I confess — I normally prefer Apple Maps or Google Maps for roadtrips. The first wins if there’s a risk of my getting sleepy or missing a turn, since it triggers vibrating alerts on my Apple Watch. Google often pulls out ahead because of its more comprehensive data, and the ability to scout and bookmark from my Windows laptop.
Waze tends to sit in a strange middleground. It does, however, have some unique features that make it well-suited for trips through dense urban areas. Just make sure to follow these tips — some of them are non-negotiable.
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ios, Android
- Price
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Free
Route planning
Don’t get caught in a cellular desert
Waze is only at its best in cities, and one unfortunate reason for this is that it lacks a dedicated offline caching feature. If you drive into a cellular wasteland — like rural Texas or Saskatchewan — you may find yourself unable to pick some destinations until you’re back within range of a carrier network. It’s a major oversight, and I’m not sure why it hasn’t been addressed, given that it’s inconvenient at best and can get you lost at worst.
Before you head out on a long roadtrip, then, it’s essential that you plot out as much of a day’s route as possible while you still have an internet connection. That includes pitstops for food, fuel, or charging. Waze does cache your active route offline, so you should be fine as long as you don’t deviate far beyond a roadside gas station or restaurant. If there’s a chance you might decide to visit an out-of-the-way attraction, you’re better off using Google Maps.
Vehicle type
Expect radically different directions
Before you go anywhere with Waze, open up the app and go to Settings -> Vehicle details -> Vehicle type. There are three main options: Private, Taxi, and Motorcycle. Under vehicle details, you can also choose Turn on EV features.
These things matter for a few reasons. Taxis and EVs may be eligible to take HOV or toll roads at no extra charge, saving considerable time. Motorcycles, meanwhile, can be simultaneously sensitive to rough roads and better capable of handling narrow ones.
When you enable EV features, you’ll see options to customize your Plugs and Networks. The first is the most important, since a charging station is useless if it’s incompatible with your car, although you can get around this if you own an adapter. Under Networks, select one or more preferred brands, say if you like evGO and Electrify America but want to boycott Tesla.
Toll, ferry, freeway, and HOV options
Do the math on the costs
For local city driving, I’ll always set the apps I use to avoid tolls. It’s rare that they’ll save more than a few minutes, even in a congested city like Austin, so the bills involved just aren’t worth it. I’d rather plan for a little delay.
On a roadtrip, however, the distances covered by toll roads can save serious gas or battery power, potentially making them the more economical option. Even when they’re not, they might be necessary to make it to a destination on time. As for highways and freeways in general, avoiding them is completely impractical when you’re driving cross-country.
For most roadtrips, you should head to Settings -> Navigation and toggle off Avoid tolls, Avoid ferries, and Avoid freeways. While you’re at it, visit Toll and HOV passes, and add anything you’ve paid or qualified for.
Unpaved roads and difficult intersections
Reduce your stress (and maintenance)
One of my gripes about the major navigation apps is that they can be blissfully unaware of how difficult their guidance is in the real world. Waze seems to give some minor acknowledgment to this with options under Settings -> Navigation: the Avoid difficult intersections and Unpaved roads toggles.
Google is a little vague on the definition of “difficult” intersections, its only example being one without traffic lights. When it comes to unpaved roads, avoiding them is probably mandatory if you’re driving a sports car or a superbike — but if you can tolerate short stints, Avoid long ones won’t make unnecessary sacrifices.
