Transportation
Schedules and fares are subject to change.
Airport to City Access
Train, bus, taxi, and other options to the city center
Changi Airport connects to the city by MRT, taxi, private hire (Grab) and airport shuttle. The MRT is cheapest, taxis and Grab are fastest door-to-door.
- MRT
- From Changi station; ~45 min to city
- Taxi/Grab
- Fast; more expensive
- Shuttle
- Shared airport shuttle to hotels
- The MRT from Changi requires a transfer at Tanah Merah
Public Transportation
Metro, bus, tram, and how to use them
The MRT metro and bus network is clean, cheap and covers the whole island. Operators are SMRT and SBS Transit under the LTA; trains run roughly 5:30am to midnight.
- MRT
- Fast, clean, air-conditioned
- Buses
- Extensive, reach everywhere
- Hours
- Roughly 5:30am–midnight
- Signage and announcements are in English; very tourist-friendly
IC Cards & Travel Passes
Discount passes and rechargeable transit cards
You can just tap a contactless Visa/Mastercard bank card or mobile wallet to pay adult fares on MRT and buses — no registration or top-up needed. A SimplyGo EZ-Link card is the alternative.
- Easiest
- Tap contactless card/phone
- Local card
- SimplyGo EZ-Link
- Note
- Old EZ-Link/NETS FlashPay retired (2024)
- Contactless cards charge standard adult fares directly to your account
Car Rental & Driving
License requirements and traffic rules
Renting a car is rarely worth it for tourists: public transport is excellent, cars and parking are expensive, and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) tolls apply. Traffic drives on the left.
- Recommendation
- Usually not needed
- Driving side
- Left-hand traffic
- Costs
- High car/parking/ERP costs
- Bring an International Driving Permit if you do rent
Intercity Travel
Long-distance buses, trains, and ferries
Singapore is a compact city-state, so there is no domestic intercity travel. For cross-border trips, buses and trains run to Johor Bahru (Malaysia), with a new RTS Link rail planned.
- Within SG
- No intercity travel needed
- To Malaysia
- Buses/train to Johor Bahru
- Border
- Expect immigration queues
- Long-distance coaches also serve other Malaysian cities
Domestic Flights
Budget airlines and booking tips
As a single-city island nation, Singapore has no domestic flights. Changi and Seletar airports handle only international routes.
- Domestic flights
- None (city-state)
- Airports
- Changi (main), Seletar
- Regional hub
- Great connections across Asia
- Nearby destinations are reached by air, bus or ferry
Transportation Tips
Advice for safe and efficient travel
Public transport is the easy way to get around. Traffic drives on the left, and eating, drinking or smoking on the MRT is banned and fined. Tap a contactless card and you are set.
- Driving side
- Left-hand traffic
- On the MRT
- No eating/drinking (fines)
- Payment
- Contactless card = seamless
- No durians on public transport; keep left on escalators