take about 30 minutes to reach the Perhentian islands, and depart 4-5 times
daily 09:00-17:00 according to demand. The fare is about 60
Ringgit
(£10/$20)return. There
are also slow boats which leave Kuala Besut at 08:30 and 14:30, taking 1.5
hours, fare about 40 Ringgit return. There's another (private) jetty
at Tok Bali, but ferries from here are less frequent.
There are no trains to the Cameron Highlands, only buses & taxis,
but the nearest stations are either Tapah Road or Ipoh. Ipoh
is the better station to use, as Tapah Road station is 9km
from Tapah town and the Rakyat Ekspress is non-stop at Tapah Road but all trains
call at Ipoh.
Take an express train from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Penang
(Butterworth) to Ipoh,
see the
timetable above.
Take a bus from Ipoh to Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands.
There are four buses a day, at 08:00, 11:00, 15:00, 18:00. The bus ride takes 3½ hours & costs around RM16.80 (£4).
The bus station is a 10 minute walk from the rail station, but as
there are several bus stations in Ipoh, make sure you head for the
right one. You can usually get a ticket half an hour before
the bus goes, but the sooner the better as they occasionally get
full. The bus is spacious and air-con. The road winds up into the hills, with great views
over the fields.
Alternatively, a private taxi from Ipoh to Tanah Rata should cost
around RM80 (£13) per taxi.
Feedback from
travellers making this connection would be welcome.
Kuala
Lumpur Airport - fast rail link to city centre...
Malaysian Railways operate
the new 'KLIA Ekspres' train service between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
and Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station. It runs every 15 minutes
between 05:00 & 01:00 and takes 28 minutes non-stop. One-way
fare is about RM 35, return RM 65. See
www.kliaekspres.com for more
information.
From 1 July 2011, all trains to Malaysia start from Woodlands
Train Checkpoint...
Trains to
Malaysia now leave from the Woodlands Train Checkpoint, located in
the north of Singapore island just
south of the causeway across the Johor Straits to Malaysia, some 13 miles north of Singapore city.
There is now a KTM InterCity ticket counter at Woodlands station so
you can buy tickets there.
Sadly, trains no longer leave from the wonderful 1932-built art deco
station in central Singapore in Keppel Road, often known as Tanjong
Pagar.
Map showing location of Singapore's Woodlands checkpoint station.
Passport & customs formalities leaving from or arriving at
Woodlands...
You should arrive at Woodlands at least half an hour before
your train departure, for passport formalities. You go through both
Singapore departure formalities and Malaysian immigration
formalities at Woodlands before boarding the train. When
arriving at Woodlands from Malaysia, Malaysian immigration
formalities are carried out on board the train at Johor Bahru,
Singapore passport and customs formalities are undertaken at
Woodlands checkpoint after you get off the train.
How to
get from central Singapore to Woodlands Train Checkpoint...
By
MRT (metro) & bus: Step 1, take the MRT (mass
rapid transit metro) from any downtown Singapore MRT station to Woodlands
MRT station. MRT trains run every few minutes, fare S$2.20,
distance around 26.4 km, journey time around 45 minutes.
Woodlands MRT station is 3.3 km (2 miles) from Woodlands Train
Checkpoint. Step 2, take air-conditioned bus numbers 911 or 913 from
Woodlands MRT station to Woodlands Train Checkpoint. The bus
is easy to find, just downstairs from the MRT train, go to bus bay
11. The bus fare is S$1.10,
distance 3.3 km, journey time 10 minutes, buses run every 3 to 10
minutes all day (every 3 to 15 minutes after 7pm). The
whole journey from central Singapore to Woodlands Train
Checkpoint will take around 65 minutes and cost S$3.30 (£2 or $3), but plan to arrive at least half an hour
before your train leaves for passport formalities. If you want
to buy any supplies for the journey, buy them before arriving at
Woodlands Train Checkpoint as there are few if any retail outlets
there. See www.smrt.com.sg
for a
journey planner and a
MRT network map.
By
taxi: A taxi from Singapore's central business district to
Woodlands costs around S$31 (£15 or US$25) per taxi for the 24 km
ride. Allow at least 40 minutes for the taxi
journey, plus allow half an hour for passport formalities at
Woodlands before the train leaves. If you want to buy any
supplies for the journey, buy them before arriving at Woodlands
Train Checkpoint as there are few if any retail outlets there.
Woodlands:
The single platform at Singapore's Woodlands Train
Checkpoint.
A KTM InterCity
train to Malaysia in the platform at Woodlands Train
Checkpoint.
Singapore's wonderful 1932 art deco railway station finally closed on 30
June 2011...
For almost
80 years, from 1932 until 30 June 2011, trains to Malaysia left from
the faded colonial grandeur of Singapore's magnificent art-deco
station in Keppel Road, sometimes known as Tanjong Pagar railway
station. The station was designed by Singapore's oldest
architectural firm Swan and Maclaren, with Italian sculptor Rudolfo
Nolli responsible for the four figures on the station's facade
representing Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Transport.
The letters 'F M S R' on the front of the
building stand for "Federated Malay States Railway", the railway's
original title when Singapore & Malaysia were both part of British
Malaya. A railway was first built on Singapore island in 1903,
linking the port area with Woodlands in the north of the island,
although for the first two decades passengers had to take a ferry
from Woodlands across the Johor Strait and board another train to
continue their journey up the Malay Peninsula. However, a
causeway linking Singapore with Malaysia was built in 1923 and the
railway was extended across it, finally allowing trains to run
direct between Singapore and mainland Malaya. The trains used
a temporary station until the present station opened in 1932.
When Singapore split from Malaysia in 1965, the station and mainline
railway remained the property of the Malaysian government,
even though they were built on Singaporean territory. The existence of
significant tracts of Malaysian land deep within Singapore island
became a longstanding political thorn in Singapore's side, and the
Singaporeans tried for years to buy or sequestrate the
land so the railway could be closed and built over. Unfortunately, the
Singaporean and Malaysian governments reached an agreement in
2010. The historic station
in Singapore closed on 30 June 2011, and taking a train from this
wonderful building is now a thing of the past. Trains now start/terminate at Woodlands,
just south of the causeway
to Malaysia, far less convenient for travellers and a totally
backward step in transport terms. Sadly, in Singapore it seems they know the
value of office blocks and shopping centres but not of city centre
railway connections!
From 1 July 2011 you have to take
a taxi or the MRT (mass transit metro) plus a bus to
Woodlands Train Checkpoint to pick up the trains to Malaysia there.
Malaysian and Singaporean border control are co-located at
Woodlands, so at least this saves the long stops for border
control en route, cutting journey time. At least it's planned to
preserve, rather than demolish, the old station building. As
it used to be:
There's a good look round Singapore's railway station in this video
or see this
panorama photo inside Singapore station.
Map showing location of Singapore's old railway
station
As it used to be... Inside Singapore's old station, with the
reservation counters. Note the murals!
Now closed... The imposing facade of Singapore's old railway
station in Keppel Road...
The end of the line: Singapore station's platforms, one for departures, one for arrivals.
Above: Singapore station booking hall. The
'chalet' is a temporary stand for the Malaysian Tourist Board...
As of 2001,
long-distance KTM InterCity trains between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur
and Penang now use KL's shiny modern Sentral station and no
longer stop at the famous Moorish-style railway station built by the
British in 1910. However, the old station is still an
operational station as suburban 'KTM Komuter' trains still stop there.
By all means take a
frequent suburban train from KL Sentral to reach the old station,
which is a landmark in its own right.
Map showing location of the new KL Sentral and
original historic KL stations.
Kuala Lumpur Sentral
Station: Main entrance & taxi rank.
Above: Level 2.
The main doors from the taxi rank are on the left. The
KTM InterCity ticket office & left luggage are along the
passageway in the background.
Above: This is Level
1 downstairs. Access to the KTM Komuter train
platforms is from this level. KTM InterCity trains
have their own platforms, accessed from level 2.
Above:
The Rakyat Express from Butterworth to Singapore has just
arrived at KL Sentral station. There are lifts, stairs
and escalators up to Level 2.
KTM InterCity ticket
office: Located on level 2, along the passageway on your
left as you walk in through the main station doors from the taxi
rank (the dark passageway in the background in the photo above
left). Open for advance sales 07:00-21:30 every day.
Sales for immediate travel 07:00-23:00 daily. An organised
waiting system operates, ask for a numbered queuing ticket from the
first counter on the left and wait for your number to be called.
Can sell tickets for any train within Malaysia and for the trains
from Malaysia to Hat Yai & Bangkok.
Left luggage office:
You can leave your bags at the left luggage office, located directly
opposite the KTM InterCity ticket counters on Level 2. Open
every day 08:00 to 22:30. 3 Ringgit (£0.80 or $1) for a small
bag, 5 Ringgit (£1 or $2) for a large bag.
Access to mainline
trains: The stairs and escalators down to the KTM
InterCity trains (platforms 1 & 2) start from Level 2, labelled
'Gate A' and 'Gate B' to left and right as you walk in through the
main doors from the taxi rank. In the photo above left, 'Gate
A' is in the far background on the far right of the photo.
Actually, both gates go to the same pair of platforms.
Access to Komuter and
KLIA airport trains: KTM Komuter trains leave from
separate platforms accessed from the KTM Komuter area downstairs on
Level 1. Access to KLIA airport trains is also from Level 1.
First class lounge:
First class KTM InterCity passengers can use a VIP lounge with
complimentary soft drinks and free WiFi. It opens an hour
before each train departure. It's poorly signed: Go
through the main doors from the taxi rank, walk forward, do a 180
degree turn up the escalator to the Level 3 walkway you can see in
the photo above left, turn left at the top of the escalator and left
again through the lift lobby to the door to the lounge.
Food & drink:
There's a KFC on Level 2 and a MacDonald's and other food outlets
just on Level 1. There are many 7-11 style shops to stock up
for your train journey.
Kuala Lumpur's
original Moorish-style railway station...
Built in 1910 and
designed by Arthur Benison Hubback, KL's famous Moorish-style
station served as KL's main station until superseded by KL Sentral
in 2001.
It's still used by commuter trains (below right) though intercity
trains no longer call there. However, it's a landmark in its
own right, and well worth a visit. Sadly, it's reported that
the
Heritage Station Hotel
(which was part of the
old 1911 station
building and a good cheap choice) has now closed down.
More information about the station.
Kuala Lumpur's old
station... Above right, a KTM Komuter train calls.
Above left,
in addition to the Singapore-KL-Ipoh-Penang intercity
trains, regular modern 'ETS' trains link KL with Ipoh.
Above right, you get a good view of the old station
as you pass it on the metro.
Penang is an island, and
the main town on Penang Island is called Georgetown, once
the capital of British Malaya. The railway station for Penang is
Butterworth, located on the mainland directly
opposite Georgetown. When you arrive by train at Butterworth station,
you go up a walkway from the station to the
ferry terminal to take the ferry to Georgetown (Penang). Georgetown has some excellent British
colonial buildings, interesting museums and temples, a large
Chinatown and a Little India. Well worth a visit!
Butterworth station has
a ticket office, open 07:00-22:30 every day (with breaks 09:00-10:00
& 16:00-17:30). They accept
MasterCard & Visa. Butterworth station has
a money changer, but no ATMs, nor is there any left luggage office.
There's not much in the way of food shops or stalls at Butterworth,
so when catching a train it's best to stock up before you leave
Georgetown. If you get stuck, you might find a shop at the bus
station next door. Temporary station: As from
summer 2011, there's a temporary station at Butterworth, just a
minute or two further walk from the ferry, whilst the original
station is rebuilt as part of KL-Penang-Padang Besar railway
modernisation project.
Butterworth
station: Walking off the end of the platforms at
Butterworth, towards the ferry...
Here, the two direct
Bangkok to Butterworth sleeping-cars of the International
Express have arrived at Butterworth...
The ferry from Butterworth to Penang...
Ferries shuttle back &
forth between Butterworth
& Penang (Georgetown)
every 10 minutes or so between 05:00 & 24:00, crossing time around 15 minutes.
The fare is 1.20 Ringgit outward, paid by putting the coins into the
turnstiles. A staffed kiosk can change notes into coins for the ferry.
In the other direction the ferry is free for foot passengers.
An alternative to the ferry is to take a taxi the long way round via
the lengthy Penang Bridge, about 60 Ringgit (£11 or $17) from a
central Penang hotel to Butterworth station.
On board the
ferry, on the passenger deck above the vehicles, with great
views of Georgetown approaching.
The Penang ferry:
The Butterworth to Penang ferry, linking the railway station
with Georgetown.
KTM ticket office at
Georgetown, Penang: Open 08:30-16:00 daily.
You'll find a small KTM
ticket office at the ferry terminal in Georgetown on Penang island,
which saves having to take the ferry to Butterworth to book your
train tickets. The office is open daily from 08:30 to 16:00,
and can sell all train tickets for Malaysia and from Butterworth to
Bangkok.
The ultra-luxurious
Eastern & Oriental Express runs once, twice or sometimes 3
times each month between
Singapore, Penang and Bangkok, usually including a city tour in Penang
and a brief diversion to
Kanchanaburi and the famous Bridge on the River Kwai. It also
runs some rail cruises to Chiang Mai and other destinations. Operated by
the same company that runs the superb Venice Simplon Orient Express,
it uses sleeping-cars originally built in Japan for the New Zealand
Railways Wellington-Auckland 'Silver Star' sleeper train (which ran
1972 to 1979). See
www.orient-expresstrains.com for times,
departure dates, prices & online
booking. The Eastern & Oriental gets great reviews from
travellers, and it's easily the most luxurious way to travel from
Singapore to Bangkok, seeing both Malaysia and the famous Bridge on
the River Kwai on the way. In other words, it isn't cheap, but
you certainly won't regret taking this train!
The Eastern & Oriental Express, seen at Butterworth.
The Eastern & Oriental Express'
elegant dining car...
If you have the time (and we're talking a
minimum of 3½ weeks
one-way), you can travel from London to Singapore overland. The
links below cover travel in either direction, from London or to
London:
Step 1:
London to Moscow by train. Daily
departures, 2 nights, from about £160 one-way with sleeper. Spend
at least 1 night in Moscow.
There aren't any travel agencies
who can arrange the whole trip, so you will need to plan
it out and arrange each stage of the journey yourself. It's an exercise in project
management! Unless time is absolutely no object, you should book
the key sections in advance through various travel agencies, for
example, book London-Moscow through a UK European train ticketing agency
such as DB's UK office or europeanrail.com, then book Moscow-Beijing &
Beijing-Hanoi through a local Russian agency such as Svezhy Veter or
www.realrussia.co.uk. Tickets for other parts of the trip, for
example, Hanoi-Saigon-Phnom Penh-Bangkok can all be bought locally, as
you go along. You'll need to pre-arrange visas for Belarus,
Russia, possibly Mongolia, China & Vietnam, and in many ways complying
with the various visa requirements (and in some cases, requirements for
confirmed onward tickets to be held) is actually the biggest hassle, not
buying the tickets for the trains, so check this out carefully using the
relevant embassy websites.
Where do you start?
First, read through the seat61
pages linked above. Then sketch out your
itinerary using a simple spreadsheet like this, deciding where and
for how long you want to stop off. Next, check out the visa
situation for each country. Finally, follow the advice on each
seat61 page to buy tickets for each train journey that you want to
pre-book.
www.hotelscombined.com
is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia,
Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and
others) to find the cheapest hotel rates. Set up in
2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any
hotel online in any country, worldwide.
Well, it has to be Raffles, hasn't it?
A major Singapore landmark and a tourist attraction in its own right,
all rooms are suites and will set you back upwards from £300 per night.
But it's one of the world's greatest hotels, and one of several
famous Asian hotels founded by the Sarkies
brothers. The main building dates from 1899, although the two
side wings date from 1889 and 1896. Even if you can't
afford to stay there, at least drop in for a refreshing Singapore
sling in the famous Long Bar, a rather more affordable, but still
steep £6 each. At least the peanuts are free. Remember
to follow tradition by dropping the peanut shells straight onto the
floor... The hotel's own website is www.Raffles.com.
Book a room at Raffles online.
Raffles Hotel:
The incomparable Raffles Hotel, Singapore, a little colonial
island in a sea of modern high-rise blocks.
A
suite at Raffles: This is a Grand Suite in the main
building, room 339 / 340 with sitting room, bedroom, bathroom
and private veranda...
(Left) Raffles
hotel lobby... (Right) The Long Bar at Raffles Hotel:
If you can't afford to stay there, at least have a 'Singapore
Sling' in the famous Long Bar. The bar was originally located in
the ballroom, a single-storey extension built in 1915 on the
front of the hotel where the driveway is now. The Long Bar
was first moved from one side of the ballroom to the other, then
moved again in 1989 when the hotel was refurbished and the
ballroom demolished. It's now located at the rear of the
hotel in a modern block constructed in 1989.
If you like Raffles, try
the
Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang, equally historic but a bit
cheaper at around £150 for a double room.
Backpacker hostels...
www.hostelbookers.com: If you're on a
tight budget,
don't forget the backpacker hostels. Hostelbookers has online booking of cheap private
rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Singapore and most
other world cities at rock-bottom prices.
I strongly recommend
investing in a decent guidebook. It may seem an unnecessary
expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole
trip. You will see so much more, and know so much more about what
you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook. For the
independent traveller, I have no hesitation in recommending either the
Lonely Planets or the Rough Guides. Both provide an excellent level of
practical information and historical and political background. You
will not regret buying one!
Or buy direct from the
Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide. Alternatively,
you can download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format
from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a
chapter.
Travel insurance, SIM cards...
Get travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable
insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover
cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings.
An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
Columbus Direct or
Go Travel Insurance, or go to
Confused.com to run a price comparison on a whole range of
travel insurance providers for your dates of travel, seeing
their policy's features at a glance..
Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency
exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.
If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're
not left stranded if
your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself. In addition,
some credit cards are significantly better for
overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's
www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which
UK credit cards
have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something
overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when
you use an ATM abroad. Taking this advice
can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your
normal high-street bank credit card! You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a
Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or indeed the
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card,
find out about these cards & sign up here.
Get an international SIM card...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're
not careful you can return home to find some huge bills
waiting for you. I've known people run up a £1,000 bill
in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a
simple trip to Europe. However, if you
buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company
such as
www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and
limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid. It
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills
when you get home. It also works for laptop or PDA data
access. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
Overland travel by train & bus
around Southeast Asia is an essential part of the experience,
so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay
on the ground! But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Asia in
the first place. For flights to
Singapore, two airlines stand out:
Singapore Airlines,
www.singaporeair.com, consistently
voted one of the world's best (and I
wouldn't disagree, as far as airlines
go...).
Virgin Atlantic Airlines,
www.virginatlantic.com, who now fly direct from the UK to Singapore,
another good
choice for both price & service.
Or use the Skyscanner search tool
to compare flight prices & routes
worldwide across 600 airlines...
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If
you're resident in
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try
If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try
