Travel
Singapore offers lots of options for getting in and out of the country. Plus, Changi airport is one of the world’s best – making the island an ideal base for travelling.
Within a couple of hours’ travel time by plane, you can visit Phuket, Bangkok, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur, and many other options for a weekend break away from Singapore. Local ferries can get you to Bintan in less than an hour. If you’ve got more time, a slightly longer flight can get you to Manila, Cebu, Hong Kong, or Perth.
Options for getting away include travel by air, by ferry, by bus, and by train.
Need more ideas? Browse through a few short trip destinations or check out our recommended selection of travel guides.
Flights
Budget airlines that fly from Singapore include Cebu Pacific, JetStar Asia, Lion Air, and Tiger Airways. AustAsia isn’t cheap, but is the only airline that offers direct flights to East Timor from Singapore.
Zuji.com.sg offers a search engine that turns up the cheapest rates from multiple airlines – great for spotting good deals from Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and other international carriers.
SilkAir is Singapore Airlines’ regional carrier. It’s not as cheap as the budget airlines, but cheap packages can often be found from travel agencies, using SilkAir. Sometimes booking a package with a hotel stay is the same price as buying just the ticket. You can check out “Free and Easy” package prices online at TradeWinds.
If you can be flexible about when you travel, fares on Tiger or JetStar Asia can often vary by as much as a hundred dollars across departure schedules. The best times to book are either 2-3 months prior to departure to take advantage of sales, or about one week before departure (during off peak periods, to take advantage of unsold seats).
If you’re lucky, it’s possible to get flights for as low as 20 SGD round-trip excluding tax. That’s cheaper than the taxi fare to the airport!
JetStar Asia, LionAir and SilkAir depart from the main terminal (Terminal 2), while Tiger and Cebu Pacific fly from the Budget Terminal. The Budget Terminal’s not bad, but there’s very little shopping and few choices for food. Bring your own snacks if you’re flying at midnight as the shops will be closed by then.
Looking for a cheap long-haul flight? If you don’t mind cooling your heels in the transit lounges, you can sometimes save a couple of hundred dollars by flying Malaysia Airlines and doing a stopover in KL, instead of taking the direct flight with Singapore Airlines. As always, check on Zuji first to see if the savings will be worth the extra time spent.
Ferries
Bintan Resort Ferries makes several trips a day from Singapore, with travel time taking about 90 minutes. You can book tickets online.
Batam Fast Ferries does over 40 scheduled departures a day from Harbourfront Centre and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Make sure you’re headed to the right destination port. A two-way ticket from Harbourfront costs about $20, plus surcharges. We couldn’t find a way to book tickets online, but contact numbers for the ferry are listed on their website.
Buses
Aeroline makes several trips a day from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, leaving from Harbourfront Centre (Harbourfront MRT). The trip takes 5 hours and you can book online.
The Singapore – Johor Express leaves Queen Street every 15 minutes, bound for Johor Bahru. There are also public buses (service 170) that ply the Singapore-JB route, but these take much longer.
The Melaka – Singapore Express (6293-5915) and Delima Express run several trips throughout the day from Lavender Street to Malacca. Expect to pay about $11 for a ticket, the trip takes about 6 hours.
Buses to Penang run daily from Lavender Street at 9 pm. Hasry Express charges $38, and the trip takes between 10 and 12 hours. If you don’t fancy sitting in a bus for half a day, flying to Penang may be a better option.
Trains
If you feel like travelling in luxury, you can take the Orient Express from Singapore to Bangkok.
Or you can travel via commuter trains, from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to Penang to Bangkok. Visit Seat61 for timetables and more information. The Singapore – KL leg can also be done by bus.
What’s Next?
Choose your destination on the Weekend Breaks page, and read up on things to do or places to stay once you get there.
Staying in Singapore for the weekend?
Check out the Things to Do page for ideas on classes and other things you can do in Singapore.
Didn’t find what you were looking for?
We’re constantly adding content to this website, so check back often for updates. If you’ve got a tip you’d like to share, email us at feedback@livinginsingapore.org and we’ll add it to the list!
