A vital aspect of traveling to other cities is being able to get from point A to B when in unfamiliar territory. Depending on where you are, public transportation often makes the most sense. With that in mind, Google has improved its Maps for Mobile product by providing bus and train directions.Google updated its Official Mobile Blog today with an entry about public transport and Maps for Mobile. In the post, it says, "This version (2.2) allows you to get transit directions in all the same places as the Web version of Google Maps, including Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Vancouver, and over 40 other cities in North America. This version of Google Maps for Mobile even has a few tricks not yet available on the desktop version of Google Maps. For instance, you can find the last transit trips of the day (to figure out how late you can stay at the party) and more easily browse through earlier or later trips."

Most of the time I travel for work, it is to cities that have vast public transportation systems. Finding the information you need about those systems isn't always immediately apparent to visitors. Being able to access public transport information directly on your mobile phone can be an invaluable tool.

Right now, the new version of Google Maps is available for BlackBerrys and other Java-based devices. Google also posted a video walk-through of how it all works. I invite you to check it out. In the mean time, I'll be busy downloading the software and putting it through its paces on my own.