Maps for roads and walks
Save the journey you intend to make: the room entrance, parking entrance and stop or meeting point. A driving map and a walking track have different jobs. For a rural outing, neither the line on the screen nor a blank area on a mine-information map settles safe access.
Save the entrance as well as the place
Save the room entrance, station meeting point and parking entrance separately, with the street address and a contact number as text. For a rural stay, compare the host’s recommended vehicle approach with the road route before setting off.
For Google Maps on Android, use Profile → Offline maps → Select your own map, then download the area while connected. Include the whole drive and space for a detour. Google notes that downloads are unavailable in some areas, so the saved coverage on your phone is what matters.
Give the saved places names you will recognise
Use labels you recognise, such as room entrance or garage, and keep the full address beside each saved point. That makes the right entrance easier to identify when several nearby pins share a property or street name.
Contours, satellite images and old shared tracks cannot establish an open bridge or suitable access. On foot, keep the park or guide’s route and return advice with the map.
Offline driving has limits
Google’s offline map needs to cover the full driving route. It does not provide walking, cycling or public-transport directions, live traffic or alternative driving routes. A saved Sarajevo map cannot generate an offline bus itinerary or show a fresh closure.
Google attempts a Wi-Fi update when a map is within 15 days of expiry. Before travelling, open the saved area and try navigation with the connection switched off. For a bus or tram, save the departure, stop names and route instructions separately.
A walking map and a GPX track
Organic Maps advertises offline walking, cycling and car navigation, contour lines and GPX import. That offers a different task from Google’s offline driving map. Download the required area before the outing and obtain the track from the park or route manager; a shared file does not settle whether the path is open or suitable.
The publisher’s import instructions use Open with Organic Maps on Android and Import with Organic Maps on iOS. The track appears under Bookmarks and Tracks. Open it while connected and take a charged phone, power bank and suitable paper-map backup.
Mine information is not route clearance
EUFOR’s BiH Minefield Maps page offers numbered PDF downloads and links to the BH Mine Suspected Areas app. It is marked 25 June 2025 and attributes contamination information to BHMAC. The numbered area links help locate a PDF; the page date is not evidence that a particular trail has been cleared.
EUFOR says other areas still need caution and refers readers to BHMAC for updated information. A blank area, app pin or GPX line is not route clearance. FCDO describes residual mines and unexploded weapons in rural and less populated areas and advises against leaving roads and paved areas without an experienced guide. Obey warnings and obtain current advice for the intended outing.
For a drive, read conditions separately
BIHAMK’s road report carries the fresh conditions a saved map cannot supply. For the A1, JP Autoceste FBiH’s road-status page separates Prohodnost reports from Radovi works. Read the date of the individual entry; old works remain in the index.
BIHAMK’s camera list includes Stupska petlja in Sarajevo and GP Bijača. The label “Nije u funkciji”, shown beside GP Šepak (Šepak–Loznica), means the camera is not working. Check the selected feed rather than assuming every listed camera is live; one view cannot predict the wait along the whole road.
Stop somewhere safe before changing navigation. For a walk, keep the park’s access information and your route and return plan with the map. The outdoor safety guide covers the preparation for the outing.