Just been reminiscing on how we used to survive on our continental trips - not that long ago either! Then it was a bag full of Michelin maps, guides, camp site books, all the Aires, etc etc. Today - it’s a smart phone full of essential apps as in Park for the Night, Search for sights, Mapy.cz, My LPG eu, Camping Carpark, Google Maps et al though still resort to the map books on an almost daily basis. So, what other apps do members find essential please?
Essential phone apps
- Thread starter jannyman
- Start date
mapsme is brilliant . download entire country maps or just sections and navigate offline . the detail is great, right down to street level for city walking or forest tracks for walking/cycling . I wouldn't be without it
Just had a quick look cheers. Expensive though?? Still if it works for you it’s good!
scotjimland
LIFE MEMBER
no more Michelin Atlas, aires books..or Phillips Road Atlas of GB , all gathering dust now , and only a paper sheet map of the country we are visiting.. I love collecting them, I mark on them where we have been and notes about sites etc .. it's great reading them over years later .. blogs etc are all very well but will soon be lost ... I have maps my dad used in the 50s... wonderful to read..
other books such as the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide are useful, also a decent paperback or two...
apps.. are now king.. we use Google Maps for navigating ..
- Oct 18, 2021
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Magic Earth Satnav app is one I’ve recently started using and I like it. Speed warnings at a user selectable limit, plus ability to input vehicle dimensions, axle weight, speed, etc in ‘truck mode’ are welcome.
The nice soothing Irish lady’s voice option is a bonus!
The nice soothing Irish lady’s voice option is a bonus!
hi, MAPS.ME is a free app?
JockandRita
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That is a favourite of mine when out trucking, as I don't have access to a Sat Nav. It is very accurate.
For MH use here in the UK, I like the https://www.autogas.app/
Cheers,
Jock.
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- Oct 18, 2021
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That is a favourite of mine when out trucking, as I don't have access to a Sat Nav. It is very accurate.
For MH use here in the UK, I like the https://www.autogas.app/
Cheers,
Jock.
I’m running the Magic Earth app through the Fiat head unit via Apple CarPlay. Just downloaded all the required country maps so it’ll run offline. The more features I find the more impressed I am with it as a free app.
JockandRita
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If I wasn't using a designated Truck Sat Nav in the MH, I'd be using the Magic Earth App on my tablet.
I wasn't aware of the choice of voices in English language, so I may give the wee Irish lass a go.
Cheers,
Jock.
MotorhomersRus
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It use to be free !
scotjimland
LIFE MEMBER
Forgot about these two apps.
Polarsteps... for logging the trip
Komoot.. for cycle navigating and logging
Polarsteps... for logging the trip
Komoot.. for cycle navigating and logging
Trying to get me to pay £5+ a month now maybe because I’ve used up my allocation of free maps
! Yes - I forgot to mention Polarsteps.
denisejoe
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Just tried mapme £5 amonth
HKF
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I don't use phone apps, as I don't have a smartphone. So, I use the sites on my laptop, which I love because I can see lots of information all at once, without having to scroll up and down reading tiny text
JockandRita
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Are you doing all that whilst driving?I don't use phone apps, as I don't have a smartphone. So, I use the sites on my laptop, which I love because I can see lots of information all at once, without having to scroll up and down reading tiny text
................ 
Jock.
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Trying to get me to pay £5+ a month now maybe because I’ve used up my allocation of free maps
Yes - I forgot to mention Polarsteps.
You can download certain number of maps for free. It's not an issue. I.e. we are in Bosnia now so I have deleted all the UK ones I had as I am unlikely to use them while here. Also France and Germany are gone. I can re download later when I need them and use free wifi in a restaurant or somewhere.
scotjimland
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that was one of the reasons I bought the Lenovo M9 android tablet.. an inexpensive model about £120 .. that does everything I need when travelling ..I don't use phone apps, as I don't have a smartphone. So, I use the sites on my laptop, which I love because I can see lots of information all at once, without having to scroll up and down reading tiny text
9" is a nice size of screen, not too big and I will be using it with Google maps for navigating .. I was using my iPhone for that but it was difficult to see from the driving position..
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All free except Park4Night at 10€ which I don't mind as it's saved us so much money over the years.
One essential missing, where's the fun icon?
Stealaway
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The link I use is the round one at the bottom between camera and phone
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As good as these apps are, we still treat them with a lot of caution. The old computer adage s##t info in you get s##t info out.
We just tend to use them for basic research then follow them up with Google maps/street view, and then a phone call. As for navigation. There are too many stories of people getting into trouble by blindly following sat nav. A good grounding in map reading should be part of the driving tests. Even knowing where north is for some people would be a bonus.
We just tend to use them for basic research then follow them up with Google maps/street view, and then a phone call. As for navigation. There are too many stories of people getting into trouble by blindly following sat nav. A good grounding in map reading should be part of the driving tests. Even knowing where north is for some people would be a bonus.
scotjimland
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they do that in the Scouts and Army Cadets ..
can't see it ever being introduced to a driving test .. lol
JockandRita
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That's because they blindly followed the Sat Nav, instead of being responsible drivers.
No excuses whatsoever. I have not used a road map in years of travelling through Europe, but have always route planned for every journey, and use coordinates for pinpoint routing.
Google Maps is a great source for up to date info, but I can't trust them for anything bigger than a panel van, hence using Truck Maps.
BTW, I can still read an ordinance survey map with Northings and Eastings, ie, along the corridor and up the stairs.
Cheers,
Jock.
Same here and with the advent of AI doubly so!
Sat nav here gives us the option of checking several alternatives before setting out. Any spurious farm tracks it wants us to go down en route are rejected though with a small van we’ve found plenty of ‘interesting’ places we’d have missed if rigidly applying that method! Also - lucky enough to have an excellent navigator alongside who takes over satnav duties on occasion when the electronic one starts to annoy
!Google gives you plenty choice of routes, and it's quite simple to preview your chosen one , you can have it satilite view and even in street view.
You also have your own eyes to see if it's going down a narrow road .
Plus it tells you if the road is blocked or slow .
How can you go wrong.
You also have your own eyes to see if it's going down a narrow road .
Plus it tells you if the road is blocked or slow .
How can you go wrong.
scotjimland
LIFE MEMBER
ha ha... famous last words
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