I think everyone has seen someone standing at the side of the road holding a sign at least once in their lives. Even though hitchhiking is not as popular anymore as it was back in the days, it’s slowly gaining popularity again. Especially among backpackers and broke students!
What’s more adventurous than getting in a car with a complete stranger to get to your destination! For me hitchhiking is definately the most amazing way of traveling.
You step into someone’s life for just a few minutes or maybe a few hours, someone you wouldn’t have met otherwise. You can’t imagine how much people want to tell you in such a short period of time and they are genuinely interested in hearing your story. Every single time you meet a completely different person with a different story, it’s very educational as well!
Still not convinced? Trust me, chances are higher of getting into a car accident, than getting pulled inside a car by some psychopath driving around picking up hitchhikers. (Which can happen to you as well while you’re walking or cycling.)
Don’t let the dangers get in the way to try for yourself, so here are a few tips to make it as safely as possible!
What’s more adventurous than getting in a car with a complete stranger to get to your destination! For me hitchhiking is definately the most amazing way of traveling.
You step into someone’s life for just a few minutes or maybe a few hours, someone you wouldn’t have met otherwise. You can’t imagine how much people want to tell you in such a short period of time and they are genuinely interested in hearing your story. Every single time you meet a completely different person with a different story, it’s very educational as well!
Still not convinced? Trust me, chances are higher of getting into a car accident, than getting pulled inside a car by some psychopath driving around picking up hitchhikers. (Which can happen to you as well while you’re walking or cycling.)
Don’t let the dangers get in the way to try for yourself, so here are a few tips to make it as safely as possible!
It’s very important that you look for a place where cars can easily pull over to pick you up. Ramps on highways, gas stations and traffic lights are perfect locations to stand. There’s usually lots of space for a car to pull over and in case of a gas station you can also ask people to give you a lift. Highways are easiest to catch a ride, because the traffic can only go one way. Inside cities it is a lot harder because traffic usually goes in all kinds of directions, so I usually use public transport to get to the outskirts of the city to catch a ride there. My favourite spots are gas stations, because you always have some food and water available in case you can’t find a ride. So most of the time I let people drop me off at gas stations.
So you found a good spot to stand and now what? You can either use your thumb, or you can use a sign with your destination on it. As a girl traveling by myself I prefer not to use a sign, because that gives a potential psychopath the chance to pretend he’s going there as well. So I usually just use my thumb and always make sure I am the first one to ask where the driver is going. (For the same reason I don’t use a sign.) I did use a sign a few times though, because it can make it easier in some situations to catch a ride. But it is totally up to you whether you want to use a sign or not.
Anyway, you found the spot and the first car just pulled over! The thing I do next is start a conversation with the driver while I am still standing outside. This gives me the opportunity to scan the car for some weird objects or weapons and to get a first impression of the driver. This is the most important part, because once you step into the car, you are not in charge of the situation anymore and put control in the drivers hands. Always and with that I mean ALWAYS listen to your intuition. If it doesn’t feel right, just say thanks to the driver and let the ride pass. Better safe than sorry!
Okay, so the driver made a good impression on you and you decided to take the ride! Make sure you check the door for any locks before getting in and closing it. Also for extra safety precautions you can take a picture of the car’s numberplate and send it to a friend or familymember.
Always keep your most precious/important belongings (wallet, passport, phone, laptop, camera etc.) with you and not in the backpack that you put in the back of the car. In case the driver decides to take off when your backpack is in the car, you’ll still have those belongings.
Now it’s time to sit back and relax and have some good conversations with the driver!
Don’t feel pressured to keep the conversation going, because that can result in awkward moments. Silence is less awkward than a forced conversation. Most of the time it just goes automatically because you want to get to know eachother as much as possible in such a short period of time! So no worries and go with the flow!
Don’t forget to thank your new friend once he dropped you off, make him feel like he’s the best person you met today. Thanks to him you are closer to your destination, if not the destination itself already for free!
So you found a good spot to stand and now what? You can either use your thumb, or you can use a sign with your destination on it. As a girl traveling by myself I prefer not to use a sign, because that gives a potential psychopath the chance to pretend he’s going there as well. So I usually just use my thumb and always make sure I am the first one to ask where the driver is going. (For the same reason I don’t use a sign.) I did use a sign a few times though, because it can make it easier in some situations to catch a ride. But it is totally up to you whether you want to use a sign or not.
Anyway, you found the spot and the first car just pulled over! The thing I do next is start a conversation with the driver while I am still standing outside. This gives me the opportunity to scan the car for some weird objects or weapons and to get a first impression of the driver. This is the most important part, because once you step into the car, you are not in charge of the situation anymore and put control in the drivers hands. Always and with that I mean ALWAYS listen to your intuition. If it doesn’t feel right, just say thanks to the driver and let the ride pass. Better safe than sorry!
Okay, so the driver made a good impression on you and you decided to take the ride! Make sure you check the door for any locks before getting in and closing it. Also for extra safety precautions you can take a picture of the car’s numberplate and send it to a friend or familymember.
Always keep your most precious/important belongings (wallet, passport, phone, laptop, camera etc.) with you and not in the backpack that you put in the back of the car. In case the driver decides to take off when your backpack is in the car, you’ll still have those belongings.
Now it’s time to sit back and relax and have some good conversations with the driver!
Don’t feel pressured to keep the conversation going, because that can result in awkward moments. Silence is less awkward than a forced conversation. Most of the time it just goes automatically because you want to get to know eachother as much as possible in such a short period of time! So no worries and go with the flow!
Don’t forget to thank your new friend once he dropped you off, make him feel like he’s the best person you met today. Thanks to him you are closer to your destination, if not the destination itself already for free!
Couples (male/female) are picked up really easy because it looks more trustworthy than a guy alone. As a guy alone you might have some difficulties now and then, but never give up hope!
It is always safer to hitch as a couple, so if you are a girl, always try to find a companion who wants to join you hitching. Safety above all!
It is always safer to hitch as a couple, so if you are a girl, always try to find a companion who wants to join you hitching. Safety above all!
This article is based on personal experiences, I can’t be held responsible for any accidents while hitchhiking. Always listen to your intuition and if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t and you shouldn’t do it. 
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