Last Updated on June 9, 2023

There are many wonderful navigation apps available now for many activities which require navigation, including for example for cycling long distances, trekking, hiking, long countryside and rural walks, through to city and urban wayfinding (such as in London or Paris) and drives in the wilderness and on unfamiliar long routes (such as Route 66 in the U.S.).

Below are some of the apps that I personally use often and which I recommend.

Citymapper navigation apps

CityMapper

If you are planning a trip to a main city such as London, Barcelona, Paris or NYC, one of the best apps I have used to date is the CityMapper app.

An app that is available for the iPhone, iPad and Android, this award-winning service is outstanding in my view.

I have used the app myself on my iPhone in London a few times and the live transportation schedules (which even for example tells you all of the stops that are on the bus route you are travelling) is simply brilliant for experiencing new cities.

Information such as travel times, trip/journey time and fares are all included, in addition to suggested transportation such as bus route numbers and London Underground trains, with guidance on the best route and train changes needed.

tom tom app

Gone are the days of being on a bus, going across London or NYC, and not knowing exactly where you are. The app also now I am told, includes access to live taxi information.

This is probably my favourite app of all and for the main cities, it is an indispensable navigational and wayfinding tool.

TomTom on your iPhone

This is another of my personal favourite apps and one which I use all the time and which saves me having to carry around a separate SatNav. Turning my phone into a SatNav is very easy.

You only need to load the ‘Tom Tom’ app on your iPhone or other types of smartphone and you are immediately in business and life becomes a whole load easier overnight. Buy here.

Some of the features of the TomTom app and which I think make this one of the best options for those of you in need of an app for driving are:

  • Route sharing – where friends who you are connected with on your phone address book can be emailed and let known of your locality if they are interested in sharing the trip.
  • Updated Maps – With my previous SatNav I tended to only update the maps once a year if that because it always required loading the software updates via my main laptop. One of the features I most like about this app is that the maps are updated frequently and automatically via the telephone network.
  • Departure Reminder – Arguably nothing more than an alarm but I still enjoy this feature which reminds you when you need to get going.
  • The Price – £60 or so for a SatNav which stays up-to-date and which does everything you can possibly need for driving in terms of navigation for me sounds like great value.

GMaps for Windows Phone

This phone app offers you most of the features which you can experience with the Google Maps web version but on your phone, including street view.

This app for less than £2 works on Windows phones version 7.5 or later. Buy here. You can also get the iPhone version of Google Maps.

Gmaps

AdventureM’ App for Trekkers

This app by adventurem-apps.com is very handy for navigating on routes which are good for cyclists, trekkers, mountain climbers and for wayfinding in challenging environments.

This app is designed by a team who themselves are avid climbers and adventure sports lovers and is an app thus designed by the very people who understand what is needed.

The app includes a guides section (including on parts of Everest) and you can record and track your routes.

Navigation tool for trekkers

ViewRanger GPS (Outdoor Trail Navigation and Route Tracker)

If you are into hiking and love exploring the great outdoors, the ViewRanger app is a fantastic app that I have used many times now and which I find to be completely invaluable.

I particularly love the ‘route discovery’ part and I find this app especially useful because it takes away any potential anxiety I used to have about exploring when going off of the beaten path.

One tip though: If using the app on your phone, make sure your phone is fully charged at the start of the day.

I learned the hard way and this is a classic mistake many users of such apps make. The apps work fantastically, that is until your phone dies.

This is not, of course, specific to the Viewranger app, but I thought I would mention it now as this occurrence happened to me when hiking and using this app and I felt like a fool. Be better organised than I was!

The social aspect of this app I also found very interesting because it means that you can quite easily meet up with other hikers for walks or you can use this social network element to share information or to collect information on routes.

This is the best app I have myself used for hiking and long walks.

Viewranger

Bike Hub Cycle Journey planner

You might have realised by now, by reading this post, that I love outdoor activities and this includes cycling. As a fan of going on long-distance bicycle rides, my favourite app is the Bike Hub Cycle planner.

This app works on the iPhone and Android phones and is very easy to view as you cycle, with a clear and easy to see interface.

This app is, one might argue, very similar to a car SatNav but designed specifically around the needs of cyclists.

Settings such as vibrate alerts for upcoming turns, very easy to set pins to state your starting point and many other features, make this a very simple and yet such a useful tool for us cyclists.