Singapore Changi Airport

 

One of the most iconic building in Singapore is the Singapore Changi Airport. Awarded The Best Airport in the World 2013 by Skytrax, Changi Airport serves over 110 international airlines to 240 cities in 60 countries worldwide. The world class facility handles 6,500 flights weekly and over a whopping 50 million passengers a year!

Changi Airport consists of three passenger terminals expanded over the last 30 years and terminals are linked up by a dedicated light rail, Skytrain which ferries transit passengers and also visitors. Not only evolved as a transportation hub, Changi Airport is also a shopping paradise! At the basement of latest Terminal 3, there are numerous shops, supermarket, restaurants and also food court! The best thing is, you can reach Changi Airport by many buses and also the convenient MRT!

Changi Airport is also a popular hangout place for families on weekends too. They don’t come to the airport to fetch passengers or board planes, but just exploring the terminals, wide spaces for their kids to run around and enjoy the amazing sights at the viewing galleries.

If you are visiting Singapore, this will be the your first destination! Customs and Immigrations are lightning fast. Baggage services are excellent and when you are out, you can be sure to find taxis at the nearby taxi stands. If you will like to go on public transport, MRT and bus services are available at terminal 3. Don’t worry about getting lost in this giant complex, there are directional signs all over the place.

 

MRT & Bus Services at Terminal 3

I am sure you will like Changi Airport very much. Transit visitors can enjoy the beautiful landscaped gardens and even a butterfly garden! Enjoy the various artistic displays like the recently added kinetic chandelier at Terminal 1! Look out for the eco-friendly Terminal 3, with green walls and natural sunlight illuminating the entire complex!

Don’t just rush to your hotel straight away or board your planes quickly. Spend some time and experience the world class facility, Singapore’s Changi Airport!

Travelling by Taxi in Singapore

Other than the MRT and bus, taxi is one of the main forms of public transport here in Singapore. It is also the more convenient transport, since taxi can bring you anywhere in Singapore. But as expected, it is more costly than the rest of the public transport.

Photo from laughmakesfun.com

Generally there are about 8 taxi companies in Singapore, each had almost the same pricing for taxi fares and they are readily available on the road. You can board a taxi by hailing one by the road, or board one at designated taxi stands. Alternatively, you can book taxis online or through the phone with additional surcharge.

Taxi stands are designated areas for taxi to pick up passengers at convenient locations. Every MRT station or shopping malls will have a taxi stand.

Pic from http://fuchsia.com.sg

All taxis can be identified with the roof panels and you can tell if the taxi is available or not. Most taxis today have LED panels with some standard codes on it:

• “TAXI” – Green in color, meaning available for hire
• “HIRED” – Red, meaning taxi is carrying passengers at the moment
• “BUSY” – Red, meaning taxi is unavailable for hire
• “CHANGE SHIFT -- Area” Green, meaning the taxi is heading to the displayed area as the driver will be changing shift soon.
• “ON CALL” – Red, means taxi is on the way to a booking

Some older taxis may just have a lighted panel displaying the word “TAXI” on it, meaning it is available. If the light is off, then it is not for hire. It is hard to tell whether it is lighted or not in the day, but not worry you can still flag at the taxi and see if it stops! Well, these older versions are not as common today.

Taxi fares are charged through the taximeter found in the control panel of the taxi. The taxi driver will start the meter when you have boarded the taxi and confirmed the hiring. The meter will stop when you alight at your destination and that will be the basic fare you will need to pay, and on top of that are additional surcharges like peak hours surcharge, CBD  charges, standard booking fee or location surcharges (eg. Changi Airport etc). The main form of payment is by cash, and other forms like credit card payment is available in some taxis. You can also asked for a receipt from the driver.

Travelling by taxi in Singapore is safe, as the taxi drivers go for regular refresher course on road safety and traffic rules. Taxi drivers also have their identification document and registration number displayed prominently in the taxi. Fare charges are also included, usually by the window or doors.

Taxi may be the most convenient of all, however it may not be the fastest when you encounter short, intermittent traffic jams along the roads with more traffic like Orchard Road or expressways on peak hours. Many locals preferred the MRT as it is a more consistent and fast mode of transport.

MRT – The most popular mode of transport in Singapore!

MRT ,stands for Mass Rapid Transit, is Singapore’s railway system that spans across the entire Singapore. It is a network of 102 stations, and about 150km of railway lines, both above and underground. Waiting time for the train is always under 10 mins.

In some MRT stations, bus interchanges are situated right next to them. And together with the bus network, you can almost reach anywhere in Singapore! In fact the longest traveling time to anywhere in Singapore is less than 3 hours! The MRT network consists of several lines, marked by different colors, they serve different areas of Singapore. Currently there are four main lines, North-South Line (Red), East-West Line (Green), North-East Line (Purple) and the Circle Line (Orange). They are supported by bus networks and also light rail system (LRT) marked by grey loops you can see in the map.

The stations are situated conveniently at major shopping centers or places of attractions. Sentosa Island is just a short walk away from North East Line’s Harbourfront Station, Marina Bay Sands has a station right under it, Circle Line’s Bayfront Station. Transiting line to line can be done at interchange stations and you don’t have to worry about alighting at one and looking for a nearby station of another line. MRT networks are all closely integrated together, only one ticket is needed to any MRT station.

        

Tickets can be bought off automated General Ticketing Machines (GTM) in any station. A standard one-trip ticket will be issued and all you need is to select the destination and pay the correct fares. Entering the station is easy, just tap your card at the gantries and then tap again when you reach your destination. The used cards can then be returned at the GTMs to get your deposit back, which you have paid when buying.

Traveling by MRT is way cheaper and convenient than other transports like taxi or bus. You don’t have to worry about traffic jams or road conditions and MRT will bring you close enough to walk to your final destination. The MRTs can get pretty crowded at peak hours or holiday seasons, but not to worry, you can always hop on the next which is less than 3 mins during peak hours!