I love driving. I've rented a car for my 4 day stay.

If I was inclined to drive, I wanted to know if there was anything I should watch for when driving in Singapore. Traffic pattern differences I should be aware of, etc.?

How is the parking? I was told there are tolls everywhere; how is that collected?

Thanks!

I don't know your circumstances, but that seems like a very odd choice. Public transport is efficient, taxis are typically plentiful and you don't have to contend with parking.

Much of the US is built in such a way that you can't cope without a car. Singapore couldn't be more different!

I agree with Swiss Tony about the ubiquity of public transportation and availability of taxis. Renting a car and driving in Singapore is expensive and really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If you want to drive and get a "different" experience, try Turkey or Portugal (admittedly neither are in SE Asia).

Just another illustration...

My understanding is that Seattle thinks it has a good public transport system. Compared to other US cities i've visited, yes. Compared to Singapore it looks utterly amateur! That's in no way me dissing Seattle, just the fact that Singapore has nailed it in comparison!

Gosh, to echo what the others have pointed out, why would you do this? Public transport (subway, buses, cabs) are very efficient.

However, to address some of your questions about driving in singapore
- drives on the "other side" of the road, driver sits on the right side of the car, slow lane is to the left.
- generally law abiding, obey all signals (red, amber, green), sticks to the lane markings on the road
- streets can be congested, spacing very tight between cars, tailgate ... but compared to NYC, probably on par so no surprise to you
- parking spaces are definitely smaller
- speed limited enforced by cameras and radar ...

Road tolls are collected by the ERP system which works with a prepaid card inserted into a reader that is installed in every car in the country. Also used for parking charges at virtually every parking garage in the country. Same prepaid card can also be used for subway rides, bus rides, etc.

I suspect that Singapore has strict DUI laws.

No different from most of the world. Enforcement tends to occur weekend nights around the major nightspots.

I think there is a "dial-a-driver" service where you can get a driver to drive you and your car back to where you live.

I'll try and answer your questions directly. Note though that although I live in Singapore (and have for years) I haven't driven here in a long time (I let my Singapore driving license lapse and haven't bothered to requalify). (Oddly enough, I just renewed my New York State drivers license, so go figure.)

You have the usual issues having to do with driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. This goes without saying; btw the highway signage here follows UK standard, thus motorway signs (ie 'Interstate' equivalent) are white letters on a blue background, while street signs actually follow the US Interstate white letters on green. However one of the odd issues here is a tendency for local drivers to 'road hog'; folks here not terribly courteous in this sense and in fact can be mean if you try to pass them. As an example, if you hit your turn signal to pass, you might get a situation where the other driver might speed up to block your passing maneuver. The other issue with drivers is that the lane discipline can be pretty bad. If you don't believe me, watch the drivers on the PIE or ECP going towards Changi Airport; they can weave inside their lane, and sometime out of it. There's also the issues having to do with big prime movers (semi's) being in the fast lane (extreme right) but we have that in the US too.

Legal things: no right turn (actually left turn) on red. Also, no U-Turns unless specifically marked as ok (so no New York City type maneuvers). Note too that the period that the yellow light stays on before it turns red can be incredibly short; you might end up running a red light this way and get caught by a red light camera. Last but not least there are speed cameras on certain roads and highways. You'll know when you've hit one when all of a sudden the traffic slows down and then speeds up for what seems like no reason at all. There's one on the ECP going towards Changi Airport around Tanjong Rhu, and another on Napier/Holland Road - this I remember because it's not too far from the US Embassy.

On tolls, essentially Singapore charges a toll on a congestion model for traffic going into the CBD. It's known locally as the ERP (electronic road pricing) charge. So you would see gantries on main roads that would collect tolls similar to how it's done on an Ez-Pass. The difference though is that the toll collection is off a stored value card that fits into a reader that on private automobiles would be in the corner of the windshield in the right corner of the windshield. You have to watch the value stored on that card; the reader will tell you how much money is left. If it runs out of money the car (ultimately you) gets a penalty fee on top of the ERP charge. The other issue is that the charge is variable based on the time of day, location and probable congestion levels. So if you go through different gantries (ie going in and out of the CBD) you will get charged each time if that particular gantry is actively collecting tolls at that time.

On parking, there are two systems. One is that you pay using these prepaid chits (parking coupons - buy at 7-11) that you validate by tearing little punchout pieces of paper signifying when you parked and leaving that on the dashboard. The other is that the parking structure uses the ERP gadget to deduct off the prepaid card inserted into it. Overall parking can be tough; there's an awful lot of cars here and garage parking can be expensive especially in the CBD. And yes, the traffic wardens are every bit as ubiquitous here as meter maids are in Manhattan.

One last thought that you didn't ask but which I will volunteer. Be aware that if you are planning to drive into Malaysia you need to tell the rental agency. If they allow you to do it they will likely charge a higher rate for you to take the car out. Me - I wouldn't do it because there have been crime issues there with Singapore registered cars, and also because the locals there drive can drive fairly aggressively.

BTW - welcome to Flyertalk!

Singapore driver's license doesn't expire.

Tolls are expensive and can add up unless you know what time they stop operating (non-peak hours usually). There are too many cars and too small a country to make it work as well as it should. Drivers are not very good at what they should be doing and are pretty rude.

Parking in Singapore is a horrible experience. I don't drive but my friend does, and usually even if going into town takes almost an hour for me and a 15 minutes drive for her (she lives closer to town), I'll usually arrive first. Why? Parking sucks. And it's expensive.

I have a million and one complaints about the local public transport but never have I been tempted to purchase a car (other than all reasons above, also very very very expensive).

Especially for tourist attractions, sufficient signage and maps are available to get you safely/quickly from point A to B. Plus almost everyone speaks English sufficiently well to be able to point you in the right direction. Singaporeans don't look that friendly, but ask and you shall receive (somewhat).

I love Singapore but I'd never wish driving here on anyone because it is hell IMO (exaggerated but not really).

Yes, it used to. They changed it about 5 or 6 years ago to the newer ones that don't expire.

If I were driving in Sinagpore, I would probably visit the East Coast Parkway beach area. I spent some time there when I was young and it is not easily reached without taking a combination of MRT and busses.

Aside from that, you will probably spend some time in car parks if shopping on Orchard Road. However, sights like the Singapore Zoo and other far out things are easier to get to with a car.

Thanks for the answers.

I ended up not driving as everyone suggested. Yes, the MRT is very convenient, though not as good as a car would have been for hauling around a tripod and everything.

Just get a small trolley bag for your tripod and gears.

Driving in SIN is too stressful. You need to understand the coupon system to park along the streets and parking inside shopping malls etc are very expensive. There are just too many rules to remember.