How to catch the train to Changi Airport (costs included)
I often recommend to visitors to Singapore to catch the train back to Changi Airport when they leave the city. It’s air conditioned, relatively fast, never gets stuck in traffic, and is significantly cheaper than taking a taxi (train rides are less than S$2.50!).
My name’s Chris and I put together this guide on how to take the train to Changi Airport to help any visitor to Singapore in a similar situation.
Step 1: Plan your route
The airport MRT station is helpfully called Changi Airport. Changi Airport MRT station connects to Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3 at Changi Airport. It also connects to Jewel.
Terminal 4 is served by a shuttle bus from Terminal 2. The shuttle bus service is free, the journey takes about 10 minutes, and it arrives every 10-20 minutes (day and evening) and every 30 minutes (midnight to 6am).
There are 2 lines that connect to the Changi Airport MRT service:
- East West Line (green), with an interchange at Tanah Merah MRT station
- Downtown Line (blue), with an interchange at Expo MRT station
The East West Line serves popular hotel areas such as the CBD, Tanjong Pagar, and Paya Lebar. It is also easy to get to the East West Line if you are coming from Sentosa, Maxwell, or Orchard.
Catch the train towards Pasir Ris, and then change at Tanah Merah station from the East West Line to access the airport.
The Downtown Line serves popular hotel areas such as Chinatown, Bencoolen and Little India. Be careful when catching the train from Little India as you want to use Jalan Besar or Bendemeer MRT stations (avoid Little India and Rochor MRT stations if travelling to the airport - the journey is much longer).
Catch the train towards Expo, and then change at Expo station if using the Downtown Line to access the airport.
I put together the table below outlining the typical journeys I see visitors take when they are catching the train to the airport:
| Location (origin) | Route (to Changi) |
|---|---|
| Orchard | North-South Line towards Marina South, change at City Hall for East-West Line towards Pasir Ris |
| Tanjong Pagar and CBD | Catch the East-West Line from Tanjong Pagar or Raffles Place |
| Sentosa | North-East Line to Outram Park, change for East-West Line towards Pasir Ris |
| Bugis | Catch the East-West Line from Bugis station |
| Suntec | Circle Line (Promenade station) to Paya Lebar, change for the East-West Line towards Pasir Ris |
| Chinatown | Downtown Line from Chinatown to Expo |
| Bencoolen | Downtown Line from Bencoolen to Expo |
| Little India | Downtown Line from Jalan Besar or Bendemeer to Expo (avoid Little India and Rochor) |
Remember to change for the Changi Airport line at Tanah Merah (if taking East-West Line) or Expo (if taking Downtown Line).
Step 2: Calculate the fare
MRT fares in Singapore are cheap. For the level of service, frequency and cleanliness of the trains, I find the Singapore MRT to be one of the best value train services in the world.
| Location (origin) | Cost (to Changi) |
|---|---|
| Orchard | S$2.10 |
| Tanjong Pagar and CBD | S$2.10 |
| Sentosa* | S$2.18 |
| Bugis | S$2.00 |
| Suntec | S$2.00 |
| Chinatown | S$2.10 |
| Bencoolen | S$2.07 |
| Little India | S$2.04 |
*This is the price from Harbourfront MRT, add S$4 if you’re using the Sentosa Express monorail.
An additional 60 cents will be added to the fares above if you are paying by credit card and this is your first (or only) journey for the day. A daily foreign credit card fee is added for every day you use a non-Singaporean credit or debit card to catch a train or bus in Singapore. I feel this fee is worth it compared to buying an EZ Link card or Singapore Tourist Pass.
If you are using a Singapore Tourist Pass, travel to Changi Airport is included in the unlimited rides feature. I don’t often recommend visitors to Singapore buy a Singapore Tourist Pass, if you’re interested in the maths behind this, check out my full guide here: reachingsingapore.com/is-stp-worth-it
Ticket prices above are the 2024 price.
Step 3: Getting a ticket
By this point in your visit to Singapore, you probably have a ticket already for public transport.
There are three types of ticket that can be used on MRT services in Singapore:
- EZ Link
- Singapore Tourist Pass
- Credit or debit card (issued on the Visa or Mastercard networks)
You do not need a special ticket to catch the airport train. The Changi Airport train is the same as a regular MRT train, and therefore you do not need a special ticket to catch the train.
I recommend most visitors use a credit or debit card as their train ticket. If you want to find out more about how it compares to other methods, check out my complete guide here: reachingsingapore.com/transport-payment-methods
Step 4: Riding the train
Riding the train to the airport is the same as any other MRT journey in Singapore - the tickets are the same and the trains are the same. The general process is:
- Arrive at the station
- Proceed through the ticket barriers
- Proceed to the platform and catch the train
All MRT stations have lift or ramp access available if you’re carrying a bag. At some stations, such as Dhoby Ghaut, the lift might be hidden out of the way.
Look for the wide ticket gates when entering the paid area of the station - these give you a longer amount of time and more space to manoeuvre your bag through the gate.
Lift access is again available after you pass through the ticket barriers.
MRT trains in Singapore are designed to carry a large amount of people over short distances. As such, they aren’t equipped with luggage racks, or even a dedicated space for bags - the airport train is the same as any other MRT train.
Thankfully it’s not a long journey to the airport. I’ve included the typical amount of time that you’ll spend on the train in the table below:
| Location (origin) | Time (to Changi) |
|---|---|
| Orchard | 55 minutes |
| Tanjong Pagar and CBD | 50 minutes |
| Sentosa | 80 minutes |
| Bugis | 40 minutes |
| Suntec | 50 minutes |
| Chinatown | 50 minutes |
| Bencoolen | 50 minutes |
| Little India | 50 minutes |
The times above are approximate based on my experience and Google maps. When planning how early to leave before your flight, please add on another 5-10 minutes to get from the Changi Airport station to the bag drop and check in areas (if you’re departing from T4, add another 20 minutes again).
Remember that you will need to change trains when catching the train to Changi Airport. If you’re using the East West Line, the interchange station is Tanah Merah; if you’re using the Downtown Line, the interchange station is Expo. The journey times above include typical wait time for the next train.
Another word of caution if you are carrying luggage on the MRT is that sometimes security staff like to check your bag. It seems to be random, unless there is a VIP or politically sensitive person around then they might check everyone with an airport-style scanner.
Step 5: Leave the train at Changi Airport
Once your train arrives at Changi Airport, head to the ticket barriers at either end to “tap out” your ticket and finish your journey. If you have a Singapore Tourist Pass or remaining balance on your EZ Link, you can ask for a refund at the ticket office (note the opening hours: 8am to 9pm, 7 days a week).
Lifts are available to help you carry your bag up from the platform level, though most of the time people (myself included) use the escalator.
Changi Airport station connects to the following parts of Changi Airport:
- Terminal 2
- Terminal 3
- Terminal 1
- Jewel
The walk for Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 is shorter as the station directly connects to these terminals. A series of overpasses must be used to get to Terminal 1 and Jewel.
Terminal 4 can be accessed from Changi Airport MRT station using the free shuttle bus service from Terminal 2. Given how long this takes, I recommend adding at least another 20 minutes to your plan if you’re using the MRT to get to Terminal 4.
References and Further Reading
Need more detail on the refund process? Check out the official guides for EZ Link and Singapore Tourist Pass below:
I have a lot more guides written about transport in Singapore, including how to take advantage of the fast and convenient bus, MRT, and taxi services. Check out my guides here:
