Preparing for a road trip is a very responsible process, especially when it comes to a family journey. You need to not only book a cheap and roomy passenger van rental but also choose a suitable mapping service to easily navigate the area. 

Among the most popular apps are Google Maps, Maps.me, Sygic, OsmAnd, and Waze. However, now you can use many other equally useful alternative services. In addition to the navigation itself, they will help you plan your trip and prepare for it better. Check out a few of the best ones right now:

HERE WeGo 

It shows a real-time traffic situation and allows you to save various places in the smartphone’s memory for subsequent routing. You can download maps for offline use in areas where Internet access is difficult or completely absent. HERE WeGo provides offline maps for 100+ countries and 1,300+ cities in the world, including most of the destinations in Europe and the United States. They contain ready-made routes, ticket prices, car rental rates, and train/bus timetables. 

Here WeGo is suitable for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and public transport passengers. The app will find the fastest route for any type of travel. The program even takes into account the unevenness of the terrain and tells you whether you have to climb or descend more on your trip. 

As with Google Maps, you can order a taxi here or find the nearest car rental location. The service will also calculate the full cost of the trip even before it starts. It’s possible to share data about your current location. 

HERE WeGo has an excellent database of public transport routes and sights. Information sourced from Wikipedia, TripAdvisor, BlaBlaCar, Expedia, Car2go, and GetYourGuide.

MapFactor 

Using MapFactor for road trip navigation is similar to using American Express rental car coverage. As alternative products, they will be excellent solutions for your particular travel needs. 

MapFactor is a fairly popular mapping service with basic navigation and GPS features. It uses the OpenStreetMap (OSM) API, which allows you to download and update maps for free to work with them offline. At the same time, it’s possible to use data from the TomTom service instead of OSM. 

MapFactor has more than two hundred maps, covering 56 countries in Europe and 53 countries in the Americas. On the first launch, the app will offer to download maps for offline use, since online maps are not part of the basic functionality.

Citymapper 

The Citymapper’s database contains information about cities around the world. It includes train and bus timetables, walking routes, and real-time traffic intensity. The latter is especially useful if you are traveling in a rental car and need to get to the city center. The program will create the desired route and avoid traffic jams, which will allow you to get to the desired point much faster. 

The latest update introduces a new walking mode with instant ETA and turn-by-turn navigation. This is very convenient for exploring the historical areas of cities where it’s not possible to use a rental car. 

Citymapper is a great assistant in a large destination. It will also show you the approximate cost of an Uber trip to the desired destination, routes for all types of public transport, as well as information about their arrival and departure times.

Scout GPS

The Scout GPS was formerly called TeleNav. Having changed the name, logo, and graphical interface, it remains reliable and stable, and includes all the necessary features. Keep in mind that the Scout GPS focuses more on people than on navigation, which sets it apart from its peers. 

Scout GPS can automatically inform relatives of your expected arrival time, send notifications when other users need your help. Now, you don’t need to leave the service to open WhatsApp and tell where you are or where you are going. This navigator is also interesting because it offers integration with social networks, chat support, and other useful features. You can download maps from the OpenStreetMap server. Information about traffic intensity, sights, and parking lots is also provided in the app.

MapQuest 

Many people remember MapQuest from the old days and think that this platform was completely crowded out by the Google Maps service. However, millions of users still download MapQuest for great reasons. They include a high degree of detail, a large database of interesting places, turn-by-turn navigation, and the ability to share with friends the expected arrival time at your destination. 

MapQuest has real-time information on traffic intensity, re-routing in the presence of traffic jams along the way, and service for finding refueling stations with the cheapest rates. You can even call a tow truck directly from the program if the car breaks down. 

MapQuest uses Apple Maps and Google Maps, supplementing them with the coordinates of the nearest catering establishments, gas stations, hotels, and shops. MapQuest provides both road and walking routes. You have access to live cameras, which means you can check out the road conditions before starting your trip. 

MapQuest even lists speed limits for different sections of the road. This is especially convenient when you are traveling in a rental car in an unfamiliar area.

Polaris

The Polaris Navigation developers tried to create an all-in-one navigation software, and they succeeded! The app draws information from many different sources, including Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, MapQuest, and Cycle Route Maps, so you are guaranteed to get up-to-date data. By the way, you, as a user, can choose the source of data on your own. 

Polaris Navigation has different coordinate formats, route recording options, a unique routing system, voice navigation, useful features for hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities. The interface seems a bit outdated, but it doesn’t affect the operation of the program in any way.

inRoute 

When it comes to driving your rental car and making many stops, there’s nothing better than inRoute. In the free version, you have five stops per route. The service provides information about sharp turns, ascents, and descents. You can search for nearby gas stations, cafes, restaurants, and attractions right from the app. 

inRoute will plan when is the best to go, taking into account the real-time weather and traffic information. You will have to pay $15 to upgrade to the premium version, providing up to 25 stops per route. If you need up to a hundred stops, you need to purchase the $30 version.

iGO Navigation 

iGO Navigation is a worldwide navigation app that, like Sygic, promises beautiful 3D maps of landmarks. Navigation works in more than 100 countries, and you can create routes offline, after downloading the necessary maps. 

In the settings, you can choose walking, cycling, and car navigation. There are no maps of individual regions in iGO – you need to download the entire country maps. In the seven-day trial version, you can download only one map. If you need more maps, as well as online services such as road traffic and points of interest, you will need to purchase the paid version. 

iGO Navigation will always help you create the most accurate route. If you deviate from the set route, iGO automatically changes it and notifies you. The program allows you to quickly find the endpoint and is supported by most devices. Its advantages are voice prompts, a simple interface, and convenient routes taking into account the current road traffic.