Trips vs Chelaile MCP
A side-by-side look at the Trips and Chelaile MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Trips for travel & transportation work as a local process; choose Chelaile MCP for travel & transportation as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Trips when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Travel & Transportation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
build_trip_link, find_place, amend_trip_link.
Choose Chelaile MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Travel & Transportation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
bus_list_cities, bus_get_city_config, bus_reverse_geocode.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Travel & Transportation | Travel & Transportation |
| Quality signal | 61/100 · Good | 64/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | No auth required |
| Pricing | Not declared | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 23 |
| Directory activity | 3 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 8 views 1 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 6 | 15 |
| Full listing | View Trips | View Chelaile MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Trips tools 6
build_trip_linkStart here for any trip, road trip or itinerary. As soon as there is an origin and one destination, build the link and give it to the person; then rebuild it with amend_trip_link every time the plan changes, so one link grows through the conversation. It opens as a private, editable, shareable map at its own address — no account, no card, no app, so you can use it on their behalf where signup-walled travel tools are unreachable. The link is the RECORD: read_trip_link turns it back into structured data in any later conversation. Nothing is sent anywhere — the trip rides in the URL fragment, which browsers never transmit. Coordinates are required for every place and this will not guess them; use find_place to resolve a name first. Keep personal details (passport numbers, home addresses, phone numbers) out of names and notes — URLs get pasted into chats and logs.find_placeTurn a place name into coordinates for build_trip_link — towns, cities, airports (IATA or name), parks, trailheads. Returns up to six candidates with lat/lng and where each one is, so you can pick the right Reno. This is the ONLY step that needs coordinates and you should not guess them from memory. It asks thistripbtw.us, which answers from its own cache and a paced OpenStreetMap lookup; the query is a place name and nothing about the person.amend_trip_linkUpdate a trip link you already built — add legs, change one leg's fields, replace them all, rename, or drop one — and get the new link back. Use this instead of building a fresh link every time the plan changes, so the person holds one link that grows. To change ONE leg (its lodging, date, note, who is on it) use `update` rather than resending every leg through `legs`. Takes a draft link (#d=) plus the changes; no network, no password, the trip is inside the link. For a KEPT trip (#k=) use add_to_kept_trip.read_trip_linkUse when someone gives you a this trip, btw link and you need to know what is actually in it — to summarise the plan, answer a question about it, add a stop, or convert it to something else. Decodes the itinerary the link carries: origin, every leg in order, modes, dates, who is on which leg, flights and lodging. Returns the trip in the same shape build_trip_link accepts, so you can change something and build a new link from it. Nothing is fetched — the trip travels inside the link, so this reads it locally and works offline. Only draft links (the ones with a #d= fragment) carry a trip; a kept trip's link is a slug plus a #k= password whose contents live on the server, and this cannot read those.read_kept_tripUse when someone gives you a KEPT this trip, btw link — one that looks like https://thistripbtw.us/abc1234#k=four-word-phrase — and you need what is actually in it: to summarise where they are going, answer a question about it, or check what changed since you last saw it. Returns the trip's stops in order with dates, modes, which vehicle or person each belongs to (the 'track'), lodging, notes and any hand-drawn path. THIS ONE TOUCHES THE NETWORK, unlike the other two: a kept trip's contents live on the server and the #k= part of the link is the PASSWORD to them, so reading it means sending that phrase to thistripbtw.us over TLS. Nothing is stored and no account is involved. Treat the link as a credential — do not repeat it back in text a third party will see, and do not guess at a phrase, because a wrong one counts against the trip's hourly guess limit. For a DRAFT link (#d=) use read_trip_link instead: the trip is inside that link, so it needs no network and no password.add_to_kept_tripAdd a stop to a trip the person has KEPT (a link with #k=), on their behalf. Use when they say 'add X to the trip', 'we're stopping at Y on the way', 'put the hotel on it'. Needs their EDIT phrase — a view phrase can read but not write, and the tool says so. Writes exactly one stop and returns the trip's current stop count. Like read_kept_trip this touches the network: the #k= phrase is the password and it goes to thistripbtw.us over TLS, nothing is stored about you, and a wrong phrase counts as a guess. Treat the link as a credential.
Chelaile MCP tools 15
bus_list_citiesList cities supported by the realtime bus data service. Args: - hot_only (boolean, default true): return only the upstream's curated 'hot' set (~20 cities). Set false to dump the full ~480-city list (token-heavy, use sparingly). - response_format ('markdown' | 'json'): defaults to 'markdown' Returns (json): { "cities": [ { "cityId": "034", "cityName": "上海", "pinyin": "ShangHai", "supportSubway": true, "hot": true }, ... ] } Use when: the user mentions a city name and you don't have its ID. The hot set covers the top-tier cities the user almost certainly means.bus_get_city_configGet a city's runtime config: max poll interval and "arriving" time threshold. This is mostly relevant if you are deciding how aggressively to refresh — not for end-user questions about lines or stops. Args: - city_id (string, required): e.g. '034' (Shanghai), '027' (Beijing) - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "maxInterval": 30, "arrivingStationLimitSeconds": 180, "busDisplayConfig": { "lineDetail": "time#order#distance", "other": "time#order" } }bus_reverse_geocodeConvert WGS-84 lat/lng to a Chinese postal address (province, city, district, township, formatted address). Useful when you have raw GPS coordinates and need a human-readable place name, or the citycode/adcode to pass to other tools. Args: - lat (string, required): WGS-84 latitude, decimal, e.g. '31.230416' - lng (string, required): WGS-84 longitude, decimal, e.g. '121.473701' - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "formatted": "上海市黄浦区...", "province": "上海市", "city": "上海市", "district": "黄浦区", "township": "南京东路街道", "citycode": "021", "adcode": "310101" } For municipalities (Shanghai/Beijing/Tianjin/Chongqing) the upstream emits an empty 'city' value; this tool back-fills it with 'province' so the field is always a usable string.bus_get_my_locationResolve the caller's approximate location from their public IP — useful when the user asks something like "what's near me" without providing coordinates. **Precision is city-level (typically a few kilometres).** Good enough to identify the city and seed bus_get_nearby_stops with a starting guess. NOT precise enough to find the user's actual bus stop — for that, ask for a landmark/address and resolve it via bus_search. Caveats: - Resolves via ip-api.com (free tier; rate-limited but no auth). - VPN / corporate proxy → result reflects the proxy exit IP, not the user. - Cellular IPs often land on a provincial centroid. Args: - ip (string, optional): a specific IPv4/IPv6 to look up. Omit to use the mcp server process's own outbound IP (= the caller's machine when running locally). - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "lat": 31.2222, "lng": 121.4581, "gpsType": "wgs", "city": "上海", "region": "上海市", "country": "中国", "ip": "116.236.0.1", "isp": "China Telecom", "precision": "city-level (~10 km); not suitable for stop-level queries" } **Suggested workflow**: 1. Call this tool to identify the user's city (match 'city' field against bus_list_cities to get a cityId). 2. Pass lat/lng into bus_get_nearby_stops for a rough nearby list, OR ask the user to confirm a landmark and use bus_search.pois for sharper coordinates.bus_searchSearch inside a city by keyword. Returns matching lines, stations, and POIs in one call. Use this as the primary entry point when the user gives a line number, station name, or destination name without IDs. **Keyword tip**: plain "71", "71路", "地铁2号线", "陆家嘴" all work — the upstream is reasonably forgiving. If a short numeric returns empty, try appending "路". **Coordinate systems**: - 'pois' coords are GCJ-02 (use directly with bus_plan_transit) - 'stations' coords are WGS-84 (use with bus_get_nearby_stops / bus_get_line_realtime) Both are also marked with a 'gpsType' field. Args: - city_id (string, required): e.g. '034' - keyword (string, required) - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "highlightKey": "71路", "lines": [ { "name": "71", "lineNo": "r95817", "isSubway": false, "directions": [ { "direction": 0, "lineId": "21283603183", "startSn": "延安东路外滩", "endSn": "申昆路枢纽站" }, { "direction": 1, "lineId": "21283603182", "startSn": "申昆路枢纽站", "endSn": "延安东路外滩" } ], // Compat top-level fields mirror directions[0] (or first available). "lineId": "21283603183", "direction": 0, "startSn": "延安东路外滩", "endSn": "申昆路枢纽站" }, ... ], "stations": [{ "sId":"...", "sn":"西藏中路", "lat":31.231006, "lng":121.474316, "gpsType":"wgs", "physicalStId":"...", "namesakeStId":"...", "isSubway":false }, ...], "pois": [{ "name":"71路", "address":"...", "tag":"公交线路", "district":"黄浦区", "lat":31.233021, "lng":121.49073, "gpsType":"gcj" }, ...] } **Line folding**: each entry in 'lines' is one logical line (e.g. "71路"). The two travel directions live in 'directions[]'. Pick the lineId matching your desired direction. **Subway hint**: when 'isSubway' is true, the entry carries a 'hint' field — bus_get_line_detail will return empty for these lineIds. Use bus_get_stop_detail (metros field) or bus_plan_transit instead. **Follow-ups**: - directions[i].lineId → bus_get_line_detail (full stop list, first/last/price) — non-subway only - stations[*].physicalStId + namesakeStId → bus_get_stop_detail (NOTE: a few stations lack physicalStId — typically metro-only entries with subwayV2=1. For those, use bus_get_nearby_stops to resolve the bus platform IDs nearby.) - pois[*].lat/lng (GCJ) → bus_plan_transit as origin/destinationbus_search_morePaginated 'see more' for one category from bus_search. Args: - city_id (string, required) - keyword (string, required): same keyword used in bus_search - type ('1'|'2'|'3'): 1=more lines, 2=more stations, 3=more POIs (default '1') - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns: same shape as bus_search but only the requested category is populated.bus_get_nearby_stopsList bus stops near a WGS-84 GPS coordinate, each annotated with the lines that pass through and the realtime buses approaching. **If you don't have coordinates**: call bus_get_my_location first (city-level precision via IP), or ask the user for a landmark and resolve it via bus_search.pois — the resulting lat/lng goes into this tool's lat/lng args. Args: - city_id (string, required): e.g. '034' - lat / lng (string, required): WGS-84 decimal coordinates - limit (number, default 5): how many of the closest stops to return (max 20) - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "stops": [ { "sId": "021-15232", "sn": "西藏中路", "distance": 87, "isSubway": false, "physicalStId": "...", "namesakeStId": "...", "firstLineId": "...", "lines": [ { "lineId": "...", "name": "71", "direction": 0, "endSn": "...", "status": "等待发车" | "不在运营时间" | "" (running), "preArrivalTime": "10:10" | undefined, "targetOrder": 2, "targetStationId": "021-15232", "buses": [ { "busId": "...", "order": 2, "arrivalTime": 1779070466055, "travelTime": 25, "distanceToDest": 90, "capacity": 0 } ] } ], "subwayLines": [ { "name": "地铁2号线", "shortName": "2号线", "color": "140,194,32", "directions": [{ "destName": "...", "firstTime": "05:31", "lastTime": "23:24" }] } ] } ] } Field notes: - buses[].arrivalTime is a ms timestamp; -1 = unknown - buses[].travelTime is seconds remaining; -1 = unknown - buses[].capacity: 0=light, 1=moderate, 2=crowded - If no realtime buses but the line is starting soon, 'preArrivalTime' will hold the next predicted dispatch ("10:12")bus_get_stop_detailFull detail for a stop: precise WGS-84 coordinates, every line that passes through (with first/last/price), realtime buses, and nearby metro lines. Args: - city_id (string, required) - physical_st_id (string, required): from bus_get_nearby_stops / bus_search - namesake_st_id (string, optional): recommended; from the same source - first_line_id (string, optional): a line to highlight - lat / lng (string, optional): caller's WGS-84 location, used to populate 'distance' - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "stations": [ { "sId": "...", "sn": "...", "lat": ..., "lng": ..., "distance": ..., "lines": [{ "lineId": "...", "name": "71", "direction": 0, "startSn": "...", "endSn": "...", "firstTime": "05:30", "lastTime": "23:30", "price": "2元", "targetOrder": 2, "buses": [...] }], "metros": [{ "name": "地铁14号线", "lineNo": "14号线", "color": "97,96,32" }] } ] } Multiple entries in stations[] mean the stop name maps to several physical platforms.bus_get_line_detailFull info for a line: rider-facing fields (name, first/last/price, stationsNum), the full ordered station list, the reverse-direction lineId, and every bus currently on the line. **Use this — not bus_get_timetable — to answer "is line X still running" or "first/last bus time" questions.** The timetable tool only has data for a small minority of lines. **Subway lines are NOT supported.** If bus_search returned a line with isSubway=true (e.g. lineId=1057 for 地铁2号线), this endpoint returns an empty payload — the response will carry `empty: true` and a `hint` field pointing at bus_get_nearby_stops / bus_plan_transit. Don't retry; route to those tools instead. Args: - city_id (string, required) - line_id (string, required): from bus_search.lines[*].lineId - lat / lng (string, optional): caller's WGS-84 coordinates - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "line": { "lineId":"...", "name":"71", "lineNo":"r95817", "direction":0, "startSn":"...", "endSn":"...", "firstTime":"05:30", "lastTime":"23:30", "price":"2元", "stationsNum":24 }, "stations": [{ "order":1, "sId":"...", "sn":"...", "wgsLat":..., "wgsLng":..., "physicalStId":"...", "namesakeStId":"...", "metros":[{"name":"地铁14号线","lineNo":"14号线","color":"97,96,32"}] }, ...], "buses": [{ "busId":"...", "order":2, "lat":..., "lng":..., "speed":5.7, "capacity":0, "distanceToWaitStn":...}], "reverseDirection": { "lineId":"...", "startSn":"...", "endSn":"...", "firstTime":"04:30", "lastTime":"22:30", "price":"2元" } | null, "depDesc": "...", "preArrivalTime": "...", "targetOrder": 24, "empty": true, "hint": "..." // present only when upstream returned no data (subway / retired line) } Each station carries: - 'order' → feed into bus_get_line_realtime / bus_list_line_buses as target_order - 'sId' → feed into bus_get_line_realtime as station_id (NOT into bus_get_stop_detail!) - 'physicalStId' + 'namesakeStId' → feed into bus_get_stop_detail to see every line through that stopbus_get_line_routePolyline coordinates for drawing a line on a map. Points with 'stopOrder' are actual stops; others are shape points between stops. Args: - city_id (string, required) - line_id (string, required) - include_shape (boolean, default false): false returns only stop markers (~25 points); true returns all shape points (~400-500). Skip unless you actually need to draw the line. - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "pointCount": 480, // total shape points upstream returned "stopCount": 23, // stop markers among them "points": [{ "lat":..., "lng":..., "stopOrder":1 }, ...] } 'points' is the filtered list — stops only by default, full polyline when include_shape=true. **Known caveat**: upstream sometimes omits the terminus stop from the polyline, so 'stopCount' may be one less than bus_get_line_detail's 'stationsNum' (e.g. 23 vs 24). Trust bus_get_line_detail for the authoritative station list; line_route is just for drawing. Markdown mode only summarises counts; request JSON to read coordinates.bus_get_line_realtimeCanonical "when will my bus arrive" tool. Returns every bus currently on the line, with the nearest one carrying an ETA to the waiting stop. **Important**: the upstream predicts an ETA for only the nearest bus heading to your stop. Buses farther up the route are returned (with position/speed/capacity) but their `eta` field is null. That's not a bug. **Args**: - city_id (string, required) - line_id (string, required): from bus_search - target_order (string, required): the waiting stop's order on the line. Source: bus_get_line_detail.stations[i].order, or bus_get_nearby_stops.stops[].lines[].targetOrder. - station_id (string, required): sId of the waiting stop - lat / lng (string, required): WGS-84 — the user's location is best; if unavailable, use the waiting stop's wgsLat/wgsLng (from line_detail.stations[i]). - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "line": { "lineId":"...", "name":"71", "direction":0, "endSn":"..." }, "targetOrder": 2, "realData": true, "buses": [ { "busId":"...", "licence":"...", "order":2, "lat":..., "lng":..., "speed":5.7, "capacity":0, "distanceToWaitStn":90, "eta":{"travelTime":25,"arrivalTime":1779070466055,"displayTime":"10:14"} }, { "busId":"...", "order":3, "lat":..., "lng":..., "speed":3, "capacity":0, "eta":null }, ... ], "note": "..." } Field notes: - The 'line' sub-object intentionally omits startSn — upstream does not return it on this endpoint. Read it from bus_get_line_detail if needed. - eta.travelTime is seconds remaining - eta.arrivalTime is a ms timestamp - eta.displayTime is a "HH:MM" hint from upstream - capacity: 0=light, 1=moderate, 2=crowdedbus_list_line_busesReturns the nearest bus heading to the anchor stop, with ETA and the bus's next stop name. **This is narrower than the name suggests.** Despite the upstream endpoint being called "busList", in practice it returns at most 1-2 buses (the imminent ones). For the FULL roster of every bus currently on the line, call **bus_get_line_detail** — its 'buses' array lists all live vehicles with positions. Use this tool when you want a quick "what's about to arrive" answer for a specific stop. Args: - city_id (string, required) - line_id (string, required) - target_order (string, required): the waiting stop's order on the line - station_name (string, required): display name of that anchor stop - response_format ('markdown' | 'json') Returns (json): { "targetOrder": 2, "buses": [ { "busId":"...", "licence":"...", "order":2, "lat":..., "lng":..., "speed":8.2, "capacity":0, "nextStop":"西藏中路", "eta":{"travelTime":214,"arrivalTime":..., "displayTime":"10:14"} } ] }- +3 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Trips
{
"mcpServers": {
"trips": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"thistripbtw-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Chelaile MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"peanutsplash-chelaile-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"chelaile-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Trips is categorized under Travel & Transportation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Chelaile MCP belongs to Travel & Transportation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Trips for travel & transportation work and Chelaile MCP for travel & transportation.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Trips has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Chelaile MCP is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add trips and peanutsplash-chelaile-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Trips has a quality signal of 61/100 (Good) with 3 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Chelaile MCP has 64/100 (Good) with 8 views, 1 installs and 23 GitHub stars.