Penang International Airport (PEN) is served by frequent flights from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and regional Asian cities. AirAsia, MAS, and several other carriers compete on the KL route, keeping prices low. The airport is on the southern end of the island, about 20 kilometres from George Town; taxis use a coupon system from the arrivals hall.
By land, Penang is connected to the mainland by two bridges — the original Penang Bridge (14 km, opened 1985) and the Second Penang Bridge at Batu Kawan (24 km, opened 2014). Buses from Butterworth on the mainland cross the bridges regularly, and taxis are available. The slower and more atmospheric option is the Butterworth-Penang Ferry, which runs from the ferry terminal next to Butterworth railway station across to the George Town waterfront — a 15-minute crossing that drops you right at the edge of the heritage zone.
Butterworth is a major stop on Malaysia's west coast railway line connecting Singapore to Bangkok, making it easy to reach Penang by train from KL (5-6 hours) or from southern Thailand.