Getting to/from Changi Airport | Taking the MRT/Bus | Taking a taxi

Getting to/from Changi Airport

Singapore's Changi Airport is 30 minutes from the city centre, with a variety of means to get to and from the airport. Expect to pay between S$18 and S$38 for your journey. More information is available at the Changi airport website.

Taking the MRT/Bus

Singapore has put in place a highly-efficient public transit system that consists of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), buses and taxi services.

(Photo credit: EZ-Link)

Visitors who wish to travel by MRT will have to purchase an EZ-Link Card for their trips. Payment of bus fares can be made either in cash or through the EZ-Link Card. More information on this here.

Tip: You can download apps for the Singapore Bus Service, MRT and even public transport schedules onto your phone, which will prove helpful in getting on track with local public transportation. 

Taking a taxi

For a tiny nation of 4-plus million people, there are (as of March 16, 2011) seven cab companies with some 25,000 taxis cruising the island plus individually-owned cabs. You can easily identify them by their vibrant colours.

                                                                          (Photo credit: GobalSignIn)

Taxi rides in Singapore are generally fraught-free and law-abiding, although the fare structure can range greatly depending on the time of day and pickup point.

Not all cabs are created equal

In general, all taxis in Singapore, except limousine taxis, are required to operate by a metered fare. Flag-down fares in Singapore are relatively affordable compared with the West. This ranges from S$3 for a ComfortDelGro cab to S$5 for a ride in a Chrysler 300C, possibly the most extravagant taxi in Singapore. Take note that rates (correct as at 15 Jan 2012) do change whenever there's a revision in fare structure.

Beyond the 1km allowance, the meter starts to jump about 22 cents for every 400m up to a distance of 10km, the distance varying with each cab company. Take note also that additional fees, such as peak-hour, midnight, Central Business District, public holiday and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) surcharges, apply.

This can be rather confusing to the visitor, but even the locals have a problem keeping tabs on all the various charges.

While the surcharges are listed on the side of the taxi window, it's always good to know what additional charges you are in for. You can check these out in the table below. This way, you can either avoid incurring them or be prepared sufficiently to keep clear of any unpleasant surprises.

Tip: You don't have to tip as it's not expected. The cab driver is also expected to return you your change. Some taxis have credit card facilities onboard. If you pay by credit or charge card, an additional 10 percent administrative charge is applied to the total fare.