Getting your bike on a bus in Malaysia is pretty easy but does require a few minutes of preparation.

First, get the ticket.

Try the bus station but be aware that some express buses will stop near a restaurant or shop in town and bypass the bus station altogether. Look for signs advertising express bus tickets and destinations as you roll around a town. Otherwise, people at the bus station should be able to advise you.

Whether you get on an express bus or a regular bus, the luggage compartments are smaller than in countries like Turkey. It won’t be possible to just roll your bicycle into the luggage bay under the bus. Give yourself 10-15 minutes to:

• Remove all bags
• Take off the front wheel
• Turn the handlebars
• Lower the seatpost

Don’t expect any help from the bus employees during all of this. They’re more concerned with taking your money! You have to be prepared because, as the ticket seller told us, “they aren’t going to wait for you”.

Malaysia is a relatively developed country and they are quite keen on avoiding delays and following rules.

Also, taking your bike is not guaranteed. It depends on space. If the luggage area is full, you’ll have to wait for the next service. They won’t just strap your bike on the back with ropes like happens in Laos!

Expect to pay about half the ticket price as an additional fee for your bike or 10 RM per bike on shorter journeys. As an example, from Tapah to Kuala Lumpur - a trip of about 2 hours - we paid 11 RM for each ticket plus a 3 RM fuel surcharge and 10 RM for each bike. The bike fee is paid directly to the driver, while the rest goes to the ticket seller.