How To Get From Melaka To Ipoh Easily

Getting to Ipoh from Melaka is actually quite easy. There are a few ways to travel the distance, so we shall point out each way.

Option 1 – Bus / Taxi from Melaka to Tampin, Train from Tampin to Ipoh

Bus from Melaka to Tampin

The distance between Melaka and Tampin is around  40kms. Catching a bus to Tampin is relatively easy.
Taking either a taxi from your guesthouse or hotel to the Melaka Sentral bus station, costing RM 15.00 one way, or catching a local bus  from a bus stop, costing RM 1.00, will get you there safe and sound. To learn where the local bus stop is it is best to ask your guesthouse or hotel as locations in Melaka vary and may not be obvious.

There are many buses that leave from Melaka Sentral Bus Station to Tampin Sentral. The cost for the local bus is approximately RM 5.oo per person. The bus could take anything from an hour to an hour and a half depending on how many pick ups and drop offs are needed. It is advisable to get to the Melaka Sentral Bus Station no later than 9:30am to make sure you get on a bus from Melaka to Tampin in time to then reach Tampin KTM in time to catch the train up to Ipoh.

Either ask the bus driver to drop you off at Tampin KTM, it apparently goes past the train station (about 500m away), or get off the bus at Tampin Sentral and walk to the Tampin KTM (about 1.5km), a local will be able to help you find the train station if need be.

Taxi from Melaka to Tampin KTM Train Station

Another alternative way to get from Melaka to Tampin is to just take a taxi from your guesthouse / hotel door. This option can be pricey but could also save you some hassle. A gestimate of the cost would be a range from RM 35.00 to RM 100.00 one way and it would take about 1 hour. Of course, you would have to do some hard bargaining to get a good price for the travel from Melaka to Tampin KTM train station.

Train from Tampin to Ipoh

Once you have reach Tampin the train leaves Tampin KTM at around 1pm and arrives in Ipoh at approximately 6pm.

There is a first class carriage option offering seats ranging from RM 33.00 for a child up to RM 58.00 per adult.
The coach carriage has seats at a cost of RM 19.00 per child and RM 30.00 per adult.

You can actually buy tickets online from https://intranet.ktmb.com.my/e-ticket I believe up to 14 – 30 days in advance. On the KTMB website there are pictures of the two different class coaches on the train. Both classes look extremely comfortable.

 

Option 2 – Bus from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur then Train from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh

Bus from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur

Catching a direct bus from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur is very easy to do. First leg is to get to Melaka Sentral Station from your guesthouse / hotel by either taxi (RM 15.00) or local bus (RM 1.00) in the morning some time.

There are a number of buses that leave Melaka to go to Kuala Lumpur daily, costing approximately RM35.00 one way. No need to pre-book this leg unless it is a Malaysian holiday (there are many Malaysian holidays). Just turn up to Melaka Sentral with your luggage and check the Bus Company ticket counters for the times they are leaving and the cost of the ticket.

Take note of where the bus from Melaka will drop you off in Kuala Lumpur – could be either KL Sentral or Bandar Tasik Selatan – either stations is fine as they are both on the train line. You just need to know which one you are at. This bus ride should take around 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic.

Train from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh

KTMB have many daily trains that leave Kuala Lumpur from KL Sentral to arrive in Ipoh in a timely fashion. Tickets can be pre-bought (if required) via their website – https://intranet.ktmb.com.my/e-ticket –  otherwise buying them at the ticket counter at KL Sentral is quite painless.

The trains from KL Sentral to Ipoh leave every hour or two and range in price from approximately RM 16.00 to RM 44.00 per adult depending if the train is express or not.  Most trains will take no more than 2 to 3 hours to arrive in Ipoh.

The best part about taking the train to Ipoh either from Tampin or Kuala Lumpur, or anywhere on that line, is that the Ipoh KTM Sentral Train Station is right in the middle of Ipoh city. Therefore, you only need to walk into town to find accommodation instead of needing to catch a taxi etc.

Option 3 – Bus from Melaka to Ipoh directly

Bus from Melaka to Ipoh

There is actually a way to get to Ipoh directly from Melaka. By bus. It takes between 3 – 5 hours depending on traffic.

It is advisable to go to Melaka Sentral Bus Station the day before you want to go to Ipoh as there aren't many buses that run direct from Melaka to Ipoh without stopping at Kuala Lumpur. Most bus companies leave Melaka for Ipoh in the morning at 8:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am.

The buses are generally very clean, have massive seats to lay back in and if you are lucky a movie will play for entertainment.  There are no toilets on the buses but the bus driver will stop at one to two truck stops along the way. Word to the wise, try to stay away from any meat meals at truck stops.

The price of the express direct bus from Melaka to Ipoh is approximately RM 30.00 to RM 35.00.

The express direct bus from Melaka to Ipoh unfortunately does not stop in the centre of Ipoh like the train does. It atcually stops at a bus station on the outskirts of Ipoh in Medan Gopeng.

To then get into Ipoh city, you will have to either take a local bus (unsure of numbers), catch a taxi into Ipoh or walk if you fancy a bit of a hike.  We found that the taxi drivers were very reasonable in their request for fares. I think it was around RM 10.00.

Travel Recommendation Time

We took option 3 to get from Melaka to Ipoh. It was easy enough although it was a little boring and long. In hindsight, the bus then train to Ipoh would have been a lot easier. The taxi straight to Tampin and then the train to Ipoh in option 1 is expensive but would have been easier on the traveling mind and soul.

It is hard enough traveling. Moving from one place to the next does take a lot out of you. In reality, traveling for any more than 3 hours eats up pretty much a whole day! – getting to the bus / train / ferry, getting on the vehicle, sitting, getting off, working out where you are going to stay… consider making it easier for yourself if you have the money to spend!

View our posts on Melaka, Malaysia, by clicking through here.
View our posts on Ipoh, Malaysia, by clicking through here.