Singapore layover guide for crew

Hawker centres, coffee and a gym that crew recommend in Singapore, plus Changi to city options, the strict local laws, tap water and emergency numbers.

Singapore is compact, and the airport is on the east side of the island. The crew pins fall into three groups: the central area around Raffles Quay, Club Street and Waterloo Street, the south around HarbourFront, and a large cluster in the east along Joo Chiat Road and East Coast Road.

Food, early and late

For late food, crew tag two places. Satay Street at Lau Pa Sat, at 18 Raffles Quay, carries a late-night tag and a quick-bite tag. Sin Hoi Sai Eating House on East Coast Road carries a late-night tag as well. Crew pinned Maxwell Food Centre on Kadayanallur Street as a quick bite and The Coconut Club on Beach Road as a sit-down meal.

For breakfast, crew tag Two Men Bagel House at 465 Joo Chiat Road. Our guide to late-night food after a late arrival covers the hours when the stalls have closed, and our guide to eating when your body clock is off covers what to order when your stomach and the clock disagree.

Coffee

Crew pinned Common Man Coffee Roasters at 185 Joo Chiat Road for breakfast. Kurasu Singapore is at 261 Waterloo Street, Maxi Coffee Bar is at 64 Club Street, and Round Boy Roasters is on Jalan Bukit Merah near HarbourFront.

A walk or something to do

Crew pinned New Bahru on Kim Yam Road for shopping. Smartraveller says petty theft and pickpocketing can happen at the airport, in tourist areas and on public transport, so safeguard your belongings.

Gym and wellbeing

Crew pinned The Gym on East Coast Road in Marine Parade. Our guide to staying active on a layover has ideas for a workout with no gym.

Getting around and staying safe

From the airport. Changi's own page says to take the MRT from Changi Airport station to Tanah Merah, then change to the East West Line towards the city, or go to Expo and change to the Downtown Line. Most public bus and MRT services stop overnight, and taxis and private hire cars stay available 24 hours a day from all terminals. The airport says a taxi ride to the city takes about 30 minutes, all fares are metered, and midnight and peak-hour surcharges apply. Grab, Gojek and other private hire apps pick up at the ride-hailing points at Terminals 1 to 4.

Vapes. Smartraveller says possessing or importing vapes is illegal in Singapore, even in transit or for your own use. Leave them at home.

Drinking. Smartraveller says it is illegal to drink in a Liquor Control Zone or in public between 10.30 pm and 7 am.

Medicine. Smartraveller says bringing personal medication into Singapore may need approval, including when you transit. Check with the Health Sciences Authority before you travel, and see our crew medicine kit guide.

Scams. Smartraveller warns of callers and texts pretending to be government officials, banks or telecommunications companies. Hang up and call the official number. Our guide to common scams in Southeast Asia lists the others.

Tap water. Singapore's national water agency, PUB, says tap water is suitable for drinking straight from the tap without further filtration. See our tap water guide.

Emergency. Call police on 999, or 995 for an ambulance or the fire service. Our guide to emergency numbers for crew cities lists the rest.

Find more on the map

All the spots crew recommend in Singapore are on the On Chocks map. Filter by open now to see what is serving while you are up.

On Chocks is in free beta on TestFlight, or you can get one email when it's on the App Store.