How to Get to Singapore and Around the Island: Changi Airport, MRT Lines and Ferries

Singapore is Southeast Asia's primary aviation, rail, and maritime crossroads. Most international travellers arrive at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) at the eastern tip of the island, roughly 20 kilometres from Marina Bay, while overland travellers cross from Johor Bahru in Malaysia and regional ferries arrive from Indonesia's Riau Islands. Once on the island, six colour-coded MRT metro lines and an island-wide bus network link every neighbourhood.

Changi Airport terminals and MRT transfers into the city

Changi Airport operates four passenger terminals. Terminals 1, 2, and 3 connect directly to Jewel Changi Airport on foot and to each other via free Skytrains, while Terminal 4 links to Jewel and Terminal 2 by a free 24-hour shuttle bus. Changi Airport MRT Station (CG2) sits underground between Terminals 2 and 3. From CG2, board the airport shuttle train for one stop to Expo Station (CG1/DT35) to transfer onto the Downtown Line (Blue) direct to Bugis (Kampong Gelam), Promenade (Singapore Flyer), Bayfront (Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay), Telok Ayer, Chinatown, Fort Canning (Clarke Quay), and Little India. Alternatively, ride two stops to Tanah Merah Station (EW4) for a cross-platform transfer onto the East-West Line (Green) toward Paya Lebar (Joo Chiat), City Hall (Civic District), Raffles Place, and Outram Park (Tiong Bahru). The airport-to-city MRT ride takes about 35 to 45 minutes.

Airport buses, taxis and ride-hailing apps

Public bus 36 runs from the basement bus bays of Terminals 1, 2, and 3 along East Coast Park, Marina Bay, and Orchard Road, making it a scenic daytime option if you have light luggage. Metered taxis queue 24 hours a day at every terminal arrival level and reach the city centre in 20 to 30 minutes via the East Coast Parkway (ECP); airport surcharges and late-night surcharges are added automatically to the meter. App-based ride-hailing services, including Grab, Gojek, Tada, and CDG Zig, pick up from signed Ride-Hail bays on the arrival levels.

Overland from Malaysia and ferries from Indonesia

Two road bridges link Singapore with Johor Bahru in Malaysia: the 1-kilometre Johor-Singapore Causeway at Woodlands in the north and the Tuas Second Link in the west. KTMB's Shuttle Tebrau train crosses the Causeway between JB Sentral and Woodlands Train Checkpoint in five minutes, while the cross-border Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link connects Bukit Chagar directly to Woodlands North MRT Station on the Thomson-East Coast Line. High-speed catamarans from Batam and Bintan (Indonesia) and Desaru (Malaysia) dock at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal near Changi or HarbourFront Ferry Terminal beside VivoCity (the mainland gateway to Sentosa).

Using SimplyGo on the MRT and public buses

• Tap your contactless foreign Visa or Mastercard bank card (or Apple Pay / Google Pay) directly on the yellow reader at MRT fare gates and when boarding and alighting from public buses; see the Singapore travel guide for cash tips at hawker stalls.
• On buses, always board through the front door and tap out at the rear door; forgetting to tap out charges the maximum end-of-route fare.
• Use the same physical card or the same mobile device for both entry and exit taps so the system pairs your journey correctly, and remember that eating or drinking is prohibited inside stations and trains.
• If you plan to visit Sentosa Island, take the North East Line or Circle Line to HarbourFront Station, walk upstairs into VivoCity Shopping Mall (Level 3), and either board the Sentosa Express monorail or walk across the step-free Sentosa Boardwalk along the water.