Getting stuck in a foreign country without internet can turn a dream vacation into a nightmare pretty quickly. Whether you’re wandering through Tokyo’s backstreets or hiking in the Swiss Alps, having the right offline apps can mean the difference between confidently exploring and desperately hunting for Wi-Fi. These apps download what you need before you go, so you’re never truly disconnected from the information that matters.
The good news is that app developers have gotten really smart about offline functionality over the years. Here is a list of 15 travel apps that keep working even when your data plan doesn’t.
Google Maps
— Photo by dennizn
Google Maps lets you download entire cities or regions straight to your phone, and the offline versions are surprisingly detailed. You can search for specific addresses, get turn-by-turn directions, and even see business hours and reviews that were cached when you downloaded the area. The app automatically deletes old maps after 30 days to save space, but you can update them anytime you find WiFi. Just remember to download maps while on WiFi because these files can be huge — New York City alone takes up about 300 megabytes.
Maps.me
— Photo by Piter2121
While Google Maps is great for cities, Maps.me shines when you’re heading off the beaten path. This app includes hiking trails, footpaths, and landmarks that bigger mapping services often miss. The interface feels a bit dated compared to Google, but travelers love it because it works literally everywhere, from the Sahara Desert to remote Pacific islands. Many backpackers swear by it as their primary navigation tool since it’s saved them from getting lost in places where even paper maps don’t exist.
Rome2rio
— Photo by postmodernstudio
Planning how to get from point A to point B becomes much easier with Rome2rio’s offline mode. The app shows you every possible way to travel between destinations, including trains, buses, ferries, and flights with estimated costs and journey times. It’s like having a local travel agent in your pocket who knows every obscure bus route and regional airline. The price estimates help you budget on the fly, especially useful when deciding between a two-hour train ride and a 12-hour overnight bus journey.
OsmAnd
— Photo by postmodernstudio
OsmAnd takes offline navigation to another level by using OpenStreetMap data that volunteers update constantly. The app includes incredibly detailed maps with features like hiking trails, ski slopes, and even individual building numbers in many cities. You can download entire countries or just specific regions, and the voice navigation works completely offline in dozens of languages. Power users love the customization options that let you display exactly what matters for your trip, whether that’s bike paths, public transport stops, or parking areas.
Citymapper
— Photo by visuals6x
Citymapper takes public transportation seriously, offering offline transit maps for major cities worldwide. The app shows real-time departures when online, but keeps all the routes, maps, and station information accessible offline. It even calculates walking times between stations and suggests the best car to board for quick exits. The step-by-step directions include details like ‘exit through the north staircase’ that locals take for granted but visitors desperately need.
Google Translate
— Photo by dennizn
Google Translate’s offline mode supports over 50 languages and includes the camera translation feature that reads signs and menus in real-time. You need to download language packs beforehand, but each one is relatively small considering you’re getting an entire language dictionary. The translations aren’t perfect, but they’re good enough to order food or ask for directions. Pro tip: download the language pack for your destination AND English in the local script, since many signs show both.
TripIt
TripIt organizes all your travel confirmations into one master itinerary that syncs for offline access. Forward your booking emails to the app, and it automatically creates a day-by-day schedule with confirmation numbers, addresses, and important details. It’s especially handy when you’re juggling multiple hotels, flights, and activities across different time zones. The app even factors in travel time between appointments and sends alerts if your schedule looks too tight.
Sygic Travel
— Photo by Piter2121
Think of Sygic Travel as your personal tour guide that doesn’t need the internet to function. The app provides detailed information about attractions, walking tours, and hidden gems in hundreds of cities. You can plan entire days using their suggested itineraries or create your own, and everything stays accessible when you’re exploring. The walking tours include estimated times and distances, so you know whether that ‘quick detour’ to see a cathedral actually means adding 2 miles to your route.
Moovit
— Photo by rafapress
Moovit brings public transit information for over 3,000 cities right to your phone, no internet required. The app stores complete route maps, schedules, and station information offline, making it invaluable when navigating subways in Seoul or tram systems in Prague. It even includes bike-share locations and walking directions to help you reach stations. The live directions feature works offline too, counting down stops and alerting you when it’s time to get off — perfect when you can’t read the local language.
Booking.com
— Photo by Milkos
The Booking.com app saves your reservation details offline, including hotel addresses, check-in times, and confirmation numbers. You can access everything through the ‘My Bookings’ section without internet, which comes in handy when taxi drivers need directions or hotel staff ask for confirmation. The app also caches property photos and amenity lists from your saved places. Having your booking details offline has saved countless travelers from sleeping in airport lobbies when their email wouldn’t load.
TrailLink
Outdoor enthusiasts rely on TrailLink for detailed trail maps across the United States. The app provides elevation profiles, surface types, and user reviews for thousands of trails. Download regions before your trip, and you’ll have access to turn-by-turn directions even in areas with zero cell coverage. The reviews often mention recent trail conditions like washouts or fallen trees that official sources miss.
Wi-Fi Map
The Wi-Fi Map might seem counterintuitive for an offline list, but it’s brilliant for finding internet when you need it. The app downloads passwords and locations for millions of Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide, so you can navigate to the nearest connection without using data. Users constantly update the database with new passwords and locations. It’s basically crowdsourced internet access, and it works surprisingly well in cities where cafés change their passwords daily.
Instapaper
Instapaper turns online articles into offline reading material with a clean, distraction-free interface. Save travel blogs, restaurant reviews, or destination guides while connected, and the app reformats everything for comfortable reading without ads or pop-ups. The text-to-speech feature even works offline, letting you ‘read’ articles while walking around a new city. Many travelers build entire libraries of destination research they can reference throughout their trip without burning through expensive data plans.
City Maps 2Go
City Maps 2Go offers detailed offline maps with Wikipedia articles linked to points of interest. Tap any landmark, and you’ll get historical information, opening hours, and insider tips without needing the internet. The app covers over 6,000 cities and includes filters for restaurants, ATMs, and public restrooms. The Wikipedia integration means you’re carrying an encyclopedia of local knowledge that actually explains why that statue exists or what happened in that plaza.
Ulmon
— Photo by postmodernstudio
Ulmon creates beautiful, illustrated city guides that work entirely offline. Each guide includes hand-picked recommendations from locals, walking routes with time estimates, and augmented reality features that overlay information on your camera view. The guides feel more like having a knowledgeable friend show you around than following a generic tourist checklist. Their weather forecasts stay cached for several days too, helping you decide whether to pack an umbrella for tomorrow’s walking tour.
The Offline Revolution Changes Everything
These 15 apps represent just the beginning of a major shift in how we travel with technology. As phones get smarter and storage gets cheaper, developers keep finding new ways to pack entire countries worth of information into our pockets. The anxiety of losing connection in unfamiliar places is becoming a thing of the past, replaced by the confidence that comes from having the right tools ready whenever you need them. Your next adventure doesn’t have to depend on finding the nearest Starbucks for Wi-Fi anymore.
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