HAFAS offline planner for Android and iPhone available again

[blackfive460]

I had great hopes that this app provided free by Eurail/Interrail would prove a satisfactory replacement for the old Windows PDA offline planner that DB used to provide and, while it may prove useful for many, it suffers from the same problem that affects other HAFAS based planners with some versions of Android ICS in that it won't even start.
So I haven't been able to test it but I'm sure others will and post here.
Both versions are available from this link:
http://www.eurailgroup.org/promos/railplanner_app/index.htm

With a few positive posts, I might be tempted to risk rooting my 'phone and dropping back to Gingerbread but there's no point in anyone suggesting I buy an iPhone; there's absolutely no chance whatsoever of that happening...

 

[Max]

Just downloaded on Ice Cream Sandwich and it runs perfectly! Need to do more comprehensive testing but this seems like a brilliant app.

 

[radamfi]

Just installed it on a Nexus 7, using the latest Android version (4.2.2 Jellybean) and seems to work just like the DB app which has similar looks and functionality, but offline. A great find!
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but there's no point in anyone suggesting I buy an iPhone; there's absolutely no chance whatsoever of that happening...

You could get a iPod Touch which presumably it will also work on. I've got one of those and I'll see if it works.
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It only seems to give me one train a day from Wick to Inverness.
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Another quirk is that is uses the French names for towns in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium, such as Anvers for Antwerp.

 

[blackfive460]

You could get a iPod Touch which presumably it will also work on. I've got one of those and I'll see if it works.

No iPod Touch thanks, I prefer my devices to have batteries that I can change myself - among other things!

The Android ICS problem rather depends on the version. The Eurail app is a bit too recent to have many reviews on Google Play Store (although I see it has one review highlighting the problem already) but if you have a look at any of the other HAFAS based planners (DB, SBB, etc.) you'll find there are plenty who can't make it work.

I've now seen it on a 'phone running 2.3 and it seems useful but I wonder how often the data will be updated?
We seem to get regular updates to the DBahn PC version but I can't see any option on this to prompt an update.
Time will tell.

 

[radamfi]

I would presume updates to the Interrail app would come as standard Play Store/App Store updates, so you would have to download the full app each time. To be honest, I still think I will stick to the app for the relevant country I'm in and cough up the £2 a day internet charge. I find real time information to be too useful to ignore.

 

[Lrd]

Working well on Xperia S with ICS.

 

[D6700]

Many thanks for posting this - it's just what I've been looking for

Looking up some minor services in Germany and the Czech Republic gave comprehensive results, whilst Poland and Italy appeared more patchy for regional services. This was no thorough test, just trying out a few journeys that I've done recently or intend doing very soon. If they fill in those gaps, it could be perfect!

 

[Oscar]

Many thanks for posting this - it's just what I've been looking for

Looking up some minor services in Germany and the Czech Republic gave comprehensive results, whilst Poland and Italy appeared more patchy for regional services. This was no thorough test, just trying out a few journeys that I've done recently or intend doing very soon. If they fill in those gaps, it could be perfect!

Some regional services in Italy and Spain are not included in any of the HAFAS planners I have seen, though the situation seems to be improving.

 

[radamfi]

The Interrail app works on the iPod Touch.

The DB app knows about the trains between Inverness and Wick which are missing from the Interrail app.

 

[D6700]

Some regional services in Italy and Spain are not included in any of the HAFAS planners I have seen, though the situation seems to be improving.

I wasn't aware of that - thanks for the heads up. The Windows Hafas is indeed giving the same dodgy Italian results as the mobile app.

That doesn't appear to be the case with the Polish things I'd looked at, though, which look fine in the Windows program.

 

[radamfi]

The DB website, for example, does not recognise the Tirano to Milano service. That maybe because it isn't shown on the Trenitalia website either, because it is run by Trenord.

 

[D6700]

The DB website, for example, does not recognise the Tirano to Milano service. That maybe because it isn't shown on the Trenitalia website either, because it is run by Trenord.

Only a handful of the hourly Milan to Verona regional services are shown on the DB offline timetables, but they do feature on the Trenitalia website.

 

[blackfive460]

On the subject of updates to this; I see there was one yesterday which shows the same date for timetable data as the DB PC version of HAFAS so perhaps updates will be equally frequent.
However, there is still quite a lot missing. One random journey I tried in Poland sent me on an extremely roundabout route via Germany rather than using a service which runs direct every couple of hours.
I suppose it would be naive to expect really comprehensive results from a free app with a 22MB database.
Useful but could do better.

 

[radamfi]

The update to the app does seem to have fixed the problem with Wick to Inverness.

 

[radamfi]

Another update for both Android and iPhone. It does look like it will be updated regularly.