Japan train planner - alternatives to HyperDia?

[Three-Nine]

I'm going to be able to get to Japan again next year, and on my previous trips I used to use the "HyperDia" website to look up train times, which was incredibly useful for trip planning. However, as of last year, the service now only shows average train times, not specific service details, which is less useful. I've tried instead "Japan Transit Planner" (https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/?sub_lang=nosub) but am finding it a little less useful than HyperDia used to be. Does anyone know of any alternatives I could look at please?

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I'm going to Japan in November, and I have found the "Japan Travel by Navitime" app very useful for planning train times and compiling my itinerary.

They also have a website which can be found here.

There is also an option to filter journeys by ticket, which is useful if you're travelling on a Japan Rail Pass.

 

[Three-Nine]

Thanks, I'll have to give that a try! I remember the "NaviTime" rally driver man adverts from my earliest visits to Japan, and the same guy was still on them as of my last trip about five years ago. I wonder if hes still the face of "NaviTime"...?!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Sep 2023 ==

I'm going to Japan in November, and I have found the "Japan Travel by Navitime" app very useful for planning train times and compiling my itinerary.

They also have a website which can be found here.

There is also an option to filter journeys by ticket, which is useful if you're travelling on a Japan Rail Pass.

Looking at reviews of the app on the Play store, some reviews indicate some functionality is locked between paywalls, has that been your experience of using the app?

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Looking at reviews of the app on the Play store, some reviews indicate some functionality is locked between paywalls, has that been your experience of using the app?

Indeed, I have noticed that some areas of the app do require payment to access, however I found the "journey planner" part of the app absolutely fine. From my experience, the only thing they charge you for is viewing the list of stations each train calls at, although that didn't affect me. The core functionality of planning a journey I found easy and simple to use.

Perhaps the website is more accessible and less "paid-for", although I'm not too sure?

 

[Three-Nine]

Okay, I'll have to give the app and website a try and see what happens. Thanks, its nice to have some feedback from someone who has used the service!

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Okay, I'll have to give the app and website a try and see what happens. Thanks, its nice to have some feedback from someone who has used the service!

No worries. Hope you find something that works for you.

 

[Shinkansenfan]

I too lament the transformation of HyperDia into a useless shell website of its once informative self.

Consider using: https://roote.ekispert.net/en
which I used to plan an elaborate itinerary to ride various endangered railway lines.

Ekispert at least on one occasion provided me with the wrong train information. They listed a train as a through service from JR Shikoku onto a private railway line, when in reality it was not, and my train made a left turn when it should have made a right.

In another instance, it showed a branch line train with a two minute connection to the mainline train--sounds tight? In reality it was the same train operating as a local converting to a limited express. That display of a two minute connection could deter others from making that same train journey if they did not know about this operation.