If you aren’t familiar with how to get around Singapore and have been getting to places by relying on the nearest MRT station and a vague sense of direction, gothere.sg is the most amazing thing you’ll discover today. They have an app (that you have to pay for), but the web version is free, so I keep a tab on my phone constantly open to the website so I can find directions.
Not in Singapore? Skip to the end for how Rome2rio can help you find your way around!
Using gothere.sg to get around Singapore
Open the website on your phone’s web browser, type the place you are coming “from” and the address you are going “to”, then click “Go There”. Simple as that. They show you four ways to get there — bus, train, car or taxi — with journey times and estimated travel fares for public transport, so you can choose either the cheaper method of getting there or the shorter method. I usually choose the cheaper route because there is not much difference in journey time, if any.
Google Maps as an alternative
Some people use the Google Maps app instead, which has a similar travel directions finder, and even includes a map of your route (something gothere.sg on mobile lacks), but it doesn’t show you estimated travel fares. I also find the instructions and user interface clearer on gothere.sg than in Google Maps, though I do need Google Maps or Apple Maps occasionally to orientate myself if I need to walk.
I do find that the timing estimates are more accurate on Google Maps than on gothere.sg though. And very occasionally, gothere.sg will show you a roundabout route that is more inconvenient than whatever Google Maps has. It has only happened to me once though, and I was going to a very ulu place, but now if the route directions don’t seem quite right on gothere.sg, I’ll double-check with Google Maps, just in case.
Why gothere.sg is awesome
This website has been a lifesaver. I used to make my way around by going to the closest MRT station and then asking around or walking to my destination with the help of Google Maps, but it’s way more convenient now as I know what bus to take after getting off the train and how many more stops before I alight. Sometimes they even show me bus routes that don’t involve train travel at all and save more time than a roundabout bus-and-train route.
I can’t remember how I found out about the website, but I’ve been using it for years, and it’s the most useful thing I’ve found to help me get around Singapore. Every time a friend or an acquaintance mentions they are going somewhere but aren’t sure of the directions, I tell them about this website, which they usually have never heard of. Today, I’m rectifying that for you!
Even if you don’t take public transport and you drive, the website can show you how to minimise passing through ERP gantries or avoid expressways. Having a map is more convenient in this case to visualise the route, but gothere.sg only provides that on the desktop version, so pre-plan your route before you leave the house. Why pay more for ERP than you have to?
Getting around overseas
Not in Singapore? If you’re travelling overseas and need directions from one place to another, Rome2rio does the exact same thing by giving you all the directions and estimated travel costs. (The app for this is free!) Similarly, because it has estimated costs, I find it even better than Google Maps, though Google Maps has its uses, especially when I need to walk. I take public transport whenever I’m overseas to save money, and I really don’t know how I managed before I found this website. (Probably through Google Maps, but I’m glad I found Rome2rio.)
TL;DR
Use gothere.sg to get around Singapore and Rome2rio to get around overseas.
