Toll, petrol and parking for a jetty weekend

For a Friday-to-Sunday island weekend by car, count seven road lines. They are tolls both ways, petrol, parking for every night away, the night before the boat, meals on the road, the return drive and a buffer.

The jetty parking line is the easiest to forget. Our research holds no confirmed toll, petrol or parking prices for these routes, so this page gives you the worksheet.

The wider route costs are in our guide to getting to Kuala Besut from KL. To choose between car and coach, see self-drive versus coach to the east coast.

What does the weekend timeline look like?

The timeline decides when each cost lands.

When	Event	Cost line
Friday evening	Drive towards the jetty	Tolls, petrol
Friday night	Sleep near the jetty	Hotel (H)
Saturday early	First boat	Parking starts
Sunday afternoon	Last boat back	Parking ends
Sunday evening	Long drive home	Tolls, petrol, tiredness

At Kuala Besut, the earliest speedboats are reported at about 07:00 to 08:00 and the last at about 17:00 to 17:30 ^[1]. That means a Sunday return puts you at the car in the evening. Merang to Redang is about 45 minutes ^[2], and Marang to Kapas about 15 minutes with boats from about 07:00 to 17:00 ^[3], so the same shape applies.

What is the seven-line worksheet?

Use letters now and prices later.

1. Tolls, outbound (T1) and return (T2).
2. Petrol, for the whole round trip (P).
3. Parking, daily rate times the nights away (K).
4. The night before the boat (H).
5. Meals on the road (M).
6. A second night on the way home, if the late drive is too long (H2).
7. A buffer for the unexpected, a small slice of the total (B).

The road total is T1 plus T2 plus P plus K plus H plus M plus H2 plus B. Divide by the people in the car for a per-person figure.

Where does parking surprise people?

Jetty parking is charged per day, and a weekend away is at least two days. Ask whether the rate covers the nights you are on the island, whether the car park is guarded and where the overflow goes in busy weeks. Our note on who pays for jetty parking in island packages explains how the line is written.

Ask the resort too, since it may know where guests leave the car.

A better fit if…

Driving the whole way may suit you if you are three or more and want flexible boat timing. Breaking the drive with a night near the jetty may suit you better if you have a long way to go.

A coach may suit you better if you prefer not to drive after a boat day. See private car versus shared coach to the jetty.

What should you ask?

• What is the daily parking rate at the jetty, and is the car park guarded?
• Is parking included in my package?
• What time is the first boat on my Saturday, and the last on my Sunday?
• Is there a reasonable place to sleep near the jetty on Friday?
• What is the cancellation rule if the boat cannot sail?