The Best Offline Mapping Apps for Cycle Touring (Updated 2019)
(Updated: April 2019. After completing our South America tour and touring in the PNW of the USA and moving to Spain, we felt it was important to update this post with new apps. We often get questions about specific apps and our intention is to cover applications that are useful for offline mapping tools for cycle touring, not tracking distances, or social features.
For 2019, we’ve got a new #1 app!
Note: we have also included user recommended offline apps at the bottom that come highly preferred.)
As we’ve traversed Europe, South America, and the USA during our cycle tours, we have become quite familiar with the various offline navigation mapping apps. Given that we have used an Apple iPhone, an Android tablet, Samsung Galaxy phone, Dell and a Mac laptop, we are no strangers to the variety of tools available.
While some old school riders prefer paper maps, we’re all digital.
Below, we provide a review of some of the best offline mapping tools for cycle touring.
Need a way to view your map apps while riding? Here’s some gear to get you started ⟶
Phone and Tablet
1. Komoot – New #1 for 2019
Android and iOS | $3.99 – $19.99 | https://www.komoot.com
Pros: For a while, I’ve heard, “you have to check out Komoot” and it wasn’t until Dakota and Chelsea Gale of TraipsingAbout.com paid us a visit in Granada, Spain that I was able to get my hands on the application.
They’re touring the Iberian peninsula and have been using the app for their planning and riding.
I’m so blown away by this app that I immediately went to my computer and updated it as #1 on the list.
Offline maps? Check. Hiking, mountain biking, road riding, and bike touring maps? Check. Elevation profile? Yup.
The very first question I have when using an app for cycling touring is can it be used offline. Unequivocally, yes, you can save routes offline easily and without headache.
Who wants to burn and pay for data while touring?
Next up, how’s the route planning? Oh man, this is where Komoot excels. You get an overview of the route surfaces by distance with a map overlay and by type of road.
You can scroll across your route inch by inch and compare the surface, way path, and elevation profiles. This is unparalleled for a mapping app to give you so much information on a single screen.
You can also choose Cycle Touring vs Road Riding and get different routes. This the first time I’ve seen a mapping app do this. The cycle touring option will also give you dirt and non-pavement paths. Also, there turn by turn voice navigation built into the application.
The Difficulty section is a welcomed addition of information, especially when planning routes for riders of various skills. When planning a route from Granada to Sevilla, I can easily see that there isn’t any experience needed, but that the fitness level is the highest.
Why do I need fitness? Oh, Spain is a giant country of hills and steep climbs. No joke, there is serious climbing here. The Elevation Profile gives me direct access to how much uphill and downhill we are facing. Plus, an estimated average speed.
Obviously this is dependent on skill and load, but still helpful information.
Cons: My only complaint about Komoot is that the Bike Touring option includes dirt routes and depending on the weather, these can be a bear. Biking with a loaded rig over heavy wet clay does not make for a fun day. I’d like to be able to turn off certain way path types.
Keep in mind, Komoot is fantastic at route planning, but is not a repository for points of interest. You’ll want to partner the app with another that taps into openstreetmap data.
Cost: Free region to download. $3.99 for a single region. $8.99 for a regional bundle. $19.99 for the wold world up unlimited updates.
Bottom line: This is the app I’ve been waiting for when cycling and hiking. It has it everything for touring and getting from point A to point B. Couple this app with Maps.Me for finding POIs, hotels, and places you need to go, and you’ll be all set for adventure.
2. OsmAnd
Android and iOS | $6.99 | www.osmand.net
Pros: It has several must have features for cycle touring like cycle route overlays, turn-by-turn directions, contour lines and hill shading, GPS navigation coordinate mapping, and point-of-interest searching for things like camp sites and grocery stores.
We are huge fans of the offline Wikipedia articles based on geo-location. When you cycle into a town and see an interesting monument, you have the ability to immediately and easily pull-up the article without an Internet connection.
We also love the “more details” and “road quality” features. This has been useful when touring in Albania where the roads can be suspect and can easily ruin your day. No other app offers this amount of detail and information with such ease.
Another feature that has been invaluable is the contour lines package. We often encounter multiple route options when planning. The contour lines feature gives us the ability to compare the hills and climbs on different routes.
This has saved our legs and quads many times.
Cons: The user interface takes a little getting used to and you have to manually enable the cycle maps overlay. It can be slow to load when you add several map overlays like contour lines, hill-shades, and cycling routes. It’s initially free, though, you’re limited to only a few offline downloads.
If you’re cycle touring, it’s easy to burn through a few free maps.
The iOS version is not nearly as powerful as the Android version. This app has to be considered one of if not the best navigation apps for android. When we tested the iOS version it lacked turn-by-turn directions and was incredibly slow on our older iPhone 4.
With an updated iPhone 6s, the app ran much faster and without issue. On our Samsung S8, the app ran smooth and seems the Android version is vastly improved.
Cost: Free for a few map downloads. $6.99 for unlimited map downloading. $1.99 for contour lines.
Bottom line: From our experience, this is an excellent offline-mapping tool, especially in Europe or well-developed countries. It’s worth the money to get the contour lines if you want to size up a hill while being offline.
The interface takes a little getting used to, however, anyone can pick it up after a little experimenting. As of 2018, they’ve added elevation profiles and I suspect in our upcoming new review the app map take the cake as our favorite.
(2018 update) In South America we found ourselves not using OsmAnd, as it wasn’t very accurate with road qualities and didn’t have nearly the same amount of Points of Interest as other applications. We actually stopped using it all together and saved the download space on our phones.
Back in Europe in 2018, we’ve started using OsmAnd again. Why? We love the built in Wiki by geo-location. As mentioned as a Pro, this feature is alone the reason to use the app.
Sure, there are better apps for one size fits all approach, hint hint, it ends in .Me, however, having access to information offline makes our touring experience that much more enjoyable.
3. Galileo
Android and iOS | $3.99 | www.galileo-app.com
Pros: We first heard about Galileo from our friend Pablo of Bike Canine. He suggested we give it a try as it has an easy to use interface and it includes bike maps. In Europe, we used Galileo daily and couldn’t agree more! The interface is simple, elegant, and downloading maps is very simple.
The different types of maps available including the cycle routes via www.opencyclemap.org are helpful when cycle touring, especially finding a bike shop, which are automatically labeled in the cycle route map. It was our go to tool in Europe when needing to quickly check our directions.
We’d simply whip out our phone, enable GPS, and know exactly where we were located.
Galileo also has a very basic search tool for points-of-interest. Not as powerful as OsmAnd POI locater, but good enough depending on where you’re traveling.
It’s also not a resource drag on our iPhones. It loads fast and rarely crashes.
Cons: Bike maps or terrain maps need to be manually downloaded offline. This encompasses scrolling over the area you want to view while the tile downloads. The tile pieces are then cached in memory. Each night we’d review the planned route and scroll over the bike map tiles to make sure we got what we wanted, if WiFi is available.
This included the various zoom levels that require individual tile downloads. We’ve been stuck on a number occasions where we don’t have the tile downloaded at the zoom level needed.
Cost: Free for a trial. $3.99 for unlimited downloading.
Bottom line: Galileo was our go to offline mapping tool in Europe, especially mid-ride for quickly checking our location and confirming we are on the right path. It’s not the de facto planning tool for us and lacks turn-by-turn directions, but it can get you from point A to point B.
We found that Galileo can be a useful addition to a more detailed route planning offline navigation tool.
(2018 update) We have continued to use Galileo on a regular basis, though our usage dropped considerably in South America. The manual need to download tiles while being connected to the Internet proved to a pain, as WiFi access can be sparse in Patagonia and throughout South America.
Plus, we found the routes to be so straight forward and the lack of Points of Interest data meant that Galileo was more helpful when finding off-road hiking trails than actually planning a cycling route.
In more populated areas of Europe, we’ve found Galileo to be more helpful as the maps are more accurate. Ultimately, it’s a solid plus 1 app in that it shouldn’t be the sole provider of navigation and data, but an additional source.
4. Maps.Me (aka Maps Me)
Android and iOS | Free | www.maps.me
Pros: We heard so many good things about Maps.Me and for good reason. It’s as solid of an app out there. It’s open source, has a ton of data including cycle routes, integrated Uber options, walking, and cycling.
We like the turn-by-turn directions and user-friendly search functions that make it easy to find locations for accommodations or restaurants.
The user interface is well-designed and a quick study for the non-techies.
A recent release includes real time traffic for when you’re connected to the Internet. Plus, cycle directions from point A to point B include a visual elevation profile.
This is HUGE when planning and comparing cycle routes. You can save Points of Interest, and even add new places you’ve found that will be synced with the master database for the whole application when you get back online.
Another fantastic feature is the integration of hotels with Booking.com. You can book directly from the app if online, however, if you’re offline you can only see the rating (1-10) and cost estimate ($- $$$).
This proved to be incredibly valuable for us when rolling into a town late at night and wanting to see if the nearby accommodations fit our budget and had a decent rating.
Lastly, you can import KML files downloaded from other sources. This lets you follow a route that someone else has created and tracked.
Cons: The turn by turn navigation from point A to point B are laughable at best. The directions are so bad that it became a joke between us. Why would I want to climb over a 1,000M mountain than ride the flat road?
I cannot stress enough poor how the point A to point B route directions for cycling are. Further, there is no option to drag the route to a preferred one. This poor functionality occurs for driving a faster vehicle as well.
Jen mapped a biking route in Portland, OR and discovered to her shock that the suggested route took her down one of the busiest roads in the city, which has no bike infrastructure, despite having Greenways on two sides of where we are staying.
Cost: Free. Maps.Me was bought in 2014 and made all content free of charge.
Bottom line: We love Maps.Me and there is a reason it has won a bunch of awards. The interface is modest and anyone can pick it up and use it immediately. The integration with Uber and Booking.com is a complete bonus and something that separates itself from other apps.
The main drawback is the route directions for cycling are horrible and generally unsafe. The 2018 update included the ability to add a review of a business.
While this feature doesn’t seem to be used much yet, it has the potential to save people a lot of bad decisions.
(2018 update) In South America, everyone is using Maps.Me for backpacking, hiking, and cycle touring. And with good reason, in the last two years, the application has undergone extensive updates. So, we updated the content below provide a new overview.
Back in Europe, we use it everywhere in Spain. It’s our jack of all trades application and we use the turn by turn directions when driving a car as well.
(2019 update) We use this app so much that we wrote our own detailed review of Maps Me.
5. Google Maps
Android and iOS | Free | www.google.com/maps
Pros: Everyone uses Google Maps and the interface is about as simple as it gets. We love the directions, real time traffic, turn by turn navigation, integration with other Google features, and street views.
The Terrain view is super helpful when wanting to gauge how difficult a potential route will be with respect to hills and mountains.
There is offline functionality as of recent releases, though still limited by region. I do appreciate the steps with Google Street Views of the turn by turn directions.
Cons: Believe it or not, Google has not mapped the entire world. We ran into many occasions, like Italy, where Google has no cycling option in that country. Likewise, most of South America outside of big cities is little mapped.
Open source mapping data is much more consistent when outside of the highly-developed world.
We’ve also discovered that offline caching of maps can be clumsy at best. We have had maps disappear, or no longer work once offline, despite using the Save feature. Google Maps also lacks a road quality feature.
Cost: Free.
Bottom Line: Google Maps makes sense when you’re online and in countries with well-developed roads and infrastructure. It also helps when Google has mapped the country with their vehicles, as the catalogue of information is going to be accurate.
With so many other apps specifically designed for offline navigation that include more features, Google Maps is a dinosaur.
(2018 update) Despite being one of the largest tech companies in the world, Google simply has not mapped large swaths of South America.
We rarely used it outside of cities as it wouldn’t even show the road we were currently on. It also struggles with using addresses outside of Europe and the US. It sent us to so many wrong locations that we stopped using it outside the US.
6. RideWithGPS.com
Android and iOS | Free – online. $-$$ offline | https://ridewithgps.com
Pros: RideWithGPS.com
Ride with GPS gets a lot of fanfare online and has so many features that it packs a punch. You can find routes that others have completed and really dial in to what you’re going to be expecting when riding. It also offers a nice route planning tool on their website. You can also share rides with friends, and track all your stats.
Cons: RideWithGPS.com is first and foremost a tracking app. It’s primary function is follow your route, give you speed, distance, climbs, and all the data you want to know.
This comes at a price though, as a) you have to have GPS enabled on your device which is a no-no when doing long tour cycle touring as electricity can be sparse, and b) it’s expensive at $6/month for the basic upgrade or $10/month for the premium package.
You can’t download routes offline without paying. For us, this is a deal breaker. Why pay nearly 12x more with a reoccurring expense to get offline elevation charts?
Cost: Free for online. $6/month and $10/month for upgraded versions that allow offline usage.
Bottom Line: I can imagine RideWithGPS.com being the go-to app for road riders out for the weekend jaunt. However, for long distance tourers, the app really only offers elevation profiles offline, and at a premium price.
If elevation profiles are important and all you care about, there are plenty of other apps that are significantly cheaper and offer more information about upcoming climbs.
(2018 update) We used RideWithGPS.com during our ride through Ecuador. The application was helpful in planning distances and climbs, but the price point coupled with battery drainage meant usage was short-lived. After that, we deleted the app and decided it wasn’t worth the cost.
If were just doing day trips and being roadies, I could see the potential, otherwise, save the money.
User Suggested Apps
Naviki
Android and iOS | Free – $ | https://www.naviki.org
Quick Review: Tailored towards cyclists. Includes height profile, turn by turn navigation, POIs, and routes based on the type of cycling you’re doing like mountain, leisure, racing, etc.
HERE WeGo
Android and iOS | Free | https://www.here.com/en/products-services/here-wego-app
Quick Review: Features include public transportation, voice navigation, bike routes, and offline downloads. As one of our followers John pointed out, the collections feature that will sync across all devices is a bonus when cycling with multiple devices and/or riders.
Locus
Android and iOS | Free – $7.49 | https://vector.city/how-to/
Quick Review: Offline app that allows you download individual maps of specific regions. Allows you import and export KML, KMZ, GPX and other files. Reviews via Google Play store says the app has loads of features, but the paid version is a must as the free version only allows 3 maps and runs slow.
Desktop – Online Planning
1. Komoot
Link: https://www.komoot.com
Pros: Like the app for your phone, the desktop version of Komoot gives you full access to point A to point B details including time, distance, elevation change (including uphill and downhill). Including the way-types like cycleways vs road and surfaces like unpaved and paved is very helpful.
The desktop version also gives you a great overview of the elevation profile and which surface and way-type you’ll be riding. There is so much information. Plus, you can search for POIs like swimming holes and add them to your route. Finally, the Send the Tour to my Phone feature for each reference for later is a nice bonus.
One nice feature I discovered is you can change the recommended route by modifying your Fitness level. The range is Couch Potato to Pro and depending on what you select, your suggested route will change.
When finding a hotel, the site will display links to TripAdvisor Traveler Rating and Yelp Reviews. While Yelp isn’t really used in Europe, TripAdvisor certainly is with tourists.
Cons: Not integrated with Open Street Map data so there isn’t the abundance of crowd sourced data available.
Cost: Free.
Bottom Line: This will be a our new favorite for planning routes going forward. It’s just got so much information that you can’t go wrong.
2. OpenStreetMap
Link: www.openstreetmap.org
Pros: OpenStreetMap is like Google Maps but way better. It includes several map overlays like the cycling maps from www.opencyclemap.org or transportation map (in case you want to see the route trucks might travel). It has turn-by-turn directions for cycling in places like Italy, which Google Maps does not have.
Its user interface makes for a quick learn and the minimalist approach offers just enough features to make it worth your time.
All of the data on the site is crowdsourced, which yields far better information than what Google can offer. We’ve found roads in Bosnia only labeled on OpenStreetMap.
Cons: The lack of a terrain view makes it challenging to gauge the level of difficulty of a proposed route. The auto-locate feature doesn’t work 100% of the time, and the lack of map details can be a bit annoying.
Cost: Free.
Bottom Line: We used OpenStreetMap.org on a daily basis for route planning in Europe. The cycle map overlay is a fantastic feature and can add value when planning longer routes that span over multiple countries and cities.
The lack of terrain still makes use rely on Google Maps; however, 90% of our planning was done in OpenStreetMaps.org
(2018 update) There is very little cycle infrastructure in South America, so we didn’t use OpenStreetMaps. We instead used the same open source data through Maps.Me on our phones and offline. In Europe and areas were there is plenty of route choices, it’s incredibly helpful.
3. Mapmyride
Link: www.mapmyride.com
Pros: Elevation charts with a grading scale. That’s it. We only use mapmyride.com for this feature. It’s great (and often daunting) to see how steep those hills are going to be and how many kilometers of pain awaits you. Plus, you can save those routes to review later.
Cons: Owned by Under Armor this site is really dedicated to the gamification of active lifestyles. It’s filled with so many additional features it can be overwhelming and a bit of a turn off. The user interface is way too crowded and be challenging to grasp.
Cost: Free.
Bottom Line: We wish other sites, like OpenStreetMaps.org included elevation charts and grading scales, but they don’t, so we use Mapmyride.com. On the positive side, it does have a nice visual of the elevation gains.
(2018 update) When planning big climbs or really needing to compare different routes, we still used MapMyRide. We’re not big fans of Under Armor due to their political lobbying, however, their site is super helpful for seeing elevation profiles.
Unfortunately, you can only create and plan routes on your phone with the paid version. This is a major bummer and kept us from using the tool all the time.
4. BikeRoll
Link: https://bikeroll.net/
Pros: Elevation charts with a grading scale and forecasted weather and winds! The tool works in many languages and you can save your routes. I also appreciate seeing total ascent, descent, and length of the route.
Cons: It’s a bit cumbersome to use the elevation feature to see the exact grade changes. If you zoom in enough, you can see a colored elevation profile for your specific route. Appears to not pick up local cycle paths in Spain when testing the tool.
Cost: Free.
Bottom Line: A solid tool that we will use in our arsenal for planning in the future. Especially the weather feature.
(2018 update) Added while we are in Spain and will be used for summer 2018 route planning.
5. Cycle.Travel
Link: http://cycle.travel/map
Pros: Elevation charts that are 3D! Holy smokes this is amazing for visualizing a route. Route guides for the UK and some of Europe as well as City Guides. You can save your routes to PDF and find local accommodations.
Cons: Tailored to the UK and an outdated user interface. Didn’t accurately find local bike paths in Spain that are on other apps.
Cost: Free.
Bottom Line: The 3D mapping of the elevation profile is enough reason to use this tool.
(2018 update) We are using this as a regular route planning app. Whether day trips, bikepacking, or cycle touring.
If you like this article, you may enjoy our 10 Items You MUST Bring on Cycle Tour that includes some gear pro tips and our favorite items to bring with us when touring.
What are your favorite offline mapping tools for cycle touring? Which countries did you use them in?
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Great article my friend !
Thanks Selim! Hope this helps you on your journeys.
Excellent article Dave, we are also bicycle lovers and we have turned it into our profession in Girona Spain.
Great review. Thanks for the thorough work.
Thanks MM! We hope this makes it easier for those new to cycle touring.
What if I just want to get on my bike and ride?! Ha. Great insights!
Adam and I are looking forward to trying a few of these out when we go to the coast in a few weeks!
We hope they help you guys out! Let us know what you think. If you want to be really daring, turn off your cell coverage.
Can’t wait to see how that tour goes! Keep us posted!
OsmAnd was a total time saver for Adam, Travis, and I. There were a few places where we didn’t know where we were and didn’t have coverage but the app and GPS still worked and we were able to figure out where to go! Thanks so much for the write up!
Glad it helped out! I love the offline GPS feature.
I started riding again 1 1/2 years ago to get my knee strong enough for knee replacement surgery. Little did I realize that I would get the bug! I was riding again 1 1/2 months after total knee replacement surgery. I spent $$ on bike odometers to try and keep track of my mileage…they all failed me. I happened upon Map My Ride, and it is fantastic! It’s even more accurate than my Fitbit at measuring my miles.
Do you run MapMyRide while you’re cycling? If so, are you able to use it offline or do you have your phone connected to the network while you ride? That’s so great that your knee is doing well and that you were able to get back on your bike so soon after surgery.
I’m curious to know what you think of the app – Pocket Earth
It’s not free but not outrageous either IMHO
Hi Dale,
I have not used Pocket Earth. Any good? You you recommend it for offline capabilities?
Yes absolutely. It has the best offline TOPOGRAPHIC maps and the most detail of POIs along the trail. In fact I think that is one of its downsides: too much detail especially fo cycling when you are going faster. But excellent for hiking a trail or walking around a town. I also use it for ‘quick and dirty’ checking of a GPX trail imported from online. However, like you, my go-to apps for cycle touring are Komoot for planning (especially with the latest Premium release which brings OSM and OCM integration, a useful filing system called Collections, and the ability to plan linked multi-day routes. But for on-the-go following a pre-planned route then MAPS.ME is still my choice (particularly with customized saved POIs). It’s a very clean interface, easy to see at a glance when you’re riding and easy to see when you’ve deviated from the route. If only it could import GPX not only KML/KMZ files.
BTW another big advantage of Pocket Earth is its ability to use What3Words co-ordinates, a system that is gaining in popularity and usage.
MapsMe now has cycle paths in the beta version.
Yes! I just downloaded the most recent addition last week and tested it out in La Paz, Bolivia. It has a long way to go in my opinion. I want to see all my route options on the screen, not just the route it suggested I go. I plan on doing an update after thoroughly testing Maps.Me. I do use the app for all other scenarios like finding a place to eat.
Another nice route planning web site is Ride With GPS ( https://ridewithgps.com/ )
It allows you to plan your ride, includes elevation profiles, and gives you the options of viewing the route with different maps, such as Google maps, Google Satellite view, their own map, OpenStreetMaps, OpenCycling maps – based on OpenStreetMaps, but includes major bike routes and contour, as well as a few topo maps – mostly for US territory, which can be useful for hiking. You can also test your planning the route with different maps, as each map sometimes draws a different route from another.
Three levels: free, basic, and premium. When I’m ready to leave on a trip, I pay for the basic, which prints out nicer directions (i.e. four pages per page, foldable, to save space), and return to free after the trip.
Hi Claude,
I’ve used ride with GPS before as they ARE from our hometown of Portland, OR, however, I didn’t include the software in the article because it was (not sure if this is still the case) primarily used in the United States. Considering our journey has been Europe and South America, I wanted to cover mapping software that can be used around the world.
Do you know if it’s becoming used more outside of the US?
Best
Well, I, for one, am from Canada…
But if you go to the Find tab on your account’s page, you can look around and find plenty of rides that people have done in Europe and in South America. So yes, it’s definitely being used around the world. Of course, there are probably more people using it in the States, or for riding in the States, wherever they happen to come from, by sheer volume of population in the US and the vastness of the country, but it’s definitely not restrained to that area.
Dave, ridewithgps.com can definitely be used around the world. When planning routes anywhere in the world, you can switch between several map styles including OSM, OSM Cycle, and OSM Outdoor to get more visual data. There are literally riders all over the world that use this site to plan their routes.
Good info Tomas. Is ridewithgps.com free? I have yet to use it and plan on including it in another updated article.
Hi – Good article Dave – I use openstreetmap for planning on my PC, under Garmin’s BaseCamp you can then get a elevation profile, as long as you have downloaded and applied the contour lines.
That’s good to know. Is the BaseCamp app something that is downloadable for phones? Or so let with a Garmin.
If you’re using a phone, you can use the app called OSMAND+ (costs about $5 or so), which lets you download all the OSM data and contour lines you want (the free OSMAND app only lets you do 6 downloads, so only 6 States, or 6 Provinces, or 6 overseas countries, whatever. The paid app allows you unlimited downloads. Essentially, the only limit is your phone’s storage capacity, and you can tell the app to save to your SDHC card for more space.)
You can then use the maps in the same way you can use Google Maps, by giving it a start and end position, specifying whether you’re in a car or on a bike, etc. It’s pretty good. And one advantage of OSMAND+ over Google maps, is that all that data is saved locally on your phone, so you can check it out, even when there is no phone service around. (Yes, Google maps allows you to download a region, but you have to pick a region, and that’s it. You want more? Start downloading again… With OSMAND+, once you’ve picked which States, Provinces, or countries you want, you have them on your phone, the whole State/Province/Country, until such time as you decide to remove them from your phone.)
I don’t know if the app warns you, or if you have to check, but you can always update your maps, whenever the OSM data has updates for the territory you downloaded.
(I’m pretty excited about this app, since I just got my first “intelligent” phone this year… Can’t wait to see how that works out in the field…)
Ah ok. I’ve used OsAnd a lot and wrote about into the piece. Thanks for the extra info.
Boy, do I feel silly now… I had received notification about a reply to this page, via email, and saw the following comment, asking about using Garmin Basecamp on a phone. Naturally, I piped in about OSMAND+… But I did all this while also not re-reading the page from the beginning, thereby completely missing that OSMAND had already been mentioned…
No sweat Claude. I’ll still look up Basecamp for more info
Thank you so much for this great and very helpful article ! I know an intuitive website called https://travelmap.net It’s not a GPS app but very good to trace your itineraries and share them online easily. It enables you to link some pictures and comments to the spots on your interactive map. I know they are currently working on an offline app which should be ready soon.
Thanks for sharing. I’ll check it out.
Just spotted this on Reddit where it’s been mentioned a couple of times – nice piece.
For the online planning section, could I draw your attention to my own site, http://cycle.travel/map ? It’s a route-planner particularly designed for touring – it favours quiet roads (using real car traffic data where available) and cycleways, has an elevation display (2D or 3D), campsite/hotel search etc.
All based on OpenStreetMap data, of course (I was one of the first OSM contributors back in 2004), but with a whole load of extra processing on top to make the routes touring-friendly. Haven’t done the mobile app yet, but you can export to GPX or TCX to put the route on a Garmin or another app, or just print out a PDF. Coverage is currently Western Europe and North America: I’ll be adding more in due course, but I tweak the routing profile for each area (e.g. North America is very different to Western Europe) so don’t want to rush it.
Would be delighted to know what you think – I’ve found working on it is the second most enjoyable thing after actually riding.
Great stuff Richard. We are planning a trip through Oregon next week and I’ll check out your app. It only works in a browser right ?
Yep, only in a browser so far. Am (slowly) working on a mobile app but haven’t got it finished yet!
Interesting article and noting the various pros and cons of each app, thanks.
The best mapping app that I used for cycle touring is Locus Maps – available in both a free and paid version (I used free version). Routes can be mapped and saved on-line. Full navigation guidance, GPS and compass included (use in airline mode to save data). App works fine off-line. Vector maps for individual countries can be downloaded to your smartphone (NOTE: three maps can be downloaded free upon install). Additional vector maps are available from http://www.locusvectormaps.com). I have used this app while touring in Japan, Eastern Europe, Central Europe, New Zealand and Ireland. I would not leave home without it!
Cool. I’ll take a look. Thanks for sharing, the more information available online , the better.
This isn’t the slickest, and I would love to find a more joined-up solution, but for touring I use the MapMyRide website to plan a route, with the elevation feature, then I export the route as a KML file and import it into the MotionX-GPS app on my iPhone. The MotionX-GPS app doesn’t have the most intuitive UI and lacks turn-by-turn instructions, but it overlays your route on the map and automatically scrolls and orientates as you ride, so it’s easy to follow. It also has free map tiles using open-source data, which you can either let load automatically as you ride (if you have a reliable mobile data connection and enough battery) or, if you’re worried about signal or want to save battery/data, you can download the tiles beforehand at whatever level of detail you want (trade-off is file size). You can also record routes, mark waypoints (or show pre-loaded waypoints in the same way as pre-loaded routes) etc.
Awesome solution to getting maps locally, Neil.
Hi guys,
Cool article! Being a more visual person, I like the clean and straightforward user interface of the following site: https://bikeroll.net
I mostly enjoy the colored elevation map 🙂
Though, it does not work offline, this was not an issue during my bike rides using this tool.
Cheers,
Anita
Nice! At first glance, it’s a slick tool. Not offline, but helpful for planning.
-dave
Hi guys, thanks for the info. I’ve been using mapme for a few yrs but one of the last updates dropped the scale on the map once you plan a cycling route. I relied on having that so its killed it for me but can’t find a good replacement. I’m cycling SEAsia at the moment. Just about to cross into Cambodia. I put in a request at mapme about it and got the standard, we are looking at it, reply. Who knows if they are. Ta, Ian
Ian, what version of Maps.Me are you using? iOS or Android? As for a replacement, OSandAm just launched a more bike friendly version of their app. I have yet to test it, but it looks really nice with elevation profiles. Take a look.
Thanks for the great review, I came across it whilst looking for a better mapping app for cycling. I’ve just done a long distance bike trip on the Munda Biddi mountain bike trail in my home state of Western Australia. I used Maps.Me and Oruxmaps along with paper maps of the trail. I needed to load a GPX file to see where the trail went and Oruxmaps was good for that and for showing you where you had been (especially useful for retracing your steps when you get lost). As you say Oruxmaps is hard to use and I’m still struggling with it after playing with it for a few years. Maps.Me was good for finding routes where we weren’t following the trail. I’m after something that does both functions.
I’ve used a few map tools over the year especially for travelling outside Australia so one of my criteria is downloadable maps. One app that may be useful for you is Here WeGo. I’ve used it extensively over the years since it was “Ovi Maps” on my Nokia Symbian phone, through “Nokia Maps” on Windows phone. My wife and I are currently running it on IOS and Android respectively, and I do some trip planning on my Windows PC via a web browser. The maps are actually used in a large percentage of built-in car GPS’s as well as by GPS manufactures like Garmin.
I’ve used it for cycling around my home state, but Maps.Me does seem to produce better routes here. I’ve also used it in Europe, parts of SE Asia, in the US and Australia, mainly for walking and public transport around cities. It certainly does a good job of that and the cycle routing may be better in other places.
You can use Here Wego online or offline. Their online search is better than offline. One useful feature is that you can create “Collections” to save your favourites. You need to create an account to do this. The advantage is that the “Collections” will synchronise across devices. For example, you can do trip planning using your PC whilst you are online and save to your “Collection”. When your phone is online, on Wi-Fi, you can open the app in online mode and the “Collections” will synchronise. They remain on the phone even when it is offline. If you add to your “Collection” offline, it will synchronize when you are online again. I know that you can transfer “favourites” between devices with Maps.Me, but it’s pretty cumbersome
Depending on how much storage you have on your device Here Wego allows you to download maps for whole countries, cities or regions. The maps are very good, and more consistent than those based on Openstreetmaps. For example in Australia, street addresses are mostly missing from Openstreetmaps, but are in Here Wego.
Maps have been available for most places we’ve been, though I know that they don’t cover Japan. Maps.Me was excellent there – Google Maps would only work online and would not allow you to save areas for offline use.
John, this is super helpful! Thanks so much for your input and I’m sure it will help others along as well.
-dave
Great article. I use an app called Naviki which I find really useful int he UK. Allows for different types of cycling / surfaces. Offline maps available if required for Europe, US, Austrailia and NZ. Best wishes, Dave
Awesome. I’ll check it out.
-dave
I have members of the tour that I am planning who are not comfortable with GPS mapping apps.
Do any of these apps allow you to print a strip map/cue sheet combination that I can print and give to thee members of the tour to fasten to their handlebars while the rest of use a GPS app?
Good question. I don’t know to be honest with you. I would Google OSMand and see if they have print options.
Hi,
Thanks for putting all this together. I would strongly suggest mapout. It’s only on IOS, but I highly recommend that app. The simplicity of the app, ability to draw routes on the go, and easy to view elevation charts can be really useful. The elevation charts might not be a 100% accurate but it is good enough to give you an idea of the road ahead.
I also have pocket maps installed on my phones. It makes a good secondary backup app to see what’s around you when you don’t have access to google maps.
Cheers
Thanks! I’ll take a look at it!
I’ve been keeping an eye on this one. Bummer they don’t do an android version. I use maps me but it certainly has problems in its design for cycling.
Hi, I am suprised you don mention komoot, which is my favorite pick for cycling routes.
I’ve experienced a bit with Komoot and remember the UI being difficult. I’ll give it another look next time around.
A major bugbear with maps displayed electronically is white roads and tracks on a pale background, when viewed in bright sunlight are damn near invisible. Is there any viewer that (easily) allows the user to set up and switch between his own style sheets to switch colours- e.g. roads to red, tracks to brown, paths to green
From my experience, it’s easiest to change the settings on the app to your preferences. For example, the night mode on Maps Me does not work for me, and I need to be able to see so I keep daylight settings going.
For cycling in the UK and Europe, Locus Maps in combination with Brouter on an android phone has been invaluable. Brouter is a database of known cycling routes and cycling friendly roads that integrates with Locus maps, so when you’re planning a route in Locus, the Brouter database should keep you on the most favourable roads. Locus maps lets you craft a route offline, create and export a gpx (or kml, tcx, csv) file, which is perhaps its greatest feature. You can export to within the phone, which I then open with a Wahoo Bolt (Bluetooth fired to the head unit) or export to an online service like RidewithGPS if you fancy. Great to be able to whip up a route in the middle of nowhere, that I can also share with my partner to add to her Wahoo head unit. The only issue I’ve had was once being directed onto a very busy duel carriageway in France (resulting in stumbling across a field to find a sensible road!) and also finding that the Wahoo app needs an internet connection to create a map in its own app (this might be a gap in my own knowledge, but not usually a problem when a route is planned for the day and followed. Only an issue when having to create an amended route in a mobile data-free location). As a back up, or to check location, I’ll use Maps.me.
Thanks for the input and it is always helpful finding another app like Locus.
Hi there! Thank you for this post, very informative.
I am putting up a website for my friend, he is preparing to travel by bike across the globe next year. I am looking specifically for a way to track his movement where ever he is, on the website, for whoever wants to see his current location. Would Komoot still be the best choice? I will also be somewhat of a road manager. What I have in mind is a box on the webpage that would load his current location. Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Dan
Wow. I have no idea to accomplish this in real time. I do know that WhatsApp offers this information in real time, but it can be a battery burner for sure. Let me know what you find out.
Wait wait hold up, I found an option! https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/224435128-Strava-Beacon-Summit-
Check out their Beacon functionality.
Guru maps (was Galileo) lets you down load maps by selecting regions from a list as well as downloading maps through the map screen.
It also can use vector maps, which avoids the zoom-level issue.
You can download the maps before you go to places with poor wifi. It doesn’t even use that much memory.
This app has always provided this feature (you might need the paid version).
I consider this a required feature (downloading through the map is kind of annoying).
It’s not the only app that lets you do this.
You have a great website full of great information for us once-in-a-while cycle tourers.
I have a question about route planning. I will be using an Android phone for navigation. Having used Bikemap previously with a Teasi One2 navigation device, I thought of continuing using this app with my smartphone. However, I was interested in your review of Komoot.
What is stopping me? I think you said it lacks the ability to plan a route when offline. Is this still correct as of Feb-2020?
Hi Gerald,
Great question and it’s something I have wondered as well. Here is what Komoot says: https://support.komoot.com/hc/en-us/articles/360023078891-Offline-Tours-use-komoot-without-internet-and-abroad
Let us know how it works out for you.
-dave
I would like to read more insight from you! Also I am going to share this blog immediately. Awesome!
The Cyclope bike app is great too. It allows, in addition to the classic functions of a cycle computer, to connect the cyclists in them. You can know the position of the other runners, have the time difference, communicate by voice like the professionals with their headset.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Illusion.Cyclope&hl=fr
https://www.cyclope.dev/
Thanks for the tip! I’ll be curious to check it out.