Mumsnet Talk

Hello, if you stay in a transport hotel (before immigration and departure) does it mean that you can leave the airport? If yes, anybody suggest a good airport hotel near Singapore changi?

I think you can do a bus tour without actually formally going through immigration but if you want to do your own thing then you do have to enter the country as normal so a transit hotel won't help. How long do you have? The Changi transit hotel is pretty good and there's plenty to do in the airport.

Try the Crowne Plaza in the airport - that's land side so you can head out into the city etc but seconds away from the departure / arrivals hall.

Ditto stay in the airport. And you can go out, you need your passport stamping.

Yes you can leave the airport. We stayed in the one before you go through passport control (as in it's literally in the departure lounge). It was really nice and I wish we could have stayed there longer!

Word of advice though you MUST book in advance online. We were told there can be a 2-3week wait although you might get lucky on the day like we did.

So jealous!!

www.harilelahospitality.com/

Here's the link. You can book in chunks of six hours

Immigration officers were really friendly, there was no queue, we were stamped and onto the metro within about ten minutes! We left our hand luggage at the airport so we weren't laden down when we went into the city. Loved it. Ok I'll go now!!

if you want to stay in the Changi airport transit hotel, it is airside and you cannot theoretically leave the airport - although they MAY do a 'sealed' bus tour when you can have a look at the city without going through immigration.

Changi is a fantastic place - swimming pool, butterfly garden, lots of good food, plenty of lounges and loungers - so it is fine for a long stop. If you do have time to go into the city, though- do it - the MRT will get you there in 30 minutes or so.

Thx so much for replies. mirai, I take it ud liked to come with!?!

Posted too early, am I right in thinking you don't get your luggage to take to hotel? Just hand luggage?

You can leave the airport, as long as you have an ongoing flight in less than 96 hours, see here: www.ica.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=96

^Nationals of the Commonwealth of Independent States*, Georgia, Turkmenistan and Ukraine may be granted entry into Singapore without visas # for a stopover stay, if they are on transit to or from a third country (both forward and return leg applies). However, they are required to fulfill the following conditions:

They are in transit to or from a third country
They hold -
A valid passport
A confirmed onward air-ticket
Entry facilities (including visa) to the third country
Sufficient funds for the period of stay in Singapore
They continue their journey to the third country within the 96-hour visa free period granted^

perma, if you're transiting then you're taking two flights yes? Nine times out of ten when you check in for the first flight then your bags will be checked in all the way to your final destination. So you don't have to pick them up halfway, which is great. This isn't always the case though so be sure to check when you first check in.

We didn't leave the airport as we were there overnight with 2 small, jet-lagged children but our children LOVED Changi. We stayed at the transit hotel and about 20 mins after the plane landed we were splashing around in the roof top pool. They have a lovely butterfly house, fantastic play areas, garden areas plus (I think, we didn't use these) a cinema and gaming room. Hotel was fine. Very convenient and quiet. The children talk about how wonderful the airport was all of the time. We are transiting through the region again this year and would have paid a little more for flights going through Changi if the flight times had worked (which sadly they didn't). Children looked when I broke it to them that the airport we're going to doesn't have a butterfly house!