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Kuala Lumpur city centre with the Petronos Towers

© 123rf.com / Shariff Che'Lah

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Malaysia

Travel to Kuala Lumpur

Flying to Kuala Lumpur

Two carriers offer direct scheduled flights to Kuala Lumpur from the UK - Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia. Prices tend to rise around the time of major holidays and festivals, such as the Ramadan and Christmas periods when demand is highest. Avoid these periods if you’re looking to book cheap flights to Kuala Lumpur.

Flight times: 

From London - 13 hours; New York - 20 hours 15 minutes; Los Angeles - 17 hours 45 minutes; Toronto - 21 hours 45 minutes; Sydney - 8 hours.

Travel by road

Summary:

Main roads in Malaysia are generally in good repair and driving standards are higher than in most Asian countries. Traffic drives on the left. The speed limits are an optimistic 60kph (37mph) in the city, 90kph (56mph) on main country roads and 110kph (69mph) on highways and expressways. The minimum age for driving is 21 years (16 years for a motorcycle). A national driving licence is required and it is advisable to obtain an International Driving Permit.

The North-South Highway, which extends from Singapore to the Thai border via Kuala Lumpur, has made long distance driving in Malaysia a relative breeze, although traffic in Kuala Lumpur itself can be pretty nightmarish more or less any time of day or night. Although driving standards are generally good, Malaysia still has its share of drivers who take risks such as overtaking on blind corners, speeding in heavy rainfall and jumping red traffic lights.

Emergency breakdown service:

Automobile Association Malaysia (tel: (03) 2162 5777; www.aam.org.my). Plusronda (tel: (03) 7666 4297; www.plus.com.my) provides 24-hour emergency telephones, situated every 2km (1.2 miles) on expressways and toll roads.

Routes:

Both the North South Expressway Central Link and the federal Route 1 run from Johor Baru, which is connected via causeway to Singapore in the south, to Kuala Lumpur and from Butterworth/Penang into the city centre. From Melaka, the federal road Route 5 connects to the Shah Alam and Klang Valley Express Highway into Kuala Lumpur city centre.

Driving times:

From Melaka - 2 to 3 hours; Singapore - 5 to 6 hours; Butterworth/Penang - 6 to 7 hours.

Coaches:

Numerous companies operate air-conditioned services, including Transnasional (tel: 1300 888 582; http://www.transnasional.com.my).

The main terminal, Puduraya Bus Station, Jalan Puda Raya (tel: (03) 230 0145), is a hub for services all over Peninsula Malaysia, as well as international services to Singapore (journey time - 7 to 8 hours) and Thailand (journey time - 12 to 13 hours).

Services to the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia also leave from Putra Bus Station, opposite the Putra World Trade Centre, and Pekeliling Bus Station. Banguan MARA Bus Station serves destinations to the south.

Travel by rail

Services:

KL Sentral Station (tel: (03) 2730 2000; www.klsentral.com.my) is located 1.5km (1 mile) northwest of the city centre. Facilities at this high-tech transport hub include ATMs, bureau de change, left luggage and tourist information. It is also the city centre terminus for the KLIA Ekspres (tel: (03) 2267 8000; www.kliaekspres.com) high speed airport rail link. KL Sentral is part of a multi-million dollar development, which will incorporate hotels, offices, retail outlets, residential property and recreational facilities when completed in 2012.

Operators:

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad - KTMB (tel: (03) 2267 1200; www.ktmb.com.my) operates most rail services in peninsular Malaysia. These are generally reasonably fast and efficient, although prone to occasional minor derailments and land/mudslides on longer journeys away from urban centres.

The luxury Eastern and Oriental Express (www.orient-express.com) connects KL with Singapore to the south and Bangkok and Chiang Mai to the north in Thailand.

Recommended Sites:

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