How To Get From Kuala Lumpur To Melaka (And Back Again) Updated

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NOTE: There have been some troubling comments on this post suggesting that people traveling to Melaka with Nice Executive Coaches have been dropped off at a resort with no option but to then take an expensive taxi to Melaka itself. Whatever bus company you use double check where exactly they will drop you. If in doubt catch the train to Bandar Tasik Selatan bus station where there are multiple bus companies that go to Melaka so that you can ask around.

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Nice Executive Coaches

Most bus services to and from Melaka and Kuala Lumpur leave from Bandar Tasik Selatan Station. It's south of Kuala Lumpur and so requires a trip on the MRT to get there. However, the Nice Executive Coaches offer a service that you can catch from the Kuala Lumpur MRT Station (not KL Sentral). Depending on where you're staying this could be more convenient.

The Nice coaches run once or twice a day. Please check their website for further information. Unfortunately you cannot purchase tickets online (at the time of writing) unless you have a Malaysian credit card. So, in the meantime, use the ticket purchasing website as a guide only and then go to the Nice Executive Coaches Office at the Kuala Lumpur MRT Station in person to purchase your tickets. We recommend that you get your tickets a day or two early if possible.

To make it easier on yourself, you can ask at your hotel if they wouldn't mind making a phone call for you to see if those bus tickets are available and either purchasing them for you or holding the seats for you to pay for in the morning of your departure to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur.

The Nice Executive Coach Service is the only bus company that we are aware of that will leave from the center of Kuala Lumpur instead of Bandar Tasik Selatan Station.

Bandar Tasik Selatan Station

Bandar Tasik Selatan Station is about a twenty to thirty minute train ride from the center of Kuala Lumpur depending on what train you catch.

The station can be reached via two different Kuala Lumpur MRT Lines – KTM Komuter and the Ampang Line, but also via the KLIA Transit train line.

Bandar Tasik Selatan Station is huge. It is set out just like an airport. We like to refer to it as a “BusPort”. It really does have that airport feel to it.

There are hundreds of buses that arrive at and depart from this bus station hub every day. It is amazing. There are many different bus companies that travel between Melaka and Kuala Lumpur daily at varying times starting from very early in the morning to very late at night.

Tickets between the two locations, Kuala Lumpur and Melaka are fairly easy to purchase on the day of departure unless it is a public, a religious holiday, or the weekend. If this is the case, then perhaps check out their online bus ticket purchasing website. We haven't used this system as we just purchased our tickets in person so we cannot comment on it.

Once you arrive at Bandar Tasik Selatan Station, there are two ways you can purchase your bus tickets to Melaka. The first is to go to the booth windows and tell the person where you want to go, they will bring up a list of buses that are operating, who has seats available, and then you purchase your tickets. Or you could make your way over to the electronic bus ticket machines and buy one ticket at a time by the use of cash. We liked this system. It was quick, easy and painless.

As there are so many different bus companies, it is hard to know which bus company is the best. Prices vary as do the quality of the buses. The buses however are rarely horrible and KL to Melaka isn't a terribly long journey so don't worry too much.

Once you have your bus tickets make your way to the departure hall downstairs. The station even has ticket checkers like at an airport to make sure you are meant to be going to the departure lounge.

Wait for the bus then hop on and enjoy your ride. The bus will drop you at Melaka Sentral which is unfortunately out of town. There are local buses and taxes available. The local buses can be hard to navigate if you don't speak Malay. Persistence and knowing what part of town you need to go to will get you there eventually.

Melaka to Kuala Lumpur

Unfortunately, the bus trip is a little different going the other way, from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur.

Again, unless it is a public or a religious holiday or it is a Sunday, make your way to the bus station and wait for the next available bus. There are generally multiple buses leaving Melaka bound for Kuala Lumpur each hour. The Melaka Sentral bus station is just as inconvenient when you are leaving town as when you are arriving. Speak to someone at your accommodation or a friendly local about what local bus to catch out to the bus station. Be prepared to wait as the buses don't appear to run according to a set schedule.

When you arrive at the ticket booth area there are often people yelling out “to Kuala Lumpur”. That generally means they have a bus about to depart that still has seats available. Check the price, maybe have a look at the bus and you're on your way.

The bus from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur will arrive at Bandar Tasik Selatan Station and then you will have to catch a train into the city. The bus / train combo is a bit annoying. To avoid it perhaps check out the Nice Executive Coaches from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur Sentral via the links above. That at least means your bus will arrive somewhere a bit more central. Otherwise hop on a train, look out the window for 20 minutes and you are back in the big city!

Need a Hotel In Kuala Lumpur?

Here are some places we have stayed and might stay again.

Step Inn is an extremely basic but affordable option. Read more about Step Inn Guesthouse

A nice mid-range option is Sky Express. Their breakfast isn't fantastic but the best breakfast buffet in KL can be found over the road (see below). Read more about Sky Express Hotel Bukit Bintang

Sahabat offers the nicest rooms (for the money) that we have had in KL. The breakfast was basically just toast however. Read more about Sahabat

In our opinion the best breakfast buffet in Kuala Lumpur is at the Swiss Garden Hotel. If you don't stay there you can just go in an purchase breakfast. It is worth it.
Swiss-Garden Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Looking for Accommodation in Melaka?

We have stayed at Old Town Guesthouse repeatedly. Its a family run business with a lot of character and a great location. Melaka's main historical sites are all a short walk away. Click here to read more about Old Town

And there you have it… how to get from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka easily (and back again). We hope this new updated post has been helpful!