KL again. This time it's taxis from the airport.

[ripsishere]

Me and my DD are arriving from Heathrow at around 08.00, DH is flying in 12 hours later from Manchester.
We are booked into a hotel on, what I think is Jalan Maharajalela and, since I've never set foot on this road dont' have a clue.
Where is the best, safest place to get a taxi from the airport? I have seen recommendations for airport limo budget taxi which is just past customs in arrivals, and, a prepaid slip for a taxi.
Can someone tell me what is best?

I would just get a taxi from the taxi stand. :)

OK, are they metered? I have no idea what to expect. We hired a car when we went to Penang.
In Thailand, we used to go up to arrivals and pick one up there. I am all at sea with this.
Thanks.

Might also be worth emailing the hotel and asking them to send you the address written in Malay (unless all cab drivers speak English- maybe Loopy can clarify).

I tend to do this as a back up, especially for China where proper nouns like "Grand Hyatt" would be something completely different in Chinese, whereas, say you went to (eg) Sweden, Grand Hyatt is still Grand Hyatt.

Either

get the KLIA EXpress train from the airport to KL Sentral - takes 25 mins and costs 35RM - though you'd still need to get a taxi from there to your hotel.

Or

Get a taxi from the taxi rank at the airport - buy a coupon at the kiosk then queue at taxi rank. Will cost upwards of 75RM (ie £15 ie not too much). About a 45 minute ride. The coupon-selling person will ask how many people and how much luggage and will suggest the right size of taxi for your needs. Can pay by card or cash. There are two taxi coupon places - one inside the secure area just past customs and the other in the public area of arrivals over to the right as you come out from the secure area. By the way, the taxi driver will not expect a tip.

D'ya know, you lot are stunning stars. Thank you so much. I think I'll go for the taxi option rather than train. Me and the girl have four wheely bags between us and will have been travelling for hours. First accros London, then through the air.
Many thanks.

Agree the coupon desk is the best bet- a system they brought in so there is no issue over fares/destinations. Ignore all the people who offer you a taxi in between leaving the secure area and the desk though!

In general in KL it is a good idea to check the driver is willing to use the meter before you get in a cab.

Oh, and have a lime juice, roti canai and some satay for me while you are there!

ATMs? are there ATMs at the airport? I am not generally this organised, but generally me and DH travel together (at least the first time we enter a country) and one of us can keep an eye on our DD. This time, it's me. Alone. With her .

Yes there are ATMs. Can't remember where they are in the airport though, sorry.

If you are like me though you like the security of having a bit of the local dosh in your purse so I would change a hundred quid into RM in the UK beforehand.

Good luck with with the journey. How old is DD?

DD is 11 and taking it all in her stride. It's me that is running around like a headless chicken.
Today we have removal for storage men coming, removal for shipping men coming and we were supposed to have the man to lag the pipes in the garage.
Frantic sums it up beautifully.
One final question now that I am on a roll. Will I be able to get size 8/9 sandals in KL or should I trawl the arse end of the sales now?

Buy your sandals now. As many as you can find! My DD has size 9 feet. We have struggled to find shoes to fit her in KL. We had two pairs made a few weeks ago by a shoe-making chap - not as expensive as it would be in the UK of course which is good, but not at all the same for her as browsing round Topshop and New Look for fashionable shoes. (She's 16).

I remember you telling me the self same thing. I'll pop out tomorrow and see what's left.

marjorie a have size eight feet andwas told in one shop very loudly we don't make shoes that big i was mortified and ended up in m and s in the end.

we just got a taxi from the kiosk thingy. we also had the hotel address on a card. it made it easier than trying to explain where we wanted to go with someone who spoke very little english.

Well, for anyone interested we arrived and are safely (and boringly) installed in our hotel. The ATMs were a disaster. I'd gone to the taxi counter, was told 142odd Ringett for the two of us, plus baggage. Fine but they wanted cash. I went out to the ATMs. I tried five, five without sucess. Fortunately there is a branc of a bank in the airport where a lovely man gave me 500 as I had my passport.
Once we got to the hotel, I realised that my DH would have the same problem, so we got a cab back and, to his untmost surprise met him coming through. He had taken the precaution of letting our bank know about him, but not me. He assumed both of us could withdraw money.
Anyway, now it is the lovely job of finding somewhere to live.....................

I'm glad you have got there safe and sound, that's a mare with the atms. have you been able to get it sorted with your bank.

Our bank allege that our cards have no security flags on them. I find it strange that DH is the only one who can withdraw cash. I can pay with my card in some places, but ATMs are out of the question.
He starts at school today so hopefully will get our bank acount sorted out. We have made a bank transfer for our condo, so today or tomorrow we should move.

Ripsishere, reading with interest your next adventure to find accommodation.

Sorry to disappoint. Our accommodation was sorted out a couple of days after we arrived. We wanted to live in a specific block of flats opposite the school so we didn't have to use cabs daily.
Apart from a shocking wait for money to be transferred from Lloyds to the Malaysian bank it has been quite straightforward.
The hideous delay in getting our access cards has been trying (and costly) not to mention the car buying nightmare.