This weekend sees the London Marathon taking place, as 37,000 runners attempt to conquer one of the capital’s hardest challenges. However, if you’re going down to support on Sunday, getting around might be a bit trickier than usual, due to major road closures and the usual weekend congestion. Don’t despair, though, as here are five of the best mobile mapping solutions to help you get around.
Google Maps
The classic mapping service (especially for Android users), Google Maps offers a comprehensive suite of mapping services. Offering maps for 2,800 cities across 200 countries, Google Maps offers the largest collection of place names, local attractions and businesses, and with its extensive Street View service, you can always identify where you are in the world.
Navfree
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This free, open-source voice-guided satnav uses OSM map data, generated by millions of users around the world. It lets you download route maps before you start a journey, so you don’t need a data connection once you’re on the road, which gives it a clear edge over Google Maps. Its various routing options including walking routes, and automatic redirection whenever you take a wrong turn.
Locus Map Free
Probably one of the more thorough GPS mapping apps around, Locus provides in-depth route mapping and tracking, and can even help out with geo-caching (if you’re into that sort of thing). The app comes with pre-loadec cycling and hiking maps to download, and can also offer offline mapping systems. It also supports a number of third-party add-ons, meaning you can customise your maps with augmented reality and Foursquare modifications, among others.
Waze
Recently bought by Google for $1.15bn, Waze is one of the biggest new players in the mapping market. Another app built around community contributions, Waze is all about contributing to and benefiting from the ‘common good’ on the road, offering live route information based on contributions from its users, meaning you’ll be informed of any breaking road closure or delays as they happen.
Scout GPS
Scout takes a more personal approach to mapping solutions, providing a service which identifies the closest services to you – meaning that if you’re ever in need of a supermarket, petrol station, or fancy restaurant, it can provide you with the details. On the road, it can also provide street-level traffic views to show traffic flow on major roads, allowing you to calculate the quickest route to your destination before you leave.
