Singapore to Chiang Mai by Train

5Butterworth: All Change for Penang

Two trains a day run from KL to Butterworth, the station for Penang and the Langkawi Islands. One train is an overnight sleeper and the other a day time express. Butterworth is across the strait from Georgetown. A short walk from the station will take you to the fery terminal where a few cents buys a return journey. Ferries are every few minutes. On the Georgetown side you can either walk to the packpackerstreet on Lebuh Chulia or take a bicycle rickshaw. There is a railway booking officin the covered walkway from the ferry to the area where rickshaws wait.

This is a good place to break your journey. Spend a few days in Penang, visiting Georgetown, Victoria Hill and the beaches before taking the ferry to the Lankawi islands. You can then either return to Georgetown to continue your journey or travel directly from Langkawi to Thailand and pick up the train again at Hat Yai.