Review: GraphHopper

GraphHopper provides map information to people who write phone apps. They also have an app, though, so you can ignore all the different phone applications that want you to see this or that, and just see everything.

I took a while to get used to the app, as it structures information in a fundamentally different way. Most transport apps expect you to tap-tap on the phone's fake keyboard, until it understands the name of where you want to go, then it shows you a path which you must follow to get there, talking to you in a robot-voice the entire time.

GraphHopper can show you routes for a few things, but not buses. Instead, it show you all of the bus routes.

If we zoom in a bit, the bus numbers appear on the roads.

With this view, you can decide if you want to take one bus, or three, and which places to switch. You get the full picture, and decide your own route, while getting a good overview of the bus-lines in the area.

The cycling view works pretty well too, showing local chemists, coffee shops, and public water fountains.

It doesn't have a robot voice, so you need to figure out when to turn left yourself.