Car hire and driving in Kota Bharu
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 KBR means 7 km (4 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3086706.
Drives from Kota Bharu
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kota Bharu to Pasir Puteh | Malaysia | 37 km (23 mi) | about 34 min |
| Kota Bharu to Kuala Krai | Malaysia | 66 km (41 mi) | about 1 h |
| Kota Bharu to Kuala Terengganu | Malaysia | 133 km (83 mi) | about 2 h 2 min |
| Kota Bharu to Sungai Petani | Malaysia | 201 km (125 mi) | about 3 h 4 min |
| Kota Bharu to Kulim | Malaysia | 204 km (127 mi) | about 3 h 7 min |
| Kota Bharu to Bercham | Malaysia | 205 km (128 mi) | about 3 h 8 min |
| Kota Bharu to Tasek Glugor | Malaysia | 206 km (128 mi) | about 3 h 8 min |
| Kota Bharu to Alor Setar | Malaysia | 208 km (129 mi) | about 3 h 11 min |
| Kota Bharu to Bukit Mertajam | Malaysia | 214 km (133 mi) | about 3 h 16 min |
| Kota Bharu to Ipoh | Malaysia | 214 km (133 mi) | about 3 h 16 min |
| Kota Bharu to Kota Kuala Muda | Malaysia | 216 km (134 mi) | about 3 h 17 min |
| Kota Bharu to Hat Yai | Thailand | 219 km (136 mi) | about 3 h 20 min |
| Kota Bharu to Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 711 km (442 mi) | about 10 h 51 min |
| Kota Bharu to Singapore | Singapore | 566 km (352 mi) | about 8 h 38 min |
| Kota Bharu to Bangkok | Thailand | 870 km (540 mi) | about 13 h 16 min |
| Kota Bharu to Phnom Penh | Cambodia | 672 km (418 mi) | about 10 h 15 min |
| Kota Bharu to Cần Thơ | Vietnam | 584 km (363 mi) | about 8 h 55 min |
| Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 337 km (210 mi) | about 5 h 9 min |
| Kota Bharu to Huế | Vietnam | 1,289 km (801 mi) | about 19 h 39 min |
| Kota Bharu to Da Nang | Vietnam | 1,283 km (797 mi) | about 19 h 34 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 Kota Bharu?
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 13 September 2026. Hotel 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.