Getting Around Singapore: A Local's Guide to MRT, Buses, Grab & Walking

The one-line answer

Tap your contactless bank card on the MRT for almost everything, use Grab for the gaps, and never plan more than 15 minutes of outdoor walking between noon and 4pm. That's the whole system. The rest of this guide is the useful detail.

The MRT: your default

The Mass Rapid Transit network covers virtually everywhere a visitor wants to go. Trains run roughly 5.30am to midnight, arrive every 2–5 minutes, and are air-conditioned, spotless and safe at any hour. Fares are distance-based, roughly SGD 1.20–2.50 per trip.

Paying: thanks to SimplyGo, your contactless Visa or Mastercard — physical or in Apple/Google Pay — works directly at the fare gates. Tap the same card in and out. No queueing for a stored-value card, no top-ups, no leftover balance to burn on your last day.

Rules: no eating or drinking on trains (including water), no durians (genuinely signposted), stand on the left of escalators. Priority seats are taken seriously — offer them.

Buses: the scenic layer

Buses accept the same contactless tap-in, tap-out and go everywhere trains don't. They're slower but air-conditioned and great for seeing the city between sights. Google Maps handles Singapore bus routing accurately, so there's no special app to learn.

Grab, taxis and when to use them

Download Grab before you arrive — it's the regional Uber and also handles food delivery. Fares are upfront and cashless. Street taxis (ComfortDelGro is the biggest fleet) are metered and honest; hail them at ranks outside malls and hotels. Use Grab or taxis for: airport runs with luggage, anything after midnight, the Mandai wildlife parks, and whenever the afternoon heat makes a two-MRT-line journey miserable.

Changi Airport to the city

• MRT: ~SGD 2, about 45 minutes to the city centre with one easy change at Tanah Merah or Expo. Cheapest, fine with a carry-on, tedious with big luggage.
• Grab/taxi: SGD 25–40 depending on time and surcharges, 20–30 minutes. The right call for families, late arrivals and anyone jetlagged.
• Full airport strategy — including what to do with 6, 12 or 24 hours in transit — is in the Changi layover guide.

Walking: the heat rules

Singapore is genuinely walkable in infrastructure and genuinely hostile in climate. Locals walk constantly — but strategically:

• Walk before 10am or after 5pm. The midday sun is not a personality test.
• Learn the sheltered routes: Singapore's covered walkways, underpasses and mall-to-MRT links mean you can often cross whole districts barely touching sunlight. CityLink Mall and the Marina Bay underground network are the classic examples.
• Every mall is a free, air-conditioned shortcut. Locals route through them shamelessly. So should you.

What about the Singapore Tourist Pass?

For most visitors, skip it. Unless you're taking six or more train rides a day, tapping your own contactless card is cheaper and simpler. The pass only pays off for very transit-heavy itineraries — and if you're planning one of those in this heat, we should talk about your itinerary instead.

Accessibility note

Every MRT station has lifts and barrier-free access, buses kneel and have ramps, and pedestrian crossings are generous with time. Singapore is one of the easiest cities in Asia for travellers with mobility needs — I've written more in the seniors and accessible travel guide.

Frequently asked questions