Offline European maps for an Android phone

[StuAff]

I use Osmand (OpenStreetMap for Android). Free, no need to register/log in/sell your soul to get it working, routing works very well, you can use GPXs created elsewhere (or do a route on the phone & then send it to your Garmin). Free version limits you to seven map downloads (at any one time-you can delete one, download another, etc) within the application- which should be plenty for your needs- however you can download them to your PC and then transfer them anyway.

 

[contadino]

+1 for Osmand. Been using it in Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany and Belgium for a few years now.

Map quality varies by country in line with stereotypes. ie totally accurate in Germany and Switzerland through to usably poor in Italy, but that's down to OpenStreetMap rather than the app itself.

 

[andym]

+1 for Osmand. Been using it in Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany and Belgium for a few years now.

Map quality varies by country in line with stereotypes. ie totally accurate in Germany and Switzerland through to usably poor in Italy, but that's down to OpenStreetMap rather than the app itself.

That's not been my experience with the OSM mapping of Itsly.

I spend a lot of time touring in Italy - eg last year my tour took me through Sicilia, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Veneto and Südtirol. I don't recall ever having had a serious issue with the OSM mapping - on the contrary it has been unfailingly accurate. I carry City Navigator on my GPS and I *used* to use it on occasions when there were gaps in the OSM, but I don't think I've used it since 2013. If anything the OSM mapping is better than City Navigator.

Personally I'm extremely grateful to the Italian OSM community for its brilliant work - a lot of people have put a lot of time and energy into building something invaluable (as indeed have all the other OSM mappers).

 

[psmiffy]

Go for the Osmand - it is about as good as you are going to get - was not joking about the reading glasses tho

 

[xilios]

Go for the Osmand - it is about as good as you are going to get - was not joking about the reading glasses tho
View attachment 124455

Screenshot looks good I'll try it out and compare it to maps.me myself.
Thanks psmiffy.

 

[psmiffy]

Screenshot looks good

It is only as good as the underlying mapping - which is OpenStreetmap - as a back up to find where you are it will be OK - personally if I wanted to find something specific I would find a cafe with free wifi and just use google maps

 

[steveindenmark]

Xilios suggested Mapsme and I downloaded it yesterday and it seems to work very well. I will try it over the next few days and see how it goes and report back.

 

[Blue Hills]

Go for the Osmand - it is about as good as you are going to get - was not joking about the reading glasses tho
View attachment 124455

I did have osmand installed but removed it. Cannot remember why, may have been because it appeared to start asking for intrusive permissions or because i found it user unfriendly. Looking at google play comments, it could well have been either or both of these. I stress that i never used it in the field, just sofa evaluation.

 

[rich p]

I tried, and thought I'd succeeded, to download Galicia maps using OSMand but I don't know how to find the damned map now.
I realise I'm just living down to the low expectations of @Crackle and @psmiffy

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Have a look at Here maps too. Complete offline usability and you can download regions/departments etc or whole countries

 

[psmiffy]

I tried, and thought I'd succeeded, to download Galicia maps using OSMand but I don't know how to find the damned map now.
I realise I'm just living down to the low expectations of @Crackle and @psmiffy

open OSmand - do the finger zooming out until you can see galicia

- finger zoom in -

in real life it will be easier as the GPS in the phone will do all the work for you

 

[Tim Hall]

When using Osmasnd I found that the default setting for routing for cyclists includes offroad tracks and paths. OSM's idea of what is a suitable surface for cycling on may differ from yours, so it may be an idea to uncheck that box.

 

[rich p]

open OSmand - do the finger zooming out until you can see galicia View attachment 124463
- finger zoom in - View attachment 124464

in real life it will be easier as the GPS in the phone will do all the work for you

I've just got a blank screen

 

[psmiffy]

Download England and start from there - If you have England you will be able to suss out whether or not you successfully downloaded Galacia

 

[rich p]

Download England and start from there - If you have England you will be able to suss out whether or not you successfully downloaded Galacia

Don't be horrid to me...
It appears I hadn't downloaded the world overview map first