How to get from Penang to Singapore

Why visit Singapore?

For a small island city-state, Singapore is a huge tourist hub in Southeast Asia. In 2024, the number of tourists visiting Singapore was nearly 3x its population!

This is for good reason. Head to downtown Singapore and you’ll find a number of tourist attractions, all connected by efficient and high-quality transportation.

To revisit your childhood, there’s Universal Studios and the resort island of Sentosa. For shopping, head to Orchard Road. For art, visit the Kampong Glam area. For an amazing night and light show, you have to visit Marina Bay Sands.

There are 3 ways to travel the 710 kilometre (441 miles) distance from Penang to Singapore. You can choose between the bus, train and flight. The journey takes 2 hours 25 minutes to 10 hours 30 minutes and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 30 SGD ($23.50).

The bus is a direct way to travel from Penang to Singapore. Travel time is about 10 hours 30 minutes — quite long, but buses depart at night and you can sleep for the most part of the journey. That means you can also save a night on accommodation.

Note, though, that although direct, buses make two stops along the way for immigration checkpoints.

Bus ticket prices from Penang to Singapore start from 30 SGD ($23.50).

Departure and arrival stations

Buses depart from Komtar Terminal, which is within walking distance of many hotels in Penang.

The bus arrives at Golden Mile Complex in downtown Singapore. From here, you can take the train, a bus, or a taxi to your hotel.

Taking a flight is the quickest way to get from Penang to Singapore. Travel time, including airport transfers, takes about 2 hours 25 minutes.

Combined fares start from 48 SGD ($37.50).

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

From George Town, you’ll first have to take a taxi or a bus to Penang International Airport, about 18 km south.

The taxi is more expensive with fares from 30 MYR ($7.60), but you can expect to reach the airport in around 2 hours 25 minutes.

The bus, on the other hand, only costs 3 MYR ($0.80). However, it makes multiple stops, and travel time can take an hour or more. Traffic delays are common, which can be risky when you’re heading to the airport.

Air Asia, Batik Air, Scoot and Singapore Airlines offer several flights daily from Penang to Singapore. If you’re after the cheapest fares, Scoot is usually your best bet. Book early and you could snag a ticket for just 90 MYR ($23).

Flights depart from Penang Airport and arrive at Singapore Changi Airport. Travel time is about 1h 25m.

From Singapore Changi Airport, you’ll have to travel 20 km west to reach downtown Singapore, where most of the tourist hotels are located. You have 4 options: a city shuttle for 9 SGD ($7); a taxi from 25 SGD ($19.50); the train for 2.70 SGD ($2.10); or a public bus for 2.50 SGD ($2).

Travelling solo? The city shuttle is a good mix of comfort and affordability. Although a shared ride, they offer free drop-off to most hotels in the city centre. You can book them at the airport upon arrival or online beforehand via Klook.

If you’re travelling in a group, it will be more cost-efficient to take a taxi. There’s plenty available at the airport. But if you want your private ride waiting for you as soon as you arrive, you can also pre-book one through Klook or BookAway

The train and the public bus are way cheaper, but often require at least one transfer. If you’re carrying bulky luggage, they’re not exactly a convenient way to get from the airport to Singapore city centre. For more details, check out our page on Singapore Airport.

Want to see more of Malaysia’s rural scenery? Taking the train to Singapore from Penang is an interesting option.

Travel time is around 9 hours 50 minutes to 10 hours, which is almost as long as the bus. Trains on this route also run only during the day, so you won’t save on daytime travel or a night’s accommodation.

And with combined prices from 87 SGD ($68), the train is the most expensive option for this route.

What the train does offer is a more adventurous journey and a glimpse of how locals travel from Penang to Singapore. It requires several transfers, but the process is fairly straightforward. Read on to see if this is a journey you’d want to experience.

If you’re staying in George Town, you’ll first need to get to Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal. You can take a taxi or Grab from around 15 MYR ($3.80), or Bus 101 for about 5 MYR ($1.30).

The bus makes many stops, so the journey takes longer. It may also not stop near your hotel. If you’re travelling with luggage or short on time, a Grab is more convenient.

Ferries depart from Weld Quay from 07:00 to 23:30, with a 20 to 30-minute interval. A ticket to Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim in Butterworth costs 2 MYR ($0.50).

Butterworth Train Station is conveniently connected to the port by a walkway. It’s just a 10-minute walk, but there are some stairs involved. Bear this in mind if you’re carrying bulky luggage.

One direct train operates from Butterworth to Johor Bahru. You can get a train ticket for 225 MYR ($57). Travel time is 8h 20m.

You can also break up your train journey with a stopover in Kuala Lumpur, but we only recommend this if you plan to explore Malaysia’s capital for at least one night.

If you’re hoping to arrive in Singapore on the same day you depart from Penang, take the direct train from Butterworth to Johor Bahru.

From Johor Bahru, the train that crosses the border to Singapore only takes 5 minutes. Buy your ticket at the train station for 16 MYR ($4.10) before heading to the customs and immigration office.

Woodlands Train Checkpoint

The good thing about the Woodlands Train Checkpoint is that it already has both Malaysian and Singaporean immigration offices in one location. You won’t have to make 2 stops as you would with the bus.

Prepare for long queues if you are travelling during peak times. Note that there are a good number of Malaysians who cross this border every day for work in Singapore.

From Woodlands Checkpoint, you have 3 choices to reach downtown Singapore: a 40-minute taxi, a 1-hour bus, or a 1-hour bus + MRT. Rates range from 2.50 SGD ($2) to 30 SGD ($23.50).

Bus from Woodlands Checkpoint to Singapore city centre

The Woodlands Checkpoint is conveniently connected to downtown Singapore by the Causeway Link, which are direct cross-border buses.

You have 2 options: CW2 from Woodlands Checkpoint to Queen Street Bus Terminal and CW5 from Woodlands Checkpoint to Newton Circus. CW2 departs every 15-20 minutes, 24 hours a day. CW5 is available every 45 minutes from 05:00 to 22:30.

Travel time with the Causeway Link from Woodlands Checkpoint to Singapore city centre is 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on traffic. During peak hours, it could take up to 2 hours.

A bus ticket costs 3 SGD ($2.30) to 5 SGD ($3.90).

Bus + MRT from Woodlands Checkpoint to Singapore city centre

If you’re not keen on experiencing Singapore’s heavy traffic as soon as you enter the country, you can take a combination of bus and MRT.

There are 2 train stations near Woodlands Checkpoint:

• Marsiling MRT Station (4 km away): From here, you can take the red line to key stations like City Hall, Raffles Place and Marina Bay.
• Woodlands MRT Station (6 km away): From here, you can take either the red line or the brown line to Orchard Station and Outram Park, which is connected to Chinatown and Clarke Quay.

You can get to these MRT stations by bus from Woodlands Checkpoint.

The journey by combined bus and MRT from Woodlands Checkpoint to downtown Singapore takes about 1 hour. Ticket prices range from 2.50 SGD ($2).

Taxi from Woodlands Checkpoint to Singapore city centre

You shouldn’t have a hard time getting a taxi from Woodlands Checkpoint. You can hail one from the street or order one through Grab.

Travel time by taxi is around 40 minutes, but it can take longer during peak hours. Rates are from 30 SGD ($23.50) to 40 SGD ($31.50).