Spartan but Effective

We travelled to Japan and, quite frankly, found the subway system baffling. After struggling to

(i) reason through variations in ticket prices based on distance to your intended destination using a system where you almost always have multiple route options,

(ii) navigate subway maps (the size of a wall, in various stations) that do not show all stops (especially, it seems, if the desired stop does not belong to the same private owner that owns the system that youre using) and

(iii) determine whether you really can transfer at the point where two lines appear to intersect (since its not always that simple);

this App was a god-send (and Im agnostic)!

No frills. So, no maps integration, etc...But, truth be told, frills might only compound the confusion.

No networking. But, in light of the exorbitant cost of data roaming in any country (coupled with the near impossibility of obtaining a Japanese sim if you dont intend to stay here long-term), this lack of network dependence served us well.

Good accuracy. though we learned that the app doesnt always present the most efficient route.

Free. :-)

Gradual Learning Curve. Just plug in your then current location and your intended destination and hit search. Takes about 2 minutes to learn to read the results.

Auto-complete. Only know half the name of your intended destination? Only enjoy phonetic certainty with respect to the first syllable? No worries, just enter the first few letters, hit the arrow and select your target.

Thanks for reading.

Vexxy1 about trains.jp