KL's main airport is Kuala Lumpur International

Airport : 75km south of the city centre at Sepang. All of AirAsia's flights are handled by the nearby Low Cost Carrier Terminal .

Firefly and Berjaya Air flights go from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport ; at Subang, around 20km west of the city centre. For transport options into town.

At KLIA's international arrival hall you'll find a useful Tourism Malaysia office, a Celcom stand selling prepaid SIM cards for your mobile phone (open 7am to 11pm), and counters for several car-rental firms.

AirAsia's tickets are purchased online (www.airasia.com); it has a small information office in KL Sentral station . Other airlines with offices in the city: Berjaya Air , Cathay Pacific Airways .

China Airlines :Garuda Indonesian Airlines ,Lufthansa , Malaysia Airlines ,Royal Brunei Airlines , Singapore Airlines , Thai Airways International .

Bus

KL has several bus stations, the main one being Puduraya, just east of Chinatown. From here services fan out all over Peninsular Malaysia as well as to Singapore and Thailand. The only long-distance destinations that Puduraya doesn't handle are Kuala Lipis and Jerantut (for access to Taman Negara), buses to these places leave from Pekeliling bus station; and Kota Bharu and Kuala Terengganu, buses for which leave from Putra bus station.

Other bus services to Singapore, typically taking five hours, are operated by the following:

Aeroline  decker buses RM90/60) from outside the Corus Hotel, Jin Ampang, just east of KLCC.

Nice : Services run three times daily from outside the Old KL Train Station on Jin Sultan Hishamuddin to Singapore (RM88). It also offers five daily services to Butterworth (RM68) and six to Johor Bahru (RM68). Transtar Travel ,Offers luxury services to Singapore (RM99) on 16-to 31-seater buses leaving from the Pasarakyat Bus Terminal, Jin Melati, off Jin Imbi.

KLANG BUS STATION

From the Klang bus station ,near the Pasar Seni LRT station in Chinatown, frequent buses include U18 to Shah Alam (RM2), 710 to Klang (RM3) and 51 for Pelabuhan Klang (Port Klang; RM3.80), as well as buses 66 and 75 to Petaling Jaya (RM2).

PEKELILING BUS STATION

In the north of the city, just off Jin Tun Razak next to Titiwangsa LRT and monorail stations, is Pekeliling bus station. There's a left-luggage counter.

Transnasional Express : has departures to Kuala Lipis (RM14.60, four hours, six daily) and Raub (RM 10.80,2Vi hours, six daily). Several companies including Plusliner run services to Kuantan (RM22, four hours), which leave at two-hourly intervals between Sam and 8pm; many go via Temerloh (RM10). Buses to Jerantut (RM15, three hours) also go via Temerloh. Buses to Genting Highlands (RM6) leave every half-hour between 6.30am and 9pm.

PUDURAYA BUS STATION

Stay alert at Puduraya , a clamorous bus-and-taxi station centrally located on Jin Pudu, next to the Plaza Rakyat LRT station; a few travellers have reported being robbed late at night. Close to the main entrance is an information counter. At the rear is a left-luggage counter, as well as the tourist police.

Inside are dozens of bus company ticket-windows. Staff will shout out destinations, but check to be sure the departure time suits you, as they sometimes try to sell tickets for buses that aren't leaving for many hours. Buses leave from numbered platforms in the basement, and note that you'll have to look for the name of the bus company rather than your destination.

On the main runs, services are so numerous that you can sometimes just turn up and get a seat on the next bus. However, tickets should preferably be booked at least the day before, and a few days before during peak holiday periods, especially to the Cameron Highlands and east-coast destinations.

Government-owned Transnasional Express  is the largest operation here, with buses to almost all major destinations. Outside the terminal, on Jin Pudu, there are at least another dozen private companies handling tickets for buses to Thailand, Singapore and some Malaysian destinations.

There are only a few daily services to the Cameron Highlands and east-coast destinations, but there are frequent departures to most other places during the day, and at night to the main towns. For the latter, try to leave as late as possible; otherwise, shortened travel times on the Lebuhraya tollway mean you'll arrive at your destination too early in the morning.

For typical adult fares and journey times from KL, see opposite.

PUTRA BUS STATION

Though Puduraya handles buses to the east coast, there are also a number of large-company coach services leaving from the quieter and less intimidating Putra bus station, opposite PWTC station (easily reached by taking the LRT to PWTC, or a KTM Komuter train to Putra station).

There are services to Kota Bharu (RM42.90, eight hours, 9.30am and 9.30pm), Kuantan (RM22, four hours, four daily) and Kuala Terengganu (RM39, seven hours, 10.30am and 10pm).

Car

KL is the best place to hire a car for touring the peninsula; for sample rates see p486. However, navigating the city's complex (and mostly one-way) traffic system is not for the timid.

All the major companies have offices at the airport. City offices, which are gener-ally open 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday, include the following companies: Avis ,Hertz , Mayflower , Orix .

Taxi

Long-distance taxis - often no faster than taking a bus - depart from upstairs at Puduraya bus station . Early in the morning the chances are reasonable of finding other passengers waiting to share on the main west-coast runs to Johor Bahru, Melaka, Ipoh and Penang. Otherwise you will usually have to wait to get a full complement of four passengers, or you could charter a whole taxi for fares that are the highest in Malaysia.

Prices should include toll charges. For fares, .

Train

Kuala Lumpur is the hub of the KTM national railway sys-tem, with all long-distance trains departing from KL Sentral. The KTM information office ( 10am-7pm) in the main hall can advise on schedules and check seat availability. A ticket delivery service can get your ticket to you for RM4.

There are daily departures for Butterworth, Wakaf Baharu (for Kota Baharu and Jerantut), Johor Bahru, Thailand and Singapore; fares are cheap, especially if you opt for a seat rather than a berth (for which there are extra charges), but journey times are slow. For further information. KTM Komuter trains also link KL with the Klang Valley and Seremban.

GETTING AROUND

KL Sentral is the hub of a rail-based urban network consisting of the KTM Komuter, KLIA Ekspres, KLIA Transit, LRT and Monorail systems. Unfortunately the systems - all built separately - remain largely unintegrated. Different tickets generally apply for each service, and at stations where there's an interchange between the services they're rarely conveniently connected. This said, you can happily get around much of central KL on a combination of rail and monorail services, thus avoiding the traffic jams that plague the inner-city roads.

To/From the Airports

KLIA

The fastest way of reaching KL from KLIA is on the KLIA Ekspres; it takes 28 minutes and departs every 15 minutes be-tween Sam and lam. From KL Sentral you can continue to your destination by KMT Komuter, LRT, Monorail or taxi.

The KL Transit train (adult/child 1-way RM35/15) also connects KLIA with KL Sentral, but stops at three other stations en route (Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, and Bandar Tasik Selatan), taking about 35 minutes.

If flying from KL on Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Royal Brunei or Emirates you can check your baggage in at KL Sentral before making your way to KLIA.

The cheapest option is the Airport Coach, which takes an hour to KL Sentral; for RMI8, however, it will also take you to any central KL hotel from KLIA and pick-up for the return journey for RM25. The bus stand is clearly signposted inside the terminal.

Taxis from KLIA operate on a fixed-fare coupon system. Standard taxis cost RM67.10 (up to three people), premier taxis for four people RM93.40, and family-sized minivans seating up to eight RM180.40. The journey will take around one hour. Buy your taxi coupon before you exit the arrivals hall, to avoid the aggressive pirate taxis that hassle you to pay a few hundred ringgit for the same ride. Going to the airport by taxi, make sure that the agreed fare includes tolls; expect to pay RM65 from Chinatown or Jin Bukit Bintang.

If you're changing to a flight on AirAsia, there's a shuttle bus between KLIA and the LCC-T - it runs every 20 minutes from 6am to midnight and the fare is RM1.50. Penny-pinchers can use this bus to get to Nilai (RM3.50) to connect with the KTM Komuter train to KL Sentral (RM4.70). A taxi between the two airports costs RM33.

LCC-T

To reach the LCC-T (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) from KL Sentral and vice versa, jump on either the Skybus (www.skybus.com.my; RM9) or the slightly cheaper Aerobus (adult/child 1-way RM8/4); services depart at least every 15 minutes from 4.30am to 12.45pm. Travelling from the LCC-T, prepaid taxis charge RM62 to Chinatown or Jin Bukit Bintang (50% more from midnight to 6am). Buy your coupon at the desk near the arrival hall exit. A taxi from the city to LCC-T will cost around RM65.

SULTAN ABDUL AZIZ SHAH AIRPORT

The easiest way to reach the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport is to take a taxi (around RM40).

Bus

Although there are several smaller companies, most buses in KL are provided by either Rapid KLJ or Metrobus. There's an information booth  at the Jin Sultan Mohammed bus stop in Chinatown.

KL buses are the easiest to use as destinations are clearly displayed. KL buses are divided into four classes, and tickets are valid all day on the same class of bus. Bas Bandar (routes starting with B, RM2) services run around the city centre. Bas Utama (routes starting with U, RM2) buses run from the centre to the suburbs. Bas Tempatan (routes starting with T, RM1) buses run around the suburbs. Bas Ekspres (routes starting with E, RM4) are express buses to distant suburbs. You can also buy an all-day ticket covering all non-express buses (RM4) and a ticket covering all Rapid KL buses and trains (RM7).

Local buses leave from half a dozen small bus stands around the city - useful stops in Chinatown include Jin Sultan Mohamed (by Pasar Seni), Klang bus station (south of Pasar Seal), Bangkok Bank (on Lebuh Pudu), Medan Pasar (on Lebuh Ampang), Central Market (on Jin Hang Kasturi), Lebuh Ampang and the Kota Raya department store (on Jin Cheng Lock); see Map plOO.

Since KL's inexpensive taxis and reliable LRT systems are more efficient, not prone to get stuck in traffic and air-conditioned, there's little point in using buses except for trips to outlying areas, such as the Batu Caves (p!31).

KL Monorail

KL's zippy monorail : runs between KL Sentral in the south to Titiwangsa in the north. It's a very handy service linking up many of the city's sightseeing areas and providing a cheap air-con tour as you go.

KTM Komuter Trains

KTM Komuter : train services use KL Sentral as a hub. There are two lines: Rawang to Seremban and Sentul to Pelabuhan Klang. Useful stops include Mid Valley (for the Mid Valley Megamall), Subang  Jaya (for Sunway Lagoon), Nilai (for the cheap local bus to the airports) and Pelabuhan Klang (for ferry services to Sumatra). Trains run every 15 to 20 minutes from approximately 6am to 11.45pm. Tickets start from RM1 for one stop.

Light Rail Transit (LRT)

As well as the buses, Rapid KL system. There are three lines: Ampang/ Sentul Timur, Sri Petaling/Sentul Timur and Kelana Jaya/Terminal Putra. However, the network is poorly integrated because the lines were constructed by different companies. As a result, you need a new ticket to change from one line to another, and you may also have to follow a series of walkways, stairs and elevators, or walk several blocks down the street. An electronic control system checks tickets as you enter and exit via turnstiles. Single-journey fares range from RM1 to RM2.80, or you can buy an all-day pass for RM7, which also covers you for Rapid KL buses. You can buy tickets from the cashier or electronic ticket machines. Trains run every six to 10 minutes from 6am to 11.45pm. If you're going to be in KL for a while, consider investing in a monthly combined travel card (RM90 or RM125 including Rapid KL buses).

Taxi

KL has plenty of taxis, and fares are cheap, starting at RM2 for the first kilometre, with an additional 10 sen for each 200m. From midnight to 6am there's a surcharge of 50% on the metered fare, and extra passengers (more than two) are charged 20 sen each. Luggage placed in the boot costs an extra RM1. If you book a cab, it also costs RM1 extra.

Not all taxi drivers follow the law, which says they must use their meter for all journeys. Taxi drivers lingering outside luxury hotels or in tourist hot spots such as the Lake Gardens are especially guilty of this behaviour. At some taxi ranks (ie outside BB Plaza on Jin Bukit Bintang) you'll also pay over the odds for taxis using a pre-paid coupon system. The one place where the pre-paid coupon systems does seem to work reasonably well is KL Sentral.

For reference, by meter it costs no more than RM10 to go right across the central city area, even in moderate traffic. Always ask for a receipt and check to see they haven't included spurious extra charges, such as for baggage you don't have. Be aware that taxis will often only stop at the numerous officially signposted taxi stands, and although it is possible to wave one down, some drivers are reluctant to stop.