This is all about transport "with your thumb", i.e. hitchhiking.
Potential Hazards and Precautions
Generally
Something always happens, both hitchhikers and takers, from harassment to theft and rape to homicides. Hitchhiking is always and everywhere associated with a certain risk!
Even if the risk of hitchhiking within Europe is rather low, you can also minimize it by
- hitchhikes during the day
- Addressing people directly (e.g. at a gas station) instead of standing on the street with your thumb. Gas stations also have surveillance cameras.
- hitchhikes in pairs (only about 20-30% less successful than alone)
- as a woman only appeals to women.
- Sends the car's registration number to e.g. family via SMS. It is also useful if you lose / forget something in the car or want to contact the driver again for any other reason.
- Take at least one sleeping bag with you so that you can stay overnight if you don't reach your destination.
- always has enough money in reserve to reach a bigger city or another safe place.
Hitchhiking is less dangerous than often assumed. Over a distance of more than 10,000 km, my most unpleasant experiences were several smelly drivers and drivers who talk your ears bloody. Much more often are infinitely friendly people with interesting life stories. People who invite you over for coffee or lunch at home.
Specific
Africa
North America
South America
Hitchhiking is usually safe in most countries in South America, but it is difficult. Many drivers are afraid of being attacked by false hitchhikers, and family cars are often small and often overcrowded, especially when traveling. You should therefore never fully rely on hitchhiking. It works best with truck drivers who can be spoken to in the appropriate parking lots or at gas stations. In the Andean countries (Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador) truck drivers charge money for the route - hitchhiking for free is next to impossible there.
Asia
Central Europe
Hitchhiking is possible in almost all countries in Europe. As long as you speak the local language, hitchhiking on motorways is a good option by addressing gas stations directly (road maps with motorway service stations are very helpful). It usually takes less than 15 minutes to find a driver. In this case, distances are usually faster to cover than by train. Hitchhiking for two also works well if you look reasonably "normal". With a backpack and trekking clothes everyone can imagine why you are on the go. With combat boots or a punk hairstyle, you can go out with correspondingly lower expectations. As a couple you have better chances (as long as the woman keeps her thumb out), but two men also work perfectly.
Even without speaking the national language, hitchhiking is possible in Europe without any problems. However, it is then a good idea to take country roads and try it with your thumb or a shield. The more rural the area and the poorer the country, the better it works with the thumb. You should have a card with you.
Germany is the hitchhiker's paradise for anyone who can read this article and is therefore able to speak German. 600 km within 8 hours is an average value on motorways.
In France the situation is similar to that in Germany. In general, the French are very pleased if you address them with a friendly "Bon jour moinseur / madame". You don't get very far with English. The license plates in France are structured so that the last digits indicate the department. If you have a corresponding map on which the departments and their numbers are drawn, you can find out more or less where the driver is coming from or where he is going.
In Italy Hitchhiking by sticking your thumbs out is not allowed. You are only allowed to speak to them directly in parking lots or at petrol stations. If the police see you standing on the side of the road, you can expect to be warned.
The Switzerland has a pretty confused motorway network. This means that practically every driver continues in the wrong direction at the next motorway junction and that there is no petrol station beforehand. Therefore only ride with you if you are certain that you are at least getting to the next gas station in the right direction. The place of approval can be recognized by the first letter of the registration number.
Austria is well suited. The place of approval can be recognized by the first letter of the registration number.
Hitchhiking is in Poland very popular. It is also common in youth hostels or in the parking lots in front of sights to ask someone for a ride. A small fee is common, but does not have to be. In tourist areas there are often small minibuses that you can stop and take to the next attraction for a symbolic price.
In Croatia, in the hinterland (Eastern Slavonia) that was destroyed by the war but spared by the crowds of tourists. On the coast mainly tourists with full cars. Often (by European standards) very long waiting times (5 hours).
Eastern Europe
In Romania you usually pay for hitchhiking. You can get away very cheaply, but you should have a lot of change, because since there are hardly any motorways or major roads in Romania, the distances per driver are rather short. In rural areas, however, practically one in ten cars stops. Even trucks stop at hand signals on larger country roads and then usually take you with them for free. In larger cities there are real hitchhikers' meeting points on the outskirts and sometimes also in the center of suitable bays. However, the locals do not use this mode of transport to travel, so they should be given the right of way. If you are in a hurry, it is advisable to stand some distance in front of or behind these groups, as you can hardly assert yourself without knowledge of the language when a car stops. If you have your thumb on the road in Romania, it can also happen that taxis or so-called maxi taxis stop. Maxitaxis are often Mercedes Sprinters, but in more rural areas they are also sometimes old VW buses or other minibuses. You should then ask for the price. However, it is often worth taking a maxi-taxi or even a taxi. Maxi taxis are priced at around 3-5 euros per 100 km.
Hungary: You can make good progress along the motorway from west to east. Since only a few speak Hungarian, you just have to make it clear with your hands and feet what you want. Otherwise you will always find Germans or Austrians coming from the west, at least as far as Budapest, who are happy to take you with them. You can also make good progress on country roads.
Tips
Generally
Locations
- Position yourself so that you are not accidentally run over, i.e. clearly visible and, if possible, behind a guardrail or on a high curb. Very bad: Behind a bush that protrudes slightly onto the road.
- Make the hurdle as low as possible for the driver! Put yourself in his shoes - would you take yourself with you at this point?
- Position yourself so that drivers stop at all allowed to and can. Ideally, you are standing 20 m in front of a bus stop, driveway, etc. that is not very frequented. Very bad: In the motorway entrance after the blue sign (illegal!).
- If possible, stand behind a traffic light within sight. Drivers waiting at red have time to think and do not have to brake too hard - stopping is of little concern to them. At least the cars should go slower than 50 km / h.
own appearance
- Look personable, interesting, and peaceful, maybe a tad suffering. Excessive dirt (cleaning the car), huge amount of luggage (does not fit in a small car), tiny luggage (does not look like an interesting, long trip), brutal appearance (fear of assault) are a hindrance.
- Wear less clothing so that nobody has to fear concealed weapons. No sunglasses either - eye contact creates trust.
- Smile, look everyone in the eye. Many drivers look at you, but then hesitate to stop. You can see that people are indecisive. Then it is also worthwhile to watch the car and wave back in a friendly manner. The driver often stops a few hundred meters away after all. Some even turn around.
- If nothing works, draw attention to yourself. You should still have a certain sense of humor. Anyone who looks funny or just says "to the sea" or "away here" on their sign, for example, communicates with the people passing by and appears unobtrusive and interesting.
- Those who can flirt can also hitchhike.
tactics
- If you can't speak directly, keep your thumb out and better NOT a shield. The thumb already signals that you want to be taken along. Everyone who is ready to take one stops first. Every car that stops offers at least information or just a little conversation. After a short chat, it often happens that the driver takes a little detour for you to drive you to a better place. Such short distances can save hours of waiting. But information from locals is also often decisive. Above all, which are the usual professional roads or where construction sites are, etc.
- Go to the furthest good Station, not the furthest one, so that you can get on easily.
- Think about where most of the cars headed in your direction.
- Also drive part of the route if you come to a good place to continue hitchhiking (e.g. to get on the motorway, to a motorway service station)
- If someone unexpectedly leaves before the next motorway service station, let yourself be dropped off immediately after the exit and stand at the driveway, which is usually only a few meters away. Because once in the city it is difficult to get back on the motorway.
- If there is no possibility of a ride at the motorway service stations for a long time, ask the parked truck drivers as well. Many are grumpy and dismissive, some are happy to talk to. While driving, you are often well informed about the technical characteristics of the tractor and the trucker's life. Since many truckers spend their legally required rest periods at motorway service stations, the trucker may also offer to take them away, but later. If you haven't got another lift by then, you know with whom you can get ahead. On Sundays and public holidays you don't need to ask the truckers, hardly anyone has a special permit for the Sunday driving ban.
preparation
- Hold out a good lesbian sign with the desired direction / distance (city abbreviation, common symbol, etc.) so that drivers know whether it is worth stopping at all. A thick felt-tip pen and a blank A4 sheet of paper are helpful for this.
- If you know the route, print out important places / motorway abbreviations / city abbreviations along the route with the computer as large as possible on a DIN A4 page.
- Get a good car atlas with registered rest stops. Sometimes there are overview plans from Tank & Rast with the registered rest areas at the rest stops themselves.
stretch
- Motorway service stations are ideal for longer journeys. Simply speak to the driver there. Advantage: Hitchhikers and drivers can take a close look at their counterparts. Usually you can get further within a quarter of an hour. We recommend.
- Motorway parking spaces are not at all suitable for getting ahead. Only motorway service stations with petrol stations are interesting.
- At some rest stops opposite, there is sometimes a tunnel / bridge to get safely to the other side. Therefore, it sometimes makes more sense to hitchhike to a petrol station and then hitchhike on the opposite side in the other direction. This happens at junctions, when the car streams do not turn in their own direction at all, but one tank further on the opposite side everything goes in its own direction.
Alternatives
- Carpooling agencies have developed into a relatively cheap alternative to hitchhiking in Germany.
Specific
Africa
in the Sudan Riders on trucks or their cargo is very popular. It is customary to pay money for it that is negotiated beforehand. In the city area Khartoum, Omdurman, Bahri (Khartum North) conventional (free) hitchhiking with the numerous pickups is very possible. The best way to stop the car is to "wave it down" (with your arm bent and your whole hand or the Arabic "Come here" gesture).
North America
| country | common? | difficult? | legal? | Expected payment? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | spread | light | yes / no (some places are illegal, others are not) | No |
| Mexico | different | light | Yes | often |
| United States | spread | different | different | No |
South America
| country | common? | difficult? | legal? | Expected payment? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | widespread in the north | medium | Yes | No |
| Bolivia | spread | medium | Yes | Yes |
| Brazil | Rare | medium | Yes | No |
| Chile | spread | light | Yes | No |
Asia
| country | common? | difficult? | legal? | Expected payment? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | spread | medium | No* | No |
| Bhutan | spread | light | Yes | sometimes |
| Israel | spread | medium | Yes | No |
| Japan | Rare | light | Yes | No |
| New Zealand | different | medium | Yes | No |
| Singapore | Rare | very difficult | No | No |
| Taiwan | Rare | light | Yes | No |
| Thailand | occasionally | medium easy | Yes | sometimes |
* Asking for a ride on the road is permitted in some states Australia illegal. However, accepting an offered ride or waiting on a sidewalk is legal.
Central Europe
| country | common? | difficult? | legal? | Expected payment? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | occasionally | light | Yes | No |
| Denmark | Rare | easy to medium | Yes | No |
| Germany | occasionally | easy to medium | Yes | No |
| Finland | Rare | medium | Yes | No |
| France | occasionally | medium | Yes | No |
| Greece | Rare | medium | Yes | No |
| Ireland | spread | light | Yes | No |
| Iceland | spread | medium | Yes | No |
| Italy | occasionally | heavy | Speak yes, thumb no | No |
| Liechtenstein | Rare | medium to difficult | Yes | No |
| Luxembourg | Rare | easy to difficult | Yes | No |
| Netherlands | occasionally | medium | Yes | No |
| Norway | Rare | medium | Yes | No |
| Sweden | occasionally | heavy | Yes | No |
| Switzerland | occasionally | medium | Yes | No |
| Spain | occasionally | heavy | Yes | No |
| United Kingdom | Rare | medium | Yes | No |
Eastern Europe
| country | common? | difficult? | legal? | Expected payment? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | spread | medium | Yes | Rare |
| Bulgaria | spread | medium | Yes | No |
| Estonia | spread | light | Yes | No |
| Croatia | spread | light | Yes | No |
| Latvia | spread | light | Yes | No |
| Lithuania | spread | light | Yes | No |
| Lithuania | spread | light | Yes | No |
| Poland | occasionally | medium | Yes | No |
| Romania | spread | medium | Yes | Yes |
| Russia | spread | light | Yes | sometimes |
| Serbia | ? | medium | Yes | No |
| Slovenia | spread | light | Yes | No |
| Czech Republic | spread | medium | Yes | No |
| Ukraine | spread | medium | Yes | often |
| Hungary | spread | light | Yes | No |
Legal issues
This information is not legally binding! They only serve as an initial, rough guide and do not represent any form of legal advice!
Generally
In most countries there are no laws that directly prohibit hitchhiking. In some places, however, the StVo does this indirectly. So you should always make sure that you find a place where pedestrians are allowed and where they are allowed to stop. Depending on where you were dropped off, sometimes both are not possible. In that case you should try to stand in such a way that at least there is no danger - neither for yourself nor for a potential taker. Then the police are usually accommodating and either send you somewhere else or, with a bit of luck, you will even be driven to the nearest gas station.
Specific
Africa
North America
South America
Asia
Central Europe
Eastern Europe
literature
Hitchhiking - Hitchhiking Travel by Timo Peters; Guide with practical information and tips on hitchhiking for beginners (91 pages)
Hit The Road by Thomas Weber; Hitchhiker stories by various hitchhikers for hitchhikers (92 pages)
