Seletar Airport to Changi by public transport

There’s no direct bus service running between Singapore’s Seletar Airport and Changi, except one that stops 1.5km away, so the various options include taxi, a ride share, or a combination of bus and MRT transport. The taxi/ride share option might be faster, but it’s certainly more expensive than the bus/train alternative, so budget considerations won.

Seletar Airport to Changi Airport: Your options

There is an ‘almost’ direct bus, but it leaves from a separate stop, and you’ll need to take the 102 bus to the stop, or walk for about 20 minutes. In addition the stop is not the same one the bus leaves from, so there’s a short walk between them. Neither of these options appealed, so the bus/MRT option was the eventual choice. 

Travel options, Seletar to Changi

Taxis / private hire cars

Taxis are most convenient as they are available 24 hours and will drop you at you destination. You can flag a taxi along the street, go to a designated taxi stand, or use a mobile app to book your trip. The Land Transport authority website offers information about the four taxi operators, as well as how to find a taxi and payment charges and methods.

Uber is not available in Singapore, there are three main alternatives

Public bus/MRT

Transit Link Singapore oversees the bus and MRT services in Singapore. Both services have extensive networks, with many points of integration. Transfers are not complex and the  info on fare rules is clearly laid out. This route map here) shows MRT lines, bus connections and local LRT lines.

But first things first, paying for your ride.

• If you’re a tourist, you can get a Tourist pass card (with a few options) when you arrive at Changi Airport (but sadly, not Seletar) and SimplyGo ticket offices at selected stations. This site has a useful route map and other handy information about where to buy the cards.
• If you are looking for a regular Adult Stored-Value Smartcard (e.g. EZ-Link or NETS FlashPay), they cost $10, including a stored value of $5 to use on your rides. Buy them at Passenger Service Centres in train stations, any SimplyGo Ticket Office or convenience stores like 7-11, Cheers or Buzz.  Check here for additional EZ Link info.
• You can also use a contactless credit/debit card, NETS contactless card or mobile payment apps including Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Garmin Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. To register for an account, download the TL SimplyGo app and add your bank card to the app. You can elect to receive push notification on fares or view track travel fares.
  • Please note that you can use foreign-issued contactless cards and mobile wallets to pay your public transport fares, but they do charge an administration fee on top of the ticket price. (For example, my SGD2.16 MRT ticket was charged SGD2.65 on my foreign-issued card.)

The journey

As noted above, budget considerations made the Bus/MRT option the most sensible, so I made the short walk, about 150m to the bus stop on Airport Drive. Bus 102 is the only bus which stops here and travels to the nearest MRT station (Sengkang Station). It also stops at two stops near Seletar Camp G, where you can transfer to Bus 858, direct to Changi. Given that it is not quite clear which is the correct stop it would be best to check with the driver. Also check if that is the correct stop for the transfer because of the direction of travel.

It therefore seemed that the simplest option would be

• Bus 102 to Sengkang Station. Paid in cash SGD2.30. You shouldn’t have to wait more than about 10-15 mins.
• MRT Sengkang – Serangoon – MacPherson – Expo – Changi Airport  (paid by credit card SGD2.65)

Watch the video above or on YouTube, to see the stops and stations and other useful information.

Use this Fare calculator here to check your fare and check how they’re calculated for buses and trains. This page will give you routes and times. Use this link for the bus service information  for your route.

Journey fare and route breakdown

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