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Offline Nav app?

Peerzy

Peerzy

Peerzy

Soldato
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9 Nov 2008
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Not sure if this is possible - we are going away this summer and will be driving through the USA and Canada. I'll be grabbing a 3 PAYG SIM and will be able to use Google Maps and the 3 PAYG data whilst I'm in the USA however they don't cover Canada yet as part of the feel at home deal.

My options are to buy a sat nav that covers Canada or hopefully find an app where I can do everything in the hotel on WiFi / offline.

I'm looking for something that will not use any data whilst we drive, or will allow me to pre cache everything the night before whilst on WiFi. Just basic directions are fine, I'll have pre-planned the route to a certain extent.

Any ideas?
 
kefan77 said:
Here Maps?
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Looks really good and ideal, have you used it (especially offline)? Some of our days or driving will be places where I imagine they'll be no phone signal even if we wanted to use it so I'm keen to make sure whatever I take will not fail and leave us lost!
 
Route 66 Navigate has a free worldwide 30 day trial. Download the maps in advance or they will be online. It includes live traffic and speed cameras, which do use a small amount of data.
 
Route 66 (in the UK) is as close to perfect a nav I've used.

Quick, smart routing, easy to change routes, and if you have date (and if you buy the traffic and camera module) the accuracy is stunning.

I'd trust it offline just you'd lose the tragic and camera.
 
I too can recommend Route 66.

Recently been using Tomtom Go for Android and I'm nearly prefering it to Route 66. It's subscription based in that you buy a year or 3 years. 50 miles a month free without a sub. All been discussed earlier on this forum.

The subscription to Tomtom gives you worldwide maps, so no buying map sets - you download what you require. Includes speed cams and traffic. The latter two are subscription on Route 66 but the app is for life .... but perpetual....

http://www.66.com/UK/support/faq/navigate/what-does-a-perpetual-license-mean/

You are not guaranteed downloads after two years which smells a little of subscription to me. No matter, I still like Route 66.

But I've purchased a years subscription to Tomtom Go to give it a proper go. 50 miles free a month isn't a lot? I like that speedcams, traffic and worldwide maps are included in the sub. The app itself is simple and very tactile (is that the right word?) to use one handed in a vehicle. I'm not saying to use whilst driving but big menus simple and clear. Speed cams seem accurate though I don't know it it shows 'known' mobile camera spots. Of course if you don't speed it matters not. I like the speed display that turns amber if your just over the limit and red if you go a little faster still :o Only bit I can't really comment on how good it is, is traffic and re routing as not had to really put it too the test yet. I seem to have missed the jams lately :cool:

Uriel - you're the nav man here ;) Have you given it much of a spin?
 
Peerzy said:
Not sure if this is possible - we are going away this summer and will be driving through the USA and Canada. I'll be grabbing a 3 PAYG SIM and will be able to use Google Maps and the 3 PAYG data whilst I'm in the USA however they don't cover Canada yet as part of the feel at home deal.

My options are to buy a sat nav that covers Canada or hopefully find an app where I can do everything in the hotel on WiFi / offline.

I'm looking for something that will not use any data whilst we drive, or will allow me to pre cache everything the night before whilst on WiFi. Just basic directions are fine, I'll have pre-planned the route to a certain extent.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

CityMaps2Go is excellent if you plan which maps you need beforehand. Have used in all over the USA and Europe. You can DL guides etc alongside the maps.
 
Richy888 said:
Uriel - you're the nav man here ;) Have you given it much of a spin?
Click to expand...

I already owned the old TomTom app so got the upgrade to TomTom Go Mobile for 50p.

Just used it on a holiday to Cornwall but often checked it against Route 66. I've also run both concurrently for some journeys.

The routing is very similar but not identical. If traffic is detected prior to route planning, Route 66 usually gives it a wider berth, with a preference for main routes. TT Go will often stick closer to the default route but go for detours on side roads.

It seems that once the route is in progress, TT Go is a little more willing to reroute around traffic even for very minor delays. I think TT Go is doing something like checking for alternative routes in the background more often.

So far Route 66 is looking like getting my vote. It has a couple of important features over TomTom. One is the ability to select any part of the route and force it to avoid with a road block. This proved useful for me today when the TT traffic service both apps share didn't pick up the road closures for Sheffield's half marathon. TomTom Go will calculate alternative routes but it's a bit random. There's no way to tell the app where you specifically want to avoid. The other issue only really affects long journeys. TT Go has a traffic horizon of about 40 minutes for jams and 100 miles or so for road closures. R66's horizons are further. It sends to ignore jams further than an hour away but there doesn't seen to be a closure horizon. I've seen it plan route avoiding closed roads over 200 miles away and you can browse anywhere on the map for traffic.

They are both excellent navigation apps though. I would say the best there is for traffic avoidance with Route 66 having a slight edge. TT Go becomes more attractive for the price of you want worldwide coverage, speed cameras etc.

The R66 two year thing is a licensing issue. They licence the maps from TomTom and therefore can only offer updates for as long as their contact allows. I believe this must be a 2 year rolling contract. There's been a R66 app on android since 2011 iirc (vastly improved in 2013) and so far the free map updates have kept coming for all users. R66 customers have also been given free updates to new versions of the app (the 2013 update was an entirely new app rather than an update to the existing).
 
How does Route 66 work with pre planning a route or running with 0 data connectivity?

Ideally whilst in Canada I would open the app on my phone whilst in the hotel on WiFi, enter our end destination and then click go. The app would almost immediately completely lose WiFi and never regain a data connection. I'd like to be able to detour off route as and when we see fit (food breaks, something cool we've seen) and for the app to re-route us the best way to our destination.

Aside from Vancouver we won't really be in any major cities so traffic updates don't really interest me, I just want to know that after stopping for lunch 15 miles away from our route the app don't just say "Lol, no data m8 I'm stuffed" and leave me to have to work out our route back.

Whilst in the US and with data I'm happy to use Google Maps as the walking directions and ability to type in names of places worked really well last time.
 
Assuming android there's navmii (originally called navfree) which has a canada map (you download the map in app, no additional downloads etc like say google maps). Completely free unless you want advert free which costs like £1.50

It works pretty well in the UK for navigation although I have no idea about how complete Canada would be.
 
Peerzy said:
How does Route 66 work with pre planning a route or running with 0 data connectivity?
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Assuming you get the free 30 day trial, you can download any map in the world to the phone. This includes address and POI information. There is some additional searchable info from online sources such as wikipedia. With the data off and using wi-fi you could start the app in the hotel room, pick up traffic info and plan the initial route. Lets say you then turn on aeroplane mode to prevent data usage. You'd need to keep the app running while you got in the car to benefit from the traffiic info for the initial route. Obviously you'd lose the benefit of traffic updates while the route is in progress.

If you're away from wi-fi, you can still route plan. Route 66 uses Tomtom's speed profiles for time of day and day of the week in route planning (it's embedded in the map data) so offline routes are still relatively sensible.

A word of warning. I've found that Tomtom / Route 66 POI information is not generally as accurate as Google's. It will put you nearby but not take you to the door or the carpark entrance. Google is generally the best I've seen for POI accuracy. You can use Google maps offline by cacheing map data while wi-fi is running but if then go 'off piste' you're on your own.
 
Another vote for HERE Drive, works well, worldwide offline maps available, based on Navteq maps and free! In fact buying a low end Windows phone for £60 and using Here Drive is cheaper and makes more sense than buying a dedicated Sat Nav! :)
 
Have you thought about purchasing a T-Mobile sim card when you arrive in USA? They are seriously cheap but you may find the odd spots without coverage which shouldn't be an issue if you're driving through.

I actually find the Android edition of Google Maps very effective. If you use the hotel WiFi to plan your route before you leave for that leg, you can specifically choose to save the route for offline access. Worked an absolute charm for me driving from east to west coast, but you can't touch it after you've set it.
 
lnoton said:
Navmii is my choice. Works well. What am I missing for no one to mention this.
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i dont know if its jsut my area but it does some really stupid things route wise....you really need to make sure you have a rough idea where you are going before using this app...

EG

you drive past the turning you were supposed to take, and its happy to take you several miles in a circle to take the turning again rather than just say "you miseed the turn, turn around"
 
edscdk said:
i dont know if its jsut my area but it does some really stupid things route wise....you really need to make sure you have a rough idea where you are going before using this app...
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That's why I didn't use Navfree / NavMii for long. The routing was shocking. It seemed completely oblivious to the existance of side roads.

It will get you to your destination in the end but the route there may well be a bit random.
 
yeah, Navfree was great in the absence of anything else, but totally unreliable for regular, accurate use.

Route 66 does require a membership beyond 30 days, but that wont be an issue... Works great without data. Though the tomtom recommendation above is also always a safe one...
 
lnoton said:
Navmii is my choice. Works well. What am I missing for no one to mention this.
Click to expand...
um I did....

I've had no more issues with navmii/free than I have with google maps and some paid ones. I live in Norfolk and often travel down backroads etc and have had no issues with missing roads or turnings. Obviously you still get the 'gps' issues you can get in some cities but that's more down to the device/gps than the app.

If anything navmii is better for me where I am because 90% of the places I go to locally have no data signal so if I've 'forgotten to download' the map in advance I still have directions.
 
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