What airlines fly to Kuala Lumpur from Europe and around the world? And how to travel from Kuala Lumpur around Malaysia and Southeast Asia? Where to book bus or train tickets? Read on in this chapter.

Compare flight prices to KL

By air from abroad

If you're travelling from destinations further afield, such as Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, Australia or Africa, you'll land at the main airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

Flight prices have long been slightly higher than to nearby Bangkok and are at a similar level to Singapore.

Where to buy tickets to KL

There are direct flights to Kuala Lumpur from all over the world.

The most frequent connections are to East and South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia. There are also direct flights to Africa.

Fares are generally at a similar level throughout the year, except over the Christmas and New Year period when they tend to be the highest.

Tickets can be purchased on airline websites or through a flight search engine.

• AirAsia - cheap flights throughout Asia, Malaysia and Australia
• Batik Air - cheap flights to Southeast Asia and domestic Malaysian destinations
• Malaysia Airlines - national airline with a large number of flights across Asia as well as long-haul flights to Australia and Europe
• Etihad Airways - Abu Dhabi and connecting flights to Europe, America and Africa
• Qatar airways - Doha and connecting flights to Europe, America and Africa
• Emirates - Dubai and connecting flights to Europe, America and Africa
• KLM - frequent flyer flights from Europe
• Air India - Delhi and frequent low-cost connecting flights onwards to Europe and the Middle East
• Ethiopian Airlines - Addis Ababa and connecting flights to Africa and Europe
• And more...

Multicity flights

It is often convenient to buy open-jaw tickets, where you fly to Kuala Lumpur and return from Bangkok or Phuket. This option is unbeatable in terms of price and time if you plan to visit part of Thailand.

Much more often, you will just happen to visit Kuala Lumpur by chance, when you will be connecting here on cheap flights through Asia thanks to AirAsia tickets.

Allow yourself at least two days here and get to know this completely different metropolis from the rest of its counterparts in Southeast Asia.

The 10 best hotels in Kuala Lumpur

By air from Malaysia

Air travel around Malaysia is extremely frequent and, if you are travelling with hand luggage only, it is also very cheap and often even cheaper than travelling by bus.

There are 2 airports in Kuala Lumpur for domestic air travel:

• Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
• Subang

Fares for one-way flights within Malaysia often start as low as 15 usd, but common fares are around 35 usd domestically within Malaysia and from 45 usd towards the Sabah and Sarawak regions of Borneo.

Domestic flights within Malaysia are operated by the following airlines:

• AirAsia
• Batik Air
• Firefly
• Malaysia Airlines
• Compare flight prices of all airlines at skyscanner.com

By bus

Long-distance bus services are a must in Malaysia for travel to cities that don't have airports or if you're travelling with large luggage.

The routes from Kuala Lumpur are very busy and buses run 2-4 times an hour to the major cities.

Prices range from around 15 myr for distances under 2 hours drive (for example to Malacca or Ipoh) to 50 myr for the longest routes.

Timetables and ticket booking

There are dozens of different bus companies operating in Malaysia, however there are several bus booking websites that will compare all available offers.

• 12go.asia (we use this site most often, it works in many countries in Southeast Asia for buses, boats and trains)
• easybook.com
• redbus.com

However, you can buy tickets just before departure from ticket machines or at the ticket office. At Kuala Lumpur bus station, you can only pay with cash - both at the ticket office and at the machines. There are, however, a large number of ATMs.

If you would like to be sure of a free seat at a specific time, we definitely recommend buying your ticket online at least 1-2 days in advance.

Routes and frequencies

Kuala Lumpur can be reached by bus from all major Malaysian cities, but also from Singapore and Thailand.

Examples of the most frequent routes:

Destinations	Price	Frequency	Travel time
Singapore	70 myr	2-4 times per hour	5.5 hours
Malacca	15 myr	2-4 times per hour	2 hours
Butterworth (Penang)	45 myr	2-4 times per hour	5 hours
Ipoh	30 myr	3-5 times per hour	3 hours
Mersing (ferry to Tioman)	45 myr	10 times a day	5 hours
Kuala Terengganu	55 myr	1-2 times per hour	9 hours
Songkhla (Thailand)	55 myr	1-2x per day	13.5 hours

Bus stations in Kuala Lumpur

There used to be a main bus station at KL Sentral railway station in the city centre, and although many online guides still list this as the starting point for long-distance bus services, there are no services from here.

The main bus station is called Terminal Bersepadan Selatan (TBS) and is located in the south-eastern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.

TBS is easily accessible by metro and suburban trains. Commute to Bandar Tasik Selatan station:

• Metro brown line number 4 - direction downtown, Chan Sow Lin (change to yellow line direction KLCC), Hang Tuah (change to monorail direction Bukit Bintang), Merdeka 118, Masjid Jamek
• Suburban train line 1 - KL Sentral direction, Batu Caves
• KLIA Transit airport train - direction KL Sentral, KLIA Airport, Putrajaya
• Hotel tip at the station: V Hotel *** (very cheap hotel suitable for a short 1 night stay in case of early morning bus departure)

If you are in a hurry and heading to the TBS station at any time during the day (approx 7:30am to 10pm), we strongly recommend using the metro and not Grab or taxi. Traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur tend to be protracted and taxi rides can stretch for up to an hour and a half.

The TBS bus station is equipped with several mini-markets (such as 7-Eleven), plenty of ATMs and ticket counters.

Some lines stop at other places in Kuala Lumpur, but as a rule of thumb, 99% of all services run from Terminal Bersepadan Selatan (TBS).

Other stations in KL include:

• Terminal Bersepadan Gombak (some northbound services to Terengganu, Kota Bharu or Kuantan)
• Klang Sentral - a remote station on the outskirts of Klang

By train

Rail transport is convenient for travel to some Malaysian destinations.

Long-distance trains are modern and air-conditioned, and the ride is usually more reliable and comfortable than travelling by bus.

On the other hand, the rail network and frequency of trains is incomparably smaller than that of long-distance buses.

Timetables and ticket booking

There is only one carrier operating in Malaysia - KTMB.

For long-distance and suburban rail timetables, visit ktmb.com.my.

For long-distance "Intercity" trains, we recommend buying tickets online at least 3-5 days in advance. Some busy services may sell out at the last minute.

Online tickets can be purchased via the official website online.ktmb.com.my or via transport comparison websites such as 12go.asia, where you can also compare bus ticket prices.

When searching for connections, you will find Kuala Lumpur under the name "KL Sentral".

Fares to more distant destinations like Butterworth or Johor Bahru are around 70 myr in the lowest class.

Frequent routes

You can basically only take the train in two directions from Kuala Lumpur:

• Ipoh - Taiping - Butterworth (for trips to Penang Island) - Alor Setar - Padang Besar (connecting to trains to Thailand)
• Tampin - Gemas - Kluang - Johor Bahru - Woodlands (border crossing with Singapore)

Main train station

All long distance trains stop at KL Sentral station (location at google.com/maps).

The station is very accessible by metro:

• Red Line 5 - direction Pasar Seni, Masjid Jamek, Kampung Baru, Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC)
• Green Line 8 (monorail) - direction Bukit Bintang, Raja Chulan, Chow Kit
• Tip for a hotel directly opposite the station: Hilton Kuala Lumpur *****

All suburban trains also run from here, including Line 1 to Batu Caves or the KLIA Express to the airport Kuala Lumpur KUL.