Traveling Soon? This Quick Maps Trick I Do Before Every Trip Ensures I Never Get Lost
There’s one simple thing I do before every trip that’s saved me more times than I can count. While I’m gathering clothes and packing my suitcase, I always make sure to download offline maps for all the locations I’m traveling to.
I can’t tell you how many times offline Google Maps has come through—from the middle of the Moroccan desert to a remote back road in Iceland, or even in the underground subways of NYC or Paris.
It takes just a minute to do before a trip, and suddenly I’m not stressing about bad service, data limits, or being somewhere totally unfamiliar with zero idea where to go. It’s become second nature—one of those small habits that makes travel so much easier.
In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to download offline maps from Google and explain why you definitely want to do it before your next trip.
Why Should You Download Offline Google Maps?
Downloading maps for use offline let’s you see and access maps AND use navigation (including having the navigation lady talk to you and tell you where to turn), even if you have zero data or cell service. This is especially helpful when traveling in remote areas or internationally, where you will have little to no data.
I love downloading maps because it ensures that no matter where I am, I am never going to be truly lost, with no idea where to go.
When Should You Download Offline Maps?
I download offline maps anytime we go hiking, on a road trip, or are going into a wilderness or backcountry area, aka spots that generally don’t have good cell service. National Parks and State Parks are also common places without good cell reception.
We also always download offline maps when we visit foreign countries, as the data coverage is generally not great with our normal US cell service.
Now, lately we have been buying an e-sim card to use when we visit foreign countries. This allows me to get fast, cheap, and easy high speed data, without having to go somewhere and buy a local SIM card when we arrive.
>>Click here to purchase our favorite e-sim card
However! Even with an e-sim (or another method of getting data internationally), I still like to have offline maps downloaded. First, because it saves data to use offline maps, and second, you never know when/if you’ll lose data coverage overseas.
Unsurprisingly, other countries also tend to have their best coverage around major cities, and it can fall off quickly if you are visiting smaller towns or driving through the countryside.
How to Download Google Maps for Offline Use
Downloading offline maps is extremely easy and only takes a few minutes! Here is how to do it:
Step 1
Open up Googe Maps, and click on your picture in the upper right hand corner:
Step 2
Next, select “Offline Maps” from the list of options:
Step 3
This screen will pop up and will include a list of all the maps you’ve already downloaded offline. Click on “Select Your Own Map.”
Step 4
This map and rectangle will then pop up. The rectangle is the area of the map that will be downloaded. You can move the rectangle to cover whatever area you like, and zoom in or out to fit your needs.
There is a maximum size that can be downloaded at once, though, so if you need a larger area than what the rectangle will cover, you’ll need to download a second map.
Note: You can see that the maps are definitely biased toward a North/South orientation. If you need a map that is more East/West, simply rotate your phone. This will actually be an even skinnier rectangle, but sometimes that’s the shape you need.
Step 5
Wait for the map to download. If your phone is on “Power save” mode, the map download will freeze if your screen turns off. I recommend turning that mode off to avoid this problem.
Step 6
Finally, you can click the 3 dots on the right hand side to rename the map to your liking.
Ready to Use the Map?
So, now you’ve got your map downloaded and you’re heading out to go. What do you need to do now?
The answer is, absolutely nothing!
Your offline map will automatically work when you get in the downloaded area where you have no cell service—you do not need to do anything else to “activate” it or select it for use when the time comes.
The Wrap Up
Downloading offline Google maps is an incredibly useful tool for traveling and hiking/adventuring in remote or foreign destinations. The big bonus is that it’s so simple and free to use!
