Maps.me is a navigation app available for both Android and iOS. What is special is that it costs nothing and works offline. A must-have if you don't want to spend money on navigation.
Apps to navigate with remain fun and interesting. The disadvantage is that you often have to pay for a lot of this type of software. Or if that's not the case, you're often stuck with an app that continuously needs an internet connection while driving to retrieve map parts. The latter will of course quickly become expensive if you use your mobile data bundle. In both respects, Maps.Me is a breath of fresh air. It's free and works great offline too. If, of course, you make sure that the map or map parts where you are going to navigate are downloaded at home via a broadband WiFi connection there. After installing the app, it is therefore important to start with that.
We assume the iOS version, but in Android it all works more or less the same. Start Maps.Me and tap the button with the three bars and then Downloaded Maps. Tap the link Downloaded Maps and tap the download button for a country or map or map you want to download. Handy for holidays and space-saving in terms of storage space. After all, you only need to download the maps or map parts that you really need. Maps are available from just about every country imaginable. Once you've landed a card, the fun can begin.
Navigate
To plan a route, first tap the binoculars in the button bar. You now see - very handy - a whole series of buttons with possibly interesting addresses in the area. Think restaurants, attractions and more. You can even book a hotel or a local guide directly. This way of searching for a destination is ideal if you are not yet familiar with the surroundings of your (holiday) location. Of course it is also possible to navigate to an address in the usual way. To do this, tap the magnifying glass. Then type in the street name, house number and city. You will see the search results appear live at the bottom of the screen. Tap the correct address and then in the opened panel tap Directions to.
By default, the route is calculated for driving. If you wish, it is also possible to choose from alternative modes of transport: walking, cycling, public transport or taxi. All very flexible. The public transport option is especially nice, but it doesn't work everywhere in the world yet. In this example we assume a car journey. Tap on To start to start navigation. The map display is beautiful and very usable. If you want to receive traffic information while driving - even free of charge - you can tap the button with the three bars at the bottom of the screen in navigation mode, followed by a tap on the traffic light. Just drive!
By the way, you can change the language of the spoken instructions to your liking. To do this, first close the navigation mode and tap the three-bar button. Tap on Institutions and then on Spoken language. Through Others you get access to just about every language imaginable. In iOS, it may still be necessary to go to the Settings app under General, Accessibility and speech the options Speak selection and Speak screen turn on. Through Vote you can then also download improved voices. They take up more storage space, but sound - indeed - a lot better.
