How to Ride with Your Car to Langkawi

By Christina Kim - May 12, 2016

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It is now possible to bring your car to Langkawi.

Yes, as mentioned in my previous post (read here), that was exactly what I did, and in this post, I will share the procedures based on my personal experience, as well as share my thoughts on the pros and cons on doing that.

While the tourism-oriented island offers many options for visitors to make themselves at home with the easy car rentals at affordable rates and also the availability of local tours, there are still some who would just prefer to settle comfortably in their own vehicles while exploring the island.
Some, would just really need the car, and of course, then there are those who are just Langkawi's own homegrown who are just looking to go home.
(I am sure for the Langkawi residents, their rates would differ as they drive their cars back to their hometowns).

To bring your car to Langkawi, if you simply have to, or just want to, there are the following options you can look at:-

Departure Ports
1. Kuala Kedah
    There will be a ferry which will bring your car across if you choose to depart from this port, and that will be a day before.
You will then need to board the passenger ferry over to pick up your car the next day.

2. Kuala Perlis
    This is the option which will allow you to ride along with your car, on the same ferry; operating in the same way as the Penang ferry does.
This is the option which I took; which I will elaborate further based on my experience.

If you are interested to ride along with your car, then you will be required to make that trip to the Kuala Perlis port, which is the northernmost port to get to Langkawi.
(By passenger ferry, this is also the closest port which will only take an hour and 15 minutes, as compared to two or three hours journey departing from Kuala Kedah and Penang ports respectively).

The ferry which takes you and your car together, operates in the Roll On and Roll Off way; whereby you ride inside your car into the ferry and then just drive from the ferry straight onto land when you disembark from the ferry.
Exactly like the Penang ferry, and if you have neither experience, then the description above just gave you that idea of how it works.

Ferry Companies
There are currently two companies which operates these ferries for the purpose of bringing your car across:

1. Langkawi Auto Express Sdn Bhd

2. Langkawi RoRo Ferry Services

There is really not much difference between both; though I can't say much since I have only tried the Langkawi RoRo and I would say it depends on your personal preferences, which would probably be affected by the availability and schedule of the ferry departure times which could differ.

Now, how to get about boarding your car on the ferry?


Step-by Step to Board your Car
1. Go to the website of either ferry company when you have decided. For this guide, I will be using the Langkawi RoRo to guide you on the process.
Website of Langkawi Roro



2. Check the schedule; the date of your departure and return.
    There is usually only one ferry in a day, and the time is fixed most of the time.
    Departure time is usually at 2pm each day; except on Fridays where the departure time is at 3pm from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi.
Departure from Langkawi is usually at 9am in the morning back to Kuala Perlis, though on Fridays it will be at 10am.

Do take note that the ferry schedule is subject to the weather conditions and the ferry company could cancel or reschedule whenever necessary.





3. Next, you will need to Book Online and you will be informed if there is still availability.
Although you could see the schedule, that does not mean there is availability for your car to board the ferry on that particular day.
Sometimes there could be events; such a motorcycle tournament (in my case) where half the ferry would be booked by the Motorcycle association or something like that, therefore, availability could be scarce and vary.

4. The following are the documents you will need to prepare to register your car:
- Car Registration (One photocopy) - do keep a soft copy in your phone, just in case
- Driver's IC (photocopy) 
*Driver's License is not needed, but do prepare a copy in case it is needed as well

5. Register the Number of Passengers

6. Make your payment
The following is a sample of how it looks, and the fares at time of post.



Online payment mode via credit card, or a deposit is needed while the balance is to be made via the Langkawi Roro counter/office at the ports on the day of departure; though please make sure you are there a few hours early to avoid any disruption in your travel plans.

7. Print your Booking Confirmation Slip or take a screen capture on your phone to be presented to the Langkawi RoRo counter on the day of departure.


That's about it, and you just need to wait for your travel date.

Now, a few more things to note on the date you are supposed to be traveling.

On the Date of Travel
1. From Kuala Perlis, please arrive at least an hour earlier before departure time.
    There is no car inspection from this port, though you may need to make your payment before departure.
If you have made your booking online, or even via the phone, please be at the port at least an hour earlier to make your way to the Langkawi RoRo office located right beside the mosque.
(You should be able to spot it when you are driving towards the port)

Present your booking confirmation slip (printed from the website) to the office staff.
You will be given a printed slip; which is your ferry ticket, stating your passengers.
There are two; one will be your receipt which is to be kept for your own reference and the other with multiple sheets (with passengers) which is the ticket to be given to the staff at the ferry checkpoint.
The staff will tell you which is to be given at the checkpoint.

*Do not discard your receipt, keep it with you for the next check and reference to depart from Langkawi


2. From Langkawi; the Tanjung Lembing port - now this is the important one.
You are required to be there at least 1 hour earlier.

As you are departing from Langkawi; which is a tax-free/duty-free port, there will definitely be customs inspection and clearance needed prior to departure.

This is a different port from the passenger port which is located in Kuah town, where you will spot the gigantic eagle statue at the welcoming Eagle Square.

This port is located slightly further, known as the Tanjung Lembing Port where the customs checkpoint is also based.

Upon arrival, make your way towards the office as well.
Present the receipt you had from earlier (from online and departure date to Langkawi) to the counter staff.
They will make the verification, and provide you with two sets of slips:-
i. Confirmation receipt
ii. Customs checking form attached with your car registration and driver's information
    (Your earlier submission of Car registration and your IC copies will be attached to this one) - This is the one to be handed over to the Customs Officer at the checkpoint

*If you still have unpaid balance, you can clear the balance at this office as well.

3. Drive your car and queue at the checkpoint, which is located right at the gate of the port.
The gate will be closed anyway, until every car has passed the customs check.
Wait for the customs officer to make their way to your car.

4. Be ready to have your car checked and answer the questions from the customs officer, just like at the airport.
You will be required to have your trunk and entire car inspected to ensure you adhere to the customs regulations of the island.
Please kindly check the regulations before making your purchases to be taken out of the island.
Anything exceeding the requirements as set by the local customs will be subjected to the taxation duties.

5. Upon clearing the customs clearance, the Customs officer will collect the form and give you the signal to go ahead and you are ready to board the ferry to go home.

Unless you are breaking the rules, the process is pretty simple and straightforward and the customs officers will not give you hard time.

After all, no one wants to spoil your vacation especially when it comes to such a lovely island like Langkawi which draws so many visitors every single day.

The ferry ride will take 2 hours or slightly more sometimes, depending on the weather condition.

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On the Langkawi RoRo Ferry
*Take note of the gate to enter; as there are two gates for the two operating ferry companies which are located side by side, but it is quite evident really.
If you are not sure, just confirm with the staff standing at the gates.

1. You will be guided as you drive your car onto the ferry, as to where to park by the ferry staff.

2. Once you have parked your car, kill your engine, get off, lock the car and head on to the upper deck which is accessible via the staircases located on both sides of the ferry.

3. There are two upper decks which are meant for the passengers.
The middle deck holds an air-conditioned area with cushion seats and a screen where a movie will be played to keep one entertained during the journey.
There is also a booth at the back of the area where food and drinks will be sold; in the form of snacks and soft drinks.
There are also washrooms available on both decks.

The highest deck is where the open deck is where one can just simply sit and enjoy the sea breeze directly, of course, in the shade, or you can choose to stand to look out at the scenery.
Just be mindful at all times to avoid any risk of incidents.

4. As the ferry approaches the port, you will just need to get back into your car and well, Roll off the ferry and back on the road.

The whole process is just THAT simple.

Now, whether it is really worth it to bring your car across, it is really a matter of personal preferences, I must say.

The journey is definitely longer than I thought, and I would recommend being prepared to kick the boredom by bringing books, or anything that would keep yourself occupied and entertained during the journey.
It is just like any ride, really, where you will need to just wait to get to your destination.

Compared to the passenger ferry, I would say that the risk of motion sickness is quite minimal, even for myself.
Perhaps I am getting older (it really has been a long time since I got sick on any mode of transportation, and I am thankful for that. I think it was probably that childhood thing in me), or probably the heavy weight of the ferry with all that vehicles it is carrying which led to the stability of the ferry.
That explains the long two-hour journey, and how even a tiny sampan could just overtake us, without even needing a motor.

Overall, it was quite an interesting experience, though the musty smell of the cushioned seats is something which could be improved in that air-conditioned area.

It is a time to relax and above all else, enjoy the ride.

What could be better than just let yourself go and be in tune with nature; as nature whispers through the soft sea breeze and the sun glistens in the water, backed by the lush green mountains and isolated unknown islands we never knew?

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It is quite a sight and simply, an experience to remember and of course, enjoy.


*No prize is given for guessing where the name RoRo is derived from; in fact, I really think it's quite cute!



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*Author's Note: 
This is not a sponsored/promotional post, and solely based on author's personal opinions and do not represent the general public or serve as an official guide.
Experiences vary from one individual to another.
You do not have to agree with me.

Art Direction and Photography Styling by Me.
Photos/Videos all belong to me and are copyrighted.
Please kindly ask for permission if you need to use any of my images.




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13 comments

  1. thank you so much... it helps me as i have a holiday plan to langkawi but i was not sure if i could get my car there. great shots of the environment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This information is helpful indeed. Hope it's ok to travel by ferry in Nov. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This information and directions given by you are very helpful and thanks a million for sharing... Good day to you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DO NOT USE langkawi auto express. You're better off with Roro. The people who work there are rude and they did not issue me a ticket after I booked. Then they called me in anger on why I didn't reply to their email. When no email was sent in the first place including in the spam. I had to ask them to resend the email but they gave me so much flack for it saying it was autogenerated and sent.

    Their service is really terrible. If you want a more stress free and hassle free service I think go with Roro.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Is the journey with langkawi auto express faster. 1hr 30mins. What is flexi price and standard price

    ReplyDelete
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  8. Hi this post is really good thx. Does anyone know if you can take. Rental car across to Langkawi and also I will not have the details of the vehicle until I arrive in Malaysia and pickup the vehicle only a few days before the crossing. Thx

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