There is probably a handy route planner on your smartphone that you use regularly, such as Google Maps or Apple Maps. Whatever application that is, it’s still a good idea to take a look at Windy Maps. Because this navigation app is slightly different from most other applications that you can use to navigate.
A big difference with normal navigation apps is that in Windy Maps you see a lot of walking and cycling routes on the map. So you can easily follow this with your phone, without needing anything extra. You can also record all your outings and trips, so that afterwards you can see exactly where you have been and passed by. Windy Maps is completely free and is available for both IOS if android. When installing, do not confuse the app with Windy.com, because that is a weather app from the same maker.
Detailed maps
Windy Maps uses the reliable map material of Open Street Maps. These maps show a lot of landscape details, which is especially useful when hiking and cycling. But the details are of course also welcome as soon as you take a nice tour with your motorcycle or car. You can use the online maps, or bring in entire regions and countries, so that no mobile data traffic is needed. In the second case, you can even go completely offline. You can also continue to navigate and consult your maps in (the currently scarce) areas without mobile coverage.
As soon as you start the app for the first time, you immediately get the option to buy cards via the button Download maps locally on your phone. It is wise to do this right away. Unless you prefer to see if the app is for you first, you can always download it later. At the top of the list of available maps you see areas that are near you, but for more freedom of movement you immediately install the whole of the Netherlands.
We’ll save you a lot of searching by revealing that you Kingdom of the Netherlands must have, so do not search for the Netherlands or Holland. Then you can tap Download all to download the Netherlands and the Caribbean. Or you only pick up the Netherlands in four stages (North Netherlands, East Netherlands, West Netherlands, South Netherlands). Or you can throw the Caribbean islands away again, that’s also possible. The maps are of course updated regularly, you will automatically see a notification.
All routes in view
You don’t have to wait until everything has been collected, because until then the online card is used. So you can already play with the app by going to the main screen. As you explore the area a bit, you will notice that there are many colored lines on the map. These are cycling and walking routes. The first is easy to recognize by the bicycle next to it. The name of the routes is usually there, which is nice and easy.
You can view a larger or smaller area by using two fingers, or by swiping vertically over the arrow icon on the right screen edge. Even stops and stations of public transport are on the map, with an icon of a tram, bus, metro or (steam) train next to it. Tap on a stop or station and you can see exactly which stop it is. Tapping again will even show the lines and the next departure times.
Do you see a blue highlight along a screen edge? It indicates your current location, as soon as that place is somewhere outside the screen. Tap it and you’ll be back in the center again.
Just navigate
Want to go somewhere from your current location? Hold your finger on that spot on the map for a moment so that a red mark appears. Or use the magnifying glass at the bottom of the screen to look up a location. An options bar will appear at the bottom of the screen where you can click Route ticks. You see the suggested route in blue and the start and end point can be recognized by a red marking.
Any alternative routes are indicated in gray. Tap it if you prefer to take a different route than the one suggested. Of course it matters whether you dive into the car, jump on your motorcycle, get on your bike or just put on your hiking boots. At the bottom is the chosen mode of transport. Isn’t that the right one? Tap it and indicate where the route should be tuned. This prevents you from suddenly standing in front of a bicycle tunnel with your car or being asked to walk onto the highway.
Here you can also indicate whether you want the shortest or fastest route and whether you want to use toll roads and the like. Then tap Navigate and after that the app will take you wherever you want to be.
Where are the files?
While navigating by car or motorcycle, you would like to know where the traffic jams are, and even better, that the navigation app guides you neatly around the worst time wasters. Unfortunately, Windy Maps does not show any traffic information for the time being. We hope, of course, that this will be added in a future release.
So don’t be alarmed if you see a bold red line somewhere. That is not a traffic jam, but a nice (walking) trip or something like a metro or tram line. Furthermore, the app does have everything you need on board to navigate relaxed. Such as clear navigation instructions, lane guidance, current and maximum speed, voice navigation and of course that super-detailed online and offline map material.
Pin without a haystack
Do you want to walk a walking route or take a bike ride? Chances are that this route is clearly marked on the map. Even if it is a traditional pole route. So you don’t have to take a photo of the board with the floor plan at the entrance just to be sure, in case you suddenly don’t come across a colored pole anymore. With the phone in hand or on the bicycle handlebar, you can see exactly where you are and where you need to go. Even if you want to deviate from the mapped out route, because you see something beautiful somewhere else, you will quickly find the route again.
Very handy about the detailed map material of Windy Maps is that you can easily find the exact starting point of a walking or cycling route, or a parking lot nearby. Even if that is somewhere along a road in the woods or halfway through an open plain. In navigation apps with regular road maps, it usually takes a lot of searching before you finally find the right location, because there are often few visual clues on the map in those places.
Record trips
Ideal for walkers and cyclists in particular, but also for motorists and motorcyclists, is that there is a so-called tracker or route follower in Windy Maps. You no longer need a separate app for that. At the start of a walk or bike ride, tap the feet icon at the top of the screen and let via Start record the path you have traveled. This then appears as a colored line on the map, so you can clearly see where you are passing. The green bar at the top of the screen tells you that the tracker is active and you can also pause and close the recording here.
To save trips you need to create a free account. You can simply do this from the app. Because all tours are saved online in your profile, you can also access them immediately from, for example, another smartphone or a tablet, as long as you use the same account.
While saving, you will see that the app automatically recognizes whether you have taken a walk or bike ride, or whether you were on the road by car. If this is not correct, you can correct it yourself. You can also give the tour an enlightening name, add a short description and finally tap . at the top Save.
Diary
To view your saved trips, tap the menu icon at the bottom left. Then choose My cards and go to the section at the bottom Activities. By default, you’ll see a list view here, but tap Card, you will see them as markers on the map. So you see exactly where you have passed by. In addition, you can easily recreate a beautiful tour by following this trail.
You can also save favorite locations for later use, as well as the routes to get there. These are located in the Places and routes, so next to Activities. How do you get them there? Once you’ve placed a marker anywhere on the map (red icon), tap at the bottom of the screen Save and name your favorite. Have you had a route calculated? Then don’t tap immediately Navigate, but drag the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen up and then tap again save. Do you have a lot of favourites, routes or saved tours? Then you can arrange them in folders.
Settings and more
Do you want to download (extra) maps? Then go in the menu to Offline Maps. Furthermore, this works exactly the same as described in the beginning. In the menu, tap Route planning, then you can determine a route from any starting point, even if you are not there at the moment.
Through Institutions you can adjust the map, the navigation method and the behavior of the app as you wish. Be careful with the menu option First aid, because here you will not only find essential first aid instructions, you can also call in the emergency services.
Tap the compass on the main screen to rotate the map with your view, or keep north always up. You can switch to a winter map via the map icon, which is super handy during winter sports.
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