Hello.



We're going to Asia this year and Singapore is one of our destinations, we're staying there for 7 Days/6 Nights. I wanted to take a quickie ride to Kuala Lumpur for like 2 nights and my wife said she wouldn't mind. Has anybody taken the train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur? If so, how long was the trip and did you take it by morning or left at night? How was the ride/seats/bed as well as the pricing? Are the train stations pretty much located centrally, like most statios are or are they in the outskirts of the city? Are most of the trains modern and do they serve food or do they make stops at some of the cities on the way? Any information is greatly appreciated.



Asia will be a whole new thing for us since this is my first time going to a place where I can't use the few alternate languages I know (Spanish, Italian & Portuguese) ... hope I can get away using English in some places... Thanks.

Not too sure about the trains between Singapore and KL - are you sure there even is one? Singapore is linked to the Malaysian mainland by a causeway, and as far as I can remember, there is only a road across it, no train tracks. The Malaysia bus service is great, I took a bus from KL to Singapore with a stopover in Malacca - there are different levels of service, but you will be able to take a modern tourbus if that's what you want. The bus stations are in the centres of KL and Singapore, and you will be able to take taxis to/from the stations and your hotels.



As for language, in Malaysia and Singapore you will have absolutely no problems getting around with only English.

You can go all the way to Bangkok from Singapore by train. And yes, everyone in Singapore speaks English; a lot of Malaysians do too.



Check this site: http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm

The train system in malaysia is terrible but the bus system is great and reasonably priced. Having used the rail system in europe and realizing that malaysia was under British control much like Hong Kong I assumed that the rail system would be adequate . It is not . Use the bus or check on private car and driver. Rates were quite reasonable but that was 10 years ago.

I didn't think the trains were bad at all in Malaysia. They were really cheap, reasonably clean and on time. I don't know about you, but the train would have to be utterly abysmal for me to choose bus over rail. The buses aren't bad in Malaysia, but there's no way I'd take them over the train.

Thanks everybody. I appreciate the recommended website Eric, that really helped. I don't mind the bus if it's 5 Hours or less... I know in many countries, bus is their major source of transportation and therefore have some really nice first-class buses (unlike the ones we have in the USA). We're just trying to go to Kuala Lumpur (although Bangkok sounds tempting) but for the amount of time we're going to be in Singapore, I think we'll barely have enough time to go to KL as it is. Thanks again everybody, I will keep reading into the train transportation.

KL really surprised me by how pleasant it was. The architecture is fascinating - don't miss the tour of Petronas Towers. Nightlife is good and eclectic, especially down in Brickfields and Bangsar. The food is magnificent, like everywhere else in the country.



If you're coming up from Singapore, you might want to check out Melaka on the way. It's an old colonial town on the Andaman coast, just across from Sumatra. It was Portuguese in the 16th century, then Dutch, then British. It's really charming, in a colonial sort of way.



I have pictures from both cities here: http://www.pbase.com/felixissimo

My favourite place in Malaysia is Penang, which is only a couple of hours north of KL. It is an island, but is linked to the mainland by bridge. Penang was the colonial centre of British Malaya, and has many colonial style buildings. The city has a wonderful air of crumbling decay, but with an amazing vitality. Like most of Malaysia, it is a true meltingpot, with many Chinese, Malays, Indians and Europeans all living together. Georgetown, the main town, is fascinating, and the food is some of the best in the world - you can get everything here! There are Hindu and Buddhist temples to visit, and the rest of the island is very accessible if you rent a moped - a drive aroudn the island is a great way to spend the day, stopping off at a temple or two and a roadside restaurant for lunch. There are also beaches, although they are not the best. The Penang museum is very good and gives a great picture of life in Penang before and during the colonial period, and of the history of the island and its' peoples.

Go by bus, it's cheaper and easier

Took the same journey 2 times last year and in fact used bus on one journey and the train the other. The buses have great great leg room and are very cheap and clean, enough room to get your head down if you feel tired. The train does provide beds but if you are like me and are over 5ft9 then this might not be a good option as they are really small, dont get me wrong they are clean and cheap also but I prefer the bus during the day, the sights along the ways are fantastic as you go through some of the rural areas you would never normally see.



Word of warning the main bus station is not a niice area a little dirty but dont let this put you off the rest of KL as its a really great city. Have fun!

Thanks everybody, all the information has helped greatly, I now feel more certain in doing this. We'll see how everything goes. Will be back, I'm sure to have questions in other topics that may come up...

recently amended train scedule :

http://www.ktmb.com.my/article.cfm?id=1637



Travel Hints



Malaysia, a country of 23 million people, covers an area of 329, 758 sq km and comprises Peninsular Malaysia in the West and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo in the East.





Peninsular Malaysia consists of 11 states (Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor, Pahang, Trengganu and Kelantan) and two Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya). East Malaysia comprises two states (Sabah and Sarawak) and the Federal Territory of Labuan.



Located between latitudes 1 and 7 degrees north and longitudes 100 and 119 degrees east, Malaysia's neighbours are Thailand in the north of the Peninsula, Singapore in the south, and the Indonesian archipelago stretching from the southwest of the Peninsula to the southeast. The states of Sabah and Sarawak meanwhile share the Borneo Island with Indonesia's Kalimantan and the Sultanate Kingdom of Brunei.



Climate and Clothing

Enjoying a tropical climate, Malaysia has warm and humid weather throughout the year. Temperatures in the lowlands range from 22oC to 32oC while in the highland, they vary between 16oC and 23oC.







Rainfall averages around 2, 500 mm a year. From April to July, the southwest monsoon brings more rainfall to the west coast. From November to January, the northeast monsoon affects the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.



Light cotton clothing is advisable. At the beach and resorts, shorts, T-shirts and sandals are recommended.



Government

Malaysia practices parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislative system comprising Dewan rakyat (the House of Representatives) and Dewan Negara (the Senate). The Head of Government is the Prime Minister while His Majesty the Yang DiPertuan Agong is the constitutional monarch who is elected every five years from among the nine sultans (who heads some of the Peninsula states).



Religion

Islam is the country's official religion but other religious such as Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity are freely practiced.



Language

Bahasa Malaysia is the official language but English is widely used, especially in the commercial sector. The ethnic groups also speak other languages such as Mandarin and Tamil as well as Chinese dialects like Cantonese and Hokkien. In the East Malaysian states, the various languages of the indigenous communities are still preserved and still widely used.



Population

Malaysia has 23.2 million people (2000 census). Malay, Chinese and Indians make up the three major races. East Malaysia is home to other indigenous communities that include the Dayak, Iban, Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and Bidayuh.



Time Zone

The standard Malaysia time is eight hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of US Pacific Standard Time. It shares the same time zone with Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.



Economic Profile

Manufacturing is the main contributor to the nation's economy. Reined petroleum, tourism, palm oil, crude oil and natural rubber are other important sectors of the economy.



Entry Formalities

All visitors must possess valid passports with a minimum validity period of six months or other internationally-recognized travel documents for entry into the country.





Visa Requirements

Nationals of these countries do not require a visa to enter Malaysia for the purpose of social/business visits for not more than three (3) months. For other purposes, a visa is required.



The countries are:

ARGENTINA, ALBANIA, ALGERIA, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, CZECH REPUBLIC & SLOVAKIA, DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ICELAND, ITALY, JAPAN, KHYRGYZSTAN, LUXEMBOURG, NORWAY, PERU, SOUTH KOREA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, TURKMENISTAN, TUNISIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.





WEST ASIA COUNTRIES

Nationals of these countries also do not require a visa to enter Malaysia for the purpose of social/business visit not more than three (3) months. For other purposes, a visa is required.



The countries are:

BAHRAIN, MOROCCO, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, OMAN, JORDAN, QATAR, KUWAIT, SAUDI ARABIA, LEBANON, TURKEY, EGYPT.





Nationals of the following countries do not require a visa to enter Malaysia for the purpose of social/ business visits of not more than 14 days. For other purposes, a visa is required.



The countries are:

AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, IRAQ, LIBYA, SYRIA, EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, BALTIC AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES(CIS).



Nationals of these countries do not require a visa to enter Malaysia for the purpose of social/business visits of not more than thirty (30) days. For other purposes, a visa is required.



The countries are:

ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN, BULARUS, BULGARIA, ESTONIA, GEORGIA, KAZAKHSTAN, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, MOLDOVIA, ROMANIA, RUSSIA, TAJIKISTAN, UKRAINE.





Travellers Declaration Form

The current practice of obtaining prior written approval from Bank Negara Malaysia remains unchanged for the following:





1) Residents and Non-Resident travellers who carry Ringgit in excess of RM1, 000





2) Resident travellers who take out foreign currency notes and/or travellers cheques in excess of the equivalent of RM10, 000





3) Non-Resident travellers who take out foreign currency notes and travellers cheques in excess of the amount brought in, provided the amount taken out is more than the equivalent of US$2, 500







Furthermore, travellers are required to fill in the Travellers Declaration Form (TDF) under the following circumstances:



1) Travellers who carry Ringgit in excess of RM1, 000 into the country





2) Resident travellers who take out foreign currency notes and/or travellers cheques in excess of the equivalent of RM10, 000





3) Non-resident travellers who bring into Malaysia more than US$2, 500 or its equivalent









A new simplified TDF is being issued for resident travellers who need to declare amounts that are above the permitted limit. The TDF must new handed to the immigration officer together with the disembarkation card and passport.





A simplified TDF for non-residents is being incorporated into the Embarkation card issued by the Immigration Department. failure to declare currency amounts carried above the permitted limit would result in an offence under the Customs Act 1967.





In view of the above, the Travellers Declaration Pass (TDP) for residents and students who work and study in Singapore will no longer be issued.





Banking Hours

Banking hours are from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm on weekdays, and 9.30 am to 11.30 am on Saturdays. Banks close on first and third Saturdays of every month, Sundays and public holidays.





Currency

The Malaysian unit of currency is the Ringgit Malaysia (RM), which is divided into 100 sen. Currency comes in notes of RM1, RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100. Coins are issued in 1 sen, 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, 50 sen and RM1 denominations. Malaysian Ringgit or MYR is pegged to the US Dollar and US$1 is equivalent to MYR3.80.



All currencies brought into and out of the country must be declared by using Travellers Declaration Form, which can be obtained from entry and exit points of Malaysia. By regulation of the government, non-residents are allowed to bring in and out of the country not more than RM1000.00 at any given time but foreign currencies are not regulated.



All commercial banks are authorized foreign exchange dealers. Major hotels however, are only licensed to buy or accept foreign currencies in the form of notes and travellers cheques





Credit Cards

Major credit cards such as VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club are accepted by most business establishments.





Tipping

Most hotels and restaurants levy a 10% service charge and 5% government sales taxes in their bills. Tipping is not customary.





Duty-free Allowances

Tourist staying in the country for a minimum of 72 hours, are permitted to buy the following goods exempt from duty:



1) wines, spirits and liquor not exceeding one liter

2) 200 sticks of cigarettes or five cigars or 225 gms of loose tobacco

3) not more than three pieces of clothing

4) not more than one unit of portable electric appliance for personal use

5) dutiable foodstuff not exceeding RM75 in value

6) cosmetics, perfumes and dentifrices not exceeding RM200 in value

7) souvenirs a gift not exceeding RM2, 000 or not exceeding RM500 for goods from Labuan and Langkawi

8) matches not exceeding 100 sticks







Electricity And Voltage

Electric supply is on a 240-volt 50-cycle system. Visitors from countries using different electricity voltage systems are advised to bring their converters and adaptors.



Water

Water is generally safe to be consumed from the tap, though boiling prior to consumption is advisable.







Weights and Measurements

The metric system of weight and measure is used.





Telecommunications

Malaysia is linked nationally and internationally by telephone, facsimile, telegraph, telex and through the internet. Most hotels provide International Direct Dial (IDD) telephone services. In cities and towns, public phones are available at high-traffic areas, such as bus stations, shopping complexes and office buildings and are coins or phone card operated. Phone cards come in denominations of RM5, RM10, RM20, RM50 and are available at newsstands and petrol stations.





Health Regulations

Visitors from yellow fever-infected areas and several African and Latin American countries are required to produce their yellow fever vaccination certificates for entry into Malaysia.





Airport Departure Tax

An airport departure tax of RM40 is applicable for international flight passengers. For domestic travellers, the tax is RM5. Children below 2 years old are exempted.





Narcotics

Trafficking of illicit drugs in or out of the country carries a mandatory death sentence upon conviction