The hotel inside Singapore airport - anhyone been?

[mckenzie]

The DCs and I will be staying there next week en route to Australia.

Any tips please? Do I need to take towels/toiletries or could I make do with what is in the room?

TIA

Thanks. 7 weeks to go. Wish I could get more sleep now!

I'm positive you can get luggage checked through to Melbourne when you check in in the UK.

When you get to singapore, go to the transfer counter to confirm and get boarding passes for next day (and put your mind at rest).
You will not have to worry about checked in luggage until arrival in Melbourne. All you keep is your hand luggage.

I've done it before living here. Even on a single afternoon stopover from malaysia or thailand to the UK.

Thanks for your recommendations. The night safari does sound good.

I'm planning to take sterling and exchange there as I've been told the rates are better. Do you agree and would you recommend certain places to exchange?

I would agree yes and any money changer should be fine- they never vary much at all

hi Slim22, another question please.

If I decide to NOT check my baggage all the way through to Melboure, will there be somewhere for me to store it at the airport rather than dragging it all the way to the hotel?
Also, do you by any chance know the opening hours of the zoo? No worries if not, I;m sure I'l find it on the internet.

My travel agent has made some enquiries with the airline and I'm going to have Meet and Assist so it should make it easier (I hope) when we land.

hi just saw this. Busy busy.
Have to run now, will check for you and post tomorrow first thing.
When are you coming?

thanks very much Slim. we leave here friday 4th but not til after early afternoon.

Hey,

Sorry for late reply. Was DS B-day this weekend. I overdid it and ended up in bed with braxton hicks and awful backache.

Anyway, all is well, the sun is shinning and we're going for a swim now!

There is a left luggage desk in every terminal. It is very common to be on a full day stopover here and they sort of like to encourage tourism.
Check out the changi airport website. Go to airport guide then transit then FAQs.
You'll find all the info there.

I still think you better check the bulk of it and just keep an overnight bag to leave in the airport during your day out.
Much less hassle in my experience.
The London - singapore - Australia route is a classic well established itinerary. I expect there is hardly ever any problem with luggage. So many people do the stop overs, I can't imagine the logistics if everyone had to recheck luggage in Singapore.

The Zoo is 9 or 10 am to midnight. The have a good website for info. That is probably going to be the easiest daytrip to do as they run their own shuttle to and from the airport.

Enjoy!

Wow! we are going in December, stopping in Singapore for a day before carrying on to Adelaide.I can't wait now, even the airport sounds fantastic.

thanks again Slim. you have been a wealth of information.
And of course you are right about the luggage - tons of people must do the same as us every flight. They can't mislay everyone's luggage so why should they mislay ours!

I didn't realise the Zoo ran a shuttle bus. I think they has been the deciding factor and the zoo will be our destination of choice, time permitting. Plus the buggy hire issue in case DD decides to crash out.

Hope you enjoy your trip too handsomeharrysmum.

thanks

btw, belated happy birthday for your DS and I hope you are feeling better now you have rested.
what's your weather like just now?

thx!

Glorious sunshine, not too humid, occasional tropical showers ( that's 1 or 2 hours of grey skies and torrential rain then sunshine again). About 30 celsius.
So definitely hot. Don't forget hat/sunglasses/sunblock & swimsuits.

Hope you all have a lovely holiday.

thanks Slim. Only trouble is fitting all that extra sun gear in the hand luggage

I stayed in the transit hotel for about 8 hours a couple of years ago, its fine but the rooms are quite small, we had us and our twin boys in cots in there and it was cramped.

Its easy to get to the other terminal to the pool and its an absolute must - we loved it, had a couple of beers and watched the planes take off from the loungers!

thanks HM. Is it an outdoor pool?

Hi Mckenzie - yes it is an outdoor pool, it is so fab though, there is a fully stocked bar there and some massive lounger things that are like beds almost! And when we want there weren't very many people there either.

thanks HM, sounds like it could be a nice way to refresh after the flight (that's the plan anyway)

hi all, here in Singapore and it has gone very skoothly so far thanks to all the advice i was given here (particular thanks to Slim22). The trasnit hotel last night was fab and teh DCs and I got 12hours sleep in a proper bed - it was lovely. And that was after a half hour swim in the outdoor pool (DS and DD thought it was fab to be swimming in teh dark and outside!)
We've just got back from the Zoo (great place but a little too warm for us to stay and see the whole place) and now the DCs are in the childrens play area and i am making use of the free internet. So far, apart from the unfortunate dippy Meet and Assist Lady (I explained twice what we were doing but she insisted on taking us through immigration and customs etc!!) and the taxi driver who didn't know how to get to the Zoo, it's been fab! Off to melbourne in a few hours and I hope the next stage goes as well as this has so far (I've only threatened to throw them in the baggage hold once!)

meant also to say Slim, hope you are the bump are doing okay.

Hey, glad everything went smoothly!

Bump ok thx for asking. But exhausted by heat now as you can imagine. Enjoy your holiday!