Best navigation with downloadable maps

[JumpShip]

Off to europe again soon and last time our vans nav decided to die so it was 4.5k miles of google maps from my phone.
With its tiny screen and dodgy connectivity it made things abit awkward at times.
So this year i've got a tablet with a big screen and i want to download the maps before we go but which apps are people using and finding the best ?

Thanks in advance .

 

[Sackmycook]

Google maps can be downloaded to work offline

 

[JumpShip]

Is that the best one though or is there better ?
I quite like google maps , not looked at just how big the files are to download france,spain, portugal yet .

 

[Qnapper]

I have tried them all and find the I like Waze app on the phone (andriod or apple). You can use their online system, plan your route and send it to your phone etc. Best of all it´s FREE

Here is the link: Driving directions, live traffic & road conditions updates - Waze

 

[Alster]

I use google maps and tomtom go mobile and both are good but not perfect- google maps gives slightly better routes (tom tom sometimes sends me down really narrow back roads just to save two minutes) but gmaps will occasionally try to send me through a closed road! Also although you can download maps they don’t always work. Tom tom maps are clearer and genuinely offline but poi search isn’t as good. Plus you have to pay for tom tom.

 

[JumpShip]

Never used Waze but will look thanks .

Ok so either waze or google it is then

I need them to work offline reliably as my providers 'fair usage' normally shafts me after 63 days out

 

[Sasquatch]

I have tried them all and find the I like Waze app on the phone (andriod or apple). You can use their online system, plan your route and send it to your phone etc. Best of all it´s FREE

Here is the link: Driving directions, live traffic & road conditions updates - Waze

I too use Waze. It's quite soothing having Morgan Freeman direct me to my destination.

The Arnold Scwarzenegger voice use to order me about and leave me a nervous wreck!

 

[Alster]

If reliable offline is important then I would look at tomtom. We were in spain earlier this year and gmaps was very unreliable with no service.

 

[Qnapper]

Never used Waze but will look thanks .

Ok so either waze or google it is then

I need them to work offline reliably as my providers 'fair usage' normally shafts me after 63 days out

Not sure what phone you have, but I use iD Mobile esim (I have spanish sim in phone) whilst in in EU and have to date never had a message from them about "fair usage"crap..... and they let you carry over unused data to next month.

Their policy: Our Roaming fair usage policy is in place to prevent our free Roaming feature from being misused. Customers who joined iD on or after 21st June 2023 can use up to 30GB data from their plan while Roaming (each month) in our 50 destinations at no extra cost.

Have a look: https://www.idmobile.co.uk/

 

[roadtripper]

I use Sygic and quite like it, it has some useful things like automatic tight bend warnings, a bit like having a co driver.

They do have a camper van mode as well that I've not paid for as I think it's a bit more for bigger MoHos

Does Android Auto if you have a subscription (I do as it's not much and I feel it's worth it - I think it was under £10 on a renewal deal and I get a monthly map update) and a very useful HUD (Head Up Display) mode - I don't actually use it to try and reflect off the screen but it makes a very useful non distracting display when I'm using it in the i3 (doesn't work on Android Auto)

 

[JumpShip]

I did try sygic on my old tablet but it died before I had a chance to play with it properly.

 

[Pete j.c]

I have found magic Earth to be the best navigation app for offline. Works great on my iPhone.

 

[JumpShip]

I've heard mixed reviews about magic earth but I'll have a play and see how i get on, thanks .

 

[jimc91]

+1 for waze, used it in France Spain and Portugal with no issues, updates routes based on traffic, maybe buy an old iPhone and stick a dedicated sim in it with enough data for your trips

 

[Pete j.c]

I have tried a few different apps for offline maps and in my experience Magic Earth was by far the best, worked great going down to the south of France last year.

 

[JumpShip]

maybe buy an old iPhone and stick a dedicated sim in it with enough data for your trips

I dont do apple and I can't see maps on my existing phone clearly enough at a glance while driving hence getting a tablet to run maps on..

 

[Qnapper]

I have found magic Earth to be the best navigation app for offline. Works great on my iPhone.

Thank you for this one, I didnt know about this app. Will have a look over next few days whilst out and about and see if its better than current one Im using.