iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Spaine70
Posts: 2
Joined: 17 May 2016, 1:01pm

iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by Spaine70 »

I need some help as I will be riding around Holland and Belgium for 4 days over the forth-coming bank holiday weekend.

The planned route is from Rotterdam to Antwerp - Antwerp to Eindhoven - Eindhoven to Utrecht - Utrecht to Rotterdam. I have managed to plan the routes online using the Fietserbond route planner and it gives me the option to download as GPX file - this is where I start to struggle.

What I need to know is how do I download the GPX and then export it into a mapping app that I can use on the bike for navigation when cycling in Holland and Belgium?

Hopefully someone can help me get these routes onto my iPhone and advise a mapping app so I can use it in much the same way as a Garmin?
andymiller
Posts: 1716
Joined: 8 Dec 2007, 10:26am

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by andymiller »

I'm assuming you want offline maps.

Try Pocket Earth or Outdoor GPS. From what I vould see from having a look at them, PE is simpler to use as you can email the file to yourself and then open in PE while with Outdoor GPS you have to upload the file to their site. But Outdoor GPS lets you download the free Open Street Map mapping while with PE you need to buy the maps. I've only had a quick look so that could be wrong.
Last edited by andymiller on 17 May 2016, 3:30pm, edited 1 time in total.
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by Psamathe »

I use MapOut (a few quid on the Apple AppStore https://itunes.apple.com/ch/app/mapout/id477094081?l=en&mt=8).

You download the free OpenStreet/Cycle Maps (so it's just the cost of the App) normally over WiFi from home (or wherever), then it works completely offline (no GSM coverage needed, in Airplane mode, whatever).

It is a very Cycle/Hiking orientated mapping app. You can enable cycle network "overlay" which then highlights the various cycle routes. It is very strong on giving altitude plots (e.g. tap a cycle route and you get an attitude plot for so many miles either side of your tap; tap/hold two fingers at the same time and you get an altitude plot for the line between those two points. Also shows map altitude contours.

Technically it uses vector mapping which means maps do not take up much space, can be fabulously detailed if you zoom right in and are very quick to display and very clear when displayed (it has the best map rendering of the mapping apps I've tried).

You can send it gpx files through several means (including just e-mailing it to a special e-mail address) and can display the route clearly on the maps (nice feature of selecting the route and jumping to the map scales to fill the display with the route. You can also record your track as you ride and send it off through all sorts of means.

I've tried a few different ones and I find MapOut the clearest map display without all the "Tweet your position", "Update your Facebook page", rubbish getting in your way. It's been around for some time so no major issues - just works.

Ian
andymiller
Posts: 1716
Joined: 8 Dec 2007, 10:26am

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by andymiller »

That does look like it might a good bet. Thanks Ian.

GB version of the link:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/mapout/ ... ?l=en&mt=8
Phileas
Posts: 414
Joined: 18 Feb 2009, 6:12pm
Location: Bristol

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by Phileas »

I use Viewranger.

As above there are a few methods for importing a gpx file into it including emailing it to yourself and telling the iPhone to open it in your app of choice.

I downlod things into Dropbox which I can then access from within Viewranger.
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by Psamathe »

andymiller wrote:That does look like it might a good bet. Thanks Ian.

GB version of the link:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/mapout/ ... ?l=en&mt=8

It isn't an every bell/whistle app but has what I find very clear rendering giving very readable maps. And for the download size and speed of drawing, the maps zoom to stunning levels of detail.

It has this "pretty" feature where you put it into 3D mode and as you tip the phone so the hills more with a 3D effect giving you an good impression of the hills/mountains of the area being displayed. Probably nice if you are in the highlands but not something I've ever really used.

In terms of importing routes and sending recorded tracks, and mechanism to get the gpx on the iPhone (e-mail yourself, Dropbox, One Drive, Airdrop, Bluetooth, etc., etc.) and you can register with MapOut and e-mail it to <registration name>@mapout.me and the gpx will automatically appear in your list of routes.

Ian
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by Psamathe »

Phileas wrote:I use Viewranger.

As above there are a few methods for importing a gpx file into it including emailing it to yourself and telling the iPhone to open it in your app of choice.

I downlod things into Dropbox which I can then access from within Viewranger.

I used to use ViewRanger (even purchased a load of OS maps from them), but as their app developed it became very clunky. These days whenever you run it for some reason it seems to insist on communicating with their own servers (using data!!).

I find they are focusing far more on social media (sharing things, downloading other peoples tracks, etc. they want you communicating more and more with their servers and I ended-up having to block their domain so my iPhone will not pass anything to/from their servers). I switched to MapOut as I found the mapping far superior (and smaller) and much better performance.

Ian
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Redvee
Posts: 2465
Joined: 8 Mar 2010, 8:58pm

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by Redvee »

I've got Maps.me android app on my phone, also works on IoS. Download mapping for the area you're travelling to before you go, best over wifi given the size of the maps and then uses GPS to navigate whilst travelling and, Googlemaps offers offline areas too.

http://maps.me/en/home
Spaine70
Posts: 2
Joined: 17 May 2016, 1:01pm

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by Spaine70 »

Thank you both for your advice. I think MapOut sounds like the app I will be using in Holland. I will download it this evening and start uploading the GPX files and see how it goes. :D
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by Psamathe »

Spaine70 wrote:...
What I need to know is how do I download the GPX and then export it into a mapping app that I can use on the bike for navigation...

Whilst I think MapOut the best (I've tried several but obviously not all), one thing it does not do is give turn by turn directions and no voice instructions like turn right at the next roundabout" sort of thing.

It can take your gpx and draw it over a map as in Image.

And remember, you can get a refund on AppStore apps if you report an problem to Apple with a limited time frame. Just Google refund iphone app and plenty of places telling you what to do. It use to be one of the weaknesses of buying apps through AppStore that you could not try 1st to check if it meets your needs. It was a good move when Apple changed their practices.

Ian
andymiller
Posts: 1716
Joined: 8 Dec 2007, 10:26am

Re: iPhone GPS Navigation in Holland

Post by andymiller »

MapOut is excellent. Thanks again.
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