About Singapore: How to travel in Singapore

Singapore is a really small country with an area size of just 721.5 km square and a population of approximately 5.85 million. It is quite easy travelling in Singapore as most places are accessible via Singapore’s public transportation or even by foot. There are 3 main modes of transports in Singapore mainly, the Buses, MRT Trains (Mass Rapid Transit) & Taxis (also private hires). Let us share with you more on the main transportations in Singapore!

Singapore's MRT & LRT

There are 6 different MRT lines in Singapore at the moment. They are divided into the following types, using different colours to distinguish.

East-West Line

North-South Line

North-East Line

Circle Line

Downtown Line

Thomson-East Coast Line

MRT is the one of the preferred mode of transportations for most Singaporeans especially if they are traveling for a longer distance. It is an efficient mode of travel (no traffic jams), time saving and cost effective. It cost anything from $0.90 – $2.80 per trip, depending on your time of travel and distance traveled. Passenger maybe purchase their tickets from the automated machines located at every MRT station or alternatively they may purchase an EZ-link Card from the ticketing office (Only at certain stations).

*Note for tourist: It is recommended to purchase an EZ-link Card if you have the intention to travel mainly using the public transports (Buses & MRT). Price per trip is cheaper and it will allow you to earn travel rebates whenever you are doing transfers between buses and MRT. In addition, tourist may also opt for a 1-3day tourist pass instead. For more information on The Singapore Tourist Pass, please visit here.

*MRT Map extracted from Land Transport Authority of Singapore’s Official website. To download the high resolution PDF version of the map, click on the picture or here.

SG Buses

Public bus is the most cost effective mode of transportation in Singapore. However, when it comes to the speed of travelling from Point A to B, it is slower compare to MRT Trains as it is dependable on the road traffics.

Generally, frequency of Singapore’s public buses is considerably high, which takes about 5-15 minutes averagely to arrive. All the public buses in Singapore are air-conditioned and is pretty comfortable to travel in. However, during the peak hours (before 9am and after 6pm), buses tend to be really packed due to the rush hours.

As for the payment, it can be made using an EZ-link card, Credit Card or by cash (Preferably coins only. No change will be given). Purchasing of bus tickets in advance is not necessary. Just hop onto the bus and pay by your preferred payment method will do! As for those who are traveling with an EZ-link card and Credit Cards, remember you will have to tap your card upon entering the bus and tap out before exiting..

Taxis / Cab

Taxis is one of the most expensive means of transportation in Singapore (well, could be everywhere in the world too) but it is also the most convenient and comfortable way of travelling within the country. Consider taking Taxis, if you are in a rush or if you have extra cash to spare. A 15-minutes ride can easily cost more than SGD 10 (USD 7), which you might want to save this money to have a better meal instead. Taxi fares can be paid in cash or by credit cards (check with the driver before you board the taxis).

Singapore’s Taxis drivers are generally honest and friendly. They will only charge based on the meter price thus you do not need to worry been rip off. However, as there are a few taxis operators in Singapore, the flagdown charges and meter rate might be a little confusing for some (even for the local residents). Below are some information that might be useful for you.

Flag-down

Meter Charge

Midnight Surcharge

Peak Hour Surcharge

Other Surcharge

ERP Charges

: $3.20 – $3.90 (Standard) | $3.90 – $5.00 (Premium)

: $0.22 (Standard) | $0.33 (Premium)

: Midnight to 5.59am – 50% of metered fare

: Mon – Fri, 6am – 9.30am, 25%

Mon – Sun, 6pm – Midnight, 25%

: City Area, Changi Airport, Marina Bay Sands, Resort World Sentosa, Singapore Expo Centre

: Also known as Electronic Road Pricing. They are very prominent on the road (A huge gate in blue). These are road gantries that are located at high traffic volume areas. Do note that there are different charges on different day, time and location.

For more details on the Taxis charges, visit here.

SG by Foot

Singapore, the Little Red Dot, is one of the smallest country in the world. With a land size of not bigger than the New York City, you can imagine the amount of effort needed for urban planning for this nation and their future growth.

Places of interests, tourist attraction points and favourite local delights are all within walking distance. Moreover, with all the beautiful architectures and trees filling up the area, it is no doubt traveling by foot is the most ideal method of enjoying the city.