Car Hire in Johor or Bus from Singapore (going to Melaka)

We have two nights planned in Malacca (Sunday and Monday nights) and have not quite decided how to get there. The reviews of the bus trips look good and comfortable, however I%26#39;ve also considered going to Johor and hiring a car to drive to Malacca. We are staying in Singapore before and after the Malacca trip. Does anyone have any perspective on the two options?

Oh, one other thing, is two nights in Malacca enough or should we make it three nights?

Thank you in advance.

Car Hire in Johor or Bus from Singapore (going to Melaka)

Hi MaxwellSmart86

Request for Bus that use the 2nd link to go to Melaka.

The old causeway(1st Link)is very jammed packed at all time.

By bus is very convenience,the road system in Melaka is quite confusing at the town center.

2 nights is just nice

Car Hire in Johor or Bus from Singapore (going to Melaka)

2 nights is plenty, and go by bus from Singapore.

Thanks for your replies. Decided to stay for the nights (and going by bus).

Max, another option is to hire a car in Singapore (as long as they know you%26#39;re going to Melaka). It%26#39;s my preferred approach because of the flexibility. It%26#39;s a very easy drive, and they drive on the same side of the road as people in Antartica do.

It also means you can use the spare time on your rental clock to visit bits of Singapore you wouldn%26#39;t otherwise see (Seletar, for example, but many other interesting areas off the grid).

Coming back from Melaka you can come back down the coast road through villages and durian plantations. A good relaxing drive too.

For me, thats a lot more fun and flexible than being tied to a bus. And all the onload-offload stuff at the border crossings. In a car you%26#39;re through the second link in a few minutes, no unpacking required.

Cheers, --Kip

Hi - the suggestion of hiring a car in Singapore is worth considering if time is tight. Unlike some other cities, Malacca is as safe as these things go - I%26#39;ve driven the route via Tuas 2nd link quite a few times and you can get there in about 2.5 hours. I noticed you%26#39;re driving up on Sunday, which is against the crowd, so should be a smooth drive. The key point is that you can drive all the way to your hotel, no need to transfer to a cab at the bus station and no waiting around for the coach on the way back. The loading/unloading at each checkpoint and waiting for the whole busload to clear is a nuisance; it just takes one person to delay everyone. For the car, you can get the arrival cards in a SG travel agent (preferred) or at a little booth just before the Malaysian side or at the checkpoint itself. Keep some ringgit for the tolls - about 30+ each way. Other than that it%26#39;s simple; leave at Ayer Keroh and just follow signs for the city center (Pusat Bandaraya). Malacca is small and easy to navigate; print out a Google map if needed.

Hope helps.