I love travelling to different countries, having new experiences and getting to know the area and the people there. However, there is one aspect of travelling that I have always been afraid of.
It was the Late evening arrival in a strange city. I leave the airport or train station, try to navigate the flood of transport options and make a sensible decision – all while being tired from the long journey.
International travel presents unique navigation challenges. But with the help of technology, getting from point A to point B has become routine and even enjoyable.
Since I am not a tech expert, I often look for simple tools to help me solve my travel-related navigation problems. Here are 3 basic, user-friendly navigation tools that make it easy for me to get where I need or want to be.
Rome2Rio
To deal with the most dreaded part of my trip, arriving at the airport late at night, I looked for an app that showed all the available transportation options between two locations. Knowing the estimated cost of the trip was a plus.
Then I found Rome2Rio. That’s why I love the site and the app.
How it works
Rome2Rio (iOS, Android) works worldwide. The app accesses over 6,000 rail operators, almost a million bus routes, over 13,000 ferries and over 1,100 airlines Find the transport options between 2 points.
Once downloaded, you can enter your desired departure and destination locations and you will receive all the transportation options between those two or more points. The Rome2Rio website can also be used online without the need to download the app.
Best of all, Rome2Rio tells you the estimated cost of each travel method so you can compare. It also provides booking links for most transport options, as well as hotel suggestions.
How I use Rome2Rio
I mainly used Rome2Rio to get from the airport to my hotel. For example, I wanted to travel from Christchurch Airport, New Zealand to my hotel. Knowing that a taxi would cost me $21 to $25 helped me tremendously. I could then compare it with Uber or, if that price range is not acceptable, choose another, cheaper option.
This knowledge can also help me find transportation without being ripped off.
Once I click on a transport option, Rome2Rio shows me all the details. For example, with the bus option, I can see the ticket cost, line numbers, information about connecting buses, walking distance (if applicable), and arrival and departure times.
I also use Rome2Rio to find transportation options between cities and even countries.
Conclusion:
I use the Rome2Rio app to find transportation options and their estimated costs between worldwide departure and destination locations. The app also includes booking links for most transportation options.
Google Maps
Google Maps is the number 1 navigation tool on the market and is used by around 1.8 billion people every month.
How it works
Google Maps (iOS, Android) accesses a GPS satellite system over an internet connection to calculate and provide driving directions. It’s a lot more technical, but as a user, that’s all I need to know.
You can use Google Maps to get directions to an address, business, or other destination. Select directionsGoogle Maps shows various directions.
The most important requirement is that Google Maps requires the internet to access its data, but once you download the directions, you can use them offline.
How to use Google Maps
I most often use Google Maps for Directions. I would like to know if I can walk from my current hotel to my new hotel, if there is a supermarket nearby or perhaps a restaurant serving fish within walking distance.
A simple Google search for one of these brings up a map of the area around me. I then select directions to my destination, download them and set off.
The route guidance also works offline until I reach my destination. To use Google Maps, I then need WiFi again. With WiFi access via the SIM card, this is no problem.
I’ve found that downloading Google Maps directions for later offline use works reasonably well in urban areas, but not so well in remote areas.
Conclusion:
I often use Google Maps for driving directions within a city. The tool requires internet access to calculate the driving directions, but once I have it on my phone, I can use those directions offline until I reach my destination. Driving directions from Google Maps can also be downloaded in advance and used offline.
Maps.me
Maps.me (iOS, Android) allows me to download area maps during connected to the Internet and later used offline. This feature can be useful especially in a remote area.
How it works
The app is free and offers downloadable city and country maps. For a fee, you can also subscribe to extended maps or download more than 10 maps.
The app is good for getting directions, navigating a city on foot without Wi-Fi access, tracking your ride in a taxi or when using public transportation. If you like walking, downloading offline maps from Maps.me can be helpful.
How I use Maps.me
Maps.me is my Backup tool when Google Maps is not the best option For example, when I was in Christchurch, New Zealand, I downloaded a map and used it to walk around the city.
The Maps.me maps also worked well in Torshavn on the Faroe Islands. Although Google Maps would have easily led me to my destination, I wanted a new route back to my hotel. Even without internet, Maps.me showed an alternative route.
One downside to Google Maps is that once I reach my destination using the directions provided, the map is inaccessible without internet. Even when I downloaded Google Maps to use it offline, in my experience, Maps.me maps worked much better offline across about a dozen uses.
Conclusion:
With Maps.me I can download a city map (or a country map) and use it for navigation when I’m offline. If I’m in a remote area without internet access, it works better than Google Maps.
Final thoughts
For many of you, these simple navigation aids may be nothing new. For me, they are indispensable tools that provide me with a constant lifeline.
They allow me to navigate a new city I’m only visiting for a day without having to buy a $20 SIM card or use my international phone plan. The information gives me the confidence to negotiate a ride alone with an unknown taxi driver late at night, find that communist-era dive bar, or find a shortcut back to my hotel in the dark.
Rome2Rio, Google Maps and Maps.me have helped me to find my way in a complicated world.
