Questions people ask about Partway.

Written September 2026

What is Partway?

Partway is a free iPhone app for one specific moment: someone can drive you part of the way, and you need to know where they should drop you so a train can finish the journey. It checks every station along the drive, with real trains and real ticket prices, and gives you a shortlist in about ten seconds. It's on the App Store.

How does Partway choose the drop-off station?

It weighs three things: what each stop adds to the driver's journey, the fare from each station with any railcard counted, and which trains actually leave around the time you would arrive. Every option is compared against simply catching a train from where you started, so a drop-off has to beat doing nothing. The full logic is written up here.

Is Partway free?

Yes. Free on the App Store, with no subscriptions and no in-app purchases. Booking happens on the retailer's own site, so Partway never touches your payment details.

Does the driver need to install anything?

No. You send the driver one link, it opens in any browser, and they pick a stop with a tap. They see the places and what each detour adds, never any prices, and never where you are headed after the drop.

What if the lift is not actually worth it?

Partway says so. If no drop-off beats catching a train from where you are, it tells you straight, and if your destination sits close to the drive it will suggest simply staying in the car. On one search we ran in September 2026 the right drop-off turned a £71.20 fare into £25.20; on another, the best drop saved ten pence, and it said don't bother. Both answers are the product.

Which trains and fares does Partway use?

Live timetables and real bookable fares for National Rail services in Great Britain, including split-ticket combinations where two tickets on the same train come out cheaper. An estimate is always labelled as an estimate and never comes with a booking link.

Where does Partway work?

Great Britain. It is built for UK trains, on iPhone, in the UK App Store.

Do I need an account?

There are no accounts at all. No email, no password, no profile of you anywhere. Searches delete themselves from the servers after 90 days, and driver links a month after the trip. The privacy note has the rest.