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Guide · Stopovers ·

Singapore stopover guide: what to do in 24 hours

By the Australia Travel Escapes editorial team · Who we are

Singapore stopover guide: with five or more hours between flights at Changi, you can see the city and still make your connection. The airport runs a free two-hour tour, an MRT train reaches the city in about 27 minutes, and bags can be left at the airport for a few dollars. Fewer than five hours is too tight for most people, so spend that time inside the terminal.

Many Australians pass through Singapore on the way to Europe or Asia. This guide shows how to pick the right plan for your layover, using the airport's own information as it stands in October 2009.

Sources for this section: Changi Airport Group, Free Singapore Tour and Suggested Activities (pages as at September 2009).

First, check how much time you really have

Count from the moment you land to the moment your next flight closes. Then take off the time you need to get through the airport, clear immigration and come back to check in. Changi advises that connecting flights should be at least an hour apart. If you change terminals, it says to allow more than an hour.

Here is a simple way to sort your plan.

If you have your boarding pass for the next flight, you can go straight to the gate when you return. If not, go to the nearest transfer counter first.

Sources for this section: Changi Airport Group, Transit FAQs (page as at September 2009); Changi Airport Group, Suggested Activities (page as at September 2009).

The free Singapore tour

This is the easiest way to see the city. If you have at least five hours before your next flight, you can sign up for a free two-hour sightseeing tour. You choose between a Colonial Tour and a Cultural Tour. Tours are in English.

The sign-up window matters. A flight that lands at night or leaves before 9:00 am will not fit a tour, so plan your own loop instead.

Sources for this section: Changi Airport Group, Free Singapore Tour (page as at September 2009).

Getting to the city on your own

Changi lists six ways to reach the city. These four suit most stopover travellers.

OptionCostTimeNotes
MRT trainAbout S$2.70, with S$1.00 refundableAbout 27 minutesStation under Terminals 2 and 3. First train about 5:30 am, last about 11:18 pm.
TaxiS$18 to S$38About 30 minutesPick up from the arrival levels.
Airport shuttleS$9 for adultsVariesServes most hotels. Leaves every 15 minutes until midnight.
Bus 36Under S$2.00About an hourExact fare only. No change is given.

For a short stopover, the train is the best pick. It is cheap and does not depend on traffic. Keep the last train time in mind if you plan a late return. Taxis are a good fallback when you are running late.

Sources for this section: Changi Airport Group, Airport to City (page as at September 2009).

Bags, immigration and what to carry

You can enter Singapore during a stopover if you hold the travel documents needed to enter the country. Your passport must be valid and you should check the entry rules with the immigration authority before you fly. Changi says you do not pay airport tax if you stay less than 24 hours.

Two rules catch people out. First, you cannot collect your checked bags while you are in transit, so keep medicine and other needs in your hand luggage. Second, if you travel on a budget airline, the rules change. These carriers have no transfer counters in the transit hall. You must clear immigration, collect your bags and check in again.

Left baggage counters are open 24 hours at the airport. Terminal 2 rates were S$3.15 for a cabin bag and S$4.20 for a suitcase for the first 24 hours. That makes a bag-free walk through the city cheap.

This is general information, not medical advice. Because checked bags stay out of reach in transit, pack your daily prescriptions in your hand luggage, and ask your own doctor about carrying them through airports.

Sources for this section: Changi Airport Group, Transit FAQs (page as at September 2009); Changi Airport Group, Left Baggage Counters (page as at September 2009).

A short city loop if you skip the tour

Pick one area and stay in it. A tight plan works better than a long list. The airport's tour options give a good hint: the Colonial Tour and the Cultural Tour. Do one of those two themes on foot after the train ride.

  1. Hour 0 to 1: clear immigration, leave your bag at the counter and take the MRT.
  2. Hour 1 to 3: walk one district, have a meal and keep your eye on the clock.
  3. Hour 3 to 4: head back. Aim to be at the airport about two hours before your flight.

If you need a map or a hotel, the Singapore Tourism Board runs a visitors centre in each terminal on the arrivals level. It is open from 6:00 am to 2:00 am, and it answers tourist questions.

Sources for this section: Changi Airport Group, Singapore Visitors Centre (page as at September 2009).

If you have a night, not just a day

Transit hotels sit on Level 3 of all three terminals. You do not need to clear immigration to reach them. Changi suggests booking well ahead. A shower and a nap can be worth more than a rushed city trip after a long flight from Australia.

If your layover is under 24 hours, remember the baggage rule above. Pack a small hand bag with what you need for the night.

Sources for this section: Changi Airport Group, Transit Hotel (page as at September 2009); Changi Airport Group, Transit FAQs (page as at September 2009).

Sources

  1. Changi Airport Group, Airport to City: web.archive.org
  2. Changi Airport Group, Free Singapore Tour: web.archive.org
  3. Changi Airport Group, Transit FAQs: web.archive.org
  4. Changi Airport Group, Suggested Activities: web.archive.org
  5. Changi Airport Group, Left Baggage Counters: web.archive.org
  6. Changi Airport Group, Transit Hotel: web.archive.org
  7. Changi Airport Group, Singapore Visitors Centre: web.archive.org