Metropolitan

For this week’s app review, we’re going underground to navigate Russia’s metros. Some newcomers to a city might find it difficult or at least a hassle to navigate the unfamiliar metro system. But with this app, simply named Metropolitan, life underground will be much easier and you will be changing trains like a pro in no time.

Not only is this app free to download, but it is also very flexible. It contains metro maps of every major city in Russia, as well as cities of other former soviet republics like Armenia, Ukraine and others. To use it, you just select the city in settings. Then allow the phone’s GPS to determine your nearest metro station. You will see a blue dot highlighting your station. Then, tap on the station you wish to travel to. Similar to Google maps, the map will then highlight the route, including connections, that you need to take and it will even give you an estimate of how long the trip will take. It’s as simple as that!

This map is great for anyone wishing to navigate the city’s metro, who don’t want to have to find a map underground every time. It is also good for those wishing to visit other cities, who don’t have a local metro map available upon arrival.

Advantages: Free, easy, many places covered

Disadvantages: Only covers former soviet republic cities