Some transit maps are geographically based, others are diagrams. But what happens when you get a map with too much diagram? That’s what we have with Copenhagen’s S-Tog (S-Train) map: it looks gorgeous, but at what cost to usability?

Have we been there? Yes, but I didn’t use the S-Tog system. I arrived and left by long-distance trains from/to Berlin, and caught a regional train out to Roskilde to visit the Viking Ship Museum ( an absolute must-see!)

What we like: Stunningly slick European design. A lovely distinctive typeface (the PDF tells me it is called “Via Office”). The DSB logo at bottom right – a modern reworking of a winged wheel by the look of things – is gorgeous.

What we don’t like: The stark diagrammatic network on a simple grey background may look fantastic, but I feel it has gone too far. There’s absolutely no reference points to guide someone unfamiliar with the city – Copenhagen is made up of canals, rivers and islands, but none of them are visible. Even the main railway station – the hub of the network – doesn’t stand out: it looks exactly like very other station. No reference is made to connections to the Metro service out to the airport. The numbers on the map, which refer to Denmark’s convoluted zone system, make absolutely no sense to those unfamiliar with it.

Our rating: Looks great, but sacrifices context and valuable location information to achieve it. Glossy but lacking in substance. Three stars.

Source: DSB S-Tog site