Hitchhiking in Europe: 12 Top Tips to Keep You Safe

With the plummeting costs of domestic and some international flights, travelling has never seemed so cost effective. With budget airlines within E.U. such as RyanAir and EasyBudget, one could take a day trip to Morocco from Spain, all for the cost of the finest bourgeois steak – (20-35£). Though with having tasted the merits of budget airlines, I couldn’t help but feel that I was overlooking a certain sense of adventure and freedom that the open road brings.

Hitching often presents views such as this one of the Spanish Sierra that you can't see from a car or bus or train...

However, domestic or international bus or train travel tends to put a vice grip on exercising any travelers right to freedom, and relegates us to the ever increasing border bureaucracy. I, however, have decided to cut all inclusions of “travel” from my budget itinerary, and join the throng of thumb wagers!

My troubles of managing budget and travel hit me hard as soon as I landed at Frankfurt Airport, Germany. I was either ill-informed or hadn’t bothered to carefully extract my landing details off my boarding pass (figuring there to be only on Frankfurt Ah-Main airport). I landed more than an hour and a half away from the city! My confusion was compounded when I was asked for more than 12£, so I could be transferred by bus to the city. I took the initiative to decline and head for the motorway. Now at this point I had never hitchhiked in my life, but I was attempting to stretch every cent to my name. Before reaching the motorway I was approached by 2 Germans who overheard my dismay and offered me a ride into Frankfurt. I know this isn’t exactly the kind of hitching story you expected, though this was the single most emotional incentive to open myself further to the idea. Since then the kindness of strangers and their willingness to go beyond the call has produced some heartwarming moments.

An attempted hitch from nowhere! At least have some idea of where you're going...

Onwards I have hitchhiked down into the Southern tip of Germany and into the lovely lake town of Lake Konstanz, bordered by Switzerland, Austria, and partially by France. I then followed on from there to Prague, and also further within the Czech Republic. There was then a slight discourse to change plans and take a train throughout more Central and Eastern European countries. Arriving back in Spain however, the idea was dusted off and implemented once more, hitching becoming my preferred method of transport from the stunning Capital of Madrid to The Sierra Mountains and back again.

So now that I’ve laid my road tested credentials on the table, I’d like to offer some tips and handy hints to those willing to extend their travelling repertoire to a different kind of ride (please note that these tips are influenced by my time spent on the road in Western Europe and probably more applicable to that region).

• First and foremost is legality. For the most part hitchhiking is legal is most countries around the world. Within Europe (excluding Slovenia), hitchhiking is legal – except where pedestrians are banned, such as motorways in the UK, and the autobahn in Germany.
• Be prepared for a long day. You’re never guaranteed a ride.
• Always carry a map of where you’re travelling - preferably one that maps the name of major roads and arteries.
• If in a foreign speaking country, it’s good to know a little of the language before trying to bait drivers.
• If you know exactly where you’re headed, it’s best to make a sign from cardboard and permanent marker. Drivers are more inclined to stop when you indicate your destination, rather than throwing your thumb into the void.
  

  Celtic inspired medievil church of Candelario; you really get to see things that others miss out on!

• Location is essential.
  • Make sure you’re in a well lit area so that you are visible to cars, and never attempt to hitch a ride from the center of town.
  • It’s always best to investigate the road you will need to take to your desired location, and head to the on ramp for the best of luck.
  • Petrol stations also provide good coverage for desired roads.
• If night falls and you’re still thumbing at thin air, best to call it a night and try again at the break of day. Once, my cardboard sign disintegrated from heavy rain fall close to midnight in the Spain’s countryside. I hadn’t moved for 3 hours!
• It never hurts to ask around and get advice from locals. Who knows, you may get lucky!
• Hitching solo can be dangerous, but that all boils down to common sense and intuition. Trust your instinct and remember that you don’t have to take every lift that comes your way.
• Hitching in a pair can put your mind at ease a little more. But more than 2 persons and getting a ride can become difficult.
• Try and stay positive regardless of the attitudes of some drivers.
• Attempting to hitch more than 200km or so can be a little difficult. Always be prepared to catch 2 or 3 rides depending on the length of your trip.

Spanish bulls occupying the Spanish countryside...

There are loads of do’s and don’ts for this sport. It helps to know a few basics, but most of the time it comes down to you and your ability to interact and read situations. The subject itself is easily researchable on the internet. You will meet a lot of nice, friendly and down to earth people. Many folk I’ve meet on my journeys have helped me in some way, such as assisting in organizing my accommodation with them when I’ve “neglected” to compensate myself. This is fantastic when learning a new language or requiring practice, but you will also meet some disinterested or disenchanted characters, though I’ve seldom had a bad experience. Personally I feel bettered by the whole experience, and it all just depends on how you subject yourself.

Below is also a list of helpful car-share websites.

1. http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/ : A German website car-share site (a small fee is paid to the driver for petrol).
2. http://www.hitchhikers.org/ : European car-share site.
3. http://www.digihitch.com/ : An entire website dedicated to the phenomenon.

You can read and research, and exhaust a list of websites to harden the most nubile approach, but there is nothing like thumbing down your first ride!