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Getting There By Air:

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL)
Tel: (03) 8777 8888.
Website: www.klia.com.my

The award-winning, ultra-modern Kuala Lumpur International Airport (or KLIA), 43km (27 miles) to the south of the city center, is a major gateway to South East Asia. It handles flights for over 45 international carriers, including Malaysian Airlines, the national carrier. A fast transit train connects the arrival gates with the arrivals hall.

Approximate flight times to Kuala Lumpur: From London - 13 hours; from New York - 20 hours 15 minutes; from Los Angeles - 17 hours 45 minutes; from Toronto -  21 hours 45 minutes and from Sydney -  8 hours.

Airport facilities: These include ATMs, bureaux de change, 24-hour shopping, duty-free, restaurants, postal services, tourist information, hotel reservations, car hire (Budget and Hertz), medical services, left luggage and prayer rooms. There is also a transit hotel and a business center.

Transport to the city: The Express Rail Link (tel: (03) 2267 8000; website: www.kliaekspres.com) connects KLIA with the KL KAT Terminal at Sentral Station, in the city center. There are two airport services - the KLIA Ekspres, which covers the journey without stopping, and the KLIA Transit, which stops en route at Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya/Cyberjaya and Bandar Tasik Selatan. Taxis can be pre-paid in the arrivals area at the airport, with fares depending on the type of vehicle to the city center (approximate journey time - 40 minutes).

Getting There By Road:

Roads in Malaysia are generally in good repair and driving standards are higher than in most Asian countries. In general, road routes are simply numbered. Traffic drives on the left and it is compulsory to wear a seat belt. The speed limits are 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 license is required and it is advisable to obtain an International Driving Permit. Without the latter, the Road Transport Department must endorse any national license. Third party automobile liability insurance is compulsory. Drink-driving is an offence that is taken very seriously in Malaysia, and is punished with large fines or imprisonment.

The North-South Highway, which extends from Singapore to the Thai border via Kuala Lumpur, has made driving in Malaysia a relative breeze. Although driving standards are 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.

A letter of introduction from a driver’s own automobile association is required to join the Automobile Association Malaysia (AAM) (tel: (03) 2162 6915; website: www.autotrade.com.my/aam).

Emergency breakdown service(s): Automobile Association Malaysia (tel: (03) 2161 0808; website: www.aam.org.my). Plusronda (tel: (03) 7981 8000; website: www.plus.com.my/plusronda.asp) provides 24-hour emergency telephones, situated every 2km (1.2 miles) on expressways and highways.

Routes to the city: The North-South Expressway Central Link (NSECL), Federal Highway, Shal Alam Expressway and Klang Valley Expressway Highway are the main routes to the city center. Both the NSECL and the federal road Route 1 run from Johor Baru, which is connected via bridge to Singapore in the south, to Kuala Lumpur and from Butterworth/Penang into the city center. From Melaka, the federal road Route 5 connects to the Shah Alam and Klang Valley Express Highway into Kuala Lumpur city center.

Approximate driving times to Kuala Lumpur: From Melaka - 2 to 3 hours; Singapore - 5 to 6 hours; Butterworth/Penang - 6 to 7 hours.

Coach services: A large number of companies operate air-conditioned services, including Transnasional Express (tel: (03) 2070 3300). In most cases, there is no need for travelers to book in advance and passengers simply turn up and get on the next bus. The main terminal, Puda Raya 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). The terminal is currently in the midst of a major renovation program that will see shops and offices added as well as improved transport facilities. The project is due for completion at the end of 2009.

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

Getting There By Rail:

Keretapi Tanah Melayu - KTM (tel: (03) 2267 1200; website: www.ktmb.com.my) operates the rail services in Peninsula Malaysia. These are fast and efficient, although prone to derailments and land/mudslides on longer journeys.

KL Sentral Station (tel: (03) 2730 2000; website: www.klsentral.com.my) is located 1.5km (1 mile) northwest of the city center. Facilities at this high-tech station include ATMs, bureau de change, left luggage and tourist information. Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station is part of a massive multi-million dollar development, which will incorporate hotels, offices, retail outlets, residential property and recreational facilities by 2010.

Rail Services: The main routes from Kuala Lumpur are south to Singapore (journey time - 7 hours) and north to Bangkok (journey time - 14 hours 30 minutes) via Butterworth (journey time - 7 hours). It is only possible for travelers to reach Kota Baru on Malaysia’s northeast coast by traveling via Gemas (journey time - 12 hours), southwest of Kuala Lumpur. The world famous Eastern and Oriental Express (website: www.orient-express.com) connects KL with Singapore to the south and Bangkok to the north. The journey as important as the destination and there is an emphasis on five-star luxury, gourmet food and smooth service.

Getting Around:

Public Transport
Kuala Lumpur has an increasingly fast, efficient and cheap public transport system, overseen by the government-run Rapid KL (tel: (03) 7625 6999. website: www.rapidkl.com.my), which comprises 48 railway stations. Integrated transport tickets are available from all trains and buses that come under the scheme.

Rapid KL runs the two Light Railway Transit (LRT) lines in the city, the Kelana Jaya Rail Line and the Ampang Rail Line. Ampang Rail Line trains run south from Sentul Timur to Sri Petaling and Ampang in the east. Kelana Jaya trains run between the Putra Terminal in the northeast of the Lembah Subang Depot on Kuala Lumpur’s western outskirts. Previous problems with ticket machines causing serious congestion have largely been ironed out.

Keretapi Tanah Melayu - KTM (tel: (03) 2267 1200; website: www.ktmb.com.my) operates two KTM Kommuter lines. These electric trains run from Sentul to Port Klang and Rawang to Seremban and on to Kuala Kubu Bharu. KTM offers two-day passes, the Kembara Ticket for unlimited travel within the KTM network on weekends, school holidays and public holidays and the Mana Mana Tickets for unlimited travel within the KTM network during weekdays. These are available from the KTM vending machines at the stations.
 
Rapid KL runs over 160 bus routes. The most useful for tourists are the ten City Shuttle services that provide efficient transport around the center.

The KL Monorail (tel: (03) 2273 1888; website: www.monorail.com.my) has been beset by serious financial problems, but is still a handy way of getting around the city. The monorail serves destinations from Titiwangsa in the north to a stop near Kuala Lumpur’s Sentral Station and also covers destinations in the Golden Triangle.

Taxis
You can pre-book taxis from Public Cab (tel: (03) 6259 2020) and Sunlight Taxis (tel: (03) 9057 5757), or you can hail them on the street. Taxi ranks are also found throughout the city. Queues at the ranks are especially long during rush hour. During the regular thunderstorms, hailing a taxi in the street is near to impossible.

Driving in the City
Driving in Kuala Lumpur is fast becoming as hair-raising as driving in other South East Asian cities. The roads are in good condition and driving standards are reasonably good, however, the maze of one-way systems in the city center and the large number of fuel-choked traffic jams make patience and a good road map essential requirements.

Car parks are generally located at large hotels and city-center shopping malls. Three central public car parks are Asia Park on Jalan Bukit Bintang, and the two car parks behind the Dorsett Regency Hotel just off Jalan Imbi.

Car Hire
A national driving license is required to hire a car in Malaysia; it is also advisable to hold an International Driving Permit. Without the latter, the Road Transport Department must endorse any national license. Age limits apply and drivers must usually be at least 23 years old and have held a full driving license for two years.

Major providers include Avis (tel: 1 800 88 1054; website: www.avis.com.my) and Hertz (tel: (03) 2148 6433; website: www.hertz.com.my).

Bicycle Hire
Kuala Lumpur is not a safe city in which to travel around on two wheels. Road accidents involving bicycles, scooters and motorcycles are very common. Tourism Malaysia’s official line is that two-wheeled transport is not generally available for hire.

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