KLIA airport SIM card or eSIM (KUL): land online

Practical notes

1. 1Getting into townThe KLIA Ekspres runs non-stop to the KL City Air Terminal at KL Sentral in 28 minutes, and the KLIA Transit calls at Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya/Cyberjaya and Salak Tinggi in 35 minutes. The published schedule shows departures about every 20 minutes, starting at 5am from KL Sentral, and from 11pm the trains stop at all stations and the service runs until 1am. Coaches leave from Level 1 of the Main Terminal Building and from Block C of the short-term car park; the airport's bus page lists an Express Coach service between Terminal 1 and KL Sentral about every 30 minutes, running 7.45am to 8.45pm from the airport and 5am to 6pm from KL Sentral, a trip of about an hour. Between the two terminals, a free shuttle runs around the clock for passengers with connecting flights.
2. 2Taxis and pickupsCoupon taxis charge a fixed amount based on the destination and the vehicle category, and metered taxis run on the meter. Taxi counters sit on Level 3 of the Main Terminal Building, in the domestic arrival hall, at the international baggage reclaim area and on the kerbside, and the airport's page also lists online booking. Grab's KLIA page puts its pickup points at the international arrival area on Level 1, by Doors 1, 3 and 4, with an EV pickup on Level 3 of Terminal 1, and the Grab help centre says advance bookings run from KLIA Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, up to seven days ahead.
3. 3Getting onlineThe eSIM is installed at home before the flight and switched on when you land, so nothing waits at a counter. Malaysian prepaid lines are registered at the point of sale, and U Mobile's registration guidelines for foreigners and tourists require the original passport, so a SIM bought on arrival means a stop in the queue.
4. 4PayingThe currency is the Malaysian ringgit (MYR). Bank Negara Malaysia is the sole issuer of ringgit banknotes and coins, the only legal tender in Malaysia, and it publishes exchange rates from the interbank market in Kuala Lumpur.