Tuesday, 22 September 2009

from Singapore to Johor Bahru for shopping!!

  UPDATED BLOG POST

July 2011 

on how to go to JB from Singapore is




on any one day I get about 20 hits on my blog about "how to get to JB by bus"... obviously everyone wants to know how to go from Singapore across to Johor Bahru in Malaysia..... so am doing another 'post'.

There are a few different ways to get to JB, you may have a car and so prefer to drive..... others might like to go over by train and yes, it can be done from Tanjong Pagar.

as seen here:


AS OF JULY 1 2011 this service is no longer available.

Tanjong Pagar railway station , also called Keppel Road railway station or Singapore railway station, is a railway terminus owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), the main railway operator in Malaysia. The land on which the station and the KTM railway tracks in Singapore are situated is held by KTM on a 999-year lease.

Singapore is the southern terminus of the Malayan Railway (Keretapi Tanah Melayu www.ktmb.com.my) network. Comfortable overnight sleeper and somewhat misnamed daytime "express" trains connect Singapore with Kuala Lumpur and Tumpat, near Kota Bharu. Bizarrely, tickets purchased at the Singapore station are twice as expensive as those purchased in Malaysia; you can save quite a bit by taking the train from Johor Bahru instead. Another option is to buy your tickets online at the cheaper rate, but you must book at least 48 hours in advance.

Photos are of Tanjong Pagar Rail Station:





and inside the train....


another method is by bus......

Singapore-Johor Express Coach

One method would be to take the Singapore-Johor Express Coach from Queen Street Bus Station to Larkin Bus Terminal in J.B. The ticket costs S$2.40.The Singapore-Johor Express Coach runs from 6.30 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. at 15-minute intervals.

The Singapore-Johor Express Coach travels more quickly than Bus No. 170, which makes many stops along the way to J.B. However, there is no luggage space on the coach, so you'll be asked to buy a second ticket (S$2.40) for your shopping on the return journey!

Just like Bus No. 170, the express coach will not wait for you at the checkpoints. You'll have to take all your belongings with you, keep your coach ticket and hop on the next one which comes along. You don't have to pay again.

But the one I take is BUS NO. 170 from Kranji MRT. This is the quickest and cheapest method for me. From Bukit Batok MRT to JB Shopping Mall it takes about 45 minutes, sometimes an hour. This includes walking time at time spent at Customs and immigration.

Click HERE for bus route 170.

The cheapest way to J.B. would be to take Bus No. 170 from either Queen Street Bus Station or the bus-stop along Rochor Canal Road (just after Sim Lim Square). The bus fare is S$1.60. The service runs from 5.20 a.m. to 12.10 a.m. everyday. But it also travels along Bukit Timah Road and Woodlands Road and stops at KRANJI MRT.... so whatever is the more convenient area for you, board the 170.







The bus will stop at the Singapore checkpoint. The bus will not wait for you whilst you clear immigration, so take all your belongings with you. Keep your bus ticket and hop on the next Bus No. 170 which comes along. You don't have to pay again.

The bus will stop again at the Malaysian checkpoint, which is at the other end of the Causeway linking Singapore and Malaysia. You will have to get off to clear immigration. Once more, the bus will not stop for you to clear immigration, so keep your bus ticket if you intend to catch the next bus.

After clearing immigration, you have the option of either walking straight into J.B. or to hop on the next Bus No. 170. The bus will take you to the bus-stop outside Komtar Shopping Centre (along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak) first, before stopping at Larkin Bus Terminal (at Jalan Datin Halimah in the outskirts of J.B.).

You need to go to LARKIN BUS INTERCHANGE if you intend to continue the journey to Melacca / Malacca, Tioman, KL or other areas of Malaysia.

But for those wishing to go shopping from Singapore..... do not board the bus after you alight to go thru the customs at the Malaysian Checkpoint.

Just keep to the left and walk a short distance (follow the crowd!) and veer to the LEFT, you will see signs pointing to JB Sentral or Johor Bahru City Square Shopping Centre.

It is a short walk via a covered walkway to the stores.

all the main stores can be found there: Adidas / Bata / City Chain / Factory Outlet Store / Lee Cooper / Starbucks / J. Co Donut etc......

and to return to Singapore - retrace your steps and return to Malaysian Customs and back onto bus 170.

Do not bring back with you any large quantities of chewing gum, cigarettes, DVD's etc....

ONE packet of cigarette's, or better still none at all!

Enough gum for personal consumption only.

DVD's .... not sure... though I have brought back 4 at a time.

Other shopping like books etc there seems to be no limit...... take shopping bags with you (ie the grocery green bags) as it will be much easier for you to carry any large quantities of shopping!

================================================================
JAN 2011

Additional info re new transport options from Singapore below.


SEE THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONS:

By bus


From and to Singapore

The following are options to cross to/from Singapore by bus:
Two new bus services were launched by Singapore-based Transtar Travel in Sep 2010. The Transtar Cross Border Service TS1 minibus (24 passengers) plies between Changi Airport and Johor Bahru. The service calls at coach stands at Terminals 1, 2, 3, and the Budget Terminal at Changi Airport and terminate at Kotaraya II Terminal. One-way fares from Changi Airport to Johor Bahru is S$7 for adults and S$3.50 for children. From Johor Bahru, adults will pay RM7 whereas children will pay RM3.50. Payment can be made using EzLink card or with cash. The first bus leaves Changi Airport for Johor Bahru at 6.50am, Johor Bahru for Changi Airport at 5.00am with the last departures at Changi Airport and Kotaraya II scheduled at 11.50pm and 10.00pm respectively. Frequency is set at every 60 minutes. The bus calls at 5 stops along its route in Singapore (excluding Woodlands Checkpoint) and uses the Tampines and Seletar Expressways.

The Transtar Cross Border Service TS8 double-decker bus plies between Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) and Johor Bahru. The bus call at 6 stops along its route. The service also terminate at Kotaraya II Terminal in Johor Bahru. Fares are set lower, at S$5 for adults from RWS to JB, and S$2.50 for children. From JB, adults will pay RM5 and children, RM2.50. For boarding at the other points along the route, adults can expect to pay between S$3-S$4, whereas child fares are between S$1.50-S$2. Passengers can choose to pay using their EzLink cards or with cash. From RWS, the first bus will leave at 8am (Mon-Sat) or 9am (Sun) with the last one at 11pm (Mon-Fri) or 1am (Sat-Sun). From Kotaraya II Terminal, the first bus departs at 5.45am (Mon-Sat) or 6.15am (Sun) and the last bus at 9.45 (Mon-Fri) or 10.45pm (Sat-Sun). Service TS8 will run at a frequency of every 1 or2 hrs. The bus calls at 6 stops in Singapore (excluding Woodlands Checkpoint) along its route.

The Advance Coach AC7 bus service  was launched in Dec 2010. The bus runs between Yishun bus interchange in Singapore and Kotaraya II terminal in Johor Baru. It makes numerous stops enroute between Yishun bus interchange and the Woodlands checkpoint. The frequency is 20 to 30 minutes, from 5.45am 11.30pm (Singapore to Johor Bahru) or 5am and 11.50pm (Johor Bahru to Singapore). The bus fare is a flat $2 (if you board the bus anywhere in Singapore) or 2RM (if you board the bus in Johor Bahru).


PLEASE ALSO NOTE that since this blog post (Sept 2009) the travel by train has changed drastically. From JULY 1 2011 you will no longer be able to travel by train from Tanjong Pagar to JB.  The train will start from Woodlands.  


You may also like to read Flora's latest blog posting on her recent train trip that she posted today (April 20 2011)

or the February 21 2011 blog posting of

 

Johor Bahru itself has a spanking new JB Sentral railway station along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Jim Quee. It is connected to both the CIQ and City Square by pedestrian overhead bridges. 

There are retail outlets (including a 24-hr 7-Eleven store), food and beverage outlets (including a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet open daily 8am to midnight and Old Malaya Kopitiam serving local cuisine) and five money exchange offices (the one at street level is open 24hr) in the new station. 

There are coin-operated (2 x 50 sen), small left luggage lockers, a Muslim prayer room, male/female toilets (both free of charge), a police post and a tourist information booth in here as well. KTM train services to and from here started on 21 Oct 2010. 

The old train station, located just two hundred meters south of JB Sentral along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and facing Merlin Tower, has been decommissioned. 

 WikiTravel also keep up to date on travel to JB. CLICK HERE

 

   UPDATED BLOG POST

July 2011 

on how to go to JB from Singapore is


 

 

 

1 comment:

--andy-- said...

hi hi, I am one of those who hop by "googling" for JB-SG transport :)
Your website is very interesting, I am now a fan. We even blog about our family JB experience :)