No one should hitch without careful consideration of the risks involved. Hitching means entrusting your life to an unknown person and risking theft, assault, sexual harassment, and unsafe driving. However, some travelers report that hitchhiking in Europe allows them to meet locals and travel in areas where public transportation is sketchy. Britain and Ireland are probably the easiest places in Western Europe to get a lift. Hitching in Scandinavia is slow but steady. Long-distance hitching in the developed countries of northwestern Europe demands close attention to expressway junctions, rest stop locations, and destination signs. Hitching in southern Europe is generally mediocre. In some Eastern European countries, the line between hitching and taking a taxi is virtually nonexistent. Hitchhiking at night can be particularly dangerous; experienced hitchers stand in well-lit places. For women traveling alone or even two women traveling together, hitching is simply too dangerous. A man and a woman are a safer combination, two men will have a harder time, and three will go nowhere. Experienced hitchers pick a spot outside of built-up areas, where drivers can stop, return to the road without causing an accident, and have time to look over potential passengers as they approach. Hitching on super-highways is usually illegal: one may only thumb at rest stops or at the entrance ramps to highways. Finally, success often depends on appearance.
Most Western European countries have ride services that pair drivers with riders; fees vary according to destination. Eurostop (www.taxistop.be/index_ils.htm), Taxistop’s ride service, is one of the largest in Europe. Also try Allostop in France (French-language website www.allostop.net) and Verband der Deutschen Mitfahrzentralen in Germany (German-language website www.mitfahrzentrale.de). Not all organizations screen drivers and riders; ask ahead.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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