Close to 350,000 travellers cross the causeway into Johor Bahru every day. It’s quite common for residents living in Singapore to drive to Malaysia whether it’s to shop, eat local food or visit family and friends.
Perhaps that’s because it takes less than an hour for travellers from Singapore to drive to Johor Bahru, and around three hours to get to Malacca and four hours to Kuala Lumpur. Singaporeans also do not need a visa to travel to Malaysia and can stay up to 30 days.
In addition, the stronger Singapore dollar has also prompted many to travel to Malaysia to stretch their buck, with the exchange rate now at SGD1 to MYR3.47. If you’re driving into Malaysia, you need to have a valid driving license – and renting a car can be a suitable option to consider whether you have a personal car or not.
With a car, you have greater flexibility in getting around and planning your trip. A car provides more personal space and comfort when traveling with young or senior family members and for carrying home your shopping bags from Malaysia.
We look at five Singapore car rental services and how much it costs to drive to Malaysia.
Read Also: Driving A Rental Car Overseas – Should You Risk Not Getting Comprehensive Car Rental Insurance Coverage?
#1 Tribecar
Tribecar lets you drive to Malaysia with selected Economy sedans and MPVs. When you make the booking on Tribecar, just make sure to select ‘Entry to Malaysia’ under Optional Add-Ons. You will only be allowed to drive to the west side of Malaysia and not further than Kuala Lumpur.
Drivers will need to have at least two years of local driving experience and older than 23 years old to rent a car to drive to Malaysia.
The minimum rental duration is 12 hours and a surcharge of 30% of rental fees will apply. In addition, there will also be a pre-authorisation hold of S$200.
Calculation Of Costs To Rent A Standard Car To Drive Into Malaysia
For A Day Trip On Weekends:
Daily weekend rate + 30% surcharge = Total costs
S$141.70 + (30% x S$141.70) = S$184.21
For A Day Trip On A Weekday:
Daily weekday rate + 30% surcharge = Total costs
S$103.55 + (30% x S$103.55) = S$134.62
With over 1,300 cars including electric vehicles on the platform, Tribecar has quite a wide selection for your perusal.
These are the different rental rates offered by Tribecar according to peak hours and days.
| Types Of Cars | Super Economy | Economy | Standard |
| Super Off Peak | S$0.55 | S$2.18 | S$3.27 |
| Off Peak | S$2.73 | S$4.91 | S$6.54 |
| Peak | S$5.45 | S$8.18 | S$9.81 |
| Daily Weekday | S$65.40 | S$76.30 | S$103.55 |
| Daily Weekend | S$98.10 | S$119.90 | S$141.70 |
| Weekly | S$436.00 | S$545.00 | S$654.00 |
| Time | Weekdays | Weekends |
| 1am – 7am | Super Off Peak | Peak |
| 7am – 5pm | Off Peak | Peak |
| 5pm – 1am | Peak | Peak |
Note that a surcharge of S$0.54 to S$3.24 per hour could apply during weekends and public holidays from Friday 5pm to Sunday.
#2 Drive lah
Just like how colloquial its name is, Drive lah offers drivers the opportunity to rent cars from other car owners in Singapore. This way, car owners or hosts get to maximise the usage of their car rather than having it left unused in a car park for several hours a day. Meanwhile, those who need to use a car for short term could rent it for a few hours a day.
Drive lah operates like many car rental platforms. You register and once approved, find a car nearest to you to rent, book the car, pick it up and refill the petrol tank before returning the car to the same spot.
The total cost for renting a car with Drive lah includes:
- Rental price that’s determined by the host
- Trip fee that is calculated based on the age of the driver. A younger driver may need to pay more to rent as the insurance is more expensive.
- 4% processing fee
Drive lah users will also need to pay a subscription fee of S$30 every month.
Depending on the host, some cars on Drive lah can be driven across to Malaysia with no additional charges. You can check from the car profile if the car can be driven out of the country.
Source
As this is a peer-to-peer platform and rental fees are determined by the host, who might just want to earn some extra income on his or her own car, there’s a possibility that the rental fee is cheaper than other platforms.
#3 Shariot
Shariot offers affordable vehicle-sharing services with hourly rates. The platform has a diverse fleet from vans to luxury sedans from brands such as Jaguar and Mercedes Benz.
Some rental vehicles on Shariot can be driven to Malaysia. You just need to select the option of Malaysia Travel Entry when booking your vehicle.
Travellers who want to drive into Malaysia will need to pay a Malaysia entry fee of S$20 and a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) charge that equates to 10% of the rental fees.
Shariot offers rental services for rates as low as S$3.90 per hour. There are five vehicle categories on Shariot and the rates differ according to the vehicle category you choose.
#4 myCarriage
A certified pre-owned car dealer in Singapore, myCarriage has access to a wide range of cars from known brands like Mitsubishi, Kia and Mercedes-Benz.
myCarriage rents cars to drivers for their travels to Malaysia. You need to inform myCarriage of your wish to do so for them to make the necessary insurance arrangements.
You will be charged a cross-border surcharge of S$25 to S$60 per day according to your car of choice and the duration of your stay in Malaysia. With myCarriage, drivers have the option to have the rental car delivered to and collected from their doorsteps with a fee of S$60 per way.
The daily rates for renting a car with myCarriage depend on the car of your choice ranging from S$90 to S$580.
#5 Lylo
Lylo prides itself on providing a fleet that is mainly comprised of electric and hybrid vehicles in a world that’s increasingly seeking sustainable solutions.
The rental daily rates for cars on Lylo range from S$82 to S$550. Users will need to pay a 50% advanced payment upfront and a security deposit.
You can rent a car from Lylo to drive into Malaysia for a surcharge fee of only S$25 per day.
Drivers can also rest assured knowing that Lylo provides round-the-clock operational assistance to customers. Should drivers experience a breakdown or accident, they can contact Lylo’s 24/7 roadside assistance hotlines.
Lylo also offers transport concierge and limousine services whereby its trained drivers will pick you up and drop you off at your destination. Customers can peruse the transport concierge services to send their children to school, get to your workplace or for medical emergency escorts.
Featured Image Credit: Honey Shune Lai Nyo/DollarsAndSense
Read Also: Guide To Car Sharing Options In Singapore: Blue SG, Tribecar, Car Club, CarLite, Shariot, GetGo, Drive lah
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