Penang, George Town and Butterworth
The island and the mainland are one system stitched together by two toll bridges and a passenger-only ferry; George Town's own streets run on Rapid Penang buses, a free downtown shuttle and Grab.
- Researched
- 28 September 2026
- Reviewed
- not yet
- Ways of moving
- 11, 20 sources
- Not confirmed
- 10
- Fares seen
- 2024–2026
11 ways of moving, each with its rule
We confirmed nine ways of moving to, from or around Penang: one by water, three by road, two hired or on demand and three by rail and cable, from 20 sources. Two entries are not a service at all but a rule that decides whether travel happens: a permit, a closure, a border, a season or an authority's say-so. Two of them run only on demand or when the seats are full, so there is no timetable to show; the rule is written where the timetable would be.
The fares were seen in 2024 to 2026; a fare from an older year is a floor, not a price. Four fares carry no year, because they could not be confirmed and the field says so. We rate 4 of the 11 high confidence, our own judgement of the sources. The entry was checked on 28 September 2026, and ends with ten things we could not confirm.
By water
Penang Ferry (Weld Quay – Butterworth)
Raja Tun Uda terminal, Weld Quay, George Town to Sultan Abdul Halim terminal, Butterworth
Terminal is at the seafront end of Pengkalan Weld, next to KOMTAR side; the Butterworth terminal adjoins the railway station
- When
- Every 20–30 minutes, 06:30–23:30 daily
- Takes
- 15 minutes
- Fare 2026
- RM2.00 adult one way, RM2.50 with a motorcycle; child, disabled and bicycle tickets are only quoted at the ticket counter
Seasonyear-round. Bookingnone, pay at the gate. Run byPenang Port Sdn Bhd (the ferry section of its own site); older sources still name Rapid Ferry.
Rules, permits and closures
Penang Bridge and Second Penang Bridge tolls
Island-bound traffic on either bridge pays; mainland-bound traffic does not
Toll plazas are on the mainland side, before you cross: Sungai Dua or Juru for the First Bridge, Batu Kawan for the Second; Touch 'n Go is accepted
- When
- always in force
- Fare 2026
- First Bridge: motorcycles RM1.40, cars RM7. Second Bridge: motorcycles RM1.70, cars RM8.50, six-wheel two-axle vans RM30.50
Seasonyear-round. Run bytoll set by the bridge concessionaires, enforced only on the island-bound direction.
Penang – Langkawi direct ferry, discontinued
Formerly Swettenham Pier or a Penang jetty to Kuah, Langkawi
No current jetty serves this route; the operator's own site now points travellers to Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis instead
- When
- no longer running
- Fare
- not confirmed, no current service
Seasonn/a. Bookingnone, service ended. Run byroute withdrawn by the ferry operator.
By road
Rapid Penang bus network
Hub-and-spoke from KOMTAR and Pengkalan Weld across the island and to the mainland
Board at KOMTAR bus terminus or Pengkalan Weld next to the ferry terminal; stops are signed and numbered
- When
- varies by route; timetables hold badly in traffic, so use the MyRapid PULSE app for live bus positions
- Fare 2024
- RM1.40–RM4 per ride depending on distance; RM30 Rapid Passport for a week of unlimited travel
Seasonyear-round. Bookingnone, pay the driver on board. Run byRapid Penang (Prasarana).
CAT (Central Area Transit) free shuttle
Between the Pengkalan Weld ferry terminal and KOMTAR, through the George Town heritage core
Stops are marked CAT along the loop; boards from Pengkalan Weld ferry terminal forecourt
- When
- Every 20 minutes, 06:00–24:00 daily including weekends and holidays
- Fare
- free
Seasonyear-round. Run byRapid Penang (Prasarana) with the Municipal Council of Penang Island.
Penang International Airport bus 401E
Penang International Airport (Bayan Lepas) to Weld Quay via KOMTAR
Bus stop directly outside the arrivals hall; look for the Rapid Penang livery
- When
- not confirmed; 401 and 401E both run from the airport to Weld Quay through the day
- Fare 2026
- RM2.70, exact change required
Seasonyear-round. Run byRapid Penang (Prasarana).
Hired, booked and on demand
George Town trishaw
Ad hoc, wherever the rider is asked to go within the heritage core
Riders tout along the heritage-core streets and outside hotels; no source names a fixed stand, so ask a hotel to call one
- When
- on demand
- Fare
- negotiated before boarding, no meter; hourly hire is the usual basis
Seasonyear-round. Bookingnone, negotiate on the spot. Run byindependent riders.
Grab versus airport prepaid taxi
Anywhere on the island or mainland
Grab pickup zones are marked outside arrivals; the prepaid coupon kiosk is inside. Street taxis have meters but drivers almost always refuse to use them
- When
- on demand
- Fare 2026
- Prepaid airport coupon: RM18 to Bayan Lepas town, RM44.70 to George Town, Air Itam or Balik Pulau, RM69 to Batu Ferringhi, plus a 50% surcharge between midnight and 06:00; Grab fares float with demand and were not separately confirmed
Seasonyear-round. Bookingprepaid taxi: buy a coupon at the counter; Grab: app booking. Run bylicensed taxi counter for prepaid fares; Grab as app-hailed alternative.
By rail and cable
Butterworth – Kuala Lumpur ETS
Butterworth railway station to KL Sentral via Ipoh
Butterworth station adjoins the ferry terminal and Penang Sentral bus terminal; book ahead as trains sell out
- When
- Seven ETS departures daily
- Takes
- 4 hours
- Fare
- no confirmed fare figure for the current timetable
Seasonyear-round. Bookingadvance booking recommended via KTMB or Easybook, seats sell out on weekends. Run byKeretapi Tanah Melayu (KTMB).
Butterworth – Padang Besar Komuter, onward to Thailand
Butterworth to Padang Besar on the Thai border; cross on foot, then Thai State Railway to Hat Yai or Bangkok
Same platform as the KL trains at Butterworth; at Padang Besar, immigration is inside the shared station building
- When
- Hourly Komuter departures, 05:25–21:25
- Takes
- 1 hour 50 minutes to Padang Besar
- Fare 2026
- RM11.40 Butterworth to Padang Besar; 80 baht Padang Besar to Hat Yai on the Thai side
Seasonyear-round. Bookingnone for the Komuter leg, pay at the counter. Run byKTMB to the border; State Railway of Thailand beyond it.
Penang Hill funicular
Air Itam lower station to Penang Hill upper station
Reached by Rapid Penang buses 203/204 from KOMTAR to the Air Itam terminus, then a short walk to the station
- When
- continuous departures within opening hours
- Fare 2026
- Return, normal lane: RM40 adult and RM20 child at the standard rate; RM16 adult and RM8 child with MyKad, MyKid, MM2H or i-Kad. Express lane is double. One-way and a RM6 MyKad sunrise round trip are counter-only
Seasonyear-round. Bookingbook online at penanghill.gov.my or buy at the Lower Station counter; one-way and special rates are counter-only. Run byPenang Hill Corporation.
What we could not find out
10 things the researcher looked for and did not find, in their own words, with where to ask instead. None of this goes into the planner; it stays here until someone confirms it.
- 01
Rapid Penang's per-route fare table could not be read on myrapid.com.my; the RM1.40–RM4 range and the RM30 Rapid Passport come from Wikivoyage, which dates both to June 2024. Confirm at a KOMTAR counter or in the MyRapid PULSE app.
- 02
Butterworth–Kuala Lumpur ETS current one-way fare was not confirmed from KTMB's own site; check ktmb.com.my or Easybook.com for the current price.
- 03
Correction to the brief: there is no longer a direct Penang–Langkawi ferry. The operator's own site (langkawi-ferry.com) says the route has ended and points travellers to Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis on the mainland instead; the George Town Wikivoyage article says the same.
- 04
Whether bicycles ride the passenger ferry free or at a fare was not confirmed; the Wikivoyage fare line sends children, disabled passengers and cyclists to the ticket counter rather than naming a price.
- 05
Sources disagree on who runs the ferry and what it costs. The Penang article and Penang Port Sdn Bhd's own ferry section point to PPSB at RM2.00, while the George Town article still describes a Prasarana 'Rapid Ferry' at RM1.20 with free return legs. The RM2.00 figure is the one used here; confirm at the gate.
- 06
The vehicle-ferry closure date (2020) and any partial vehicle service since were not independently confirmed beyond the Wikivoyage account.
- 07
Frequency and journey time for airport bus 401E were not confirmed from Rapid Penang; only the RM2.70 fare and the exact-change rule are sourced.
- 08
The Municipal Council of Penang Island's own CAT bus page has been dead-linked since August 2026, so the free shuttle's current hours and route should be reconfirmed on arrival.
- 09
No source names where George Town trishaws actually wait; the fare-negotiation and hourly-hire customs are sourced, the pick-up points are not.
- 10
Whether the bridge toll plazas still accept cash, or are RFID and Touch 'n Go only, was not confirmed.
What the planner can route today
The options above live on the place page, not in the departure board: a boat that comes when you phone has no time to show. What the board can do for Penang is this.
- Y
- Scheduled flightsPenang (PEN), 14 km
- Y
- Trains and coachesTransitous carries 7 timetable feeds for this country, 0 with real-time
- Y
- FerriesFeri Pulau Pinang (George Town ke Butterworth), 2 km, Penang Port Sdn Bhd; sailings estimated
- Y
- Driving and taxiOpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band
- N
- Bike and scooter shareno share feed known
- N
- Cruisesno open itinerary source anywhere
Y routable now · F found, not yet implemented · N no source known.