1 h 50 min... Enough time to explore outside of Changi Airport?

[SFO]

I have a 1 hr 50 min layover in Singapore during the day. Is there time to take a quick tour outside of the airport?

[yflyer]

I have a 1 hr 50 min layover in Singapore during the day. Is there time to take a quick tour outside of the airport?

Hi, SFO, no, it would not make sense to leave the airside area for such a short layover. Since you need to be at your gate 30-40 min before your next flight, at most you have one hour plus landside, and it takes 15-20 min to get to the city. Suggest spending your time within the Changi airport airside area itself...quite a lot for you to do there (shopping, eating etc...).

On the other hand, if you can engineer a 4 hour layover, you could have a perfectly good outing to the city for a look around before heading back to your flight!

[Sethor]

They normally won't let you out of airside area unless your connecting flight is 5+ hours away, but there would be ways getting around this.

[SQGamespeed]

Speaking of 5+ hours layovers, a Free Singapore Tour is available from T2 and T3.

[yflyer]

They normally won't let you out of airside area unless your connecting flight is 5+ hours away, but there would be ways getting around this.

Interesting...never knew of this constraint.

As a Singapore resident, I've not encountered this. On rare occasions where I am in transit at Changi, I've left the airside area even though my next flight was 2+ hours away...

I've checked the FAQ at http://www.changiairport.com/in-transit/faq

It states:

"WILL I BE ABLE TO ENTER SINGAPORE DURING MY TRANSIT AT CHANGI AIRPORT?
Yes, you are allowed to enter Singapore during your transit as long as you have the valid travel documents (passport, visa etc). Passengers are advised to find out the transfer details from their airline(s) before embarking on their journeys. Most passengers who are arriving on a budget airline or connecting to a budget airline are required to seek immigration clearance and obtain their onward boarding passes in the respective Departure Check-in Hall. You may visit the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website for further information on entry requirements into Singapore."

No mention of a 5 hour minimum transit period.

If you want to take the free city tour offered by Changi Airport during transit, then you need to have a minimum 5 hour layover, but that looks to be different from whether or not visitors are allowed to enter Singapore during transit (any duration) as long as you have valid travel documents.

[MAN Flyer]

I have a 1 hr 50 min layover in Singapore during the day. Is there time to take a quick tour outside of the airport?

You could go landside but there really is nothing worth the effort to do so with such a timescale.

Hi, SFOSince you need to be at your gate 30-40 min before your next flight

Why on earth would you need, or even want, to be at the gate so long before the flight ?. The only time I have been at the gate at Changi so early is for inaugural flights and SQ747 to HKG. I get to the gate 15-20 minutes before departure, which is plenty of time.

They normally won't let you out of airside area unless your connecting flight is 5+ hours away

No idea where you've got that idea from but I can assure you it's not true. I've been landside many times with much shorter connections, including a couple of times this year. If you want to go landside, and your passport/visa allows, you are free to do so. If you miss your flight by doing so that's your hard luck.

[yflyer]

Why on earth would you need, or even want, to be at the gate so long before the flight ?. The only time I have been at the gate at Changi so early is for inaugural flights and SQ747 to HKG. I get to the gate 15-20 minutes before departure, which is plenty of time.

OK point noted. If you know where your gate is, then 15-20 min is more than sufficient.

That said, as a matter of personal preference, when flying Y, I try to get to the gate 30 or even 45 min before scheduled departure time, simply to ensure that I get to board the plane early, and find a spot to stow my carryon if the flight is full, rather than being stuck behind a whole bunch of people, and finding myself onboard with all the overhead bins full.

Also, sometimes the gates can be quite far from immigration, and for those not familiar with Changi, it always pays to add a few minutes buffer time, as the gate may be further away than you think...

[Kyo]

The only time I've had to do this was to dump beachwear and a snorkel set from the Maldives at home before grabbing my winter luggage for Europe. And I live 10 mins from the airport...

...and then my flight was delayed for 4 hours, so they put us up at the Crowne Plaza, of all places.

[SQ22]

...and then my flight was delayed for 4 hours, so they put us up at the Crowne Plaza, of all places.

That was a good one!

[MSPeconomist]

They normally won't let you out of airside area unless your connecting flight is 5+ hours away, but there would be ways getting around this.

How do they know? You just go through immigration as if Singapore were your destination.

[Sethor]

I got denied entry into Singapore with about 3-4 hours to my connecting flight earlier this year, but this immigration officer could have been informed incorrectly about this.

[MSPeconomist]

I got denied entry into Singapore with about 3-4 hours to my connecting flight earlier this year, but this immigration officer could have been informed incorrectly about this.

How did the immigration officer know how much time you had or even that you were just in transit?

[yflyer]

How did the immigration officer know how much time you had or even that you were just in transit?

When I am clearing immigration overseas, a very common question I get from the immigration officer is "What is your purpose of visit? How long will your trip be?", which are legit questions for them to ask.

If I recall correctly, the Singapore arrival card for non-residents also asks for address in Singapore (Can anyone confirm? I'm a resident so I've not had to fill one up myself.)

[MSPeconomist]

When I am clearing immigration overseas, a very common question I get from the immigration officer is "What is your purpose of visit? How long will your trip be?", which are legit questions for them to ask.

If I recall correctly, the Singapore arrival card for non-residents also asks for address in Singapore (Can anyone confirm? I'm a resident so I've not had to fill one up myself.)

One day. Tourism.

I guess it gets harder if you're asked to give the address of the hotel where you'll be staying overnight, but if just a hotel or address is requested, does going for drinks or a meal in a hotel count?

BTW, when hotel is asked on landing cards, I always wonder what happens to someone who prefers not to book in advance. Aren't you allowed to go to an area with some hotels, look around, and then ask about room rates at a place that looks appealing to you? In some places like China, negotiating this way could result in much lower rates.

[Pinkfloyd]

BTW, when hotel is asked on landing cards, I always wonder what happens to someone who prefers not to book in advance. Aren't you allowed to go to an area with some hotels, look around, and then ask about room rates at a place that looks appealing to you? In some places like China, negotiating this way could result in much lower rates.

Probably easier just to write the address of some known hotel regardless if a booking has been done. In the case of China, you would need to include the address of the hotel on the visa application form (assuming that you need a visa that is), so again better just to fake it.