Travel Route App with
Offline Maps and Geolocation
We transformed a web-based travel guide service into native iOS and Android apps with downloadable maps, a 100% offline experience and geolocation for every point of interest. No connection, no roaming, no getting lost.
Client
Way Away
Year
2015 – 2017
Services
Strategy, UX/UI, App iOS & Android
Platforms
iOS · Android · Tablet
01 — The Challenge
A travel guide that works in the real world
Way Away had built a well-regarded web service in Spain: meticulously curated travel routes with day-by-day itineraries, transport recommendations, hotels and restaurants for dozens of destinations worldwide. The web product worked well. The problem was that travellers used it at home to plan their trips, but left it behind at the exact moment they needed it most: during the trip itself.
The challenge was to transform that structured content into a mobile experience that worked without an internet connection. A traveller in Tokyo, the Amazon or a city with no coverage cannot rely on mobile data to check their itinerary. The app had to be just as useful on the Shanghai Metro in aeroplane mode as it was at home on WiFi.
The most critical technical point of the project was finding and implementing the right maps solution: a provider that would allow users to download the map of each destination for offline use, and on which we could geolocate all of Way Away's content resources — attractions, restaurants, hotels and transport points — with a colour-coded system that let users tell them apart at a glance.
02 — Our Solution
The perfect travel guide, always in your pocket
We designed and developed the native iOS and Android apps around one clear principle: Way Away's content was excellent and did not need reinventing — it simply needed to be brought to mobile in the most natural way possible. The content architecture of the web CMS — destinations, routes, days, and the four tabs for Route / Transport / Hotel / Activity — translated directly into an intuitive mobile navigation hierarchy.
Synchronisation with the web account was another central pillar: a traveller who purchases a route on the website has it available in the app, and vice versa. The initial content download (including the offline map) takes place over WiFi; from that point on, the app works entirely without a connection.
Offline maps per destination
Each destination includes its full downloadable map. The system checks available storage before downloading and updates the map if the content has changed.
POI Geolocation
All points of interest — attractions, restaurants, hotels and transport — appear on the map with colour coding. Tapping any resource opens the map centred on that point.
Day-by-day structured routes
Navigation by day with Route, Transport, Hotel and Activity tabs. Only tabs with content are shown. Full-width photos with touch zoom.
Web ↔ app synchronisation
Same user account on web and app. Routes purchased on either channel are available on both. On-demand content updates.
In-app purchasing
Native in-app purchase (App Store / Google Play) to buy new routes directly from the app without leaving the experience.
Optimised tablet version
On tablet, the days menu and tabs remain visible on the left as a persistent column, making the most of the extra space for a more comfortable reading experience.
03 — Process
From web content to travel experience
Discovery & Architecture
Web CMS analysis, content structure mapping, research and selection of the offline maps provider, and definition of the app architecture.
UX/UI & Prototyping
Navigation hierarchy design, offline download flows, map interactions and specific adaptation for smartphone and tablet.
Development & QA
Parallel iOS and Android development, offline maps integration, geolocation, in-app purchases, synchronisation with the web CMS and thorough testing of the offline experience.
Launch & Evolution
Publication on App Store and Google Play, experience optimisation based on usage data and development of new features such as task management and personal notes.
04 — The Product in Detail
Built for the real traveller, not the user with WiFi
The map that travels with you, without spending a byte of data.
Before setting off, the user downloads the full destination map with a single tap. From that moment, the map works completely independently of connectivity: navigation, zoom, point-of-interest search and real-time user geolocation — all offline.
We evaluated and compared several map providers before selecting the most suitable solution for the project's requirements: offline download capability by geographic area, cartographic quality, the ability to add custom POI layers, and performance on mid-range devices.
Day 3 · Monday 14 Oct
Kyoto: temples and geishas
Start the day in the Gion neighbourhood before the crowds arrive. At 7am the cobblestone streets and machiya townhouses are still quiet...
Fushimi Inari Shrine
View on map →
Nishiki Market · Lunch
View on map →
Every day of the trip, perfectly organised.
The navigation structure mirrors the logic users already knew from the website: each route is divided by day, and within each day only the tabs that have content appear (Route, Transport, Hotel, Activity). If a day only has route information, it is shown directly without a tab menu.
Each resource — attraction, restaurant, hotel — includes full-width photos with touch zoom, a detailed description and a button to locate it on the map. Users can mark resources as visited and add personal notes that sync with their account.
Discover destinations, buy what you want, travel when you can.
The app displays the full catalogue of available destinations organised by geographic area. Each destination can have several routes depending on the days available (a 7-day route, a 10-day route, a 14-day route…), allowing travellers to adapt the guide to their actual schedule.
Purchases are made natively via in-app purchase, integrated with App Store and Google Play. If the user has already bought the route on the website, it appears automatically in the app without needing to pay again.
Global destination portfolio
Asia, Europe, the Americas, Oceania and Africa organised by area. Culture, adventure, gastronomy, nature, beach and major-city routes.
Routes by number of days
Each destination offers several options based on days available. The user picks the route that fits their real schedule.
Practical destination information
Each destination includes a practical information section: visas, health, currency, plug types, safety tips and local advice.
Push notifications
Notification system to inform users of new destinations, route updates and relevant content based on their saved destinations.
05 — Tech Stack
Technologies used
Stack selected to guarantee the offline experience, synchronisation with the existing web CMS and native publication on both app stores.
Mobile Apps
- Swift (native iOS)
- Kotlin (native Android)
- StoreKit / Play Billing
- APNs / FCM (push)
Maps & Offline
- Mapbox (offline maps)
- GPS geolocation
- SQLite (local storage)
- Offline content cache
Integration & Backend
- REST API (Way Away CMS)
- OAuth authentication
- Incremental synchronisation
- Delta route updates
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