Flights, Trains, Public Transit, and More
No matter who you talk to, almost everyone says the same thing: “Singapore is so small.” As a native native who travels all over the island, I can attest to that. Singapore is approximately 719 square kilometers or 277 square miles, which should give you a good idea of how easy it is to get around the country. Here’s what you need to know to get here.
Arrival to Singapore
There are two public airports in Singapore, Changi Airport and the much smaller Seletar Airport.
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Changi Airport and Seletar Airport
The award-winning Changi Airport is the country’s main gateway and one of the region’s largest transportation hubs, serving over 100 airlines. Getting around the airport is easy — illegible signs and confusing routes wouldn’t have helped it garner over 640 awards since it opened in 1981 — and once you arrive, you can either take the Mass Rapid Transit system, better known as the MRT /train , or a taxi to your place of stay.
The train station is called Changi Airport and is located in the basement of Terminals 2 and 3. For taxis, note that by the end of 2022, surcharges for journeys departing from the airport will be increased by SG$3 – that means the To just in a Getting a taxi can cost SG$6 or SG$8.
Seletar Airport is another point of entry or departure for flights, although it currently only serves one airline, Firefly, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines. It’s a lot less crowded than Changi, but further from the capital (aka Singapore). Seletar Airport is convenient for flying to cities like Subang in Malaysia. However, major post-COVID-19 plans are afoot: it aims to become an air taxi hub by 2024.
cruise ports and ferries
There are two cruise ports in Singapore, the Singapore Cruise Center at HarbourFront and the Marina Bay Cruise Center as well as the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal which serves ferries to and from nearby destinations such as Bintan, Batam and Desaru.
By car or train
You can drive to Singapore from Malaysia via the Tuas or Woodlands Checkpoint. From Malaysia, you can also take the KTM-operated Shuttle Tebrau train, which shuttles passengers between Malaysia’s Johor Bahru Sentral station and Singapore’s Woodlands station. The journey itself takes only five minutes, but with immigration procedures, the entire journey can take up to 40 minutes. From Johor Bahru you can hop on another train to visit other cities in Malaysia, but note that Shuttle Tebrau only runs between Singapore and Johor Bahru.
Getting around Singapore
Tampines East MRT station in Singapore.
Marielle Descalsota/Insider
public transport
The SBS Transit and SMRT public transport systems offer buses and trains, which are excellent options for visitors. Fares are cheap – fares start at just under a dollar and long trips from one end of the island to the other average between SG$2 and 3 – and you can get by on a mix of buses and trains as everything is fine is -connected.
I use public transport daily and find both buses and trains reliable, but personally I prefer the buses. MRT outages happen and it can be a real hassle to get out of this mess – if this happens, be prepared to add between 15 and 30 minutes to your journey – and it can get extremely crowded on trains compared to buses. Yes, buses are slower, but you can do some sightseeing and people-watching while driving. Most train routes run underground, so don’t expect a good view unless you take the North South Line or East West Line, which have tracks above ground.
The MRT does not operate 24 hours a day and most stations close at midnight or 1am. Cash is accepted on buses, but for convenience, it is better to buy a card at any MRT station, you can use trains and buses and add value to the use of machines around the station. For easy navigation and planning via apps, there are options like Singabus for bus schedules and the MRT map.
Taxi and ride hailing services
It’s relatively easy to hail a taxi in most central areas, likely at ComfortDelGro, the main company operating taxi services in Singapore. However, if you find yourself off the beaten track and need to book a ride, there are ridesharing services like Grab, Gojek, and TADA. Uber and Lyft are not available in Singapore, but these companies operate in a similar way. Overall, taxis and chauffeurs can be expensive compared to public transit – a five-minute ride can easily set you back SG$8 or more, which is why I don’t take taxis or chauffeurs now.
Walk
The oldest means of transport works well in the Lion City thanks to its small size. Most sights and activities are in close proximity. For example, it takes less than 40 minutes to get from the world-famous Marina Bay Sands, one of my favorite hiking trails, to City Hall – our civic district.
Many sidewalks are shaded by trees or artificial covered shelters – a good thing in the sweltering heat. That being said, if you’re not used to the humidity, it might not be a bad idea to pack a portable fan or keep your walks going until 6pm or longer. Singapore’s urban planning is amazing and the excellent signage makes it easy to get around.
Check out the comprehensive insider’s guide to visiting Singapore.