In the absence of internet, many of us revert to using paper maps to get ourselves around foreign cities. While the novelty of this can be fun for a while, I’ve become lost, been misdirected or had my map tear or fall apart in the rain too many times to trust them, especially when it matters.
An app called maps.me has changed the way I travel, and here’s how it works.
Simply download ‘maps.me’ on your smartphone then, while connected to wifi, search for and download the cities you’re planning on visiting. Once the map is downloaded, you won’t need internet access or data again to use it.
It’s similar to other map apps, except it’s internet-free and has a heap of useful functions. First, it tells you exactly where you are within a city and you can ‘pin’ various locations, such as your accommodation, landmarks or cool places you’ve discovered that you want to get back to. This means you can look back on a city and see all of your favourite places marked out.
It can give you the best routes to get to places, estimated times and transport options. You can search for things in your area such as food, hotels, sights, Wi-Fi, shops, ATMs, hospitals, pharmacies, public toilets and more! It also gives you the option of either viewing results in a list, or on a map view, so you can see how close you are to them.
No more fears of wondering too far off the trodden path and not being able to find your way back to your accommodation. It also means you can spend less time worrying about your whereabouts and just enjoying the place.
Honestly, it’s so useful I have my own city downloaded and use it to get around.
Beyond being insanely practical, maps.me allows us to understand where we are in the context of the larger city and surroundings, and is perfect for the adventurous traveller.
Do you have a preferred maps app for when you travel? Why not share it with our members?
Related articles:
How to beat roaming charges
Maps minus roaming charges
Ten mind-blowing maps
