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Welcome to our wonderful guide on getting around in Penang. If you’re planning a trip to Penang in 2025, you’ll probably want to get around and explore some of the amazing attractions.
But what is the best way to get around in Penang? Penang is a large island with attractions spread all over the place. It can take over an hour to travel from one side of the island to the other. What’s more, there are lots of different options depending on your budget, the desire for convenience, and your own personal needs.
In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about how to get around in Penang. We will share common challenges (and how to avoid them!) and we will also share prices, details and top tips. We’re writing this article based on our own first-hand research and experience. We have lived in Penang for several years and also traveled around the island extensively.
Don’t miss our EPIC itinerary – One Week in Penang
Getting Around in Penang – popular journeys
1 Georgetown to the airport (18km – 1 hour)
All of the roads between Penang Bridge 1 and Georgetown are very congested especially around the morning and afternoon rush Hour (and particularly on Friday). If you have a flight, leave plenty of time for your journey.
2 Georgetown to Gurney Plaza shopping mall (5km – 0.5 hours)
There are a lot of one way systems on this route. The roads can also get very congested. Parking around Gurney Plaza can be very challenging (especially on weekends). We recommend using the multi story car park at Gurney Plaza.
3 Georgetown to Batu Ferringhi (16km – 1 hour)
This is a relatively long journey (allow around 45 minutes – 1 hour). Watch out for the one-way systems and heavy traffic as you leave Georgetown. The coast road can also be pretty slow there is only one road between Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi so if the traffic is heavy you cannot take any alternative routes.
4 Georgetown to Teluk Bahang (21km – 1hour 15minutes)
Teluk Bahang has a lot of great activities (National Park, ESCAPE & Entopia). You need to drive through Batu Ferringhi and then further. This is a very long journey. We recommend leaving at least 1 hour for this journey.
Getting Around in Penang – Summary
| Notes | Approximate prices | |
| Local Bus | Cheap, convenient & reliable. May need to walk to get to the nearest route. Can be slow in traffic. | RM1 – RM5 (£0.2 – £1 or $0.25 – $1.20) |
| Grab Taxi | Convenient, flexible & generally fast. May struggle to find driver at busy times. | RM5 – RM50 (£1 – £10 or $1.20 – $12) |
| Car Rental | Very flexible and convenient. Expensive and big responsibility. Roads & navigation can be challenging. | RM100 per day (£20 or $25) |
| Bicycle Rental | Fun and affordable. Only use this for small journeys around Georgetown. | RM8 (£1.60 or $2.00) |
1 Local Bus
The local bus system in Penang is excellent. It is cheap, convenient, and easy to navigate. As a foreigner, the bus routes in Penang connect all of the main towns and attractions around Penang, making it easy to get from place to place by local bus. The local buses are comfortable and have air conditioning. They are also extremely affordable. Most journeys cost a few ringgits. What’s more, the bus drivers generally speak very good English and can help you get to the right location.
If you are only in Penang for a few days and are traveling on a low budget, then the bus is definitely the best way to get around. You can use the buses to travel between George Town, Tanjung Bunga, Batu Ferringhi, and the Penang National Park. Also, you can get to Escape and Entopia by local bus. You could also use the local bus system to travel to Air Itam, where you can find the Penang Hill mountain railway and Kek Lok Si Temple. So, you really can use the local bus system to travel all around Penang on a relatively low budget.
Buses in Penang are also relatively regular. In many cases, you do not need to wait more than 30 minutes for a bus, and sometimes you only need to wait five minutes. There are a few challenges using the bus system. Firstly, if you are hoping to go out in the evening, buses are less regular. Don’t miss the last bus. In some places, you may need to walk for quite a distance to get to the nearest bus route. It can also be challenging navigating around George Town by bus because the bus routes follow the confusing one-way systems around town. It can be difficult to know which direction you need to take the bus to reach your destination. We recommend asking locals for help. Also buses can be slow in heavy traffic – Penang does not have dedicated bus lanes so you are stuck with the traffic queues!
Best bus routes in Penang for travelers
These are the bus routes that you are most likely to use in Penang as a traveller:
- Bus 101 – Georgetown – Tanjung Bungah – Batu Ferringhi – Spice Gardens – National Park – ESCAPE & Entopia
- Bus 102 – Georgetown – Sungai Nibong Long Distance Bus Station – Penang Airport
- Bus 201 – Georgetown – Air Itam (Kek Lok Si Temple & The Penang Hill Mountain Railway)
2 Grab Taxis
Don’t miss the full guide – How to Use Grab in Malaysia
Taxis are an affordable, fast, and convenient way to travel around Penang. The cheapest and most convenient way to take a taxi in Penang is to use the Grab Taxi app. To use the Grab Taxi app, you will need mobile data. You can buy cheap mobile SIM cards in Penang; a 30-day prepaid SIM card generally costs around RM50 (£10 or $12), and it will normally include around 30GB of data. We recommend Digi.
Once you are set up with a SIM card, you will need to download the Grab app and register an account using your local mobile phone number. Once you have set up your Grab account, you can order taxis on the go. All you need to do is enter your destination, and your device’s location will automatically detect your pickup location. You will be told the price before you order your taxi, and you can pay your driver directly at the end of the journey.
It’s important to have the correct amount of cash to pay for your journey. In our experience, Grab taxis are very reliable. Waiting times are generally fairly minimal (in most cases only a few minutes). However, if you are trying to take a Grab taxi during rush hour or you are in a more remote location, you may need to wait longer for a driver. If the app is not able to find a driver, we recommend searching again, keep trying, and be persistent. We have had a few times when we have needed to keep searching for 10 minutes or more.
Grab taxis in Penang generally range in price from RM5 for short local journeys to RM50 for a long journey around the island. If you are unable to use the Grab Taxi app, you can still hail taxis at the side of the road. This is generally a lot more difficult because taxi apps have become increasingly popular.
3 Car Rental
If you are traveling around Penang with kids, you may want to consider renting a car. Car rental in Penang is a very convenient and flexible way to travel around. Renting a car gives you a lot of freedom; you can go where you want, when you want, with no need to wait for taxi apps or buses. However, car rental in Penang is relatively expensive. If you are looking for a short-term car rental, you will struggle to find anything less than RM100 per day. Petrol in Penang is delightfully cheap – you can generally fill your tank for around RM50 (around £10 or $12!).
Car rental in Penang can be stressful if you are not familiar with the roads. The Penang roads can be very busy, and the one-way systems and lane systems can be very complicated and challenging (especially if you are not familiar with driving around Penang). New lanes can randomly appear and then disappear. Cars often drift between lanes without signaling. Bigger cars seem to have a greater right of way.
It can also feel stressful to have responsibility for a rental vehicle. If you are planning to rent a car in Penang, we recommend having an international driver’s license. You would need to get hold of this before you depart from your home country. We also recommend that you discuss the deposit with your car rental dealer. If you are planning to drive in Penang, we recommend getting hold of a Touch and Go card. You can buy these from convenience stores and shops like Watsons.
Touch and Go cards are widely used to pay for parking in public car parks, and they are also needed to pay toll fees if you’re planning to drive on the highways between cities in Malaysia. If you do get a Touch and Go Card, we recommend topping up enough money to cover parking fees and toll fees. RM50 is plenty.
Another challenge of car rental in Penang is parking. Parking can be particularly challenging in places like Georgetown and the surrounding suburbs. So, although car rental is flexible, fast, and convenient, it does have some challenges.
4 Bicycle rental
If you are only hoping to do short journeys around Georgetown, you could consider renting a bicycle. The roads in the center of Georgetown are slightly smaller and quieter than some of the bigger roads in the suburbs, so it is possible to safely explore Georgetown by bicycle.
In fact, you can rent bicycles on Jalan Armenia for RM8 (around £1.60 or $2.00) This is the heart of the street art district in Georgetown. This would be a lovely way to explore Little India and China Town. Just stick to the small roads and watch out for cars, bikes, and pedestrians. We do not recommend using a bicycle to travel further around Penang.
You can find bicycle rickshaws in Georgetown and Batu Ferringhi but these are expensive and not designed for A to B transport. Rickshaws are generally used for tours & sightseeing.
Can you rent a motorbike in Penang?
Yes, it is possible to rent a motorbike in Penang, and you can use this to travel around. However, we do not recommend bike rental in Penang. The roads around Penang are very busy and fast-moving, and they are not particularly safe for motorbikes. We do not recommend using a motorbike to travel around Penang unless you have a lot of experience driving in the area (and a death wish!). This may not seem a tasteful thing to joke about; however, we really have been quite shocked to see how people drive here. We have seen a lot of accidents in Penang, so we really do not recommend bike rental here.
Is there a Subway system in Penang?
No, Penang does not have a subway system. The only public transport available in Penang is the public bus system. The public bus system is very affordable and links up all of the main attractions and destinations around Penang. Your main options really are bus, taxi, car rental and bicycle for short local journeys.
