Good alternative to hyperdia.com

[Sascha]

Whats a good source if you need to plan your trip with local lines when you use the JR Pass since hyperdia isn't working anymore?

[Guest]

Google says Google 

[railsquid]

Well it would do, but the Railsquid household has learnt not to trust Google, however clever it might seem, for anything related to opening times, timetables or address data in Japan. For the latter two items, Yahoo Japan is way more accurate [*], and for opening times the respective store website is more reliable. Dunno about availability in English, though.

 

[*] e.g. Google has never been able to locate Chez Railsquid properly, and has always pointed to a residence which a) does not exist, b) whose replacements have a totally different address, while Yahoo Maps has it about as good as it's possible to get, bearing in mind we share the same house number as about 6 of our neighbours.

[Guest]

Sucks for you, but yoy can’t really blame Google if your device is providing bad GPS data.  I’ve never had an issue with Google and timetables.  It even displays train/bus delays and disruptions accurately.  At least Google fixed their bus stop issue from a few years ago, it use to display the stops on the wrong side of the road.

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Bob Martin

[railsquid]

6 hours ago, Bob Martin said:

Sucks for you, but yoy can’t really blame Google if your device is providing bad GPS data.  

 

Who said anything about GPS? I enter the address of my house, Google consistently pops up the wrong location. Had multiple calls over the years from delivery people etc. who evidently rely on Google-derived data who are parked in front of the wrong address. Have experienced similar with various addresses I've looked up, to the point I double-check on Yahoo Maps.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, railsquid said:

 

Who said anything about GPS? I enter the address of my house, Google consistently pops up the wrong location. Had multiple calls over the years from delivery people etc. who evidently rely on Google-derived data who are parked in front of the wrong address. Have experienced similar with various addresses I've looked up, to the point I double-check on Yahoo Maps.

You never specified you entered the address.  You just said “it couldn’t locate you”.  Next time be more precise with your words (ie. “can’t locate your address”) to avoid misunderstandings. 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Bob Martin

[cteno4]

@Bob Martin I didn’t read it that way at all, squid was plenty clear. Please be more polite in your responses.

 

jeff

[mojo]

I have to agree about Google Maps. I use it extensively to get around in Japan and it has accurate timetables. For some bus services it even shows you where the bus is.

 

I used to use Hyperdia, but Google Maps made it redundant. For individual stations and bus stops, you can tap on them to get the timetables. For opening times, check the note below them. It will usually say "confirmed by phone X weeks ago" or similar, meaning a user called them and confirmed the information at the time.

 

There is also Navitime, which has various apps for Japanese and non-Japanese users. I tried to evaluate it once, but gave up because it only seemed to have the same data as Google Maps anyway.

 

Beyond that, the best thing to do is look at the individual company websites.

 

Are there any particular routes you are having trouble with? Maybe we can help locate the right information.

[Sascha]

Thanks guys I'll try Yahoo Japan and google. No spezific line at the mnoment. Just planing ahead.

[Gunzel]

JapanTravel by Navitime lets you select various passes, and it highlights routes for which your selected pass are valid. It also lets you turn off various levels of train, for example I have a Kintetsu pass at the moment so I can travel on Limited Express trains, I haven’t found a way in Google to do that. 
 

I also use Japan Transit Planner by Jorudan, I don’t like the interface as much but it does let me see all the stops of a train without having to pay, and I can select a station and easily look at all the train times for a day. 
 

I did prefer Hyperdia and don’t feel like either is an adequate replacement. I’ve tried using Yahoo Japan but it seems to often believe I am in the EU and block me. 

[JR East]

Since Hyperdia is no more really useful, I'm using Google Maps:

• When I'm preparing my travel it gives me at least a good idea. It's usually enough if I'm going from A to B (eg Tokyo - Nagoya)
  • It's reliable on JR Lines
  • It's a bit less on some private companies
• When I have a quite complex routing like this full "day 3" (Tokyo - Nagoya - Namba - Fujinomyia - Tokyo below) with a mix of Kintesu, metro, shinkansen, local trains on several lines
  • I'm doing the preparation on Gogle Maps and booking on Internet the critical segments
  • I'm finishing locally in any station of JR Travel agency  
• One thing is good is to have an unlimited data plan in Japan (30 euros / 14 days roughly) so that you can query Google Maps

For local buses, I've tested Google Maps also and when you use the localization in accurate mode (GPS) it'll also tell you which bus / tramway station you're. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by JR East

[mojo]

So why is Hyperdia so useful? Are you guys budgeting a certain amount of time at each stop, with the intention of getting a specific train?

 

I tend to just leave when I'm done and Google Maps figures out the quickest way to my next stop. To be fair, it does have some issues. Some of the connections it picks are a bit tight, especially in unfamiliar places. You have to check the routes are sensible too, and look at the timetables (which fortunately it makes available inside the route planning part of the app).

 

But I'm not sure how Hyperdia would help with that, unless you are planning a fairly strict schedule.

[Gunzel]

When you’re going somewhere with only five or six trains a day, and therefore significant gaps between them I find it really useful. And if I want to go to a station where I would be waiting a long time for the next train then maybe I can travel in the opposite direction for a while and visit somewhere else as well to break up the time (the wonders of a pass). 
 

Also if I’m on a pass with restrictions as to what sort of trains I can travel on these other sites have ways to specify that, I haven’t found that on Google or Apple.