Hitchiking
has a bad stigma attached to it these days
and we certainly do not recommend it if
you have a safer alternative option. However
it can be a simple and fun method of getting
around if you follow a few guidelines. Usually
ageing travellers (or hippies) will pick
you up, farmers and rural folk are pretty
helpful and there’s always a good
Samaritan around the corner. Here’s
a few more tips.
WHERE
TO HITCH
From big cities get a bus or train to the
outskirts of town to get to a road leading
to a motorway (expressway).
Choose a spot with plenty of room for the
driver to safely stop and where the traffic
is not too fast. This way it is safer for
cars to stop and the driver has a chance
to size you up.
If you've got a lift on a motorway, get
dropped off at a service area rather than
in town so you are not far from the motorway,
there are food and toilet facilities and
more chance of other travellers passing
through.
Hitch hiking is often illegal in most countries
so avoid motorways and stick to entrance
ramps and service areas.
SIGNS
This is a cause for debate amongst hitchers.
Some say drivers won't stop if they don't
know where you want to go. Others say it
is safer not to use a sign so you can ask
the driver where they are going before you
accept a lift. A compromise is to use the
name of the road you are travelling on.
Tips for getting a ride
Most people that give you lifts will be
people that have hitched themselves, or
couriers or truck drivers who want company.
To improve your chances of getting a lift:
- look neat and respectable.
- Face the oncoming traffic and smile.
- When a car stops ask where the driver
is going to - you can still decline the
lift if you don't like the look of them.
- Do not smoke in someone else's car.
- Travel light.
- Take an international drivers licence
as the driver may wish to share the driving.
SAFETY
Despite the bad press the most hazardous
thing about hitching is the chance of being
involved in a car accident or being hit
by a car if you are standing too close to
the side of the road. Here are some more
tips for safety:
- As a single female you will travel quickly
but you may attract undue attention. Travelling
with a guy helps as people may perceive
you as a couple.
- Turn down the lift if you do not feel
comfortable.
- Keep your luggage with you. Do not put
it in the trunk.
Paris has a ride sharing service Allostop
Provoya. They match you up for a fee which
is cheaper than the train or bus. 8, rue
Rochambeau, 75009 Paris (métro: Cadet).
Tel. 01 53204242.
In Germany try "Mitfahrzentrale".
It is a kind of hitch-hiking but organized
by an office. So it much safer than normal
hitch-hiking.
Many websites feature ride
sharing forums and discussion boards which
are worth checking out for lifts.
