What is a National Access Point?
A National Access Point (NAP) is a digital point of access, run in each member state, where travel and traffic data and the metadata that describes it can be found. It is the central idea in MMTIS: instead of hunting for data operator by operator, a developer or researcher looks in one place per country.
What does a NAP contain?
- Datasets or links to them, such as timetables, stops, fares and real-time feeds.
- Metadata describing each dataset: who owns it, what it covers, its format, quality and licence.
- Access information such as download links or API endpoints.
Data comes in the formats described in data formats, for example NeTEx, SIRI, GTFS, GBFS and DATEX II.
Examples from Europe
Each country organises its NAP differently. Some examples:
- Norway: Transportportal
- Finland: Finap, run by Fintraffic
- Germany: Mobilithek
- France: transport.data.gouv.fr
- Netherlands: NDW
The European Commission keeps an overview of National Access Points, and datasets are also harvested into the European data portal.
Coordination across countries
NAPCORE is the coordination and support action that helps National Access Points work together and align how data is described and shared across Europe.
How to publish data
- Find your country's NAP and read its guidance.
- Choose the right format for your data: see data formats.
- Describe the dataset with metadata, including licence and contact.
- Publish, then keep the data up to date.
Norway as an example
For a closer look at one country, see MMTIS in Norway. For good practice when describing datasets, see metadata and licences.
How to find and use data
Search the catalogue of the NAP in the country you are interested in, check the metadata and licence, and download the data or connect to the API. For cross-border work, look at the NAPs of each country on the route.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one NAP for all of Europe?
No. Each member state has its own National Access Point. The European Commission lists them, and some datasets are also harvested into the European data portal.
Is the data free?
Access conditions, including licences, are described in the dataset's metadata. Rules differ between datasets and countries.
Do I need an account?
That depends on the NAP and the dataset. Check the access information in the metadata.