How to Hitchhike Around the World

Hitchhiking can be a really rewarding experience. There are a lot of benefits to hitchhiking. For one, you can get dropped anywhere and experience a small town or waterfall a bus wouldn’t stop at. As I travel, there have been so many places I have wanted to visit that a bus wouldn’t venture to. This is a problem when a traveler wants to explore an area of the world but their transportation has a designated stop. 

Many European, South American and Asian countries allow hitchhiking. Most hitchhikers I’ve met have said they never wait more than 20-30 minutes for a ride in a populous place. However, in a more deserted place, that time frame will expand. I’ve always had great experiences when it comes to hitchhiking. I’ve never had to wait for more than 10 minutes. For example, it’s easier to hitch a ride in Eastern Europe than it is in Western Europe.  

It’s unfortunate that hitchhiking gets a bad rep nowadays. You will not get murdered as a solo traveler. Take a chance, you may meet some really cool people. For a solo male traveler it is safe. For a female solo traveler, I wouldn’t suggest it unless you have made a friend. There are a lot of weirdos out there looking for solo females…

​Hitchhiking is a dying art. Make sure to at least try it once. It’ll be a great experience.

Where to Hitchhike

It’s really important to know where to stand when you are ready to try the hitchhiking method.   

If you are in a capital city or in a large city center, take a bus or train to the outskirts near the freeway. You won’t get a ride from the heart of the city because most drivers aren’t leaving. If you stand near the freeway, you’ll have a better chance of finding someone going your way.  

Make sure to pick a spot where a car can stop to pick you up. It has to be a safe turn off for the driver to commit. If the spot you have picked has heavy traffic, pick another. The more traffic and congestion, the harder it’ll be to get a ride. This will give your potential ride a chance to evaluate who you are and if you are a risk.

Once you do get your ride, make sure to get dropped off at a rest stop with plenty of people around. Truck stops have restrooms, restaurants and potential rides all in one. This will give you a better chance of finding another ride right away. If you ask to get dropped off in a random city, your chances of another ride decreases considerably.

Never stand on the actual freeway. Not only is it dangerous for you to be there, the driver won’t have a way to stop and it’s illegal. Stick to the entrance ramps and service areas for best results.

How to Stay Safe

The most dangerous part about hitchhiking is being involved in a car accident or getting hit on the side of the road. The likelihood of you being kidnapped is minuscule compared to these two. 

There’s always a risk of the driver being a shady character. You’ll have to use your best judgement when conversing with the person in the beginning. The person could also be a bad driver. If that is the case, ask to get dropped off at a closer location. Use an excuse to get out of the bad ride. It’s always best to get out a dangerous situation and wait a while for your next ride than to risk your life. 

Even though hitchhiking is known as a dangerous form of travel, there are ways to reduce the risks.

Female solo travelers will have a really easy time getting a ride. However, women will get many obnoxious drivers. Solo female drivers need to be brave, calm and ready to get the hell out of the car if there’s an awkward situation. It is always best to travel with someone else, preferably a male traveler. This will give the driver a sense that you two are a couple. If something were to happen, the other traveler can help out.  

For emergencies, make sure your phone is charged and ready to use. Always have a sim card that works. You'll need to know the emergency number. The international emergency number in Europe for GSM phones is 112. The British and Irish emergency number is 999, and 112 should work in these two countries as well. For emergency numbers for every country in the world, click here.

Always keep your valuables next to you. If the driver tells you to put your gear in the trunk, decline it. When you stop for fuel or food, take your gear with you. The driver is a stranger. There’s no reason to take a silly risk.

Should I Use a Sign?

When is it a good idea to use a sign? There are a lot of hitchhikers who use signs and some who don’t. There are benefits to both. 

Some hitchhikers have told me that drivers won’t stop if they don’t know where you are going. Signs do help with getting a ride right away. It makes you look like a legit hitchhiker. However, I’ve never used a sign and I have always been picked up. It’s all about preference. A thumb will do just fine. The benefit of not using a sign; you can ask the driver where they are going before accepting a lift. This way the driver won't be able to lie about their destination to get you into the car. It’s a safer way to not get kidnapped.

How to Get a Ride

There are many reasons for drivers to stop and pick up hitchhikers. You’ll find that some drivers are recent hitchhikers themselves who want to repay the favor and drivers/truckers who want company on their long drive. There are plenty of reasons for people to pick up complete strangers other than the common idea of kidnappings and murder… Here are the best ways to stand out so you can get a ride a lot faster. 

-Look presentable and clean. Make sure you don’t look frightening or dirty. No one wants a weird smelly person in their car. This will also help drivers see that hitchhikers aren’t all weird broke people. 

-Make sure to face oncoming traffic with a smile. A smile will go a long ways. Don’t wear sunglasses. Drivers want to see your face.

-Wear normal clothes. If you dress up in a business suit, drivers will think you are strange. But, they may think your car broke down… So I guess it could work out in your favor. I don’t know anyone who travels on budget with a suit… Stick to long pants, a jacket and normal shoes. 
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-Once a driver stops, always ask where they are going before you get into the car. If you don’t think the person is legit, it’s easy to decline the ride. 

-Never smoke in someone else's car unless they say so. 

-Always travel light. The less gear you have, the faster a driver will pick you up. 

-Makes sure to bring your drivers license. Surprisingly, a lot of people get picked up because the driver needs someone to help drive the car over a long distance. This way you can say you have driven in another country!

Things I Have Learned While Hitchhiking and Being on the Road

Sleeping Outside is OK

On my way from Vilnius, Lithuania to Budapest, Hungary, I was left on the outskirts of Warsaw at a secluded bus stop at 01:00 in the morning. Knowing it’d be hard to find a ride at this time of the night, I found a building that blocked the wind and set up my bags to use as a pillow. I put on as many layers of clothes as possible and fell asleep. I have slept in some interesting places along the way. Some times it’s better to sleep in freezing temperatures than to walk miles to the nearest hostel. Usually everything works itself out.

A Lot of Money Doesn't Equal More Fun

It is possible to travel with a small amount of money. Hitchhiking, eating at grocery stores, sleeping in tents and not drinking alcohol will help lower your costs to almost nothing. I don’t always travel this way. My current trip through Europe is on $40USD a day with transportation, food and hostels. It is much easier to pay $15-20USD a day in Southeast Asia, Southcentral Asia, South America and Africa. Europe and North America is a bit trickier in terms of costs. Not every country in Europe is cheap and easy to hitchhike in. Eastern Europe is the easiest for pricing and hitchhiking.​

Don't Let Health Insurance Run Out

In my post “Is Travel Insurance Important?” I talk about the necessity of having travel health insurance on the road. Never let this expire. You never know when you will need an emergency room run.

There Will Always Be Haters

This is one hits home. You will always be criticized for your actions. This is true in everything you will do in life. Some people love to knock others down. Go for your dreams of travel. So what if you don’t start your career until you are 28-years-old. Don’t live by everyone else’s definition of life. Honestly, it’s boring and a terrible way to live. Take it from me; I quit everything in my home town to start a travel website for people like you! Some times you need to take a leap of faith and take a one way ticket to paradise.

Don't Make Decisions When You Are Down

When you aren’t in the best mood due to fear, loneliness, or a break-up, make sure to keep yourself sane. Don’t make rash decisions that will effect you in the future. Just hold tight, let the bad times roll on. Just know that you are alive and well and that’s all that matters. Traveling alone is a rollercoaster of emotions. Your emotions will jump around all day long as you experience the world alone. Once you are feeling better, make those tough choices. Just make sure that your negative feelings during your solo travelers don’t effect you in the long term.

It's Okay to Say No

Don’t feel like you have to take the first ride you get. Use your best judgement when hitchhiking. There will always be another ride. Most drivers will be great people. However, there will always be a shady fella looking to creep on a female solo traveler or a someone looking to mug you. Stay safe and hitchhike your way around the world!

There Will Always Be People With More

Whatever you do, there will always be people who will do more, spend less, travel longer distances, meet more people and have crazier adventure stories. Just remember that life is not a competition. Do you. Never regret what you have accomplished. Make an unique story for yourself and no one else. The greatest accomplish you can start with is getting out into the world and creating YOUR story. Screw the people who brag about their incredible travel lives. They aren’t that cool anyways. No one needs to brag about what they have done. Spread the knowledge of travel without looking like a newbie.