How to See the World on $25 a Day or LessARTOFTRAVEL.COM

 

Chapter 13

Hitchhiking


Hitchhiking is a risky travel method that should not be taken lightly by anyone. Experienced hitchhikers with thousands of miles and hundreds of rides behind them--and with sharp heads on their shoulders--don't accept rides from strangers trivially. You could be killed, injured, robbed, and/or raped.

Around Sydney a serial killer had been preying on hitchhiking backpackers for several years, with seven known deaths. The victims were Australian, German, and British, all between the ages of nineteen and twenty-one. The police fear more because when a backpacker disappears no one knows for a long time.

These young people didn't die because they were naive or their intuition was faulty. They died because they got into a car driven by a murderer who knew what he was doing and looked like anyone else. (Someone was convicted for these crimes in 1995.)

Furthermore, hitchhiking may not get you where you're going when you want to get there. You may not have the patience to wait long hours or even days for a ride, or walk the miles and miles a hitchhiker must accept as part of the game. You may not like standing in the rain, in the cold, in blazing heat. For these reasons the vast majority of travel backpackers rely on public transportation and never hitch rides.

Nevertheless many people do hitchhike, every day, all over the world. For many people in many places it's more or less a daily routine of life. Even I growing up in an Ohio River town hitchhiked to high school on a fairly regular basis. I had missed the bus, it was too cold to ride my bike, or the car wasn't starting--I needed to get a few miles down the road and there were all these people driving right by where I needed to go. I'd get a ride before too long and ten minutes later I'd be dropped off. I didn't think much about it.

In further out parts of the world where buses don't often run and personal transportation is rare, hitchhiking is usually a standard method of public transport. In some cases signaling systems have evolved to tell drivers how far you're going or if you're willing to pay for gas.

And on summer mornings in Europe it's not unusual to see a dozen backpackers waiting at a good spot outside a major city. Many of these are not hitching solely to save money (although that is almost always a factor), but because they love to hitchhike.

I am one of those people. Indeed hitchhiking has been a major contributor to my world view that our planet is largely composed of good and friendly people. And while I cannot advocate hitchhiking for anyone, in some countries the risk of violence is small, and the benefits can be great.

Citroen 2CV Photo: Hitchhikers' most beloved car, the Citroën 2CV. If one passes you by, it's either full, a local, or you're having a bad day.

In this age what hitchhikers see and do and learn may not make headlines, but on a personal level their achievements are impressive and interesting. Hitchhiking is travel by the seat of one's pants. It takes guts and creative thinking. Hitchhikers have no mission control to ask advice and no alternate switches to switch. Backup systems are limited to feet and possibly a tiny umbrella.

For me, hitchhiking is travel at its most basic and fascinating. I usually feel I hardly know a country until I've stood by one of its roads and waited for someone to give me a ride. Hitchhiking is also great sport, replete with a roller coaster of emotion. When you get a good ride, interesting conversation, or an invitation for tea to meet the family, hitchhiking can be pretty darn good. On the other hand sometimes it stinks--and you just can't get around that.


Note: Please send family contact information for injured or killed hitchhikers to webmaster@artoftravel.com.


Where Hitchers Hitch

Hitchhiking by travel backpackers is relatively common in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Most veteran hitchhikers consider the U.S. one of the worst places for hitching, except for Alaska and Hawaii where it's excellent. I will add that rural Texas is also good--almost without exception they think your truck is broke down.

The north of England, Scotland, and Wales are very good. In Poland the first car or horse-drawn cart that can stop usually stops, and the hospitality is usually great.

While hitchhikers raise about as much compassion in Spain and France as the average telephone pole, your odds of getting a lift are still much better than the average telephone pole. (Now those guys...) I must give an extra star to France, however, since it's the one country where women drivers would regularly pick me up.

Hitchhikers quickly cover vast distances in Germany once they get to service centers on the autobahn. The trick is to get there in the first place. (I still haven't figured that S.O.B. out.) Hitchhiking in Italy, while exciting, is dangerous since about one Italian driver in five is actively seeking a meeting with God.

While few Japanese hitchhike in Japan, many westerners do because of the high cost of transport. Japanese stop right away because they think something must be wrong. New Zealand is nearly crawling with German and English hitchhikers, with a few Maoris sprinkled in to keep it interesting. Australia is good, but the distances are so vast you might end up with the same ride for days. Truckers are your best bet there.

Ireland, of course, is heaven.


Note to Women Hitchhikers

Women must be aware solo hitchhiking is the least safe of all options. Yes, mostly you can get away with it, but the odds for trouble skyrocket. A whole new subset of drivers will stop for solo women who usually whiz on by a man, a man and a woman, or two women. These include ax murderers, rapists, robbers, and general sleazeballs. (To be fair, some female drivers only stop for female hitchhikers.)

Photo: "You lure 'em in, I swoop down from the heavens."

I have seen this sleezeball subset while hitching with women and sitting out of sight. Cars screech to a halt or circle around, leering, toothless drivers checking the scene. They zoom on after catching sight of me, their dreams of easy sex thwarted. Of course, the greatest threat to hitchhikers is the driver who looks like any other, but has evil or stupidity at his core.

My Irish friend Maureen had some experience hitchhiking in Ireland, where she considered it safe. Traveling on the continent for the first time, she didn't want to be constrained by "sexist" thinking about hitchhiking, so she occasionally thumbed a ride.

On her last solo ride in Poland she got into a van with a group of other hitchhikers, thinking she would be safe with them. Gradually the others were dropped off until only she was left. The driver turned off the highway down a back road. It was getting dark, and she had an uneasy feeling. He pulled the van over, nothing around but forest for a long way. He began looking at her significantly and motioning to the back of the van. She began to panic, thinking how stupid she was for being there. She grabbed her pack and began to get out. He grabbed her pack and said no, it was okay. He restarted the van and they went on without event.

Maureen considers herself lucky, and says she will never again hitchhike alone. She wanted to make clear, however, that her solo journey around Europe, and especially Poland, was one of the best experiences of her life.


Hitchhiking Signs

There is a decades-old controversy among hitchhikers about whether signs are a help, a hindrance, or a waste in stopping speeding automobiles, and even what type of sign works best. I am of the school that advocates signs as powerful tools.

I usually carry a large magic marker and a notebook. Sometimes I use the back of a map to make a big sign, or a found piece of cardboard. I firmly believe a well-made sign may convince some drivers who don't normally stop, to stop. They read the destination city, say "BOPO," and they think, "Hey, I'm going to BOPO," and their foot instinctively goes to the brake.

This is the theory. Of course their foot usually moves back to the accelerator as they regain their senses. Members of the lazy camp contend almost no one is going to stop who doesn't usually stop, so it just isn't worth the effort to make signs.

It is true that most rides come from a core of regular stoppers, many of whom are former or current hitchhikers. There are, however, many drivers who stop occasionally, plus those majority of drivers who still need education in the pleasures of picking up strangers and taking them places. Every one of these rides you reel in is not only good for you, but good for all hitchhikers. (Assuming you are half-way pleasant to be around, that is.)

Author on the road, somewhere.Another type is the message sign. Instead of a destination, it has a message which can be used over and over. Examples are: "GOING MY WAY?", and the classic, "I DON'T STINK." The idea is to create a smile and an acknowledgment of your humanity, which, by the way, is a challenge at the on-ramp of a superhighway.






Making Signs

Whenever possible I use the big magic marker to make big, bold, beautiful signs that are readable from two or three seconds drive-time away. A big sign may give the driver a crucial extra second to stop. Unfortunately the only paper I usually have is my notebook, so most of my signs are not big, bold, or beautiful.

Usually I don't use far-away destinations (like "PRAGUE" from Paris), but shoot for a closer destination en route. Then if the driver offers to take me further, I have that choice. On the other hand if you go for the whole shebang, you just might get it.

There's a lot to think about in sign-making, which is okay--you'll have plenty of time for that.

Another trick is to use the native spelling of a city, such as København for Copenhagen, Athina for Athens, Twitsville for Paris, etc. Many drivers naturally prefer riders who speak their native language.

A border makes the sign stand out. Look like you have somewhere to go, and that you really want a ride. Finally, be nice when they don't stop--they probably have good reason.


Road Literature

For interesting reading check the lightposts and roadsigns where hitchhikers traditionally ply their craft. Scrawled there will no doubt be a message or poem to you, the future hitcher, from some inspired or desperate soul from time ago. Hitchhikers exude inspiration, and there is nothing between you and it but time.

Sadly, many fade away as sun and weather take their tolls. But new ones take their place, and new ones after that, as new generations hitchhike down the roads of glory.

"If you are standing there reading this, God has forsaken you, and you are going to die a slow, agonizing death from exhaust fumes, hunger, and indifference." Seen near Oxford, England

"You have entered the Twilight Zone. You can never leave here. Do Do Do Do Do Do Do." Seen near Leeds, England

"You poor dumb suckers, if I had to wait as long as you I'd have already thrown myself in front of a cement truck." Seen near Amsterdam


Fast Cherry Fiat Photo: Thanks for the fast ride, man! (Driver races this cherry Fiat on the weekends.)



Please send hitchhiking stories to webmaster@artoftravel.com


Hitching Etiquette

USA-style hitchhiking employs a thumb pointed positively into the air or jauntily in the desired direction of travel. Yes, this has a beauty and simplicity all its own and, as an American, I am proud to stick out my thumb anywhere in the world. But mostly I want a ride sooner rather than never, so it pays to hitch as the locals do.

Many places you just casually hold out an open palm or a few fingers. In other countries you flap your hand like a little bird wing, while in others all you need is eye contact. For the most part women hitchhikers need only to find some shade, sit down on their packs, and try to work in a postcard before a Mercedes screeches to a halt.

There is one important worldwide hitchhiking rule, though. If you are dropped where there are already one or more hitchers, do not be so bold as to think you can take a position at the front of the line just because that's where you were let out. No way, Jose. Proper hitching etiquette insists you take a position twenty yards behind the last hitchhiker already there.

Of course this doesn't necessarily mean you will be last to get a ride. If you reel one in by virtue of your pleasant smile, superb sign, or huge thumb, it's yours, baby. That guy ahead could be badly jinxed for any number of reasons.

Gallant hitchhikers, however--and there are many--inquire of their driver if there might also be room for the poor sunburnt chap up the road. For some guys on some days it's their only freakin' chance!


Mitfahrzentralen (!?)

These are ride-sharing companies, usually run by students or young people, found in many of the bigger cities of Germany and Austria. Drivers call the mitfahrzentralen saying they are leaving on a certain date for a certain destination. You pay the mitfahrzentralen about $10, and also the driver $10 to $25 for gas, depending on distance. You must pay the mitfahrzentralen before they will tell you where to meet the driver. However, if you stand on your head and say, "Mitfahrzentralen I love you" three times in German, there's a slim chance you won't have to pay.

If the ride doesn't work out, they refund your money. Find their phone numbers by looking up "mitfahrzentralen" in the phone book, or a Let's Go-type guide book.

Similar companies are called Allostop in France, and are available in many cities across Europe. Also check noticeboards around hostels, universities, and student cafes for rides. These are good ways of traveling cheaply without hitchhiking.


Hitchhiking Tips

Mortality
I believe the most dangerous aspect of hitchhiking is being run over. Always be on the alert, watch every car carefully, don't stand in the road, never stand with your back to the traffic, and be aware some motorists most of the time and all motorists some of the time have poor vision and/or attention, and may pull or swerve off the road onto you. Be ready to jump.
Choose
your take-off spot carefully. The most common hitchhiking error is looking for a ride where most of the traffic is local or heading somewhere else, when something superior is a short distance away.
Inquire at hostels or among locals for tried-and-true hitching spots. Consult a detailed map to determine traffic patterns. I often find it faster and safer to take a bus or train a short distance out of major cities.
The slower the better
Hitch from intersections, gas stations, and roadside stops where automobiles stop or slow down. This gives the driver a few extra seconds to look over you and the traffic situation. It is difficult and dangerous to stop a car going more than fifty mph.
Think for the driver
A competent hitchhiker must think for the driver. You are asking him to make a maneuver he doesn't regularly make, and the drivers around and behind him may not expect.
No ride is worth risking an accident. All good, traditional hitching spots have a safe place for cars to pull over.
Legality
Hitchhiking directly on major highways is usually illegal and dangerous. It's better anyway at roadside stops, at the beginning (or before the beginning) of on-ramps, and on smaller roads.
Standard Procedure
When a car stops, first ask the driver where he's going. Then it's easy to decline the ride if you don't like the smell of his breath, or if something doesn't feel right.
Suspicious but desperate
If the driver looks suspicious but you're in such a desperate state you get in anyway, make sure the door opens from the inside, stay next to the door, and never get between two men. (Anywhere between four fun-loving Swedish girls, however, is worth the risk.)
Instincts
A driver with evil intent may indicate something is weird before a confrontation begins. Trust your instincts and get out. Say you're about to throw-up and have been sick all day. Don't encourage or tolerate inappropriate behavior.
 
Risks vary
Many people and cultures have barbarous attitudes toward women.
Combos
The best hitchhiking combinations for safety and getting rides, in order, are: a man and a woman; two women; a lone man; and two men. Three is slow but not impossible for short periods.
Travel light
If you have a lot stack it behind your biggest bag. There is usually room, and usually the driver doesn't mind the inconvenience, but sometimes he does.
Courtesy
When a car stops don't make the driver wait. But before jumping in ask where he's going and take a good look at him. Hitchhikers often politely turn down rides because they aren't going far enough, or for other reasons. You never have to get in.
Seat belts
Always wear a seat belt and shoulder harness. Put it on immediately so there isn't an awkward moment later when his driving proficiency becomes apparent. If he drives unreasonably, ask to be dropped off.
Two-way street.
Drivers stop for two main reasons: they genuinely want to assist the traveler, and they may be looking for interesting conversation.
Reality
Mostly hitchhiking is great fun, with good roads and friendly people. Just be aware of, and prepare for, the real risks.


Truckdriver left Truck view front



Travelers' Tips

If you're hitching at an intersection in Greece and a driver shakes his head from side to side, that means "Yes, hurry up and get in." An up and down nod means no. Not knowing this cost me many hours and half-a-dozen rides. I finally got a lift from a German/Greek couple in a VW bus who clued me in. The Maniac, State College, Pennsylvania

*

When hitchhiking across Germany, a good map that indicates autobahn service centers and roadside stops is invaluable. Have your driver drop you at one of these, instead of an exit, since they are by far the best hitching spots. Also, the first few letters on German license plates indicate the city they're from. Use this to your advantage: "Aha, you are from Hamburg! What a coincidence! I'm going to Hamburg, too!" Jason Thomas, San Marcos, Texas

*

Always carry a flashlight when hitching or walking at night. In rural areas when the moon is not out, man, does it get dark! Les Marcott, Waco, Texas

*

Summer hitchhiking in the extreme latitudes, north or south, is great. It doesn't get dark until midnight (and then not very), so you've got the whole day to get where you're going, and everyone is in a cheery mood. Turbo Maserati, USA


Literary Quotes

I love to sail forbidden seas and land on barbarous coasts. Herman Melville, USA


Next Table of Contents Reader Comment Top

How to See the World on $25 a Day or Less is copyright © John Gregory 1995, 1996, 1997. Except for personal use (like showing to a friend), it may not be reproduced, retransmitted, archived, or altered without author permission (
webmaster@artoftravel.com) Permission to link and review is freely granted. All product names and trademarks are property of their owners. Updated March 09, 1997. Thank you.

adventure .       budget . travel backpacking guidebooks world       guidebooks travel
travel :) eco travel   .   .   ARTOFTRAVEL      . backpacking green travel
travelling tourism    w .  backpacking bakpaking guidebooks independent travel health cheap voyage voyageur reisen viajar    c   travel health world solo
youth hostels travel  w     hitchhiking hosteling . camping budget travel hostelling adventure backpacks visa passport gear  .    o passports
wll     . cultural understanding backpacking hostels . hotel visas hitchhiking independent tours travel       llm
guide camping rhostels. this is fun ecotourism real . .  .  . Our friend  . .   romance travel hello bujet cheep packing guidebooks . hitchhiking europe . (:adventure
     .   travel romance camping . backpacking adventure travelling this is for fun travelll travl hostil adventur guidebooks superfun    .  .