Advice on flights & getting around in Singapore for F1 fans attending the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit
- The 2024 Singapore Grand Prix will take place from October 3-5
- 2025 early bird tickets are now on sale via our trusted supplier
- F1 Experiences Ticket Packages are also recommend
- This post contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links
Singapore is a compact city with an excellent public transport network and honest, reasonably priced taxis. And with the Marina Bay street circuit located in the heart of the city, it couldn’t be easier to get to and from the track each night on Grand Prix weekend, with the MRT (metro) the best option for fans staying further from the city centre.
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore’s Changi airport is one of the busiest airports in the world by international passenger traffic. More than 100 airlines operate over 6000 weekly flights connecting Singapore with 250 destinations in 60 countries. Changi is the home of the city state’s flag carrier, Singapore Airlines, which is also the title sponsor of the Grand Prix. Singapore Airlines serves 62 routes from Singapore, including long-haul flights to Australia, Europe and the USA. Changi is also a major hub for budget airlines including Scoot (owned by Singapore Airlines), Air Asia and Jetstar.
Flights from Australia
Regular direct flights from both full service and discount carriers connect most Australian capital cities to Singapore, with a flight time from 4.5 hours (Darwin), 5.5 hours (Perth) and 7-8 hours (Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane).
Flights from Europe
Several airlines fly direct from Europe (12-13 hours) to Singapore including Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France/KLM. Middle-eastern carriers such as Emirates and Qatar are also worth considering, as they service a much wider range of European cities.
Flights from USA
Singapore Airlines operates (very long) direct flights from New York, Seattle, San Francisco & LA to Singapore. All other flights from the USA involve at least one stop, mostly in Eastern Asia (Japan, China, Korea).
Regional Trains & Buses to Singapore
If you have more time to explore the region, the Southeast Asian rail network is surprisingly extensive. Trains are comfortable and fares are extremely cheap. Singapore is connected to Kuala Lumpur to the north by several daily trains (6 hours for day trains and 8 hours for overnight trains with sleeper cabins.) Buses also run regularly between KL and Singapore, taking around 5 hours and costing approximately $20 USD. Click here for more information and to book tickets. Feeling adventurous? You can even go all the way from Singapore to Bangkok (2 nights) or make a stop at Penang or Koh Samui along the way. Comprehensive information can be found on the Seat61 website. Click here for a South East Asian rail and bus network map.
Be Trackside For F1's Original Night Race
For the latest event news, subscribe to our mailing list for the Singapore Grand Prix
How to Get to Marina Bay Street Circuit
If you are lucky enough to be staying downtown, you may be in a position to walk to the circuit. Given the heat and humidity in Singapore however, it may be more comfortable to take public transport, even if it is only a few stops. See the table below for the closest MRT stations and entrance gates for each grandstand. Be patient when leaving the circuit, as some gates (particularly for the Bay Grandstand) and paths can get congested. MRT services are extended to 1am on Grand Prix weekend. 2024 Singapore Grand Prix Circuit Map with locations of entrance gates & MRT stations.
Singapore Grand Prix: Entrance Gates & MRT stations
| Grandstand (Zone) | Closest Gate (MRT station) |
|---|---|
| Pit, Marina Pit, Turn 1, Turn 2 & Turn 3 Premier (Zone 1) | Gate 1 (Nicoll Highway or Lavender - shuttle) |
| Gate 2 (Promenade) | |
| Gate 10 (Bayfront) | |
| Esplanade Waterfront (Zone 4) | Gate 6 (Raffles Place) |
| Gate 7 (Esplanade or City Hall) | |
| Padang (Zone 4) | Gate 3 or 4 (City Hall) |
| Gate 5 (Raffles Place) | |
| Stamford (Zone 4) | Gate 3 (City Hall or Esplanade) |
| Connaught (Zone 4) | Gate 5 or 6 (Raffles Place) |
Public Transport in Singapore
- Singapore’s public transport system is clean and efficient, as you would expect. All ticketing for the Singapore MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) is handled by Transitlink. Ticket machines (with an English option) and booths are located at MRT stations. Single tickets cost between $1 – 2.30 SGD depending on the length of the journey and can be recharged for up to six trips in a 30 day period.
- The best bet when you are in town for the Grand Prix is to purchase a Singapore Tourist Pass which provides you with unlimited travel on public transport; the 3-day pass costs $25 SGD (shorter validity passes are also available, but may require a $10 deposit). Get the pass from major Transitlink offices, including the one at the Changi airport train station at Terminal 2.
- Your other option is to purchase an EZ-Link or NETS Flashplay card, which cost from $12 SGD ($5 is a deposit, the balance is usable credit). The cards can be purchased at Transitlink offices and in 7Eleven convenience stores. Don’t forget you need to tap the ticket reader on boarding and on leaving your train/bus so that the correct fare will be calculated and deducted – otherwise you will be charged the full fare. The cards can be topped up via ticket machines in MRT stations and at Transitlink offices.
Singapore Airport to the City
- The fastest way to get from the airport to the city is take a taxi. The trip to the city center should take around 30 minutes and cost $20-40 SGD depending on the time of day and traffic (an airport surcharge of $3-5 is added to the fare).
- Taking the metro (MRT): Go downstairs from the arrivals hall in Terminal 2 to the MRT station and take the train to either Expo (Downtown line) or Tanah Merah (East West line), where you can connect with trains heading to different parts of the city.
- Bus number 36 goes from the Terminals 1, 2 and 3 to the city center. Most downtown hotels also offer an Airport Shuttle Bus, which costs around $10 SGD but can take a while if you are one of the last to be dropped off. More information on the Changi Airport website.
Singapore Taxis
- More than 25 000 taxis ply the roads in Singapore. All taxis are metered and can be hailed from the street or by phone.
- The flag fare is between $3-4 SGD and most short trips around the city centre should cost no more than $10-20 SGD, but be aware of surcharges which increase the fare (by 25% during morning and evening peak hour and by a hefty 50% between midnight-6am.)
- The cars are air-conditioned and the vast majority of taxi drivers are honest. SMRT runs a large taxi fleet; tel 6555 8888.
Hi Mate,
thanks for this,
I am coming into singapore for only 1 night and this has been an amazing piece of information.
Good to hear you hail from Adelaide.
On the world stage. Good on you Andrew
Rob
Cheers Rob, one day at the Singapore GP is better than no days! Enjoy
This Guide is so useful, for me Thanks! Your a legend and got probably one of the best jobs on the planet
Cheers Dave, I wish it was my day job!
I am flying out of Singapore Monday 17th at 2am.
What’s my chances of seeing some of the race and getting to the airport?!
I think you should be fine. The race finishes around 10pm, and it should only be around 30 mins to the airport with taxi (bit longer using MRT).
Hi Andrew,
Can we get to the Connaught grandstand if we enter from gate 3A or 3B? It looks like there is a bridge at turn 9 and an underpass at turn 8. Is that right?
Thank you, Rowena.
Correct! Check the interactive map for 2018 here.
From Changi Airport – One can alight at Expo MRT ( enroute to Tanah Merah) and take the blue line as well. This line hs been operations since quite some time now v- which takes you downtown and to the north west ( closer to the singapore zoo).
Thanks for the info Krishna, I’ve updated the text
Hi Andrew,
sorry I forgot to thank you for a perfect deal and handling of all our questions about the Singapore GP. Our tickets arrived well in time, and we are soooooooo looking forward to the race weekend.
Many greetings from Germany.
Thanks again.
Walther+Karen
Thanks Walther, I’m looking forward to the race as well. It will be my third time in a row!
HI. You said that for Bay Grandstand, the MRT stops are city hall or esplanade. But according to google there’s a closer station, The Float, which is exactly at the bay grandstand. Is it not available to use during race weekend?
Oh never mind. it was a bus stop, not an MRT station.
No worries :)
How slow it usually is getting out of track at Singapore gp? Flight is around 02:30 and I’d wish to see part of Green day that starts to perform at 22:25. Probably best bet to get to the Changi airport by MRT then but how congested have those MRT-stations been during GP? (Probably going from City Hall station.) Ofcourse taxi also option but probably faster try to get in the train.
I think you will be fine. There’s probably more congestion straight after the race ends as not everyone wants to go to the concerts. I also think you will be fine with the MRT, but taxis are always a good back up.
Hi
A couple of silly questions, but what time does the race actually start (Singapore time)? And how long before the race starts should I actually arrive at the track?
You have the full schedule here in our Trackside post. The race starts at 8pm. Up to you when you arrive, but I think gates open from about 2pm.
Hi Andrew, I’ve a Bay Grandstand (light blue section) ticket for Race Day.
a) How early should one reach for the race? There were long waiting periods for some European races, though I guess organisation in Singapore would probably be better..
b) My ticket allows access for only zones 3 & 4, but is that true for when the race ends as well? The Promenade MRT station is the nearest one from where I’m sitting, but it’s in Zone 2. So, can I access the station after the race ends?
c) Is there availability of cabs at the end of race? If yes, which area nearest to the Bay Grandstand can I expect to get cabs?
Lots of queries but would really appreciate your response. Thanks.
Hi Sachin,
a) The race starts at 8pm. If you want to see the support races, then you should get there early, gates open at 2:30pm. Otherwise, you don’t need to arrive until like 5-6pm for a good experience.
b) I think you will be fine to access the Promenade MRT station after the race. You can even walk on the track to get there if you want
c) Please see the public transport guide for the race, which has locations of taxi ranks. It could be difficult to get a taxi right after the race, but if you wait 1-2 hours I think it will be better.
Thanks for this! I’ve purchased Padang Stage ticket entrance because I only want to see Green Day & this helped me in figuring out which MRT should I go to. But I’m still wondering whether the ticket that I’ve purchased will allow me to get to the very front of the stage or not. Hopefully!!!
Yes, if you only want to see Green Day and don’t care about the race, you can get there early and reserve a spot close to the stage.
Hi Andrew, thank you so much for sharing these information with us. I will be flying from Jakarta, Indonesia to see Green Day and will fly directly home after (will not be staying the night). I will be traveling to the venue from Changi Airport and return right after. Hopefully I will be able to catch the last 1 AM MRT like you mentioned above.
A few questions:
– Can I book MRT Return Trip from Changi? What kind of payment would you recommend – should I prepare cash for the ticket machine or do they have contactless? I have contactless card that were able to be used for London’s Underground & wondering if I can use them?
– Will a Zone 4 Entrance Ticket allow me to get to the very front of the stage? I am a huge fan of Green Day and they’re my sole reason for me attending F1
– If I return to Changi directly after (at around midnight), will I be able to sleep at Changi (my flight is at 9 the next day) or will I get any trouble? (Not sure if there’s any prohibition but I wouldn’t mind spending the night in Changi enjoying its features)
Thank you so much!
Hi Esme,
1. Yes, you can buy return tickets for the MRT, also daily tickets are available. You will be able to pay with debit/cred card in the machines. (You won’t be able to use the contactless card from London)
2. Yes, you will be able to get close to the stage if you go early and reserve your spot
3. I think it won’t be a problem to find somewhere quiet inside Changi airport to sleep for a few hours.
Andrew
Hello Andrew,
I wanted to reach out and express my admiration for your forums. I followed your advice last year for the Japanese GP and now I’m venturing to the Singapore GP this year for the first time. I’ve gone through previous years’ questions, and your responses have been very clear. I just want to confirm once again and get your experienced opinion.
My flight from Singapore (SIN) departs at 3:30 am on Monday early morning. I noticed that the race will start at 8 pm, with the concert ideally starting at 10:25 pm. Do you think I will have enough time to attend the concert and getting to the airport safely on time? I’m concerned about potential delays in the race start due to rain or red flags, which could extend the race time (not more than 3 hours, I assume).
Additionally, I’d like to know how congested it gets after the race. Will it be easy to catch the MRT around midnight and reach the airport safely within one hour? Alternatively, would taking a taxi be a safer option?
Thank you in advance for your help and guidance.
Best regards,
Luis Mario
Thank you for the kind comments! I think the departure time will give you enough time to enjoy the race and concerts before getting to the airport safely. Of course, you will hope there are no delays to the race like in 2022. I would ask one question – what about your luggage? where will you leave that, as you cannot take large bags or suitcases into the circuit. Allow time to collect your bags, not sure where you are staying. Yes, it can get very busy after the race, but I think the MRT will still be the best/quickest way to get to the airport. Be aware that it can be difficult to get a taxi if you are leaving the area when the concerts are finishing. You could pre-book a taxi to leave from your hotel, for example (if you have stored your bags there). One other point; make sure you check in for your flight online ahead of time, this will make things quicker at the airport and you just have to be there around 1-2 hours before your flight, before the bag check closes. Hope this helps!
Grab is a good alternative if you can’t hail a cab
Singapore is such a great place to visit you should stay there for a week for sure. There are so many great places to eat you will not run out quickly. Personally at night I liked hanging out on Clarke Quay which can get pretty busy but being by the river it seems a little cooler than some other places.