In Search of GPS app for Apple iPhone that supports UK Grid and Swiss Grid

[Bruce Tolley]

I am planning a walking trip to the UK and then to Switzerland. Looking for a GPS app for my iPhone that supports UK Grid and the Swiss Grid since I also like to use paper maps! I normally use Gaia but cannot find anywhere that it supports anything but UTM Grid and I don’t want to do the conversions in my head while in the field.
Thx

[Rick M]

ViewRanger is the definitive app for the uk and most of Europe

[David Thomas]

Kind of off-topic, but you have to drive on roads to get to any trailhead:

For driving around the countryside, and walking around cities, I’ve been very happy with the app maps.me for years now.  You download the data into your device before your trip (or anywhere with wifi) so you don’t incur any data charges while overseas.  The level of detail is impressive (like paths within city parks and that little lane behind the houses for the garbage bins), the search function decent (“hardware store” or “grocery”, “bakery” or “museum” finds those things in Italy, France or Iceland), and the route finding on roads from A to B puts a little moving arrow on the map as you drive along, even when you’re out of cell coverage.  That’s been very helpful a few times in remote Costa Rica or Cuba and downtown Rome by avoiding wrong turns (by us or the cab driver) or letting us notice in a hundred meters if we’d missed a turn.

It has trails on it, but not in great detail and lacks the topographic data you’d want in real trail app, but it’s been helpful a few times for day hikes on otherwise non-hiking trips both by letting us know there was a trail in the area and to distinguish between choices at trail junctions.

Even around the USA, while I usually use the native mapping app on the phone, that will crap out when I get out of cell-phone data range and, annoyingly, forgets the data it JUST HAD before I tried to zoom or scroll the map.  Grrr.  Maps.me never has that problem. If the device can see enough sky to get a GPS fix, it works.

Again, I’m not recommending it as a hiking app, but for driving, cab rides, and city walking I’m been very happy with it.

[Cameron M]

I am increasingly impressed with OpenHikingMap found in GAIA and also the Garmin Earthmate app. It nails a lot of trails and obscure paths not found elsewhere. But no UK or Swiss Grid.

[Bruce Tolley]

@ Rick. thanks. I shall check it out

@ Cameron. I played with Garmin Earthmate and could not figure out if it displayed UK Grid or Swiss Grid. I had a back and forth with Garmin tech support about the Garmin Inreach which only displays lat/long or UTM.  The Garmin guy said just find a conversion app on the web. :-))  All I want is for the smart phone to tell me my UK or Swiss Grid coordinates.

@ David. I always find your posts thoughtful and informative even when a bit off topic. :-))

[William Chilton]

@btolley, ask the question over on trek-lite.com, a UK based forum, and I think you’ll get a lot more suggestions. Or browse previous threads over there; there’s probably something already. I know there are apps that just give you your OS (UK grid) coordinates without mapping if you’re just looking to confirm your position on a paper map.

[William Chilton]

This thread has some suggestions, such as OS locate.

[Rick M]

Bruce, here is the ViewRanger Settings/Map/Grid screenshot.

[Bruce Tolley]

Thanks Rick!

I installed it last night and have been playing with it (and ignoring the in-app purchase pitch of $89 for maps of the US.).

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