One lost signal and your exciting road trip can turn into a stressful situation—and that’s exactly what happened to me. A few weeks ago, I was driving from London to Scotland with my friends on our long-awaited road trip. After enjoying the scenic beauty of the Cotswolds, we found ourselves completely off the grid. We entered a dead zone. Mobile signals were completely gone, and we were struggling with navigation. Google Maps went into an endless rerouting loop, Apple Maps offered no help, and Waze was completely useless without an internet connection.
Thankfully, I remembered an app I tried some time ago, but never really used: HERE WeGo. In my moment of need, we found a pocket of internet signal, and I rapidly downloaded a few maps. Then, with no internet and backup plan, I switched to HERE WeGo, and it saved my road trip and every one of those in-between stops.
- OS
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Android, iOS, Web
- Developer
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HERE Technologies
- Price model
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Free
HERE WeGo is a navigation app that provides reliable turn-by-turn directions, offline maps, and real-time traffic updates for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. It helps users plan routes efficiently across cities and countries, even without an internet connection.
How I ended up using HERE WeGo—and why it was so good
It has everything for offline travel
My experience with HERE WeGo was amazing. When we entered a dead network zone during our journey, I immediately switched to the offline mode, which works seamlessly. I had already downloaded maps of the United Kingdom, so I can easily search for routes in different regions without relying on an internet connection. And, the offline mode worked like magic. No buffering, no loading screens, no delays. It gave me complete turn-by-turn directions for driving. Even better, the Route Preferences option helped me optimize my journey. For instance, I could choose between the fastest and shortest route type, opt to arrive on the destination’s side of the street, avoid tunnels, and set the maximum speed for my car.
We started our journey from Harrow, London, and took several stops for quick bites and coffee on our way to Scotland. The app guided me pretty well through twisted backroads, tunnels, and quiet highways. Turn-by-turn instructions were easy to follow, and the lane guidance was pretty good, too.
Overall, I had a fantastic experience with this app. It guided me well on my 7-hour drive to Scotland. When I wanted to explore the hidden gems of Scotland, HERE WeGo provided clear, detailed directions for walking and public transport. I didn’t even realize how reliable offline navigation can be until I got my hands on HERE WeGo.
Key features that impressed me the most
There’s a lot to like
HERE WeGo was a lifesaver for my trip, mainly for the offline mode. But there are more than a few reasons I’m going to keep using it.
- True Offline Mode: I was impressed with the HERE WeGo offline mode. The app allows you to download the maps of countries and regions beforehand, which gives peace of mind that you can always access navigation even when there’s no hint of a network. Thanks to its true offline mode, you don’t need to worry about losing signal again or watch your phone die due to excessive mobile data consumption.
- Clean Interface: HERE WeGo boasts a simple and distraction-free interface, which I loved right away. The ad-free design made navigation a breeze, and I could explore different settings without any hassle. All the options were laid out nicely, which matters the most when you’re on the road.
- Detailed Maps: WeGo offers accurate and detailed maps that cover everything from small roads and landmarks to global speed limits and areas of interest. It offers accurate door-to-door travel support, which makes it easier to plan your entire journey. WeGo takes the comprehensive and holistic approach of Google Maps, but doesn’t rely on data for accuracy.
- Route preferences: This navigation app offers several route preferences to avoid U-turns, ferries, highways, toll roads, tunnels, and unpaved roads. You can pick your real-time rerouting options, vehicle speed, and make other customizations, which can make your journey easier. You can also choose whether you wish to take the fastest or the shortest route to your destination.
- User-friendly add-ons: HERE WeGo offers a ton of other features that can make your journey easier. I particularly like the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, which lets you interact with the app right from your car’s display. I also appreciate extra perks like a customizable voice assistant, the ability to explore rest areas, speed camera alerts, and parking assistance.
These features made my road trip so much smoother than other map apps I’ve used before, and really make HERE WeGo worth keeping on your phone at all times.
Why HERE WeGo beats other map apps for me
It outperforms some big names
Well, I’ve tried several navigation apps in the past few years, with Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze being my most frequently used ones. Each app has its own strengths. I like Google Maps for its real-time updates, local business info, ability to share trip progress, and amazing gesture support. It also gives you live traffic insights so you can know what’s the best time to leave.
I sometimes use Apple Maps for enhanced privacy, AR walking directions, and the ability to create custom guides. It also offers an expert ratings feature that helps you find the best restaurants. Whereas Waze stands out with its real-time crowdsourced data, cops and speed trap alerts, and social experience.
However, when I’m offline or traveling without an unlimited data plan, I just can’t completely rely on any of them. Google Maps does offer an offline mode, but it feels limited because you can’t download entire countries in one go. Apple Maps also struggles without an internet connection, whereas Waze just can’t work at all. On the other hand, HERE WeGo is built for offline use. It works really well, without any loading screens. The app is completely free and lets you download entire countries, which makes the app even more impressive and worth trying out for sure.
Overall, HERE WeGo is my go-to navigation app for all my road trips and remote travel needs.
How to make the most out of HERE WeGo
My go-to tricks
To get the best experience with HERE WeGo, ensure you download maps before starting your journey. Just go to the Offline mode, tap Downloaded Maps, and download the maps for the countries and regions you’re planning to travel. Once downloaded, these apps will be stored for your offline access. Also, when you’re back online, you can refresh your maps for the latest updates.
You can use the Multi-modal journey feature to compare and plan routes for driving, walking, cycling, or public transit. If you want a complete overview of your journey, it’s good to opt for the door-to-door travel support.
In the time when most navigation apps require an internet connection to work properly, HERE WeGo feels like a fresh breath of air. When the roads get rough and there is no network, HERE WeGo has got your back. Whether you’re driving across borders, want to explore beautiful mountains, or just want to save some mobile data for other tasks, this app won’t disappoint you at all.
HERE WeGo not only saved my most-awaited road trip, but it also became my go-to travel companion.