A point-to-point bus ticket from Singapore to Muar may cost around S$20 or more. This is the easiest option if you want to avoid hassles and do not mind paying the higher fares in Singapore dollars.
Note: All bus fares stated in this post may vary depending on the types of bus, number of seats, drop-off points and also the travel season.
If you want to be adventurous, enjoy some flexibility in managing your travel time or wish to make the trip to Muar or Malacca on your own, consider using the local transport system. Apart from gaining exposure to travelling around West Malaysia like a local, you may be surprised how much money you can save on each trip too, especially if you travel frequently beyond Johor Bahru (JB).
Larkin Sentral is where you need to get to before going further to any states in West Malaysia from Singapore. Apart from having inter-city buses to other states beyond the border of Johor, like Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, etc, Larkin Sentral also has buses to Desaru, Batu Pahat, Kluang, Muar, etc, within Johor but beyond Johor Bahru.
From Singapore to Larkin Sentral
The first step to travelling beyond Johor Bahru will be to get to Larkin Sentral, the bus terminal for long distance buses, from Singapore by public buses.
Getting to / from Muar
At Larkin Sentral, go to the centralised ticketing counters and get an inter-city bus ticket to Muar. Choose your preferred bus company, the type of bus and also the desired departure time. A ticket to Muar starts from RM16.70 (one-way) + relevant charges.
Advise: The journey to Muar is about 2.5 hours non-stop, make sure to visit the washroom before boarding the bus. During the journey, control water intake by sipping water to wet the mouth instead of drinking mouthfuls of water.
The bus will stop at Bentayan Bus Terminal in Muar, which is within easy walking distance to Pekan Muar, the main town or business area of Muar. The pre-war town has a small shopping mall, food outlets, shops, etc. There is also a "Glutton Street" (贪食街) along Jalan Haji Abu with many great local delicacies. And the giant murals on the walls are too large to miss!
To return to Singapore, head back to Bentayan Bus Terminal and purchase the ticket for the next departing bus to Larkin Sentral, then change to SBS 170 or Causeway Link CWL to JB CIQ. Use SJE if heading towards Queen Street — it is faster.
It cost around S$11+ (two-way) to use local transports as compared to S$40 (two-way) from Singapore to Muar and return (excluding fares of cross-border buses).
Getting to / from Malacca
Similar to getting to Muar, get a ticket to Malacca at the centralised ticketing counters. A ticket to Melaka Sentral costs from RM20 (one-way) + relevant charges.
Advise: The journey to Malacca is about 3 hours, with "probably" one rest-stop, make sure to visit the washroom before boarding the bus in case the driver decides to skip the rest-stop (it happened before). And control intake of water during the journey.
Note that the bus will stop at Melaka Sentral instead of Malacca Old Town where most Singaporeans will expect. Change to domestic bus, myBAS M100, to Melaka Old Town or Dutch Square (tell the driver you are going to "red square") for RM2.00 or use ManjaLink Card.
To return to Singapore, take M100 from Malacca Old Town (at bus stop along Jalan Kubu) to Melaka Sentral for RM1.50, then get an interstate bus ticket to Larkin Sentral or to Queen Street in Singapore at a higher price.
For those staying in the north and west of Singapore and do not mind paying higher fares for convenience, you can also choose a bus that is heading towards Queen Street and drop off at Woodlands Checkpoint (just let the driver know that you are not reboarding the bus when dropping off at Woodlands Checkpoint).
It cost around S$15+ (two-way) to use the local transports via Melaka Sentral as compared to S$50 to S$90 (two-way) from Singapore to drop-off points nearer to Malacca Old Town (excluding fares of cross-border buses). There is always a price to pay for convenience.
Between Muar & Malacca
Malacca is about 1 hour from Muar and the fare is around RM5.00 for a 30-seater, and vice versa, between Muar's Bentayan Bus Terminal and Melaka Sentral. With this piece of information, you can plan a short trip to visit both Malacca Old Town and Muar Town or stay in one of the towns and make a day-trip to the other town.
In unfortunate circumstances that you are not able to get a bus ticket from Melaka Sentral to Larkin Sentral or Singapore, especially during peak periods, you can always get a ticket to Muar or Kluang and transit to other buses to Larkin Sentral.
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