Express Bus Guide to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand

Express Bus
Luxurious express bus services are popular with people travelling between Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Each year, tens of thousand of travellers head north from Singapore, to places in Malaysia like Kuala Lumpur(KL), Melaka, Penang and beyond in express buses and luxurious coaches. Express bus companies are sprucing up their coaches to rival air travel and provide "first-class" service.

Taking an express bus to Malaysia is getting more popular and travellers are taking to this option for the convenience and cost saving.

One of the reasons people are turning to bus travel rather than air travel is the convenience and the luxury these express bus services are offering to travellers at competitive fare.
Fast and Comfortable Travel at Affordable Fares

For example, the fare for a one-way trip from Singapore to KL in Malaysia ranges from SG$23.00 to SG$56.00 (approx. US$14 to US$33) depending on the class of comfort and the number of intermediate stops. Generally, it will take between 4.5 to 7 hours.

There are various classes of express bus travel:
Economy
Executive
VIP and Super VIP
Standard Bus Fares

The standard express bus has a capacity of up to 40 passengers on Economy class and the fare starts from about SG$20 one-way. As for Executive or VIP, the number of seats are reduced to 25 and even lesser seats on the Super VIP coach to give passenger more leg room and elbow space. When meals are provided and served onboard, there would be lesser intermediate stops and the travel time is usually shorter. As a rule of thumb, the higher the class and price, the shorter the travel time.

Luxury Coach & Express Bus Fares
For example, for SG$56(approx. US$33) one-way trip from Singapore to KL, you will see not more than 16 seats on the luxurious Super VIP coach. The spacious leather seat can be reclined back 75 degrees and has a built-in massager to relax your body during the bus journey. The LCD panel in front of each seat provides movies, music videos and video games entertainment - the level of comfort and service the rival even first class air travel.

For small group or family travel to Kuala Lumpur, NiCE is a double decker bus that has a lounge equipped with restroom, mini-pantry (sink, mini-fridge, microwave), and Karaoke video system installed on the lower deck for you to chat, eat, drink and watch video movie with your friends and family. There is even unlimited serving of hot beverages throughout the 5-hour journey.

Why Take the Bus and Not Go by Air?
Although the bus journey takes about 5 hours as compared with 1 hour by air, the actual travel time to Kuala Lumpur may not differ too much when you consider the pre travel check-in time, immigration procedure and the 45-minute taxi travel from the KLIA into the city.
"The flight time to KL may take just 45 minutes. But if you include the check-in at Changi and the travelling time from KLIA to the city, it comes to about 5 hours, which is the same time it takes to get to KL by bus."

One big advantage of travelling by express bus for the frequent travellers, is the continuous use of the mobile phone throughout the bus journey. Especially, when you need to be in constant contact with your office or family.

But the greatest convenience to travellers on express bus is the availability of frequent departures. In Singapore there are more than 10 VIP express bus companies plying the various routes to Malaysia and Thailand, you can select the most convenient time to fit into your travel schedule.