Telecharger.com has selected three applications to generate public transport routes from your Android device or your iPhone.
For a routine trip as for moving in an unfamiliar city, it is preferable to have useful information on public transport on hand. There are many apps specific to an urban area, fewer are those that claim to cover all the public networks in the world. To help you take the best possible routes by bus, train, metro or tram, Telecharger.com has selected three applications dedicated to public transport on Android and iPhone.
Citymapper
Everything is very simple with Citymapper. From your position and arrival point, the app generates several equivalent routes, showing travel times, estimated fares and next trips to the departure stations. Schedules are updated in real time, and you are even told which wagon to get on to be as close as possible to the exit once at the dock. The traffic state is taken into account with the possibility of configuring alerts for regularly used lines.
Start your journey and Citymapper activates its on-board navigation system. The best idea of the app is the automatic downloading of routes. In the event of loss of the network, you continue your journey without risk of being lost. The local download also applies to maps and indicative timetables that you consult offline.
The +:
+ Highly configurable ride options
+ Real-time traffic information
+ Download maps, plans and routes locally
+ Indication of the wagon in which to get on to be as close as possible to the exit
The – :
– Too few cities covered by the application
Download Citymapper for Android (Free)
Download Citymapper for iPhone (Free)
Moovit
Moovit relies on the completeness of its application. Enter your meeting point and the app produces a series of suggested routes. The filters refine the results according to the types of journeys and means of transport desired. The proposals estimate the duration of the trip, including walking. Traffic information instantly provides an overview of the network.
Integrated into Moovit’s in-car navigation system, an alert module alerts travelers when it’s time to get off. Convenient for those who prefer to store their smartphone during the trip. Little more, the application behaves like a Waze of public networks and offers its users the possibility of informing the community on the conditions of transport in real time: missed stops, rate of filling of the train, incidents in progress, temperatures. .
The +:
+ Numerous filters to adapt the route to the desired transport conditions
+ Alert module to signal the next descent when the screen is off
+ Users can inform the community in real time about transport conditions
+ Download maps, plans and routes locally
The – :
– Interface that sometimes lacks clarity
Download Moovit for Android (Free)
Download Moovit for iPhone (Free)
Google maps
For journeys in cities not covered by Citymapper or by Moovit, the easiest way is still to consult Google Maps. Although this is not its primary purpose, the app includes a rather efficient transport route module. It indicates the points of departure and arrival before selecting the icon symbolizing a metro. The result is a list of recommended routes with the possibility of refining the search according to a specific mode of transport.
Google Maps provides general information, detailing the timetables, frequencies of passages and stops served by the subways, RER, trains, buses and trams that make up the chosen route. The more far-sighted can plan their upcoming trips based on the expected departure or arrival times, while the night owls access the last hours of the day.
The +:
+ Available all over the world
+ Customizable route options according to the desired transport conditions
The – :
– Transit times are indicative and do not take into account disturbances
– No on-board navigation
– Local route downloads are not available
Download Google Maps for Android (Free)
Download Google Maps for iPhone (Free)
Verdict
Very pleasant to handle, Citymapper sins by its too partial coverage of cities in the world. We therefore prefer to retain Moovit, which manages a greater number of urban areas in France and abroad. We appreciate the reliability of the traffic information, the efficiency of the on-board navigation and the ingenuity of the audible warning announcing the descent. The participatory aspect makes it possible to anticipate in real time the transport conditions on the lines used.