Finding your way in a city without a phone

In nature you orient yourself by handrails (long lines such as paths or streams that you follow), catching features (lines that tell you that you have gone too far) and reference points (prominent points visible from afar). The city has exactly these, only made of concrete: main roads and railway lines are handrails, a river or a ring road can be a catching feature, and towers, tower blocks or a large station are reference points.

On top of that there is information made specifically for orientation. Street names hang at junctions, often on building corners. House numbers reveal which way a street 'runs': in many cities the numbers rise in one direction, often with even numbers on one side and odd on the other; but there are also streets where the numbers go up one side and come back down the other. Stops and stations often have local maps with a 'you are here' dot.

If you know in which direction from your neighbourhood the river, the centre or the station lies, you already have a rough framework in your head. Often that is all you need to set off in the right direction and correct your course on the way using signs and by asking.

Preparation is what counts. Get a paper city map – bought or printed – and mark your home, work, school or nursery, the homes of important people, an agreed family meeting point and possible places to go for help. Also write important addresses and phone numbers on a slip of paper in your wallet. Without a phone, hardly anyone knows their loved ones' numbers by heart.

Learn the most important routes on foot, not just by car or train. People who always ride often do not know the walking routes or how long they take on foot. A walk from home to the children's school or to your workplace, once deliberately without navigation, shows you the route and its landmarks.

On the way, remember distinctive corners for the way back: a striking shop, a monument, an unusual junction. Turn around now and then so you know what the route looks like from the other side. And ask when you are unsure: people in shops and taxi and transport staff usually know their area well.

In a crisis, roads, bridges, tunnels or whole districts may be closed – for example because of flooding, fires, accidents or emergency operations. Always obey barriers and instructions from police and rescue services, even if the shortest route leads that way. Evacuation routes are set by the authorities; listen for their announcements on the radio, over loudspeakers or on notices.

During a power cut, street lighting and traffic lights often fail at night too. Then move especially carefully, carry a torch if possible and watch out for traffic. Stay on busy, open streets if you feel unsure. In an emergency, use the local emergency number (112 in the EU) – but in a major outage, phones may not work either. That is exactly why a meeting point agreed in advance is so valuable.

During a power cut you may want to get home from work or pick up the children. It helps if you have walked the route before and know the big lines: 'Follow the river to the second bridge, then up the main road.' Even when trains and buses are not running, their stops and lines show the direction to districts and the centre.

In an unfamiliar city when travelling, a quick look at a city map before you set off is worthwhile: where is my hotel in relation to the river, the station, the centre? A photo of the map or a map from the hotel, the hotel's address on a slip of paper and one or two striking buildings nearby are often enough to find your way back safely.

Have a 'phone-free day': walk a route in your city using only a paper map, signs and asking. With children this can be a game – they get to read the street signs and say which way to go. Use it to talk about where your family meeting point is and how everyone gets there from their usual place.

Check now and then whether your city map is still up to date and whether the addresses and numbers on your slip of paper are still correct. Paper maps go out of date, and cities change. A quick look once a year is usually enough.