If you’ve ever struggled with a paper map while on vacation, or fumed as your phone’s data connection failed to retrieve a map you needed right at that moment, then you’ll be extremely pleased to know that there is a real viable alternative to Google Maps. It isn’t a full blown satellite navigation service like the Google offering, but it does provide fully interactive maps which you can download onto your Android or iPhone handset.

The product is called City Maps 2Go, and the good news is the Android version is now on offer free of charge…as in unlimited map downloads (over 7000!) free for life with no ads, just by using a special code. All you have to do is trot along to the City Maps 2Go page on Google Play and install the free version of the app on your phone. Once you’ve done that, just open the app, click OK after the ‘you don’t have any maps yet’ message, hit the back button, then Menu – Settings – Redeem – and enter the code : tvmedia . That’s it.

You will then have unrestricted access to the whole database of world maps, cities, regions, the lot. Plus more than 500,000 Wikipedia travel guides and millions of POI (points of interest) etc etc. No more struggling with crumpled paper maps, guide books or having to ask strangers for directions to the station in your horrible Slovakian. And the great news is you avoid all those nasty data roaming charges which can really hurt when you use downloadable maps like Google.

We don’t know how long the offer lasts, so we suggest you get it now.