The offline prep checklist: what to download before you fly
On home Wi-Fi the night before you fly, download an offline map of your city (150–500 MB), a translation pack (45–120 MB), boarding passes and tickets into your wallet app, a few shows and playlists, PDFs of your hotel confirmations, and an offline currency converter. Install your eSIM the same evening.
The best time to prepare for a trip is while you're still on fast, free Wi-Fi at home. Everything you download before you fly is data you won't spend abroad, and coverage you'll still have the moment your plane lands at an airport with no free network, in a metro tunnel with no signal, or on a coastal road with one flickering bar. A little offline prep the night before means you step off the plane already sorted.
It pairs perfectly with one other pre-flight job: installing your eSIM before you leave. Install it on home Wi-Fi, and it's ready to switch on the second you land, with no hunting for a network to activate it. Do both on the same evening and your phone is trip-ready before you've even packed.
The pre-flight download checklist
Work through this on Wi-Fi the night before you fly. None of it takes long, and each item either saves mobile data or keeps you covered when the signal drops: doubly so in a country like New Zealand, where some Great Walks tracks have no reception at all, as our New Zealand coverage guide maps out from Auckland to the Fiordland trails:
- Offline maps for your destination. In Google Maps, search your city and tap "download offline area"; in Apple Maps, open the place and choose Download. You'll get search, driving directions and turn-by-turn navigation with no signal and no data.
- An offline translation pack. In Google Translate, download the local language so you can translate text, signs and menus (and use the camera) without a connection.
- Boarding passes and travel docs in a wallet app. Add flight boarding passes, train tickets and event tickets to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet so they scan even in airplane mode, no frantic email search at the gate.
- Entertainment for the journey. Pre-load a few shows or films (Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube Premium all allow offline downloads), plus playlists and podcasts for the flight, transfers and downtime. Streaming on the move is the single biggest data drain. Downloading at home removes it entirely.
- Offline copies of hotel and booking confirmations. Save reservation emails, your accommodation address and any tour or ticket confirmations as PDFs or screenshots, so you can show them at check-in without signal.
- An offline currency converter. Install a converter that caches recent exchange rates so you can sanity-check prices at a market stall with no connection.
- Anything else you'll open often: an offline copy of your itinerary, key phone numbers, and your accommodation address written down in case your phone dies.
| What to download | App | Why | Rough size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offline map of your city | Google Maps / Apple Maps | Navigate with no signal or data | 150–500 MB |
| Local language pack | Google Translate | Translate signs, menus, camera (offline) | 45–120 MB |
| Boarding pass & tickets | Apple Wallet / Google Wallet | Scans in airplane mode at the gate | < 5 MB |
| A few shows / films | Netflix, Disney+, etc. | Removes the biggest on-trip data drain | 300 MB–1.5 GB each |
| Playlists & podcasts | Spotify, Apple Music, etc. | Music for flights and transfers, offline | 100–700 MB |
| Hotel & tour confirmations | Files / Photos (PDF or screenshot) | Show at check-in with no signal | < 10 MB |
| Currency converter (offline) | XE or similar | Check prices with cached rates | < 30 MB |
Rule of thumb: download it the night before, on Wi-Fi. A single evening of prep can save a gigabyte or more of mobile data, and it's the difference between landing lost and landing sorted.
Don't forget the eSIM itself
The one thing you can't download after you land is connectivity. Install your Zwitchy eSIM before you fly, on home Wi-Fi, and toggle it on when you arrive. Everything above is there for the moments signal isn't, and your data plan is there for everything else. It only takes a few minutes, so do it while you're relaxed at home rather than rushing at the airport. If you're not sure how much data you'll need once the streaming and big map downloads are already done offline, our data calculator gives you a quick estimate. And for more ways to stretch a smaller plan, see 10 ways to use less mobile data abroad.
Do offline maps still give directions?
Yes. Downloaded areas in Google Maps and Apple Maps include search and turn-by-turn driving navigation with no signal at all. Live traffic, transit and cycling directions need a connection, but the core of getting from A to B works fully offline.
Will my boarding pass work in airplane mode?
Yes. Once a pass is saved in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet it's stored on your phone, so the barcode scans at the gate even with no signal and airplane mode on. Add it while you still have Wi-Fi.
How much should I download before a trip?
As much of your entertainment and maps as you can. A couple of films, some playlists and offline maps might total 2–3 GB, all of which would otherwise come out of your mobile plan. Downloading on home Wi-Fi keeps that data free.
Should I install my eSIM before or after I fly?
Before, on Wi-Fi. Installing needs a data connection, so it's far easier at home than at a busy arrivals hall. Once installed, you just switch it on when you land. See setting up your eSIM before you fly.
Do offline currency converters stay accurate?
They use the last rates they cached, so refresh the app on Wi-Fi before you leave. Rates move slowly enough that day-old figures are fine for checking whether a price is reasonable.
