When we prepare a new trip, we always start by collecting the best sights and places we want to visit. That list often becomes quite long, so good planning is indispensable. Because... Which places can you conveniently combine with each other? And how do you get there? During our travels around the world, we have tried several navigation apps, but there is one app we use over and over again: Maps.me. In this blog, we explain how this app works, share useful tips and talk about our own experiences!
What do you need to navigate with Maps.me?
Let's start with the basics! Because what do you need if you want to use the app maps.me while travelling?
- Ample storage on your phone: Depending on the country you are going to visit, offline maps may vary in size. In our case, for example, Singapore was 49MB, while Mexico was a whopping 332MB.
- GPS functionality: Make sure you turn on GPS in your phone's settings, otherwise Maps.me cannot see where you are while navigating.
- Download map: Before you can use Maps.me's maps, you need to download them. We usually do this before our trip starts, but you can also do it at your hotel. Just make sure you have a good internet connection, otherwise it can take a very long time!
How does Maps.me work?
We find Maps.me a super handy and user-friendly navigation app. We use it during hikes, scooter rides, in taxis or when catching the local bus. But also for finding ATMs, petrol stations or convenience stores. And the best part? This can all be done offline, without an internet connection!
Once you have downloaded the app and the map of your destination, you can easily determine your location, plan routes and discover cool places nearby. Whether walking through busy streets or exploring remote jungle trails, Maps.me will show you the way!
1. How do you read the maps in Maps.me?
Before you hit the road, it is useful to recognise the main symbols on the map. Most of them are self-explanatory, but we list them for you:
- Blue arrow: This is your location on the map. The direction the arrow is pointing corresponds to the direction the top of your phone is pointing. Simple, right?
- Orange lines: Main roads.
- White lines: Ordinary roads.
- Pink lines: Bike lanes.
- Brown dotted lines: Hiking trails, often unpaved. Perfect for adventurous hikes!
- Blue: Water (logical).
- Light green: Open ground.
- Dark green: Forest area.
2. What can you find in the bottom menu bar?
At the bottom of the app, you'll find five handy buttons to quickly navigate through Maps.me:
- Search: Use this to search for a location. Type in the address of your hotel here or find an ATM (ATM)/gas station, and voila! You get an instant list of options!
- Route: Plan your route from A to B here, whether you walk, cycle or go by car.
- Hub: This lists discounts on car hire, insurance and hotels. We honestly never use this.
- Favourites: Save your favourite places here and create personalised lists.
- Menu: Here you will find your downloaded maps, settings and other options.
Tip: You also have the option in Maps.me to record a route. Ideal if you want to ride or walk a certain route again!
3. Downloading maps offline with Maps.me
One of the biggest advantages of Maps.me is that you can download maps in advance and use them offline. During our travels, we don't always have a SIM card or internet, but with Maps.me this is not a problem. We download the map of our destination and can then navigate without internet. Super convenient!
This makes it easy to download offline maps in the Maps.me app:
- Open the app and tap at the bottom right More. A menu opens in which you can Downloaded maps sees.
- Select Downloaded maps and use the search bar to search for the country whose map you want to download. Note that some countries are divided into several maps. So check carefully which parts you need!
- Download the map and make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi to save data.
It's that simple! Now you can use the map offline and navigate without the internet.
Read also: Continuous or Short-term Travel Insurance: Which Do You Choose?
Read also: Creating a Komoot route? Check out the roadmap here!
4. Finding places and information in Maps.me
With Maps.me, you can easily search for nearby attractions, restaurants, hotels and other locations. As described earlier, we often search on ATM or Gas station, but if we have selected certain sights in advance, we pin them and put them in our favourites list.
- Search function: Enter the name of a restaurant, landmark or hotel, and Maps.me instantly shows the route to it.
- Categories: In the search bar, you will find a section with categories. As soon as you start typing, suggestions will appear. If you scroll further and press More click, you will be presented with many more options. Select a category and discover all relevant locations in your area.
- Favourites: Places or sights you have previously saved can be found in your favourites list on the home screen. So you can navigate super-fast to the places you don't want to miss!
5. Use inside or outside Europe
Whether travelling across Europe or exploring tropical destinations outside Europe, Maps.me offers maps from around the world. In Europe, the maps are very detailed, but we have also been able to navigate well in other parts of the world with Maps.me's offline maps. It's smart to check how detailed the maps are and whether everything is available while preparing for your trip, though, to avoid any surprises. (We haven't suffered from that yet, thankfully!)
Our experience with Maps.me
During our journey through Mexico Maps.me was indispensable for navigation in our rented car from Sunny Cars, which had no built-in navigation. Whether we were driving through the busy streets of Cancun or walking in search of hidden jetties in Bacalar, the app took us to our destination without any problems. In the narrowest streets, Maps.me sometimes lost its way briefly, but it usually recovered the route within a few metres. Really get lost? That hasn't happened to us yet, thankfully!
The app works perfectly in cities and towns, but especially during long car journeys. We knew exactly how many kilometres we still had to drive, although you have to take estimated arrival times outside Europe with a grain of salt. Often you can't drive the maximum speed and mountains, small roads or busy cities are not properly counted in terms of time. We add 30 minutes extra to the arrival time as standard, so you're usually right! Which is really ideal: Maps.me shows exactly where you can find petrol stations and restaurants along the way. Super handy for a quick drink break or lunch stop!
Tip: We actually always combine maps.me with google maps. In some places Google maps is better and in others again maps.me. Especially with hikes and long car journeys, maps.me is our favourite!
Some more handy tips
- Update regularly: Before your trip, check that you have the latest version of the app and that your maps are up-to-date. We once found out that a map had been updated, causing our previously downloaded version to suddenly disappear.
- Organising favourites: Use lists to keep your favourite places organized. Handy for restaurants, activities, attractions and hotels. So you have everything quickly to hand!
- Saving battery: Navigating, with any app, eats up battery. Especially if you're on the move for long periods of time. We ourselves always have this powerbank from Anker (Available from Bol.com) from us. Don't have a power bank handy? Then turn on your phone's power-saving mode. We noticed that Maps.me then becomes slightly slower, but the app remains accurate.
We hope these tips help you plan your trip. Do you still have questions? Then feel free to drop us a line at Instagram.
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