Using Maps.Me. A free application for offline GPS

Don't want to pay lots of money for GPS rent, you don't have a mobile chip in the country you are visiting to use the 4 g? Fora da Toca has the solution for your problem and for FREE!

As we talked about in our other post about car rental, We left the GPS and used an application for offline navigation. When I went to Orlando we had (I, ISA and Mari) downloaded HERE Maps. But when our trip to Italy came on, the app freaked out and stopped working, not even praying worked!

So I left in search of other option, free of course, It is always valid to have an application that works offline for navigation. After numerous searches I found MAPS.ME. As well as HERE Maps it works by downloading all the maps of the countries or cities you choose to work without internet. To test, I downloaded the maps from Rio de Janeiro and used in some routs. Making sure that was ok, I downloaded the maps of Italy.

Here are the links to download MAPS.Me to Android and IPhone.

Here is a quick step by step how to download the maps

Do this with the WI-FI connected, unless you have a super package of data and you aren't in a hurry, Since it is a time-consuming process of downloads and updates.

One of the cool things in the MAPS.ME is that it indicates some stores, gas station, and some places if you just type the names in the search, even off, It's not perfect but it works.

Like all good GPS he will send you eventually to absurd places, mainly to cut across, for in the end come back to the same main street. So never trust 100% in it, or any GPS, always try to look at a general way with zoom out to make sure the shortcut worth it or not.

When we were going to Sorrento the GPS decided to cut a path totally unnecessary within the city, We went into a cul-de-sac, including I think we enter a condo, and then in another GPS attack he put us in a passage that not even a bike passes! unbelievable! Of course, when we hit the wall, a car parked behind us to increase the pressure, but in the end, between the dead and wounded we were all saved!!

I confess that I used more the MAPS.ME on foot than by car (because we didn't drive much and the roads there are very well signposted), this way I didn't have to get cracking and finding myself in the paper maps, After all not always all the streets are represented on these maps.

As well as the google Maps you can choose to trace the route to car or pedestrian. One thing I forgot in the beginning was to hit this arrow button in the left corner, only with it activated navigation will work, plus of course your GPS Locator cell phone on.

I found the MAPS.ME an excellent application, It has other functions to save locations and share location but I didn't use.