Car hire and driving in George Town
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Malaysia traffic drives on the left. Picking up at PEN means 14 km (9 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3086706.
Drives from George Town
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Town to Kulim | Malaysia | 26 km (16 mi) | about 23 min |
| George Town to Sungai Petani | Malaysia | 31 km (19 mi) | about 29 min |
| George Town to Taiping | Malaysia | 76 km (47 mi) | about 1 h 10 min |
| George Town to Alor Setar | Malaysia | 79 km (49 mi) | about 1 h 12 min |
| George Town to Bercham | Malaysia | 124 km (77 mi) | about 1 h 53 min |
| George Town to Ipoh | Malaysia | 124 km (77 mi) | about 1 h 53 min |
| George Town to Sitiawan | Malaysia | 139 km (86 mi) | about 2 h 7 min |
| George Town to Seri Manjung | Malaysia | 140 km (87 mi) | about 2 h 8 min |
| George Town to Teluk Intan | Malaysia | 172 km (107 mi) | about 2 h 37 min |
| George Town to Hat Yai | Thailand | 178 km (111 mi) | about 2 h 43 min |
| George Town to Kuala Krai | Malaysia | 207 km (128 mi) | about 3 h 9 min |
| George Town to Pasir Mas | Malaysia | 212 km (132 mi) | about 3 h 14 min |
| George Town to Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 917 km (570 mi) | about 14 h |
| George Town to Singapore | Singapore | 602 km (374 mi) | about 9 h 11 min |
| George Town to Bangkok | Thailand | 928 km (577 mi) | about 14 h 9 min |
| George Town to Phnom Penh | Cambodia | 849 km (528 mi) | about 12 h 57 min |
| George Town to Cần Thơ | Vietnam | 791 km (491 mi) | about 12 h 4 min |
| George Town to Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 294 km (182 mi) | about 4 h 29 min |
| George Town to Huế | Vietnam | 1,461 km (908 mi) | about 22 h 17 min |
| George Town to Da Nang | Vietnam | 1,464 km (910 mi) | about 22 h 20 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in George Town?
The left, as everywhere in Malaysia.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.