Find Your Path – Changi Airport to the SP Jain Singapore Campus

The SP Jain Singapore campus is located at 10 Hyderabad Road in HortPark – and this is a question that pops up in most of our students’ minds shortly after accepting their admission letters and booking the flight tickets to Singapore. Rated the World’s Best Airport for the sixth consecutive year, Changi Airport is one of the largest transportation hubs in Southeast Asia with four main terminals.

Regardless of the terminal that you arrive at, getting from Changi Airport to SP Jain Singapore Campus is extremely easy – even if you’ve never visited Singapore.

For all the Postgraduate students making their way to the campus next week, we’ve jotted down your options to make the transit even simpler.

TAKING A TAXI:

Trains don’t run from Changi Airport between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. If you are leaving the airport during this time and don’t mind spending a bit more, you could use a taxi. Taxis are also of great help if you have too much luggage to haul onto the train. So, how do you do that?

• Change about USD 90 into Singaporean dollars (S$) at an ATM or the money changer. For every USD$1, you will get about S$1.37. Put another way, S$1 is equal to about USD$0.73.
• Follow the exit signs to the taxi area. You can bring the airport’s luggage cart right with you. Join the queue (line) and wait your turn. Tell the attendant that you want a regular-priced taxi so he doesn’t give you a pricey one.
• Tell the taxi driver to go to SP Jain, which is at 10 Hyderabad Road off Alexandra Road, next door to HortPark (It is pronounced something like “Hot Pok”). Even if they don’t already know the exact location, most taxi drivers can find the location if you give them the postal code: 119579.
• Expect to pay about S$35 – S$45 (35% extra during rush hours, 50% extra after midnight). However, do keep some extra cash (approximately S$20) for the cab ride to be on the safe side. That’s for one whole taxi ride. So, if you and a friend (or two) are arriving together, and your luggage will fit in one taxi, then you could split the fare. The trip will take about 30 minutes without traffic.

Singapore taxis are all by metered fare. Some of the popular and reliable taxi companies with metered fare include Comfort, CityCab, SMRT Taxi – even the locals use these. They will also not cheat you cause if they do and you report them, they get into serious trouble. Taxi drivers in Singapore all speak English fairly well. You do not tip the driver. Nobody in Singapore expects tips — not taxi drivers, or barbers or waiters.

Note: You will be quite tired and possibly confused if you have just stepped off of a long flight. We highly recommend that you take a taxi. The additional S$50 is quite worth it.

But just in case you need to pinch pennies, here are instructions for the train.

TAKING THE TRAIN (MRT.):

The local train carrier is called MRT and operates between 6.00am to 11.30pm. If you can easily manage your luggage, it is a more affordably alternative to getting to SP Jain Singapore Campus (and later on, around the city).

• Change about USD 40 into Singapore dollars.
• The train station is at Terminal 2. If you didn’t land in Terminal 2, just follow the signages. You can easily take the free internal SkyTrain in Changi Airport if you didn’t arrive in Terminal 2.
• Once you reach Terminal 2, follow the signs to the MRT, which is the train/subway. The MRT station for the airport is called Changi Airport and is an escalator down from the main airport area.
• Go to the kiosk or ticket machine and buy a one-way ticket to Queenstown MRT station. It will cost about S$2.40, and the trip will take about 45 minutes.
• Board any train from Changi Airport MRT station. They all go the same direction – namely to Tanah Merah MRT station. Once you’re at Tanah Merah MRT station, alight for a transfer to another train in the direction of Joo Koon (East-West Line). From Tanah Merah MRT station, alight at Queenstown MRT Station.
• At Queenstown, get a taxi. It should only cost between S$6 and S$8, depending on the time of day. The taxi ride will take about 5 minutes.

IF YOU ARE ARRIVING IN A GROUP OF 3 – 6 STUDENTS:

• You can arrange with SP Jain in advance to hire a group Maxi Cab. Email Mr Joselle Motol with your flight details at least 5 days before arrival: motol@spjain.org
• To hire a Maxi Cab through SP Jain, you must all be arriving at the same time, at the same terminal.
• This service costs about S$55 for the whole van, plus an extra S$10 after midnight. This can be shared amongst your group.
• The number of people allowed in a group pick-up will depend on how much luggage you have: 3 people in case of heavy baggage, 6 people in case of light baggage.

WHEN YOU REACH THE CAMPUS:

If you arrive when the campus gates are open, just go to the front desk at the Reception in Block A. This will be the main building and introduce yourself to the friendly person at the front desk. Post this, someone will give you the key to your hostel room, and probably help you with your luggage. If the gates are locked (late at night), call +65-91686165 (from a non-Singapore phone) or 91686165 (from a Singapore SIM card/phone). A security officer will come to open the gate for your taxi to enter. There are often students around the gate at all hours, and they could let you in or you could seek their help to dial the number with their local phone.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO LIVE OFF-CAMPUS:

You can either come directly to the campus (a good idea if it’s during business hours) or go straight to wherever you have arranged to live by taxi. Please note that there is no extra space on campus for you to stay a few days while you find a place on your own. So be sure to make arrangements ahead of time.

We look forward to seeing you soon. Have a fantastic time.