will google maps work internationally without cell/data service ?
i will be traveling to the UK, France, and Portugal next month
and will have no cell service. are the maps cached or do they
need a data connection to load. if so are there any map apps
that install completely and don't require a data connection ?
Google Maps allow you make maps available offline. However you can only have about 6 maps that is about the size of a city. You won't be able to preload an entire country like the UK. If you are only visiting several cities, you can simply make those cities and areas available offline. If you are able to find WiFi, you can change which maps are available offline as you travel. Just find WiFi hotspots if possible like at coffee shops and make available offline the next few cities.
The disadvantage is that you cannot use navigation with offline maps. If you are driving or walking and need directions, you have to be connected to get the route. Then you can navigate without data as long as you do not stray too far from the path.
There are mapping apps that do not need data to work. One I use is called NavFree. There are two versions. One is the international version which is the one you need if you are going to Europe. The other is the USA version which has just the US as well as Canada and Mexico. I live in Canada and used it to drive to the states. It's adequate. You can find addresses if you know them already. If you are looking for a place and do not know the address, you have to do an online search. I recommend that you do the lookups ahead of time and save them as favourites.
NavFree is free. It's adequate. I did find some errors. I was using it in San Francisco and it gave me the wrong location for an address. It was off by about 6 blocks which caused me to have to walk 6 more blocks than I needed. For situations where you have no data, it is OK and it works with no data which is what Google Maps cannot do.
It does take quite a bit of space on your phone. Once you install it, you have to download the maps for each country that you need. It takes a while and the time depends on how big the country is.
I'm sure there are other mapping apps, but I believe most cost money.
