How to get to Kuala Lumpur

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How to get to Kuala Lumpur

Fly to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA – IATA Code KUL) which is approximately 50 kilometres from the city centre and about 5 kilometres away from the Sepang Formula 1 circuit, therefore if you are coming on race day weekend, expect some road congestion. There are several options to get from the airport to Kuala Lumpur however the three safest ways are:

By taxi:

The taxi service is operated by Airport Limo and their prices are in accordance with the government’s standard pricing to avoid tourist being cheated. There are four classes of carriage which are budget, family service, premier limo and super luxury.

Get your prepaid taxi tickets at the ticketing booth located after the baggage collection centre and before the exit gate. With huge "Airport Limo" sign boards, it is quite difficult to miss. If you are travelling in a group of two or more, it is advisable to take a cab. Depending on your final destination in Kuala Lumpur, expect to pay around US30 to US40 dollars for budget cab and the journey should take up to an hour depending on traffic congestion.

Avoid arriving in Kuala Lumpur during peak hour traffic which is 9-11am and 5-7pm or else you might enjoy the scenery from the car for an hour or two.

By Train:

KLIA Ekpres is a high speed train that links the airport to Kuala Lumpur Transportation hub, KL Sentral. The journey takes only 28 minutes and a one way ticket only cost about US12 dollars one way per person. The train runs from 5am to 12 midnight. Frequency of the trains is 15-20 minutes. This is the fastest way in and out of the city. With their express check in services at KL Sentral, passengers can check in their baggage directly at KL Sentral.

By Bus:

Probably the most affordable method of transfer to the KL Sentral or to Chinatown in KL, it cost about US4 dollars one way per person. However the bus takes a little longer than a taxi.

Fly to Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)

Although LCCT shares the same runway as KLIA, it is approximately 20 minutes apart by bus. This terminal was original design to handle 5-8 million passengers. However due to the success of Air Asia and other no frills budget airlines, the airports capacity is operating above the design. Please note that a new Low Cost Carrier Terminal is currently under construction and should be operational by October 2012. (Will be known as KLIA 2)

Once you have arrived in LCCT, there are several methods of travel to Kuala Lumpur:

By taxi:

The taxi service is open to regional taxi and prepaid taxi system is enforced here. Expect to pay about US30-US40 dollars for a trip to Kuala Lumpur. Get a prepaid ticket at the taxi ticketing booth to avoid touts cheating you. Most of these touts carry passengers using normal cars and are not insured in accordance to Malaysia's road transportation rules.

By Train:

KLIA Ekpres express train will stop at Salak Tinggi station and a shuttle bus will ferry passengers to LCCT. It cost about US5 dollars per person to use this service. Get a piece of mind by travelling by train and avoid jams heading towards the city. Your final destination will be KL Sentral, the transportation hub of Kuala Lumpur and from here you can grab a taxi to your hotel.

By Bus:

Another affordable method of transfer to the KL Sentral or to Chinatown in KL, it cost about US3 dollars one way per person. However the bus takes a little longer than a taxi.

Fly to Subang Airport, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah. (SUB)

This was the original International airport for Kuala Lumpur however due to the rise in demand for inbound flight to KL, the government decided to move the airport away from the city centre to meet rising demands. Therefore only certain flights and private jets fly from this airport. This airport is nearer to the city centre about 20 kilometres. Therefore busses and taxis are plentiful.

Transit from KLIA to LCCT or vice versa.

There are shuttle bus that operates every 20 minutes between these two terminals. Expect to pay about US 1 dollar and allow at least 1 hour in hand for travelling time as sometimes there are traffic congestions due to events at nearby Formula 1 track. There are touts waiting to pounce on tourist and charging them US40 dollars to ferry them across from one terminal to another, which is about the price you would pay for a taxi to Kuala Lumpur city centre!