1 TRIP ITINERARY: HOW TO GET TO SINGAPORE FROM MALAYSIA AND VICE VERSA

Jerome and Hart with their free Malaysia Magazine at KLIA2.

Like what I mentioned from my previous post, backpackers nowadays are traveling in multiple countries. Example: Hongkong – Macau and Singapore – Malaysia or sometimes tri-country like Thailand – Cambodia – Vietnam.

And because crossing borders are becoming mainstream, I decided to include Singapore for our supposedly 4-day trip to Malaysia. Now the question is how to go to Singapore from Malaysia, or Malaysia from Singapore?!

You have three options – Air, Train, or Bus.

By Air

AirAsia and Tiger Airways have daily trips from Malaysia to Singapore and vice versa. Travel time is just 1 hour and 15 minutes. This would be the convenient way if you are saving time but expect it would cost you a lot of money depends if there are promos. That’s why if you are planning to visit these countries.

I have few tips for you to get low airfares.

• Make sure to check airline’s website more often, there’s no magic to buy the best airfare. Unlike with Cebu Pacific, whenever there’s Philippine holiday expect of piso-fare promo.
• Sign-up to subscribe email alerts. Like me, I am currently subscribe to  Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Air Asia so I know whenever the fares go down. It is one of the easiest ways to track airfares.
• Make sure to follow their official facebook or twitter pages so you will be informed quickly whenever there's promo.

By Train

They call it sleeper train, instead of checking in for a hotel stay, you will be sleeping at the train en route to Singapore from Malaysia or vice versa. Most of the people chose this mode of transportation instead taking by Air to save money. Travel time from Malaysia to Singapore is 6 – 7 hours overnight.

You can book you train ticket from KL Sentral to Woodlands in Singapore here: KTMB E-Ticket. When booking it is required to enter the passport numbers; however one of us is still running to get his passport delivered and we are almost out of time booking the tickets.

Woodlands, Immigration checkpoint to enter Singapore.

By Bus:

Out of these three options, we ended up taking Bus. No regrets, I thought it would lure us issues and problems but nope. Actually we arrived in Woodlands Singapore in 6 hours including lines at the immigration both exit and entrance. Not only that, we also have comfy seats like taking airplane’s business class.

Please refer to this site: http://www.busonlineticket.com/ so you can select your convenient time.

TBS Terminal Bersapadu Selatan, taken at the MRT Station.

Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) is I guess the major bus terminal in Malaysia. This is for provincial operation including Singapore and Johor Bahru. It’s not really hard to get to the place like what I thought before.

How to get here: Depending on your initial point but normally if you are coming from Kuala Lumpur International Airport your next destination is KL Sentral. Now let’s say KL Sentral is your starting point, you can take MRT (recommended) going to Seremban (end station) and then alight at Bandar Tasik Selatan station. However in our case, we headed first to KLCC Station to see the Petronas Towers and then afterwards we took MRT going to Masjid Jamek. Starting from Masjid Jamek, we took MRT again heading to Sri Petaling and then alight at Bandar Tasik Selatan.

Again, TBS is located at Bandar Tasik Selatan station. When you get here, you need to cross an overpass (bridge) to get to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan. 

Inside Terminal Bersepadu Selatan. 

When you get inside the terminal make sure to go straight to your selected Bus company booth and show your bookings for confirmation and just wait for the arrival time of the coaster. Don’t worry; bus is scheduled to depart on time without delay (well in our  case).

Waiting for our Coach, after stamping of Passports.

After 6 hours of travel, we finally arrived in Singapore! It was my first time to be in three different countries in less than 24 hours. We left Manila at 2PM, arrived in KL at 6PM, and then arrived in Singapore at 6AM the next day! Whew..traveling is LOVE.

NOW HOW TO GET BACK FROM SINGAPORE TO MALAYSIA?

Whether you book your trip by air, train, or bus I’m sure you will have the return ticket unless you will stay there for good.

If by train, the end to end point is KL Sentral (Malaysia) and Woodlands CIQ (Singapore). So whether you are coming from Malaysia or Singapore you need to go on those end stations.

However since we booked via bus there will be pickup and drop-off locations. Our pickup location is in 5001, Beach Road #01-12, Golden Mile Complex, Singapore, just make sure to get to their booth so your tickets will be processed. And then our drop-off location is 135 Jalan Imbi 55100 Kuala Lumpur.

At Kranji MRT Station in Singapore. Then nearest MRT Station in Woodlands.

Let me hear your thoughts, please comment below.