Day trips

Singapore has three easy ways off the island for a day. Batam is the nearest by ferry from HarbourFront, with seafood and spas at the other end. Bintan is about 70 minutes from Tanah Merah and is where you go for the beach. Johor Bahru (JB to everyone here) sits across the Causeway from Woodlands and makes a food trip with outlet malls on the side. All three mean immigration, so bring your physical passport; a digital copy won't get you through. We'd save them for a longer trip, because a first 48 hours is better spent on the island.

Batam is the quick one. Ferries leave HarbourFront Ferry Terminal, in the Singapore Cruise Centre building, and Batam Fast's boats to Batam Centre start at 7.40am and carry on into the evening. A few sailings on the Batam Fast timetable are run by Sindo, some Batam Fast trips leave from Tanah Merah instead, and Gold Coast sailings are suspended, so check the day's timetable rather than an old screenshot. Sindo Ferry and Majestic Fast Ferry sell their own tickets and timetables from the same terminal. Batam is cheap and a little chaotic, and the day is best taken slowly. Clear immigration, find seafood by the harbour, book a massage, and keep an eye on the time for the boat back.

Bintan takes longer and pays you back with a beach. Bintan Resort Ferries sail from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, a taxi ride from Expo MRT and a separate place from Changi Airport, Changi Village and Jewel. An economy adult ticket costs S$62 one-way or S$100 return, and S$110 return at peak times. A resort day pass at Bandar Bentan Telani or Lagoi usually bundles in lunch, and you pay for it on top of the ferry.

Johor Bahru is the one you can reach by train. The KTM Shuttle Tebrau leaves from Woodlands Train Checkpoint, a separate building from Woodlands MRT, and costs S$5 from Singapore to JB. The ride takes about five minutes, and immigration is where the time goes. Book on KTMB's website, where tickets typically go on sale 30 days ahead. Buses and cars cross at Woodlands Checkpoint on the Causeway, or at Tuas Checkpoint on the Second Link. The RTS Link, a five-minute train from Woodlands North to Bukit Chagar, hasn't opened yet, so plan around the shuttle and the checkpoints for now.

Where to eat

• Seafood by the harbour, Batam: the usual day-trip lunch once you've cleared immigration, eaten early enough to make the boat back
• Resort lunch, Bandar Bentan Telani or Lagoi, Bintan: usually bundled into a resort day pass, which you pay for on top of the S$100 ferry return
• Johor Bahru: a food trip, so go hungry, and head back to Woodlands or Tuas before the Sunday-night queue builds