Batam, Indonesia

Getting around Batam

How to travel around Batam — 5 options, what they cost, and which booking apps fix the fare before you go.

Last updated 2026-08-09

1. Ferry from Singapore

Under an hour from HarbourFront or Tanah Merah to one of five Batam terminals.

Cost: SGD 50–70 return
Tip: Terminal fees and seaport tax are charged separately from the ticket.

2. Taxi

Available at the terminals, with fares negotiated rather than metered.

Watch outFixed fares several times the going rate quoted to arriving day-trippers. Agree before getting in.

3. Grab and Gojek

Both operate and are considerably cheaper than terminal taxis.

4. Rented car with driver

The usual way to see Barelang and Galang in a day.

Cost: 500,000–800,000 IDR per day

5. Ojek (motorbike taxi)

Quick for short hops around Nagoya.

Booking apps in Indonesia

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

Gojek

Indonesian super-app: motorbike and car rides, food, payments and deliveries.

Coverage: Nationwide, strongest in Java and Bali.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.

Grab

The main alternative to Gojek, with essentially the same service mix.

Coverage: Nationwide.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.

Bluebird

Long-established metered taxi operator with its own booking app.

Coverage: Jakarta, Bali and other large cities.
Why it helps: A licensed metered fleet, which avoids the unmarked cars and modified meters that operate around airports.

Traveloka

Books trains, flights, ferries and intercity buses across the archipelago.

Coverage: Nationwide.