But, that seems minor compared to paying hundreds or thousands of dollars in roaming fees when you return home.Live view, 3D maps, turn-by-turn navigation & more. In some regions (like Cuba ), offline maps simply aren’t available because of language support, address formatting, or contractual limitations. For that matter, neither will alternate routes or lane guidance. Keep in mind that, in offline mode, real-time feature (traffic, in particular) won’t be accessible in any of these apps. The app is free (without ads) to download for both Android and iOS.

On the upside, the makers promise the app can help you navigate “any country, any place, from the largest cities to the smallest villages.” So, even if you’re vacationing on some remote Pacific atoll, you’ll be able to find your way. While the maps render quickly on-screen, this comprehensive approach can mean that routing and search functionality might take longer than you’d like. Because the app pulls from community-based OpenStreetMap data, it features one of the largest databases of points-of-interest in the world. Like Google Maps, MAPS.ME is designed with a bold, bright, intuitive interface to get you where you need to go.

In the popup menu, select “Download Offline Area” and follow the prompts.

Tap the three dots in the top right of the screen.

Tap the location name on the bottom of the screen to pull up its details.

Search for a destination (“San Francisco”, for example).

Launch the Google Maps mobile app (make sure you’re signed in to Google).It’s a godsend for travelers, but the functionality is buried in the app if you don’t know where to look.

One of its best and still relatively unknown features is the ability to access maps offline. Second only to Waze, Google Maps is the silver standard for mobile mapping applications. These three offline map apps allow for map viewing without a data binge, so you’re (almost) guaranteed never to get lost while in a foreign country. But, with a little advanced planning, it doesn’t have to. What’s worse is that accessing map apps (arguably the most essential bit of technology for travelers) requires boatloads of data. Unfortunately, it can be damn near impossible to make sense of your mobile carrier’s international plans and pricing. Getting hit with exorbitant data roaming fees isn’t.

Download map apps