Singaporeans love a weekend trip to Johor Bahru, or JB as it is commonly known.
There are reasons aplenty - the relatively cheaper shopping, diverse culinary scene, wide range of entertainment and leisure options, or even if it's just to get away from the mundanities of everyday life in Singapore. Besides, this shopping and culinary haven is only a mere crossing away.
Unless you own a car, most people choose to travel to JB by train or bus. While getting to JB by train is fast, comfortable, and convenient, train tickets are notoriously hard to purchase, and are often sold out weeks in advance.
There are plenty of options for travellers choosing to enter via a bus. Here are some of them.
1. SBS and SMRT Bus
The preferred choice for Singaporeans, bus services 160, 170e and 950 get you across the Causeway to JB Sentral, while 170 brings you all the way to Larkin. You can use your Singapore EZ-Link card, or any Master or VISA card through SimplyGo.
Plus side? SBS and SMRT buses are generally newer, and hence the air conditioning tends to be stronger too.
Bus routes:
160: Jurong East Bus Interchange - JB Sentral
170: Queen Street Terminal - Larkin
170e: Queen Street Terminal - JB Sentral
950: Woodlands Bus Interchange - JB Sentral
Cost:
~$1.90 (EZ-Link, SimplyGo accepted)
How to board:
Simply board the bus at any of the bus stops along bus route.
2. Causeway Link Bus
Touted as 'the largest cross-border bus service between Singapore and Malaysia', Causeway Link is a popular coach service that operates various routes departing from different locations in Singapore to several destinations in Johor Bahru, including shopping malls and tourist attractions.
Image: Causeway Link on Facebook
Bus routes:
CW1: Kranji MRT - JB Sentral
CW2: Queen Street Terminal - JB Sentral
CW3: Jurong East - Perling Mall
CW3L: CIQ 2nd Link - Perling Mall
CW3S: CIQ 2nd Link - Terminal TUTA
CW4: Jurong East - Pontian
CW4G: CIQ 2nd Link - GP Sentral
CW4S: Jurong East - Sutera Mall
CW5: Newton Circus - JB Custom
CW6: Boon Lay - Giant Nusa Bestari
CW7: Tuas Link MRT Station - CIQ 2nd Link
CW7L: CIQ 2nd Link - Hotel Ramada Meridin
CWL: CIQ - Larkin Sentral
Cost:
From SGD$2.60 to $6 per trip. When taking from JB, prices remain the same but are in MYR instead. (EZ-Link, ManjaLink, VISA PayWave, or NETS FlashPay accepted)
How to board:
Head to pick-up points listed above to board the bus. CW buses do not stop at any other stops in between while still in Singapore.
3. Coach Services
There are a plethora of coach services plying their routes between Singapore and JB. A few notable ones include Transtar Travel, Starmart Express, Diamond Coach, KKKL Singapore, and a few others.
Instead of bringing passengers to the usual spots like JB Sentral or CIQ 2nd Link like SBS/SMRT and Causeway Link services, these coach operators bring you to many more places within Johor, such as tourist attractions like Legoland Malaysia, Johor Premium Outlets, Kluang, Muar, and even Mersing town beaches.
Coach services cost more but often come with more frills such as reclinable and wider seats.
Want to book a coach service? Easybook is a popular online platform for booking bus, train, ferry, and car rental services in various Southeast Asian countries. It provides a convenient way for travelers to search, compare, and book tickets for their preferred routes and modes of transport.
Image: Easybook Singapore on Facebook
Search for Bus/Ferry tickets or rental products on Easybook and save with 2% cashback
4. Grab
No, not your usual Grab car, but a bus to JB.
Grab's bus service offers routes connecting various locations in Singapore to popular destinations in JB, such as JB Sentral, Bukit Indah, and Larkin Terminal.
You can book their bus tickets through the Grab app, making it easy and convenient to plan their travel. Payment could be made using GrabPay or other available payment methods within the app.
The plus point to using Grab is that it offers pick-up points at various destinations across Singapore. Just look at the number of available pick-up points below.
There are many more pick-up points available.
Cost:
Starting from $3 for a one-way trip.
How to board:
Book your trip using the Grab app. The page to book bus tickets is slightly hidden from the main page.
Click on 'More' on the main page of your Grab app
Scroll to 'Travel' and click on 'Bus & Ferry'
With that many transport options for travelling to JB, it is no wonder thousands of Singaporeans throng the malls and entertainment spots in JB each weekend for a much-needed break.
Check out our next article below if you are looking for other fun and interesting spots which are within 2 hours from Singapore!
Happy travelling!
Information updated as of 4 Sep 2023.
14 cheap weekend getaway destinations 2 hours from Singapore