On Vesak Day’s long weekend this year, a reported 250,000 travellers from Singapore crossed over to Malaysia, passing by the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints. It’s quite common for residents living in Singapore to drive to Malaysia whether it’s to do a spot of shopping, eat local food or visit family and friends.
Perhaps that’s because it takes less than an hour for travellers from Singapore to reach Johor Bahru via the roads, and around three hours to get to Malacca and four hours to Kuala Lumpur. Singaporeans also do not need to have a visa to travel to Malaysia and can stay up to 30 days.
In addition, the stronger Singapore dollar has also prompted many to travel to Malaysia to spend and stretch their buck, with the exchange rate now at SGD1 to MYR3.43. If you’re thinking of travelling to Malaysia by road, and you have a valid driving license, renting a car is a suitable option to consider.
Driving across the border into Malaysia is comparably more convenient than other methods of travelling. Sure, flying takes less time but it could be more costly to do so and travelling by boat takes a longer time.
While buses and the shuttle are cheaper, with a car, you will definitely have more flexibility in getting around and planning your trip. A car provides more personal space and comfort when traveling with young and senior family members and for storing your goods and souvenirs from shopping in Malaysia.
We explore five Singapore car rental services and how much it costs to drive to Malaysia.
#1 Tribecar
Tribecar lets you drive to Malaysia with selected Economy sedans and MPVs. During booking, just make sure to select ‘Entry to Malaysia’ under Optional Add-Ons. You will only be allowed to drive to the west side of Malaysia and not further than Kuala Lumpur so states like Penang are out of reach.
Drivers will need to have at least two years of local driving experience and older than 23 years old to rent a car to drive to Malaysia.
The minimum rental duration is 24 hours and a surcharge of 30% of rental fees will apply. In addition, there will also be a pre-authorisation hold of S$200.
Calculation Of Costs To Rent A Standard Car To Drive Into Malaysia
For A Day Trip On Weekends:
Daily weekend rate + 30% surcharge = Total costs
S$140.40 + (30% x S$140.40) = S$182.52
For A Day Trip On A Weekday:
Daily weekday rate + 30% surcharge = Total costs
S$102.60 + (30% x S$102.60) = S$133.38
With over 1,300 cars including electric vehicles on the platform, Tribecar has quite a wide selection for your perusal.
These are the different rental rates offered by Tribecar according to peak hours and days.
| Types Of Cars | Super Economy | Economy | Standard |
| Super Off Peak | S$0.54 | S$2.16 | S$3.24 |
| Off Peak | S$2.70 | S$4.86 | S$6.48 |
| Peak | S$5.40 | S$8.10 | S$9.72 |
| Daily Weekday | S$64.80 | S$75.60 | S$102.60 |
| Daily Weekend | S$97.20 | S$118.80 | S$140.40 |
| Weekly | S$432.00 | S$540.00 | S$648.00 |
| Time | Weekdays | Weekends |
| 1am – 7am | Super Off Peak | Peak |
| 7am – 5pm | Off Peak | Peak |
| 5pm – 1am | Peak | Peak |
Note that a surcharge of S$0.54 to S$3.24 per hour could apply during weekends and public holidays from Friday 5pm to Sunday.
#2 Drive lah
Just like how colloquial its name is, Drive lah offers drivers the opportunity to rent cars from other car owners in Singapore. This way, car owners or hosts get to maximise the usage of their car rather than having it left unused in a car park for several hours a day. Meanwhile, those who need to use a car for short term could rent it for a few hours a day.
Basically, Drive lah operates like many car rental platforms. You register and once approved, find a car nearest to you to rent, book the car, pick it up and refill the petrol tank before returning the car to the same spot.
The total cost for renting a car with Drive lah includes the below:
- Rental price that’s determined by the host itself
- Trip fee that is calculated based on the age of the driver. A younger driver may need to pay more to rent as the insurance is more expensive.
- 4% processing fee
Drive lah users will also need to pay a subscription fee of S$30 every month.
Depending on the host, some cars on Drive lah can be driven across to Malaysia and with no additional charges. You can check the from the car profile if the car can be driven out of the country.
As this is a peer-to-peer platform and rental fees are determined by the host, who might just want to earn some extra income on his or her own car, there’s a possibility that the rental fee is cheaper than other platforms.
#3 WhizzCar
WhizzCar is an established car rental company that was launched in 2003. You can book a vehicle from WhizzCar to drive to Malaysia for a surcharge of 50%.
To drive to the west side of Malaysia, you will need to book the car for at least 24 hours and get approval from WhizzCar. There is however no limitation stated on the states and areas in Malaysia a driver can drive to.
The standard rates for WhizzCar are shown in the table below.
Calculation Of Costs To Rent An Economy+ Car To Drive Into Malaysia
For A Day Trip On A Weekday/Weekend:
Standard rental rates + 50% surcharge
S$145.17 + (50% x S$145.17) = S$217.75
WhizzCar members will need to pay a subscription fee of S$10.70 every month. They will also be required to pay a registration fee of S$107.00 and place a deposit of S$100.00.
#4 myCarriage
A certified pre-owned car dealer in Singapore, myCarriage has access to a wide range of cars from known brands like Mitsubishi, Kia and Mercedes-Benz.
myCarriage rents cars to drivers for their travels to Malaysia. You need to inform myCarriage of your wish to do so for them to make necessary insurance arrangements.
You will be charged an extra S$25 to S$60 per day according to your car of choice and the duration of your stay in Malaysia. With myCarriage, driver have the option to have the rnetal car delivered to and collected from their doorsteps with a fee of S$60 per way.
The daily rates for renting a car with myCarriage depends on the car of your choice ranging from S$80 to S$580.
#5 Lylo
Lylo prides itself on providing a fleet that is mainly comprised of electric and hybrid vehicles in a world that’s increasingly seeking sustainable solutions.
The rental daily rates for cars on Lylo range from S$88 to S$560. Users will need to pay a 50% advanced payment upfront and a security deposit.
You can rent a car from Lylo to drive into Malaysia for a surcharge fee of only S$25 per day.
Drivers can also rest assured knowing that Lylo provides round-the-clock operational assistance to customers. Should drivers experience a breakdown or accident, they can contact Lylo’s 24/7 roadside assistance hotlines.
Lylo also offers transport concierge and limousine services whereby its trained drivers will pick you up and drop you off your destination. Customers can peruse the transport concierge services to send their children to school, get to your workplace or for medical emergency escorts.
Featured Image Credit: Honey Shune Lai Nyo/DollarsAndSense
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