taking the bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru - updated

in February 2009 I did a blog post titled

"taking the bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru" 

I updated it in Sept 2009 due to a few transport changes. 

That blog post is by far the most popular of all on 

"Our Life In Singapore"

it now has a minimum of 40 hits per day, or since 

I first uploaded it over 9000 hits on that one page!

But it's time for another update ..... in fact I think it warrants a whole new page!

so here goes....

You can travel by bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru quite easily.

You can even spend a day shopping in Johur Bahru (or JB as it is usually known as) all you need is your Passport, your ID card, a few Ringgits, your bus pass and away you go!

The bus will stop at Woodlands checkpoint and you alight there for JB Sentral for shopping.

Or, if you are intending to go further afield, take the bus through to LARKIN BUS INTERCHANGE to catch the coach to KL, Malacca etc. Some buses will also list Kotaraya .. this is a 'suburb' of JB.

Days to avoid - if possible - would be Public Holidays, Fridays, Saturday and Sunday as it gets extremely busy, especially at Woodlands Checkpoint. We have noted that Friday evenings are the busiest. Though leaving a little later, perhaps after 6.30pm is easier.

There are many area's in Singapore to board a bus to JB:

FROM QUEEN STREET BUS STATION:

take the Singapore-Johor Express Coach from Queen Street Bus Station to Larkin Bus Terminal in JB. 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 JB. 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!


BUS 170..... The cheapest way to JB. 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 to board the 170.  Log onto the SBS Transit website for the 170 bus route.

A central stop (for BUS 170) for many would would be BUS STOP 40091 at the intersection of Dunearn Rd / Stevens Rd (opp the old Copthorne Orchid) would take 50 mins from here and the cost would be $1.41.



FROM JURONG BUS INTERCHANGE:

Board Bus 160 all the way to JB. Cost is $1.41 and the time will take 45 minutes.

Or take the MRT (from Jurong East) to KRANJI MRT and board bus 160 or 170 from the MRT to JB.  Cost will be $1.49 and the time will take 40 minutes.

the following images are of Jurong Bus Interchange and the boarding point for Bus 160:

  
FROM MARSILING MRT:

take bus 856 - this bus will take 20 minutes.


FROM IKEA (on Alexandra Rd) this one is for Andrea!!

Take bus 961- board at bus stop 10131 Opp block 2 on Jalan Bukit Merah / or bus stop 11021 opp Queenstown Police Hdqrs and alight at Kranji MRT..... wait for bus 160 or bus 170.  All up the cost will be $1.69 and the total time would be 70 minutes. 

Following images are of the bus stop at Kranji MRT:

 

  
FROM YISHAN BUS INTERCHANGE:

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).


FROM CHANGI AIRPORT:

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.




FROM SENTOSA:

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.

OK ... now we have reached Woodlands Check Point ... 

what to do?  where to go?

If you are on Bus 160 or 170, the driver will let you off on the Singapore side of the causeway for you to enter Singapore Immigration. Take everything off the bus with you, tap your transit card and follow the crowd up the escalator, proceed through immigration and out the other side ...... go down the escalator, and follow the crowd - usually around to the right - where the bus will stop to take you across the causeway:

 

You can see how 'quiet' the bus area is mid week!!

It does not matter if you were on Bus 160 or on Bus 170, you can take either across the causeway. If you are traveling on one of the express buses, you must board that bus.

The bus will take you across the causeway to the Malaysian Immigration. As you proceed up the escalator you will see a desk on your far right - if needed, this is where you will pick up the white immigration cards to complete your entry into Malaysia.

Proceed through immigration.

Make sure that the customs official has stamped your passport and it is dated.

From here you can continue on to KL, Larkin etc through the immigration building to the bus stops at the far end - follow the signs.

If you are intending to go to JB for a day of shopping, do not continue to the end of the building and to the bus stop, but on the LEFT near the Tourist Information Centre, follow the crowd around to the left as these people will probably be going to JB Sentral too!

please excuse poor quality images - I doubt photography is permitted, so took these very quickly so you can see what the hallways and exits points are like. Once there if you did not have these visual aids, you would be wondering if you were going in the right direction!!

Keep following the signs to JB Sentral and or the crowd!

 

Malaysia has the most amazing customs complex - it is huge - It is called the Southern Integrated Gateway.  It is super modern, efficient and has interesting architecture!

Continue down these escalators crossing the main roadway via the covered walkway and then you enter JB Sentral. It is a large shopping complex - all the main stores can be found there: Adidas / Bata / City Chain / Factory Outlet Store / Lee Cooper / Starbucks / J. Co Donut etc....... I often go there to the APEX Pharmacy, it is downstairs (just up from J.Co Coffee shop) and past the BATA Shoe Store. They have a good range of vitamins etc and you can email them ahead of time if you have a specific order or items you want to check if they have it in stock.

The Popular Book Store - upstairs - is well worth a visit. They have all the latest magazines at half the price they are in Singapore. If you have a discount card (Popular) make sure you take it with you. It is a fabulous store that carries all the good stationary items that are not found elsewhere.

Birthday / Christmas / Easter cards are all there too ... and a far greater range than you will see anywhere in Singapore. I have seen birthday cards in Singapore for around $8.00 ... in JB I get them for 3.00 MYR. That equals $1.20 SGD.

I usually bring back about 6 cards each time I go to JB. Their Christmas Cards are amazing ... such a wide variety. Certainly well worth going perhaps in November to purchase your cards. Then don't forget, post them after December  5th from Singapore for 50 cents.

See? I give you all this good info that you probably didn't know!

returning to Singapore remember ....

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!

Medication - up to three months supply ONLY - for personal use only - and you must have a letter from your doctor with you at all times. We only bring in one months supply at a time, or if we both go over, we get two months supply.  

and to return to Singapore - retrace your steps and return to Malaysian Customs and back onto bus 160 or bus 170, or whatever bus you came over on!

back home on the bus after a happy day of shopping in JB, 

better still you now have another stamp in your passport!

am sure this blog post has been of help, 

if it has, please feel free to pass it on to others.