Balik kampung to Kota Bharu during Raya, is it better to drive overnight or take ETS plus bus to avoid the jam?

With two young kids, the calculation changes completely because a 12-hour jam stuck in a car with restless children is genuinely miserable, so let me lay out the real options. Driving-wise, the trick most Kelantan folks swear by is leaving either super early (like 4-5am) to beat the crowd, or leaving after midnight so the kids sleep through the worst of it, and using Waze to switch between the Karak/East Coast Highway and the Gua Musang route depending on live traffic. The ETS option only takes you up the west coast (KL to places like Ipoh, Butterworth), so for Kelantan you'd still need a long cross-peninsula bus or connection which with kids and luggage is a hassle, honestly not ideal for KB. My real recommendation: drive but book a cheap hotel halfway (around Temerloh or Gua Musang) and split it into two days, so the kids get a proper rest, a real toilet and dinner, and you arrive fresh instead of destroyed. Pack a portable potty, snacks, and download cartoons offline because signal drops in the Titiwangsa stretches.

Honestly I gave up driving and now fly. AirAsia or MAS to Kota Bharu airport is like an hour, and during Raya even if the flight is RM300+ per person, when you factor in petrol, tolls, one night hotel, and your sanity with two kids, it's not that crazy. Then just rent a car or get family to fetch you at KB airport. Consider it if you can grab the flight early before prices spike.

Overnight driving with kids sleeping is what my family does, leave around 11pm, kids konk out in the car seat, and you cover the worst stretch while they sleep. Just make sure the driver is well rested, take a proper nap before you go, and swap drivers if possible. Falling asleep at the wheel on the East Coast Highway is the real danger, don't hero. Coffee and a co-driver are non-negotiable.

ETS is super comfortable but the problem is it doesn't go to Kota Bharu directly, the east coast has the Jungle Railway (KTM Ekspres Rakyat / the Tumpat line) but the timing and frequency during Raya is limited and it gets fully booked months ahead. If you want to try the train, book the moment tickets open. Realistically for KB most people still drive. The train works better for west coast kampung.

Whatever you do, avoid leaving on the last working day evening before Raya, that's when the whole Klang Valley empties out at once. If you can take one extra day of annual leave and leave two days early, the difference is night and day. I now always balik two days before everyone else and the highway is almost empty. Timing beats route choice every time.