Google Maps is the world's most popular navigation app — but it's built for everyone, not specifically for tourists. CityNav fills the gaps that matter most when you're in an unfamiliar city: offline transit maps, AR walking overlays, and a built-in SOS emergency button.
Try CityNav Free →| Feature | CityNav | Google Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Downloaded transit guidance | ✅ Core saved content for 28 cities | ⚠️ Limited offline support; requires pre-download |
| CityNav keeps previously downloaded maps, station information and saved guidance available offline. | ||
| AR walking navigation | ✅ Camera-overlay with live compass arrows | ❌ Not available |
| CityNav's AR overlay shows directional arrows in your camera view. | ||
| SOS emergency button | ✅ Sends GPS location via SMS to your contacts | ❌ Not available |
| CityNav's SOS sends your live coordinates to saved contacts. | ||
| Tourist transit focus | ✅ Pass tips, tourist-specific routes, 28 cities | ⚠️ General purpose — not tourist-specific |
| CityNav surfaces the best tourist travel pass for each city. | ||
| Street View | ❌ Not included | ✅ Available globally |
| Google Maps Street View lets you preview destinations visually. | ||
| Free to use | ✅ Core navigation free; AR & SOS from £1.99 | ✅ Completely free |
CityNav reviewed the publicly available feature information for both products and checked CityNav’s own current web and mobile experience. The table focuses on traveller use cases rather than declaring one app best for every person. Features can vary by device, country and app version.
CityNav is the publisher of this comparison and therefore has a commercial interest in its own product. Google Maps has not reviewed, approved or sponsored this page. Readers should verify time-sensitive features in each provider’s current product documentation.
Walking directions, offline transit maps for 28 cities, and an SOS emergency button — all in one tourist-focused app. No download required.
Open CityNav — Free →Yes. Download your city before travelling and core maps, transit information, saved routes and guidance remain available without an internet connection. Features that require live information — such as real-time transit updates, CityNav AI responses, live location sharing and online bookings — require a connection.
Yes — CityNav has its own AR walking navigation that overlays directional arrows on your camera view using your device's compass and GPS. This works across all supported cities and does not require the Google ecosystem.
CityNav is specifically designed for tourists, with features Google Maps does not offer: an SOS emergency button, tourist-specific transit pass recommendations, and AR walking navigation — all wrapped in a mobile-first interface designed for exploring unfamiliar cities.
CityNav is designed around international tourists. Previously downloaded maps, station information, saved routes and saved guidance remain available offline, while live departures and new connected searches require internet. CityNav also recommends the best-value tourist transit pass for each city.
No. Google Maps does not have a built-in SOS emergency feature. CityNav's SOS button sends your live GPS coordinates and a tracking link via SMS to up to three emergency contacts by holding the button for three seconds. This is especially useful when travelling solo in unfamiliar cities.
CityNav is the better choice for tourists in London. It covers all 11 London Underground lines offline, surfaces the best Oyster and contactless fare strategy, includes AR walking arrows for navigating unfamiliar streets, and has an SOS button. Google Maps is excellent for general navigation but lacks these tourist-specific tools.
Yes — this is a feature Google Maps does not offer. CityNav recommends the best-value tourist transit pass for each supported city (for example, the Oyster daily cap in London, or the Paris Navigo Découverte for multi-day trips). Google Maps shows routes but does not advise on which ticket to buy.