Buses, trains and scooters in an unfamiliar city
A general map app handles routing well almost everywhere. What it does not give you is the local layer: which ticket works on which service, where live arrival times are published, which ride app actually operates in this city, and how to get home after the last train. That knowledge usually lives in four places, a journey planner, the local operator's own app, a ride app, and a bike or scooter service.
What each kind of app is for
| Need | Best tool | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Planning a journey across modes | A transit planner | Coverage varies a lot by city |
| Live arrivals and disruption | A planner, or the operator's own app | Some cities publish live data only in their own app |
| Tickets | The operator's app, or a contactless card | Visitor passes that do not cover every service |
| Trains and coaches out of town | A booking app | Booking fees compared with buying direct |
| Late at night | A ride app that operates here | The app you used at home may not |
| Short hops | Bike or scooter share | Parking zones and local rules |
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Planning the journey
Citymapper. The best planner in the cities it covers, with live times, disruption alerts and a reminder when your stop is next. Coverage is a selected list of major cities, so check yours.
Moovit. The widest coverage of any planner, across thousands of cities, which makes it the first thing to try when nothing else knows your new town.
Transit. Strongest in North America, with a clean view of what is leaving near you right now and step by step guidance once you are moving.
Google Maps. Transit directions almost everywhere, with live times where the operator shares them. The dependable fallback.
Rome2Rio. Every way to get between two places, including awkward combinations of ferry, coach and train, with rough prices. Great for planning, not for booking.
DB Navigator. Tickets and live running information for Germany's railways, and useful for much of the country's local transport as well.
Japan Transit Planner. Route searches across Japan's dense rail network, including the transfers that general map apps sometimes get wrong.
Trains and coaches out of town
Trainline. Train tickets across Britain and much of Europe in one place. Compare with the operator's own site, since a booking fee applies to some tickets.
Omio. Compares trains, coaches and flights side by side, which helps when the cheapest option is not the obvious one.
FlixBus. Long distance coaches across Europe and North America, often the cheapest way to leave a city at short notice.
BlaBlaCar. Shared car journeys between cities, plus coach tickets in some countries. Popular in France and across much of Europe.
redBus. Intercity bus tickets in India, and in parts of South East Asia and Latin America too.
Rides, bikes and scooters
Uber. Available in the most cities, which makes it the ride app to install before you arrive anywhere new.
Bolt. Rides, scooters and bikes across much of Europe and Africa, and often the main alternative where it operates.
Grab. The everyday ride and delivery app across South East Asia.
inDrive. You propose a fare and drivers accept or counter, which is common in parts of Latin America, Asia and Africa.
FREENOW. Licensed taxis and other rides in many European cities, now owned by Lyft.
Lime. Electric bikes and scooters in a large number of cities, and a quick way to cover the last kilometre from a station.
Voi. E-scooters and e-bikes in many European cities, with parking rules shown on the map.
Dott. The scooter and bike service that merged with TIER, now running under the Dott name.
A first week checklist
- Find the official operator app and read the fare rules Zones, transfers and daily caps differ everywhere, and the operator explains its own system best.
- Sort out how you will pay Contactless card, phone wallet or a local travel card. Do it before the first rush hour, not at the barrier.
- Save home and work as favourites in your planner Two taps to the next departure is what makes a planner useful every day.
- Learn the night network Night buses often run different routes from the daytime ones, and the last train is earlier than you expect.
- Set up ride and scooter accounts in advance Identity checks and payment verification can take time you will not have at midnight.
- Download an offline map of the city For the day the signal drops underground and you come up at an exit you do not recognise.
One planner, the operator's own app, one ride app that operates locally and one bike or scooter service. Sort out payment before the first rush hour.
Frequently asked questions
Which planner is the most accurate?
Whichever uses the operator's live data for your city. Compare two for a week on your regular journeys and keep the one that matches reality.
Is it cheaper to book through an app or direct?
Third party booking apps are convenient and sometimes add a fee. The operator's own app often has no fee, so compare before a regular journey.
Do I need a local phone number?
Some ride and scooter apps verify accounts by text message and a payment card. A local SIM or eSIM makes sign-up smoother in a new country.
Are rental scooters allowed everywhere?
No. Rules differ by city, and some cities have removed rental e-scooters altogether; Paris ended its rental scheme in 2023. Check local rules on parking, helmets and pavements.
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