Johor Bahru layover?

April 16, 2009 2:20 AM

Arriving into Singapore at 7:40am, and my connecting flight isn't until 20:35 that evening. Is it possible to go to Johor Bahru in this amount of time, or am I crazy? If so, what is the best way?
posted by ryanbryan to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

You aren't crazy. It might depend on what you want to do in JB... but on the whole it's very doable. There are taxis, buses and trains that go between Singapore and JB... take a taxi or a bus, don't bother about the train. Buses are about a few Singapore dollars per trip, taxis go up to around SGD$50 - $60... I think. What's your budget like?
I'll post again later with more info, if other people haven't posted more stuff by then...
posted by aielen at 2:36 AM on April 16

Mmph, I had a friend who commuted daily from Johor Bahru to Singapore for school, so I'd say you can make it easily. But I'm not entirely sure how long it takes to get from Changi Airport to Johor Bahru and queueing for immigration at the Malaysia-Singapore border can be a bitch, so you might not have very long there. Definitely time for lunch, but maybe not much else, depending.

As for how to get there, I have no idea, sorry. I think there's a bus but I've never taken it. Maybe a cab? I know (some) cabs will actually take you across the border.
posted by Xany at 2:39 AM on April 16

Yes, it's possible. JB is only about 40-60 minutes from downtown Singapore (not counting the time going through customs--another 20-40 minutes). You can take a bus or train. Any taxi driver at the airport will bring you to a bus/train station where you can get a ride to JB. Buses to JB run from several stations in Singapore. It's around USD100 to JB by taxi from Orchard Road.

Is there something you really want to see in JB? It's basically an industrial city that doesn't have much in the way of compelling tourist attractions. That's not to say that there is nothing to see there, but you would be dealing with international border crossings and lots of commuters in fairly typical SEA ground transportation. Singapore itself has many different areas that you could explore without rushing through the JB trek. But if you really want to go to JB, you can definitely get from SIN to JB and back in 10 hours.
posted by McGuillicuddy at 2:40 AM on April 16

You can do it but JB is boring, and you will spend a fair bit of time in immigration at the causeway. Took me about an hour to get through last time I went.

There's plenty of stuff to see in Singapore. And plenty of cheap stuff to boot. And excellent food. If you get bored, head back to the airport early, have a massage, see a movie, there's lots to do.
posted by wingless_angel at 3:13 AM on April 16

Thanks for the info! Point taken about JB - I thought it might be interesting to head over there, as I've been to Malaysia before and LOVED it (as I have Singapore, and didn't really like it, tbh), so I thought it might be a good opportunity to do some cheaper shopping and have a look around somewhere new. I have heard that you can't bring DVDs and things back into Singapore anyway, and you have to pay tax on other goods? Sorry to ask another question, but if anyone has info on that, that would be appreciated too!
posted by ryanbryan at 3:27 AM on April 16

I've travelled across that border many many times, and have never experienced it taking more than ten minutes to get across...
posted by Brother Dysk at 5:11 AM on April 16

Late to the party etc etc...
I've crossed this border many times as well. Rush hour and weekends can be crazy. Especially Sunday night when the entire population of Singapore is trying to cram itself through. I can give you more bus/causeway experiences if you are still interested; the route info is posted online.

JB is not particularly interesting but it is less um... antiseptic than Singapore and half the price. But what I logged on to say is a reminder that leaving the airport for over a certain number of hours means you are liable for Singapore departure tax.

Re bringing back DVDs. I've never, ever been searched, not even when I did day trips. I think this is more of an issue for Singaporeans but as always YMMV.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:25 AM on April 16

I'm from JB! My dad's office used to be right next to the Causeway. If I was there now I'd invite you over and my parents could take us out to lunch.

Come on over, eat the food, do much CHEAPER shopping (seriously, Singapore is overpriced). Have some mee rebus. You may encounter traffic jams, but it's not that far and you have time. It's true, it's not the most interesting place in the world, but there's stuff in there if you look around (and I never really considered JB as industrial...more like shopping center haven :P)

Consider going to Desaru (the beach), Kota Tinggi (waterfalls), or that southernmost spot of the peninsula whose name I don't remember but who does excellent seafood. mmm.
(this is one of the very few things I tend to be homesick for). If you want cheap DVDs or CDs go to Holiday Plaza, it's like Pirate Central in there.

I've never had to pay tax on anything, nor been searched thoroughly. I used to make the JB-Singapore trip very often. Usually if you say you're heading to the airport they'll let you through.
posted by divabat at 5:53 PM on April 16

Last summer I got into Singapore Changi at around 6am, decided to go to JB, went there, walked around for a bit, got bored, and was back in Singapore by noon. American citizen here, so I didn't use any special immigration lines, and I took public transport. So: yes, it's possible. But you probably don't want to do it. I had a far more interesting (though scary!) experience going to Batam Centre in Indonesia, which is about an hour away by ferry.
posted by jbb7 at 7:56 PM on April 16