In Transit: Arriving in Penang
When people (most tourists and visitors) talk about Penang, they mean Penang Island, or Pulau Penang, with its World Heritage Site capital, George Town. Malaysia’s Penang State is made up of two parts: Penang Island and Penang Mainland, the industrial part of the state located on Peninsular Malaysia, as the western part of the country is called. Penang Island lies about 10 miles across the Penang strait, linked to the mainland by a ferry service and two bridges.
Arriving by train and bus
Butterworth, Mainland Penang’s largest town, just across the strait from George Town, is the main point of entry for Penang island from mainland Malaysia. Trains from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok terminate in Butterworth Railway Station, and Butterworth Ferry Terminal, linked to the railway station by elevated walkway, runs ferries to George Town. Penang Sentral bus terminal and a taxi stand are also nearby, within walking distance. (A new Penang Sentral station, tipped as an integrated hub for rail, road, and sea transportation, plus a new cable car running between the mainland and Penang, is perennially under construction after several delays. In the meantime, long-distance and local buses serve the temporary Penang Sentral terminal next door.) Long-distance buses from Malaysia and Singapore arrive at Penang Sentral, and at the Sungai Nibong Express Bus Terminal on Penang Island, which is roughly midway between George Town and the airport. From Sungai Nibong you can take local buses, operated by Rapid Penang, to the rest of the island.
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