Tips and Tricks for enjoying the Singapore GP F1

1. If you've not already booked an air ticket, then look into flying into Johor Bahru via Kuala Lumpur (or one or two other Malaysian cities). Subject to traffic at the two road crossings, travel from "JB" airport to the Marina Bay circuit is not much different to travelling from Changi airport in Singapore - but as the event gets closer, there may be cheaper tickets on less busy routes. Also, hotels in JB cost around a third of similar hotels in Singapore, eating out costs about a quarter so if you are prepared to get a bus across the Causeway and either sit on a bus for three quarters of an hour or swap to a tube, you can save a huge proportion of attending the event. Be a little cautious making a last minute booking with Qantas: there are three separate industrial actions disrupting their flights. Seemingly, the Jetstar subsidiary is not affected but it's still worth checking. But don't try to rent a car and drive: the administration of doing that is ridiculous. You can book a cross-causeway taxi or, even, get a bus from central JB to close to the circuit.

2. If you've not got a hotel, don't try to turn up on the doorstep of one you think you'd like. Rates fluctuate madly but walk-ins are unlikely to get any significant discount against rack rents - and rack rents in Singapore are very high. Having said that, the gouging that accompanied the first event has been curtailed as visitors have rebelled and as more and more giant complexes have added many more rooms.

3. if you don't have a race ticket, you can still get them via the on-line booking service or at outlets. Do a search and make a phone call.

4. Singapore ATMs are unpredictable as to whether they accept foreign cards: those in the business district (through which the Circuit runs), at Changi and in the main shopping district of Orchard Road do, outside those areas, it's a bit hit and miss. So make sure you have cash. If you are buying Singapore Dollars, you will generally get a better rate at your country of departure - and if you want to sell some back, you will generally get a better rate in Singapore before you leave.

5. If you have a Chip n Pin credit or debit card, DO NOT let go of it in shops or restaurants, etc. In Singapore (as in Indonesia and Malaysia) point of sales systems are designed in such a way that there is a swipe reader attached to the POS system. Make sure you put your card in the merchant account card reader, that you don't let the cashier take the machine back while your card is in it. Take your card out yourself when the message on the machine says so. If you don't, then your card details will be swiped before you have chance to intervene. Why? First, it's a breach of the merchant's agreement with VISA, MasterCard, etc. to keep your card details if a transaction has been cleared by Chip n Pin. Secondly, the information that is retained can be used to clone your card. Many businesses outsource their accounting to low-wage economies - including India, Indonesia and Malaysa where data security is dismal and poorly paid accounts clerks can make a tidy side income by selling card data. The shop, etc. people will insist you must hand over your card for swiping, saying that it's required. Some will lie and say the law requires it. Whatever they do or say, DO NOT hand over your card!

6. If you are flying into Malaysia and driving into Singapore, you are not allowed to carry any alcohol or tobacco into Singapore, not even one open and part-consumed packet of cigarettes, including one bought duty paid in Singapore and carried out earlier the same day, reports one of our correspondents. Duty must be paid on any item, including any that might have been bought duty free. Don't try to smuggle: this author had his bags searched because Singapore Customs X Ray operators wrongly identified a bottle of Dior aftershave as an alcohol flask!

7. During Grand Prix week, Singapore is party central. It's hot, damned hot. Do not underestimate how much you will sweat and how much you will dehydrate, even in the evening. Wear clothes that wick away sweat: humidity as as much a problem as heat. You will walk a lot because most Singapore Grand Prix tickets allow a rare amount of movement around the circuit. Local drinks such as 100 Plus or Pocari Sweat (we kid you not) will stave off cramps and general muscle weariness: or just put salt in your tea instead of sugar! Don't over-indulge on alcohol - the heat, humidity and booze don't mix well and lead to worsening dehydration.

8. Singapore's public transport system is excellent. Get an EzLink card at the first station and use that: paying with cash is a nuisance: you have to work out the fare to where you are going, pay that plus a deposit for the ticket/smart card and then, when you arrive, put the ticket into a machine to get a one dollar refund. That might not sound a lot but over a period of several days, not collecting the refund can add up to maybe ten to twenty Sing dollars per person. For a family of four, that's a nice chunk of change.

9. Load up on water before going into the circuit: the organisers say you can take one bottle of maximum 600 millilitres with you and, unlike Malaysia, Singapore tends to make up rules and enforce them.

10. If you are flying into Changi, buy duty free drinks. In the business / shopping districts, drinks are - by the standards of, say, London or New York or even Hong Kong outrageously expensive. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of GBP8 for a half pint of lager. Really. And with the traditional thievery of all F1 events, expect drinks in the circuit to cost even more. So if you think you will fancy a drink in your hotel room, buy at the airport which has one of the cheapest duty free booze shops in the region.

And, turning it up to 11: Have a great time. Singapore turns the central business district and the new tourist area of Marina Bay into a three-day festival of entertainment and motor racing. Keep an eye on the timetable: things don't happen when seasoned race-fans expect them too because the race is in the evening.