Rental Car in Malaysia

Travel by car is fairly easy.. from singapore to malacca use highway, approx. 3 hrs.. malacca to kl, 2 hrs.. use highway.. Cameron highland, still ok if you use the new road from Ipoh.. Langkawi, car is only until kuala kedah or kuala perlis.. from there you need to take ferry..

Signboard in Malaysia can be pretty confusing.. buy your own map..

We hired a car and went right around malaysia last year, we did not go to Singapore. It was reasonably easy even with a crap map, but we figured most places out. It was wonderful being able to go when we wanted etc.. and stop at villages and see what we wanted when, was very worth while.

My suggestion would be to try and get a good map before you go?? We presumed that the hire car would have a map as in Aust, was wrong to assume!!!!

They drive like complete morons in Malaysia, but I still find it safe. You just have to drive defensively and expect the unexpected. However, 13/14th October is Raya...that period everybody heads home and it is a time of heavy traffic on the expressways and so many accidents. The month before is fasting...just be aware of mad times like rushing home to break fast.

Use the new Ipoh-Blue Valley road to Camerons. Although most buses from KL Pududraya use the old Tapah road, it's too risky for first timers. Tapah old road is narrow, fringed with minor landslides and frequented by speed crazy trucks over-loaded with vegetables.

If you rent a car don't do it in Singapore but in Malaysia. Try and do a circuit. It'll be much more expensive to rent it in Singapore or Johor Baru and return it on Langkawi or in Penang.

There is something or fee involved in renting from Singapore, or you have to rent from Johor Bahru????

We rented from K.L Airport, all were similair prices and much of a muchness? We drove straight to Melacca and then around Malaysia and back to KL dropping of the car at the Airprot and then taxi-ing into KL for our five days there, we did not need or want the car in KL! Driving around Malaysia without a map had been fun enough but not in KL.

NO 3 is correct, they are a bit crazy but it is safe enough, just be ready for out of the unusual and don't follow those trucks to close! Go with a great sense of humour and you'll be fine!

We did almost the same thing as ang40. We used Hawk Rentals, who have branches throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Car was OK (Proton Wajas) - reliable, with working a/c. Driving is no worse than anywhere else we've rented a car - better than in Turkey, and much better than in Bali. Road infrastructure quality varies. The ekspresways are good, some of the other roads can be slow because of buses and trucks dictating the speed at which you can travel. The road from Kota Bahru, through Kuala Lipis to Bukit Fraser is used by timber trucks - they sometimes just stop wherever they are, no warning triangles; you crest a hill and there one is parked! - right in the traffic lane!!!! - And that's bloody dangerous.

You'll certainly see more of what you want to see and do - driving.

There is no problem driving in malaysia, all those places you want to visit are fairly easy to get to and will be on the best roads in malaysia. Make sure to rent the car in Malaysia (Johor Baru) rather than in Singapore...

Thanks a lot guys! These were some very good tips!