Day trips

Singapore is a city-state with three easy exits: Batam (about 45 minutes from HarbourFront, seafood and spas), Bintan (a beach that feels like a different country, about 70 minutes from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal), and Johor Bahru (the causeway, the food, the outlets).

All three need a physical passport. Batam ferries leave the HarbourFront Ferry Terminal at 5 HarbourFront Avenue — the new Singapore Cruise Centre building from July 2026, about 70 metres from the old HarbourFront Centre counters (Sindo Ferry counter #01-11 from 15 July; Batam Fast check-in is #01-07 from 7 July, batamfast.com). Batam Fast's HarbourFront–Batam Centre board (with effect from 17 September 2026) still starts 7.40am and runs into the evening; some labelled trips are Sindo, and Gold Coast sailings remain suspended — read the day's table, not a screenshot. Bintan Resort Ferries leave Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal at 50 Tanah Merah Ferry Road: Monday–Thursday first boat 8.10am, last 5pm Singapore time; Friday–Saturday add a 9.10am outbound; Sunday adds afternoon boats (brf.com.sg). About 1 hour 10 minutes; Bintan is GMT+7, one hour behind. Check-in 90 minutes before departure; the counter closes 40 minutes before. Official economy adult from 12 March 2026: one-way S$62, round-trip regular S$100, peak S$110 (brf.com.sg). September–October Getaway Perks from S$90/pax are a promo on the same board, not the regular fare. Passport valid six months (BRF: 186 days). Not Changi Airport, not Changi Village, not Jewel. JB is Woodlands Checkpoint, Tuas Checkpoint, or the KTM Shuttle Tebrau from Woodlands Train Checkpoint (not Woodlands MRT NS9 — different building). Official fare is S$5 Singapore to JB; book on shuttleonline.ktmb.com.my, tickets typically release 30 days ahead. The train itself is about five minutes; immigration is the wait. The Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link is the future five-minute LRT from Woodlands North (TE1) to Bukit Chagar. LTA announced Woodlands North station complete on 4 September 2026 (Straits Times). LTA's project page still lists a late-2026 passenger-service target; Straits Times the same day reported LTA keeping operations on track for 2027. Fares and the launch date are a joint announcement, not a ticket you can buy this week. Do not turn up at Woodlands North expecting a train. Shuttle Tebrau and the causeway still run.

Do this on a trip longer than four days. A first-timer's 48 hours should stay on the island.

Where to eat

• Batam: eat after immigration, not before the last ferry. Seafood at the harbour is the usual day-trip plate — do not count on a named stall from a 2019 blog
• Bintan: resort lunch is usually bundled into a day pass at Bandar Bentan Telani / Lagoi. The 5pm Singapore-time last weekday BRF is the constraint, not dessert. Economy adult return is S$100 regular (brf.com.sg) — that is the ferry, not the day pass
• JB is a food trip — go hungry, and be back at Woodlands or Tuas before the Sunday-night queue