Explore Metro: Subway Planning on Your iPhone and iPad

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For the last 5 years I have not owned a car, instead my preferred mode of transportation is the subway.  I shuttle between 2 cities – Shanghai and Singapore – both have relatively safe and efficient subway systems.  So far I have managed to revolve my life around subways, choosing to stay near central stations to accommodate my movement in these cities.

One of my go-to Apps for planning subway trips has been Explore Metro’s Subway App. The most important thing about this App is that it is really up to date.  Unlike some other Apps, the team at Explore Metro work hard behind the scenes to update the new lines, stations, and traveling times.  As Asian cities develop, more lines and stations are constantly being added, so it is important that the App’s details remain relevant.

I particularly enjoy the route-planning feature of this App.  Tap on a station and the “Plan Route” feature followed by the destination station.  The App will let you see the cost and time of travel.  I found this to be pretty accurate and really helpful at managing my travel time.

Another really dandy feature is to view the subway station via Google maps.  Tap on any station followed by the Street Map button and you see Google Map’s perspective of the roads and buildings around the station.

Here is a rundown of its features:

* Fully up-to-date

* Plan routes -Tap on two stations to plan a route and get instant time and price details, directly on the map!

* Nearest stations – Using your iPhone’s GPS, see a list of the closest metro stations to your current location.

* Works offline – Browse the map, search stations and plan routes on the go without an Internet connection*. Great for iPod touch users!

* Bilingual – Everything’s available in English and Chinese. Show a station name to a taxi driver or listen to a station pronunciation in Mandarin.

* Works with Google Maps – See a zoomable street map around each station without leaving the app (*note Google Maps requires internet connection).

Summary

Explore Metro is an essential guide to planning your subway travels.  It constantly being updated and gives you pertinent information such as travelling time and costs.  It is available for the following cities and I presume more will follow:

• Singapore
• Seoul
• Hong Kong
• Shanghai
• Taipei
• Guangzhou
• Beijing

Explore Metro’s maps are available on the App store for $1.99.