6 ways to get around in Singapore (costs included)

If you're planning a trip to Singapore, you might be wondering how much it will cost to get around. After all, you don't want to blow your budget on transport. Luckily, Singapore is a modern, convenient city and there are many affordable options for getting around. So here's a breakdown of the different ways to travel around Singapore and how much they cost. So number one, taking a taxi. As a tourist, taxis are the fastest and most convenient way to get around the city. All taxis are air-conditioned and they're very clean. Drivers are friendly and knowledgeable about the city. When my brother was visiting recently, he took a taxi and the driver gave him a history of all the various landmarks as they drove by. There are a few different taxi companies, but they mostly charge about the same when using the meter. The typical cost is between $10 and $20 per journey to get around the city. Expect to pay about $30 to get to the city from Changi. Premium taxis charge a little bit more and I found them not to be worth it. Usually in Singapore, you're obliged to take the first taxi in a queue, but if it's a black or white premium taxi, you can pick the one behind it. This is especially true at the airport, where waiting an extra minute or two for a regular taxi is often worth it, despite there being a white premium taxi waiting there for you. Hit like if you want me to share more tips about how to save money while visiting Singapore. Taxis can be hailed from taxi stands, building entrances or on the street. Don't try to hail a taxi on a busy road marked with double yellow lines or bus lanes. The taxi won't be able to stop and pick you up. Taxis can also be booked by using an app. The most popular ones are CDG-Zig, Tata, Gojek and Grab. Uber doesn't exist in Singapore after selling its local operations to Grab. I personally prefer CDG-Zig and Tata due to the availability of drivers, and I feel that Grab is unfriendly and difficult to use for visitors. Paying by cash is the best, but you can choose to pay by credit card as well, though there is an extra charge for paying on a credit card. I found taxis the best way to get around if you're traveling with someone else or in a small group. It's not that much more expensive than everyone having to buy MRT tickets. So number two, catching the MRT. The MRT wins for me as it's the best way for tourists to get around Singapore. It's a world-famous system due to being cheap, convenient, fast and fully automatic. There are hardly any drivers on the Singapore train network. The network stretches across the island with many stations located in the busy downtown and orchard areas. It is possible to catch the MRT to the city from Changi Airport, though I usually recommend visitors take a taxi instead. The Changi Airport line is really designed for commuters rather than tourists carrying luggage. Typically, an MRT ride will cost you between $1.10 and $2 depending on how far you travel. The highest fare you'll pay is $2.26, though most tourists will only pay this when coming in from Changi Airport. Your credit card can be used as a ticket as long as it's Visa or MasterCard. Foreign credit cards do work on the Singapore MRT network, and for visitors, it's often better to use a foreign credit card and pay the foreign currency transaction fee than to buy a prepaid fare card locally. That prepaid fare card is called EZ-Link, and it can be purchased from train stations for $10 or from convenience stores for a little bit more. It comes with $5 credit, which is enough for two to three trips on the MRT. Singapore MRT is a turn-up-and-go system, meaning that you shouldn't need to wait more than five minutes for a train, even during peak hours, and there are no timetables. If you need a more in-depth guide on catching the MRT in Singapore, I've left a link in the description of this video. So number three cost-effective way to get around Singapore is by riding a bike. Bikes are a fun and affordable way to get around Singapore, and you can rent a bike from a bike-sharing company for as little as $2 per hour. These can be found at many bicycle parking areas around the city, and they're activated using an app on your phone. There are also bicycle rental shops near popular cycling locations such as East Coast Park. These cost around $10 per hour. You are allowed to cycle on a footpath and most roads in Singapore, though I do not recommend riding a high bike on a busy road, particularly as a tourist. If you feel it's too hot to ride a bike but don't want to be hidden away underground on a train, try catching a bus instead. So number four is catch a bus. Buses are another cheap and convenient way to travel around Singapore, a great way to see the city at street level rather than being hidden away on the underground MRT network, and the bus routes crisscross the city, linking many parts, which might otherwise be difficult to reach by train. The fares are charged based on distance travelled and typically cost the same as the MRT. That's between $1.10 and $2 per journey. Cash can be used to pay for a bus fare though, but it's a little bit more expensive, and you need to know your destination to give the correct change to the driver. The best way to pay for a bus though is by using credit card, the same system as the MRT. EasyLink cards do also work as well. Most bus routes have buses that come every 10 to 15 minutes, and Google Maps can be used to tell you the time your next bus is arriving and to plan your route. The number five on this list is to rent a car. Renting a car costs over $100 a day. That's because there really isn't a lot of space in Singapore, The government even has policies that discourage car use, such as requiring car owners to have a separate certificate before buying a car. This costs $90,000, and by limiting the amount of free parking that's available. So while your car rental might only cost $100 a day, you'll typically look at spending $3 to $5 each time you want to park the car somewhere. Some hotels do come with free parking, but it's likely that wherever you're going to drive to away from the hotel will charge you parking. If driving sounds a bit expensive, then my next favorite way to get around Singapore is guaranteed to save you money. Number six is walking, to walk around Singapore. The most common objection I hear when I suggest visitors walk around Singapore is that it's too hot. Many of the best things to do in Singapore are outdoors though, and walking will help to acclimatize you to the heat. Try to stay in the shade when you're walking around Singapore. Many Singapore buildings are designed to provide shade for people walking around outside. Avoid walking around in the afternoon when the sun is at its hottest, and it's also likely to rain around this time. Though walking after the rain can be good though, as the rain has cooled everything down. Nighttime is my favorite time to walk around Singapore, particularly late at night when the city is cooler. If you're interested in more things tourists should know before visiting Singapore, check out this video next.