If this is your first time in Singapore, let me share with you some useful tips to ease your experience. With a wide network of stations located across the city, MRT seems to be an absolutely perfect solution for traveling in Singapore. However, there are still other vehicles in the city that you can use in other cases such as taxis/grab, buses, or rental cars, motorcycles or even walk. With the range of only 50 cents to less than S$10, you can easily travel around the city.
The question here is how to get around Singapore? Let’s explore 3 means of transportation in Singapore for you when traveling in this beautiful and bustling city.
Bus
Let me start with the bus because this is one of the cheapest option and it is easy to find a place on the bus from all corners of streets in the city. A bus trip just costs from 60 cents to 1 – 2 SGD, depending on how far the distance is. If you are about to travel by bus in Singapore, you can buy a copy of the TransitLink Guide (approximately SGD 1.5 per copy) at most bookstores. Similar to the MRT, you can buy tickets on each departure, or use the EZ-link card and recharge in order to use gradually. You can travel by bus and also walk to visit places nearby. Or you can buy the Singapore Tourist Pass.
Another option is you can try the hop-on-hop-off bus service. This is the perfect option if you want to take a stroll around the city. This service allows visitors to “jump” down at any their favorite sights, enjoy the beauty of sights leisurely (no time limit), then catch another Hop-on-hop-off one to go to next places.
Taxi
Singapore has thousands air-conditioned taxis which present on the streets of Singapore both day and night. Most taxis have a meter. The first 1.5 kilometers cost 2.4 SGD and then plus 10 cents for every 240 meters. However, during peak hours (07:30 – 09:30 and 17:30 – 19:00) at the downtown area, or directly from the airport to the hotel, you will charge an additional fee (normally about SGD 2, but may be more expensive depending on the specific situation). If you travel by taxi at night, the cost will add about 50% more. You can also opt for Grab. Both offer equal quality of service.
Trishaws
Trishaws or tricycles with back cages were once a means of transportation in the past in Singapore. However, from time to time, it is very difficult to find this vehicle at lion island. If you are looking for some nostalgic experience, you can visit Chinatown and Little India. Most trolleys drivers will wait for visitors along Waterloo Street and each 45-minute-trip will cost about SGD 25 to SGD 45.
With these vehicles, I hope you have some ideas for your journey, which makes your trip more convenient and fun. However, to save the cost of travel, the best advice is to combine MRT and bus because these public transports are fixed and always cheaper than a taxi or get the Singapore Tourist Pass if you plan to use the public transport a lot.
