What you need to know when hitchhiking

Have you ever thought about hitchhiking? Personally I - yes, but every time I was stopped by some "good" reason, because of which this venture had to be postponed indefinitely. A few days ago, this idea came to my mind again, and I decided to bring it closer to reality by asking a seasoned hitchhiker about everything.

Katya hitchhiked more than 5 thousand km across all the Balkans, Romania, the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, Georgia. She kindly agreed to share her own experience and give some advice, ranging from the most important things to the rules of behavior in the car.

What is the advantage of hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is an adventure, not a free form of transport. Its main advantage, as well as its disadvantage, is complete unpredictability. You can travel half the world for free, visit dozens of amazing people, see the country for real, without tourist embellishments. Or just stand for several hours in the rain and, without catching anything, go look for a bus.

What you need to take with you

The hitchhiker's main tool is a cardboard box and a marker. It is on it that it is convenient to attach sheets of paper with the name of the city.

I do not recommend taking a lot of things, because you constantly need to move them on yourself. And the drivers are not very willing to take them into the salon with huge suitcases.

Special requirements for planning a route

When hitchhiking, you shouldn't expect to get from Rome to Berlin in one car. I advise you to plan your route so that there are no more than 200-300 km between the cities you want to visit.

How to calculate your time and plan your overnight stay

You need to sleep at night, not hitchhike. That is why it is worth calculating your route so that by evening you will be in the city anyway. To do this, you must first find alternative modes of transport (buses, trains) and rewrite their schedule. Or take a tent and a sleeping bag with you.

Where is the best place to catch a car

Banal advice: choose a seat from the driver's point of view. Think about where he can see you well and stop comfortably. In the city, you will be mistaken for a voter, so you need to go abroad and hitchhike on the highway that leads to your next destination. By the way, in many European countries it is forbidden to catch cars on the autobahns, so you can choose smaller roads.

How to behave in a car

Don't forget that the driver picked you up not so much out of compassion as out of a desire to communicate. You probably have to tell something, so it's a good idea to have a couple of stories ready.

Things to Avoid

I would not recommend hitchhiking at night, hitchhiking a lonely girl in conventionally Asian countries such as Turkey, getting a girl into the cab of truckers.

The most vivid hitchhiking experience

No hitchhiking trip is complete without emotional acquaintances. In Georgia, we ended up harvesting wine in one Kakhetian family, even though we were not on our way. There we were taught to make wine and churchkhela. And in another Kakhetian family we were accepted as relatives and were not allowed out for 3 days until we had seen all the sights and tried all the local dishes. In addition, we were given a couple of bottles of Saperavi 13-year-old as a load, and nowhere they were not allowed to pay a penny for ourselves.

Turkey is remembered for hitchhiking in the back of a tractor, on folded fire extinguishers …

… on the couch tied to the trunk and the policemen who helped us catch the car.

Tips for beginners

If you, like me, have dreamed of hitchhiking all your life - do not be afraid, do it. Choose a friendly and understandable country and don't wait for a company, go yourself. Keep your heart open and no one will hurt you along the way.