How to Use Google Maps Offline: Download Maps for Travel Without Data

Why Every Traveler Needs Offline Maps

You land at Marrakech Menara Airport at 11 PM. Your phone has no local SIM card, the airport WiFi requires a local phone number to register, and you need to navigate to your riad in the depths of the medina -- a labyrinth of unmarked alleys where GPS signals bounce between ancient walls. Without offline maps, you are dependent on expensive roaming data, unreliable public WiFi, or the directions of strangers in a city you have never visited.

This scenario plays out thousands of times daily across the world's airports, train stations, and bus depots. The solution takes about five minutes of preparation at home: downloading offline maps in Google Maps before you leave.

Google Maps is available in over 220 countries and territories. Its offline mode allows you to download specific areas for use without any internet connection -- including turn-by-turn driving navigation, address search, and basic place information. This guide walks through every step of the process, explains exactly what works and what does not work offline, and covers the tricks that make offline Google Maps significantly more useful than most people realize.

How to Download Offline Maps: Step by Step

On Android

1. Open Google Maps and make sure you are signed into your Google account
2. Search for the city or region you plan to visit (for example, search "Barcelona, Spain")
3. Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner
4. Tap "Offline maps"
5. Tap "Select your own map"
6. A blue rectangle appears on the map. Pinch to zoom and drag to position the rectangle over the exact area you need
7. The app displays the estimated download size at the bottom of the screen
8. Tap "Download"
9. The download begins. Depending on the area size and your connection speed, this takes 30 seconds to several minutes

Alternative method: After searching for a location, tap the location name at the bottom of the screen, then tap the three-dot menu and select "Download offline map."

On iOS (iPhone and iPad)

1. Open Google Maps and sign into your Google account
2. Search for your destination city or region
3. Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner
4. Tap "Offline maps"
5. Tap "Select your own map"
6. Adjust the blue rectangle to cover the area you need
7. Review the download size shown at the bottom
8. Tap "Download"

The process is nearly identical on both platforms. The key difference is that on iOS, offline maps are stored in the Google Maps app's data allocation, which can be managed via Settings and then Google Maps and then Storage.

How Much Storage Do Offline Maps Require?

Download sizes vary based on the geographic area and the density of mapped features (roads, buildings, businesses).

Download Area	Approximate Size
Central Paris (city center only)	50-80 MB
Greater Paris (Ile-de-France region)	150-250 MB
Rome city center	40-70 MB
Tokyo 23 Wards	150-250 MB
Greater Tokyo metropolitan area	300-500 MB
Bangkok and surrounding areas	100-200 MB
All of Iceland	100-150 MB
All of Portugal	200-350 MB
All of Switzerland	200-300 MB
Bali island	30-50 MB
New York City (five boroughs)	150-250 MB
Los Angeles metro area	200-350 MB

Maximum download area: Google Maps limits each individual offline map to approximately 120,000 square kilometers (roughly the size of a small European country). For larger areas, you need to download multiple overlapping maps.

Practical storage budget: For a two-week trip visiting three cities, budget 500 MB to 1 GB of storage for offline maps. For an extensive road trip through an entire country, budget 1-2 GB.

What Works Offline vs. What Requires Internet

Understanding the limitations of offline Google Maps prevents frustration in the field.

Works Fully Offline

• Viewing the map: Pan, zoom, and explore the downloaded area
• Searching for addresses: Type a specific street address and Google Maps finds it
• Searching for named places: Search for "Eiffel Tower" or "Colosseum" and the pin drops correctly
• Turn-by-turn driving navigation: Full voice-guided navigation with route calculation
• Saved/starred places: Any location you have saved or starred appears on your offline map
• Custom lists: Places you have added to custom lists ("Restaurants to Try," "Hotels") appear offline

Works With Limitations Offline

• Searching for business categories: Searching "restaurants near me" works but returns fewer results than online. The results may not include hours, reviews, or phone numbers.
• Walking directions: Basic walking routes work offline, but the quality is lower than online. Complex multi-modal routes do not work.
• Cycling directions: Available offline in some regions but not all.
• Saved offline areas management: You can view which areas are downloaded but cannot modify or delete them without briefly going online.

Requires Internet (Does Not Work Offline)

• Public transit directions: Bus, train, metro, and ferry routes are NOT available offline. This is the single biggest limitation for urban travelers.
• Real-time traffic: No traffic data offline, so driving time estimates may be inaccurate during rush hours
• Business hours and contact information: The phone number, website, and current hours of businesses are not available
• Reviews and ratings: No access to Google reviews or star ratings
• Street View: Requires internet
• Live location sharing: Cannot share your location with others
• ETA sharing: Cannot send arrival estimates to contacts
• Explore tab recommendations: The "Explore" suggestions require internet

Managing Offline Maps: Updates, Expiration, and Deletion

Automatic Updates

Google Maps can automatically update your downloaded offline maps when connected to WiFi. To enable this:

1. Go to your profile picture and then Offline maps
2. Tap the gear icon (settings)
3. Toggle on "Auto-update offline maps"
4. Toggle on "Download over WiFi only" to prevent unexpected data charges

Map Expiration

Offline maps expire after approximately 365 days. Google Maps sends a notification before expiration. If a map expires, you need an internet connection to re-download it.

Travel implication: If you downloaded maps for a country you visited last year, they may have expired. Always verify your offline maps are current before a trip.

Deleting Offline Maps

After your trip, delete offline maps to free storage:

1. Go to your profile picture and then Offline maps
2. Tap on the specific map
3. Tap "Delete"

Advanced Tips for Travelers

Tip 1: Download Overlapping Areas for Road Trips

If you are driving from Barcelona to Madrid, a single download might not cover the entire route. Download overlapping maps along your route so there are no gaps.

Example for a Spain road trip:

• Download 1: Barcelona and surrounding area
• Download 2: Zaragoza and central Aragon
• Download 3: Madrid and surrounding area

The overlap ensures you never hit an area that is not downloaded, even if you detour.

Tip 2: Save Key Locations Before Your Trip

Before losing internet access, save every important location to Google Maps:

• Your hotel or accommodation
• The airport
• Restaurants you want to visit
• Activities and attractions
• The embassy or consulate for your country
• The nearest hospital to your hotel

How to save: Search for the location, tap it, then tap "Save." Add it to a relevant list (for example, "Rome Trip" or "Tokyo Hotels"). These saved locations appear as pins on your offline map with the custom names you gave them.

Tip 3: Save Your Parking Location

Google Maps can save where you parked your car. After parking, tap the blue dot (your location) and select "Save your parking." This location persists offline and helps you find your car in unfamiliar cities.

Tip 4: Download Maps of Airport and Transit Areas

Download a map of the area surrounding your arrival airport. You might not have connectivity when you land, and knowing the layout of the airport area, nearby hotels, and ground transportation routes is valuable.

Tip 5: Use "Your Timeline" as a Trip Record

If you have Location History enabled, Google Maps records your movements and creates a timeline. This works even with intermittent connectivity and syncs when you reconnect. After your trip, your Timeline shows everywhere you went, which is useful for writing reviews, remembering restaurant names, and creating trip reports.

Tip 6: Cache Directions Before Going Offline

If you know your route in advance, search for directions while still online. Google Maps caches recent routes, making them accessible even if your offline map does not perfectly cover the area.

Tip 7: Use Custom Labels for Complex Navigation

In cities with confusing addressing systems (Tokyo, Seoul, many Middle Eastern cities), add labels to key locations. Open a location, scroll down, and tap "Add a label." Write something descriptive like "Hotel main entrance - look for blue door" or "Restaurant is down the alley past the pharmacy." These labels persist offline.

Alternative Offline Map Apps (and When to Use Them)

While Google Maps is the best general-purpose option, specific situations call for alternatives.

Apple Maps (iOS 17+)

Use when: You need offline public transit directions (Apple Maps supports this, Google Maps does not), you prefer Apple ecosystem integration, or you primarily travel in North America, Europe, or East Asia where Apple Maps coverage is strong.

Setup: Settings and then Maps and then Offline Maps and then Download New Map.

Maps.me

Use when: You are traveling in developing countries with limited Google Maps coverage, trekking or hiking on trails not covered by Google, or you want community-contributed points of interest (budget hotels, hostels, street food stalls) that Google Maps does not list.

Best areas: Southeast Asia backpacking routes, African countries, Central Asian countries, hiking trails worldwide.

OsmAnd

Use when: You need specialized features like contour lines for hiking, GPX track import, nautical charts, or you want the most detailed offline mapping available based on OpenStreetMap data.

Best for: Serious hikers, cyclists, and off-the-grid travelers.

Citymapper

Use when: Your primary need is public transit navigation. Citymapper offers offline transit maps and schedules for approximately 100 cities worldwide, filling the gap that Google Maps leaves.

Supported cities include: London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, New York, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, and approximately 90 others.

How to download: Open Citymapper, select your city, and tap the download icon for offline access to transit maps and basic routing.

Offline Maps Comparison for Key Scenarios

Scenario	Best App	Why
Driving navigation in a foreign country	Google Maps	Best route calculation and voice navigation
Walking in a European city	Apple Maps (iOS) or Google Maps	Apple Maps includes transit; Google Maps has more POIs
Navigating public transit	Citymapper or Apple Maps	Both work offline for transit; Google Maps does not
Hiking on trails	Maps.me or OsmAnd	Far more trail detail than Google or Apple Maps
Backpacking in Southeast Asia	Maps.me	Better coverage of budget accommodations and local spots
Finding restaurants and attractions	Google Maps	Most comprehensive business database
Road trip across a country	Google Maps with overlapping downloads	Reliable navigation with good voice guidance

Pre-Trip Offline Maps Checklist

Complete this checklist at home over WiFi before every international trip:

• [ ] Update Google Maps app to the latest version (offline features improve with updates)
• [ ] Free up phone storage (delete old photos, unused apps, previous trip downloads)
• [ ] Download offline maps for each destination city or region
• [ ] Download maps for airport arrival area at your first destination
• [ ] Save hotel, airport, and key locations with descriptive labels
• [ ] Enable "Auto-update offline maps" over WiFi
• [ ] Test offline functionality by enabling airplane mode and searching for a saved location
• [ ] Download Citymapper city data if you need offline transit directions
• [ ] Download Maps.me country data if you are hiking or visiting rural areas

Navigate Confidently, Connected or Not

Offline maps are the single most important technical preparation for international travel. Five minutes of downloading at home prevents hours of confusion, wasted taxi fares, and the stress of navigating unfamiliar places without guidance.

When you plan trips with TripGenie, you get detailed day-by-day itineraries with specific addresses and neighborhoods that you can save directly to your Google Maps lists. Download your TripGenie itinerary, save the locations to Google Maps, download the offline areas, and you have a complete navigation system that works regardless of your connectivity status.

The world's most interesting places are often the least connected. Do not let a lack of data keep you from exploring them confidently.