Skipping the SIM? Maps.me?

I have been to Europe nearly 50 times and have never bought a SIM or a throwaway phone while there. I get by using WiFi at the hotel and more recently also at restaurants and coffee shops.

I have not used Maps.me so I can't comment on that other than to say those I know who have used it are happy with it.

An interesting thing I discovered while in Venice was that Google Maps works perfectly with only WiFi turned on -- no data usage required! Of course this only works in more crowded areas with lots of WiFi base stations accessible. But I was able to use Maps to find my way around the narrow and confusing alley ways of Venice without getting lost. Of course many say the most important thing to do in Venice is to get lost because of all the fun things you can find. I have had mixed results with this approach in London and Paris as well in the older more compact sections of the city.

Thanks, Mark! Good to hear as I don't get to Europe that often - most of my travels have been in Asia and Africa. I mainly want a map so when I go for a run very early in the morning (to avoid how weird I probably look to others) I don't get lost. I unfortunately don't have the best sense of direction.

I recently tried maps.me in France after downloading some off-line maps, but I never could get the hang of it. So I used Google Maps. I also got a SIM card, but wound up only using it for a few local calls, and didn't use any data, but stuck to WiFi, which we had at both houses we rented, a friend we stayed with for a couple of days, and the 2 hotels.

Thanks, Robert. I'll try it out a bit more before I go. I guess can always get a SIM card if I need it and can definitely try Google Maps, which I use most of the time at home.

DO I HAVE A TIP FOR YOU!
GPS doesn't need wifi or data to work. You can turn your phone on airplane mode: save the battery and data, and still have Google Maps work. We know this from search and rescue.
When you are near wifi, pull up Google Maps. You need scroll IN as far as the detail you want for an area. For instance, driving around Ireland, we used our phones. We pulled up the map on wifi at the hotel. YOU JUST CANNOT CLOSE THE BROWSER or you will have to reload.
When you can scroll the map everywhere you need to go, and you're happy with the detail, then turn the phone to airplane mode, and you will see how the little dot follows your steps or your car wherever you go.

I, too, have never switched my SIM, but I am thinking about getting a "burner" smart phone, so I can have the SIM card to get data to look up restaurants, hotels, etc., while not on wifi.

This is a great tip. Thanks! I actually figured out how to download Google Maps for offline use while in Croatia in June and ended up using those instead of maps.me. I use Google Maps at home and so it was just easier/more intuitive. I did the same thing...scrolling on the area and then downloading it. It's available for 30 days. I didn't know it would stay loaded if I didn't close the browser. Good to know!

when I rent a car I bring a SIM that works overseas. When traveling by train or on a tour, wifi is fine.

I haven't been getting European SIMs for my phone and have had no difficulty using CityMaps2GoPro without data. Having Wi-Fi in my hotels allows me to research attractions, etc. But on each of my recent trips I've had at least one occasion when I arrived at my hotel to find the door locked and a message posted, telling guests to call a specific telephone number. Now, that is a problem if you can't make phone calls.

I have Verizon and my plan this trip (July 28-Aug 4) is to simply not use the data service. It's set up so that if I do use it, it unlocks for 24 hours for $10 and taps into my regular data allotments. But I really don't need it at all. I'll leave the phone in airplane mode, make a point of connecting to wifi when I get back to my hotel at night, and notify my family that an email is the only way to reach me. I rarely use the phone anyway. But, to acraven's point, if I did need to make a call, all I would have to do is turn off airplane mode and dial.

We have used maps.me on several trips. I like the fact that you can "pin" different locations. I use different colors (red = our hotel, brown = train station, etc).