Until Google Maps, undoubtedly the best app to use the smartphone as a satellite navigator, will not give the possibility to consult and use navigation even offline and without internet connection, it will always be discouraged for use abroad or in areas where the internet connection mobile phone is absent. Fortunately, there are several other map applications that work offline for Android and also offline GPS navigators for iPhone .
Among these, my favorite has always been Nokia Here Maps which in my experience in Ireland has worked very well as a GPS navigator (also saving me from renting the Garmin), after downloading the map of the entire state.
Another excellent alternative to always have maps and routes of the whole world available offline, without having to have a mobile phone connected to the internet is Maps.me.
The Russian Mail.ru app has recently been released as open source, therefore not only free but with the ability to edit maps and add points of interest and also to use the same maps for other applications.
Maps.me is based on OpenStreetMap (OSM) data and works only offline.
The app is really simple and spartan, without all those options available in Google Maps or Nokia Here.
With a few buttons, you only need to download the map of the country in which you are located, then search for an address and then get the route that starts from your position detected by GPS.
The routes can be by car or even on foot.
Maps and routes can be downloaded for any country in the world.
For Italy, the map of the whole state is available in a single file that occupies more than 800 MB in the internal memory of the phone or on the SD card.
The fact that the maps are open source ensures their continuous updating.
The Maps.me app is available, free of charge, for both Android smartphones and iPhones .
