notellis16

Hi, sorry for the long post in advance!

So I'm a bit lost..

I am flying CX HK - SIN arriving at 22:55 on Nov 22. Then the next day, Nov 23, I fly SIN - MEL on EK departing 22:25

That gives me a good 20+ hours in Singapore. I would like to spend that time mostly resting but also exploring. Since I arrive late there's not much choice but to rest first.

My questions....

1. Would I be better off staying at an Airbnb/hotel/hostel of sorts from arrival to around lunch time and then explore singapore before going back to airport?

OR

2. Better off staying at the airport and sleeping at the snooze areas/lounges then just explore the airport terminals in the morning?

3. If I do option 1, do I need a visa? If so.. what kind? I am a HK passport and ID holder. I checked online at the sg gov website and am still confused...

4. For option 2, when I collect my luggage how do I go back to transit areas? Am I even able to go back? My 2 flights were booked separately and so I'm guessing I need to collect my check-in luggage from HK right?

5. Am I over complicating things? I feel like i don't know what is/will be going on when I arrive at Changi....

Forgive me and all my questions... I thought that at 20, having flown around almost a hundred times on my own I'd be alright by now. But I've never flown on 2 different airlines on 2 different bookings before....

invisible

Here is one solution:

- Get your visa online (see below)
- book hotel/hostel/airbnb suiting your budget and preferences,
- get out and collect your luggage
- leave your luggage at hold luggage service which are at all terminals and would not cost much
- take with you only minimal amount of stuff allowing you to carry it around
- go to your place where you can rest well enough
- next day, get out, walk/see around/enjoy food/scenery/nature/etc
- go back, arrive around 20:45, get your luggage, check it and go airside

That's it.

You can get your visa online, head here

notellis16

Thank you! Your reply was really helpful and sort of snapped me out of my sudden panic.

notellis16

I may be talking to myself here... but if anyone is actually facing the same "problem" as I am... I just found out that because I hold a HK Passport, I do not need to apply for a visa prior to arrival. However if I only had a HKID and no HK passport, I'd have to apply for it prior.

Also after a few calls to changi and SIN immigration, I found out that I am able to stay airside and simply check in at the transfer desks since I am flying both non-budget airlines, and they will be able to help me sort out my check in baggage and forward that to the next flight...

So option 1 of leaving Changi and returning few hours before check in, as well as option 2 of hanging around airside before next flight for 24 hours has been pretty much solved!

YuropFlyer

I'd definitely go out and explore Singapore.

Since you won't have much time difference on your whole trip, I'd suggest the following:

-Try to have your baggage checked-through all the way to MEL. CX and EK do interline baggage - show the agent in HKG when checking in your second itin and ask to have your bag checked through - will make things easier in SIN. (if they refuse, you can - when just arrived in SIN - get to a transfer desk and ask them to help you with it. ie, have them to re-check your luggage without you actually moving it.. this will cost some time, but still be be better than bringing your luggage with you till next evening..)

Depending on your budget, you might indeed want to overnight in Changi. I strongly discourage you from doing so. Singapore at night is fun.

Anyway, either you sleep at Changi till the morning (or try to sleep.. even their most comfy chairs are nothing compared to a bed) or you go to the city.

If you make it out fast from the airplane (and/or arrive early) you should still be able to get a MRT (same at MTR in HKG) into the city, last train with connection to the city is around 11.30pm. HKG passport holder don't need a Visa, usually immigration is fast. If it's slow, you might miss the train, and have to get a cab. Cabs are fairly cheap (think, 20-25$, before midnight its cheaper than after, LOTS of surcharges)

Depending what kind of person you are, you can either stay at Geylang area (cheap but OK hotel, lots of nightlife, as much red light as one can get in SIN), or more like the city centre (Think party at Clarke Quay area) - or you can also stay somewhere more nearby the airport if you just want to sleep (also fairly cheap hotels) - and just go into the city next day.

Staying at an airport hotel (ie, in the airport) is expensive. Better to avoid with your kind of itin.

For a basic stay at Geylang, think 50-60$/night, nearby city centre area think 100-120$/night (3*, small room) or 140-200$/night (4*, not sooo small room) or for pretty good 3*/4* near the airport, think 80-100$. (all in US-Dollars)

So, depending on your budget and what kind of activity you prefer, you might fall asleep earlier or later during the night.. that said, with recent law changes drinking out has become more expensive, and less fun. Also, carrying open alcohol around some districts (mostly Little India, but it's not such a small zone) is now forbidden, as well as selling alcohol after 10.30pm. And having beer even at Hawker centers is expensive.. (not crazy expensive, but 7S$ per bottle)

Anyway, if you got your luggage checked through, I'd just have a minimum carry-on with you, so next day, you can go and explore some of Singapore during the day. Botanical gardens? Shopping? Zoo? Chinatown? Just try as much Hawker dishes as possible? Plenty of things to do..

Singapore public transport is easy to use, MRT gets you everywhere.. get a ezlink card if you plan on using it more than 2 or 3 times, it can also used at convenience stores etc.

Then, return to the airport about 2 hours before your flight, double-check with EK that your luggage was indeed loaded, and off you go..

shuigao

No need visa. When you arrive just fill in the white card (either distributed by your flight attendant or available at the immigration halls) queue up at the non-resident immigration lines. They'll give you an up-to-30-days social visit pass.

IMO 24 hours staying in the airport will be long and boring. I'd probably overnight at the airport Crowne Plaza, then go visit the city the next day.

notellis16

Ahh! Thank you so much for the very detailed response. I might just do almost exactly what you suggested haha.. except maybe I'll stay with Airbnb instead Again, thanks a bunch! Really helpful

bocastephen

I'd like to tag on this thread with a related question. After arriving SIN at 140AM on United, with little chance of getting out of the airport until 215AM, I am looking at two options:

1. suck it up, take the taxi to my downtown hotel (Sheraton), check-in super late and sleep until noon or I'm refreshed - cost is 6,000 pts and $110 USD

2. is it possible to stay in the airport transit hotel, or is this disallowed as an arriving passenger? Is there another hotel I can stay at at the airport that is inexpensive or has partial day/night rates where I can rest for 6-8 hrs and clean up

3. departing SIN at 7am, I have the same options and costs as above, except I prefer not to wake at 430am and rush to the airport for my flight vs waking at 530-545am and being right at the airport

Any suggestions would be appreciated

YuropFlyer

That's really tricky timing bocastephen.

As you noticed, nicer hotels are expensive in Singapore..

How well rested will you arrive in Singapore? (and how much sleep will you expect to get on the flight Ex-SIN?)

ie, from where and in which class of service you arrive/depart?

Cheapest option - especially if you arrive already rested quite well and expect to be able to rest a bit more on the plane when departing - would be to nap a few hours (airside) on arrival - comfy sleeping areas, then immigrating into SIN, take an MRT train into the city (store luggage at the airport beforehand), having a day in Singapore. If feeling like you need a shower (most probably ), head for any of the public pools - cheapest entry fee in the whole SIN for a shower.

Now, the second night stay airside in SIN will only work IF you can get hold of a boarding pass (online checkin, or already when at your point of origin..).

Otherwise - or if you want a proper bed, you might consider one of the many (relatively, for SIN) cheap hotels nearby the airport. Can be had for about 80S$. Will make the cab ride to the airport in the morning a short one, too. Or just crash into any property in Geylang (red light district, but absolutely OK to stay, 50S$ or so..)

I've had for a while similar unpleasant flying times into/ex SIN, but that was for couple day stays - 6am arrival, 2am departure - usually relied on early-checkin in that case, and just enjoying the evening out till it was time to go to the airport. But your times are really killing any such plan.

shuigao

bocastephen I'd go for the airport transit hotel. s$106 for a 6-hour block.

http://www.harilelahospitality.com/#...ateshtml/c16ei

invisible

Do I understand correctly that you arrive at 1:40AM and leave 7:00AM the same night?

If yes, than the transit hotel is the only option, assuming that you do not go airside and if you do, you have boarding pass for the 7AM flight.

If above is not correct please rewrite your original message so it is more clear.

MSPeconomist

If you don't need to collect a checked bag, you can stay airside in the transit hotel upon arrival. The CP (land side) at the airport is generally very expensive and there aren't many other hotels near the airport.

If one misses the last subway, there's a door-to-door shared van service for about $7. There are booths for this beyond the customs hall exits. In the early morning hours, there's no traffic and you get to see a bit of the city on the way to your hotel (or elsewhere). The vehicles look a bit old, but have AC and are perfectly fine IMO. Sometimes it's faster than waiting in a long line for a taxi.

tentseller

There is a landside short stay sleeping hotel in T3 at Changi.

bocastephen

Sorry, to clarify I am staying 4 days. My inbound arrives at 140A and my outbound 4 days later departs at 7A. I will be flying to SIN from HKG which unlike the NRT flight isn't really enough time to sleep, and I will probably feel like a zombie at that hour. If I could get a cheap but clean and comfortable bed to crash at for a few hours on the way in, I can rest until my requested early check-in at the Sheraton.

On the way out, it looks like the Crowne Plaza is the only reasonable/realistic option to be at the airport for an early morning flight.

invisible

Transit hotel is out of option then.

Not really. If you are OK to go and sleep in windowless room till next morning, there are plenty of sub $100 options available instead of $300 at Crowne Plaza.