Italy apps or guidebooks
 

Hello all!

Going to Rome and Florence and wondered the consensus on apps vs maps for travel. Last trip to Italy was 7 years ago and used paper to navigate. Wondered if anyone has experience with GPS MY CITY OR ROME METRO? Any In put is greatly appreciated!

I can't help you with apps, but your title suggests that you are also interested in guidebook recommendations? I think Fodor's is a good choice for Rome and Florence. And the Rough Guide, too -- I find their maps particularly useful.

Google maps will handle virtually everything you need. If you don't have data download the maps in advance. They need to be redownloaded every 28 days.

Google Maps "offline" maps are good only for driving directions, not walking or public transit. You can use them for reference when walking (to show where you are on a map), but (last I checked, anyway), you can't get point to point walking directions from Google Maps without being online. Just get a SIM for your phone or get a SIM in your home country that offers international roaming.

I used Google Maps a lot on my last few trips to Europe including Italy, mostly for walking and transit directions.

If you're going to take trains in Italy, the Trenit app is pretty handy too. You can buy Trenitalia tickets on your phone and check train platforms when changing stations and real-time train delays - helpful.

True but if your hotel has wifi you can start things on WiFi and it'll keep giving you directions once you're off. If you get really lost you can then switch to driving directions.

I needed to get walking directions much more often than just out of the hotel. And the public transit directions in Google Maps - knowing which bus or train to take, not just how to get to the stops, is extremely helpful. Getting a SIM card was cheap enough last time that it's not really worth not getting one vs. the amazing extra benefits it offered.