What to expect when visiting Singapore
For a small island city-state, Singapore is a huge tourist hub in Southeast Asia. In 2017, the number of tourists visiting Singapore was actually 3x more than 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.
3 ways to get from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
There are 3 ways to travel the distance of 315 kilometers (196 miles) from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by bus (5 hours 15 minutes), train (7 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours) and flight (1 hour). The journey duration ranges between 1 to 8 hours and the quickest way is by flight. The lowest priced tickets start from 46 MYR (€9.80) for the bus.Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Bus
You have plenty of bus options when travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. There are several departure points within Kuala Lumpur too, which is why we highly recommend booking online beforehand. This way it will be easier to find the best deals and schedules!
BusOnlineTicket is our preferred booking website for this route, mainly because they offer the cheapest rates. Also, you’ll be travelling with Transtar Travel, a trusted company that also receives good reviews.
They have several departure points in Kuala Lumpur, below are the schedules for each location:
Bus schedules from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
Transtar Travel offers comfortable tourist buses for the 5-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. But if you want more luxury, their solitaire buses offer cozy cocoon seats, your own TV, and free meal or snacks.
They have at least 3 departure points – Berjaya Square and Jalan Imbi in the city centre and Kuala Lumpur Bus Terminal (TBS), about 13 km south of the city centre. All of these arrive at Golden Mile Complex in the east of downtown Singapore.
Immigration Checkpoints
About 4 hours into your journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, your bus will stop at Johor Bahru for customs and immigration. You will get off the bus with all your belongings and have your passport stamped to show you have left Malaysia.
Once you have returned to your bus (make sure you remember which bus you took!), it will cross the border to Singapore before stopping again at Woodlands Checkpoint for Singapore’s customs and immigration. You will have to fill out an entry card and also have your passport stamped.
After this, return to your bus for the final time before continuing your journey for the final 30 minutes to the city centre.
Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Train
Years ago, at least 3 direct trains operated from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore every day. Currently though, this route is suspended as both countries prepare to build high-speed rail. For now, you’ll have to take at least 3 trains if you’re really determined to travel by rail.
Another thing to note is that you’ll have to travel this route at night. That includes a 2-hour midnight stopover at the railway junction in Gemas.
Are you up for that kind of adventure? If so, continue reading for a step-by-step guide when taking the train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.
Step 1: Kuala Lumpur to Gemas by Train
Your first train is to Gemas, a railway station about 170 km south of Kuala Lumpur. There are 2 trips available for this route every day, departing from KL Sentral at 12:12 and 21:35.
Unless you want to spend a night at Gemas, your best connecting train from here to Johor Bahru departs at 02:00. We recommend that you take the evening train from Kuala Lumpur, which arrives in Gemas at 23:59. This way, you only have to wait 2 hours for your connecting train to Johor Bahru.
Travel time from Kuala Lumpur to Gemas takes almost 2.5 hours. A ticket costs 31 MYR (€6.60) when you book online on Baolau.
As a popular railway junction, Gemas Train Station is surrounded by shops and small-town eateries. You should be able to find somewhere to eat even at midnight, or you can just rest in the train station’s waiting area.
Step 2: Gemas to Johor Bahru by Train
From Gemas, you will continue by train for 210 km to Johor Bahru in Malaysia’s southern tip.
We suggest taking the 02:00 train from Gemas to Johor Bahru. But here are other options you have:
This leg of your train journey takes around 4.5 hours. A ticket costs €4.60 when booked online through Baolau.
Step 3: Johor Bahru to Singapore (Woodlands Checkpoint) by Train
From Johor Bahru, the train that crosses the border to Singapore only takes 5 minutes. You should buy your ticket at the train station for 16 MYR (€3.40) 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 will with the bus.
Here’s what your train itinerary for this route would look like:
Train Itinerary
First, you will be directed to Malaysian customs and immigration for a passport stamp and customs check. Bring all your luggage for this step!
And then, on to the Singaporean side. Here, you will fill out an entry card before they also stamp your passport.
After that, you can finally enter Singapore! Note that Woodlands Checkpoint is about 35 km north of downtown Singapore. So after you are cleared at immigration, you will need to take a bus, train, or taxi to reach your destination.
Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Flight
The first step to actually get to Kuala Lumpur airport isn’t as easy as most may think. With the airport situated 45 km from Kuala Lumpur city centre, it requires some effort to get there.
However, you do have 3 options: the train (30 minutes), the bus (1 hour), or a taxi (1 hour). Fares start from 12 MYR (€2.60). You can visit our page on Kuala Lumpur Airport for more details on this.
Air Asia normally offers the cheapest flights from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, with airfares starting from 64 MYR (€13.60) if you book your tickets in advance. Other carriers operating this route are Firefly and Malaysia Airlines.
The flight departs from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and arrives at Changi Airport in Singapore after a little over an hour.
From Changi Airport, you’ll have to travel 25 km southeast to reach downtown Singapore. To get there, you can take the train for 5.50 SGD (€3.80), a shuttle bus for 9 SGD (€6.30) or a taxi for around 30 SGD (€21).
Our preferred ride is the shuttle service offered by Klook. It picks you up from the airport and drives you straight to your hotel for 9 SGD (€6.30). Travel time is 30 to 50 minutes depending on the number of stops your bus makes.
TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
What is the distance from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore?
The distance from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore is 315 kilometers (196 miles).
What is the fastest way to get from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore?
The fastest way to get from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore is by flight and takes 1 hour.
What is the cheapest way to get from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore?
The cheapest way to get from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore is by bus with ticket costs starting from 46 MYR (€9.80).
Rounding it up
We hope this guide was helpful in planning how to get from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. If there's anything else you're wondering about, drop us a comment and we'll do our best to answer you within a few days.
PS: If you've recently travelled this route, share your experience with fellow travellers and help us improve this post. Thanks for helping out our travel community!
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Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines… Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she’ll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.
Kate is a writer, (ex)Management Consultant and avid traveller. She recently returned from a 2-year career break exploring the world and decided corporate life wasn’t for her. She’ll soon be testing life as a digital nomad. She’s visited over 40 countries and fell in love with Latin America in particular. Her travelling has inspired a passion for yoga, salsa, hiking and Spanish.
