Friday 9 September 2016

top trips on travelling in singapore.

Singapore is largely under the ground. it may not look like it when you first arrive but it is like an iceberg 5/6ths underground. (I cant remember how much of an iceberg is submerged , 2/3rds ?) its irrelevant anyway. Singapore is underground. They have malls going down 8 floors. This is important to know because ...



you often cannot cross the street in Singapore, you are physically prevented from doing so. You have to use an underpass. DONT think this is an underpass as in England down one ramp and up the other. when you go down an underpass in Singapore you enter a city. The steps all lead to shopping malls and they are all up to 8 floors deep. Don't think well ok but I just need to go up steps opposite, there are none. imagine going into a large mall in England and trying to find another exit. that's the way Singapore is. You easily get disorientated.

When you can cross at street level don't think when the light is green you are safe , cars turning right do so on red . they thread between pedestrians.

and my top tip is

Use the MRT to get around. Taxis have become disappointingly expensive, buses don't give change and though drivers are helpful they are driving. In Parts of Singapore the down road and the up road are barely in the same country so if you think all you have to do to get the bus back is cross the road think again. The MRT on the other hand is simplicity itself. It is the underground. Get a map from passenger information . Look for where you want to go. note the colour of the line and its name if you must and your done. all the stations are in the malls (Singapore is buried remember). You get a ticket from the machine. its a tap screen. tap the map , tap the station name , tap the number of passengers, tap return  and put the money in the slot. the upline is on one side of the platform and the downline on the other. if you have to change you just have to know the second colour and follow the arrows.

When you find the place you want to go on the map  follow the line to the terminus because the lines always have the terminus name so if you going from orchard to dhoby ghuat follow the line and find it finishes at marina south pier .

The platforms are all sealed. above the doors are destination boards so you want the line terminating at marina south pier. When you come back track the line in the opposite direction and it ends at Jurong east so stand on the side of the platform  where jurong east is the last destination.

all stations are announced in the train and there is a sign blazer in the train (even I couldn't get lost)

Ticket offices don't sell tickets or hand out maps.

Passenger services hand out maps but don't sell tickets.

lastly buy a railcard from the ticket office and use that to flash through the barriers. it deducts cost each time. top it up at the ticket office and if you don't use it all don't despair they give refunds

All this will save you endless hassle believe me..


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