Also picked this up off another website !
Where Hitchhikers 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 countries for hitching, except for Alaska and Hawaii where it's excellent. I will add that rural Texas is obliging--they always 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 France and Spain 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 getting there in the first place. 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.
The trouble with Ireland is--and all serious hitchhikers agree--it's too feckin' easy!
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 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.)
I have seen this 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, 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 climbed 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 remained. The driver turned off the highway onto a back road. Night was falling, and she had an uneasy feeling. Then he pulled over, nothing but forest around for a long way. He began looking at her significantly and motioning to the back of the van. Panicking, and thinking how stupid she was for being there, she grabbed her pack and tried to get out. The driver also grabbed the pack but said no, it was okay. He restarted the van and they went on without further 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.
http://www.artoftravel.com/13hitchhiking.htmAlso staying at Hostel in the US and Overseas isn't just for the under 21 crowd anymore. Many people I know have signed up for
http://www.hostels.com/ to take advantage of the great rates and accessibility to certain attractions. Of course they're not the Ritz Carlton or the Royal York but you sometimes hang out with a great bunch of people from all over the globe ! If you stay in the UK , you'll meet a lot of kewl people from Germany who know how to PARTY !!!!
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Topic: Alternative Travel Tips : Any Suggestions ? (Read 18279 times)