11 Tips For Being an Effective Hitchhiker
You’ve likely read my post sharing the 5 Reasons You Should Hitchhike When You Travel, and now you want to learn how to hitchhike effectively. After years of hitchhiking, with possibly hundreds of rides and thousands of miles under my belt, I can tell you the tricks I’ve learned along the way to being a quick, efficient, and effective hitchhiker.
Know your location
Is the country you’re traveling in open or closed to hitchhikers? Is their signal for needing a ride a simple thumbs up? A flat palm facing upwards? Which direction of traffic should hitchhikers face? It varies by country. Knowing how to properly and respectfully signal your need will go a long way.
Some countries, like the Netherlands, will even have government-installed signs where hitchhikers can stand to have a better opportunity of being picked up. Knowing that these locations exist not only increases your chances of being picked up, but also demonstrates a respect for and knowledge of the culture that you are attempting to immerse yourself in.
Know the laws in the country you’re traveling through.
Is hitchhiking legal? Knowing this is important for two reasons. First, and most obvious, is that the last thing you probably want is to end up in a foreign jail while you’re traveling. If you know that what you’re doing isn’t necessarily legal, you may want to drop the thumb if you see a police officer, or even adjust your tactics altogether while searching for a ride. Second, if it’s not legal in the country you’re traveling through, it may be harder to snag a ride. Drivers likely will be less open to picking you up or may be more skeptical if they do. Being aware of any laws concerning hitchhiking ahead of time can help you curb your expectations and plan accordingly.
Be smart about your sign.
You will rarely, if ever, make it all the way to your final destination in one ride. If you’re headed to a small town outside of a big city, don’t write down that small town. Chances are that not many of the passing drivers will not be headed to that town, and will drive on past because they don’t think they’re headed in your intended direction. Write the most obvious or prevalent town name available that is in the direction you’re headed. If a driver isn’t going all the way there, they may still offer you a ride in the right direction. If the driver is going further, they can offer to drop you off on the way, before you need to split off towards your final destination. Like I said, you will rarely, if ever, complete your journey with your first ride. You will slowly get closer and closer with each ride until you arrive. Adjust your signs and tactics along the way.
Also, and I wish I didn’t have to say this, but you’d be surprised… Write legibly.
Choose a spot where a driver can easily pick you up.
At times, this can be difficult, but if you spend a few extra minutes finding the right spot, your chances of being picked up will increase exponentially. First, look for an area where cars can see you from a distance, so they can begin to make the decision of whether or not to pick you up. So, this excludes blind turns, tops of hills, and roads with heavy foliage. Second, search for an area that will allow a car to pull off the road without being a hazard. The last thing you want is to hold up traffic, not only for the sake of the other drivers, but also for your own—cars are unlikely to pull over if there isn’t space. You want to make it an easy decision for them. Finally, it is best to stand at the beginning of those open car-turnouts, so that by the time someone decides to pick you up, they have time to pull over. If you can position yourself in an easy to see and easy to access area, your chances of being offered a ride will increase.
Decrease your group size.
I usually suggest hitchhiking in groups smaller than three, but ideal sizes are even smaller than that. Think about how often you are driving with not only three open seats, but also enough space for three massive backpacks. 99% of the time, if a driver can’t fit your entire group, they won’t stop. In all the years I have been hitchhiking, I have never had a car stop and offer to take only part of a group. More often than not, if I was with a group, we would receive a polite gesture/hand signal notifying us that they couldn’t fit us all (some sort of pointing to the backseat followed by a number of raised fingers). If you have a larger group, split up! Decide on a meeting place at your desired destination and search for rides separately.
Be open to change.
I cannot tell you how many of my greatest adventures came from a change of plans while in someone else’s car. We would be driving along, talking about where I was headed and my plans for once I arrived, and that conversation would lead to amazing stops along the way or alternative locations altogether. There are small local tips that you don’t always get from travel guides and social media posts, and they’re usually the area’s best kept secrets. Why would you want to avoid those places simply because you planned on arriving at another location?
Be flexible with your schedule.
In the same vein of being open to change, allow yourself flexibility for the time you arrive at your destination. I can remember a few times I set myself up to fail by having a strict schedule that I was attempting to adhere to. A few years back, I made some friends while traveling and planned to meet them a few months later at a music festival in Austria. The plan had been made two months in advance, but I absentmindedly only gave myself a few days to hitchhike from Oslo, Norway down to Sankt Pölten, Austria. Yes, you read that correctly. I was stressed beyond belief trying to manage this time frame, and was forced to hitchhike through the days and nights to accomplish my goal in the allotted time. When I finally arrived, I was exhausted and had absolutely no time to recharge before joining my friends. I then vowed to avoid strict time schedules while hitchhiking at all costs. If being timely for a particular event is important, take a bus. If it’s not, allow yourself the freedom to relax and go with the flow while searching for the next ride.
Truck stops are a hitchhiker’s oasis
Trucks are usually traveling long distances and can provide you the opportunity to knock out the miles without constantly switching between cars. They are also usually traveling along major interstates and highways without exiting, and can therefore be sorted into two categories: going my way or not going my way. Because of this, when you’re at a truck stop, a simple sign of “North” or “East” will do the trick. Finally, the reason truck stops are by far one of the most effective settings to hitch a ride is that their vehicles are already stopped. Nothing is harder for a semi than stopping on the side of the road, but if they are already stopped and about to return to the highway, the drivers are far more likely to pick you up. Just remember that the cab of the truck is higher up and often outside of your line of sight, so be prepared to respond to a quick honk rather than a wave.
Be a good and friendly car guest.
This shouldn’t have to be said, but again, you’d be surprised. I believe that whatever you put out into the universe, you get back in one way or another. If you don’t necessarily agree, so be it, but you will likely believe that you should treat others as you would want to be treated, at the very least. So, do that.
If you’re in an area where your native language is not commonly spoken, don’t assume your driver will somehow magically speak your language. Be considerate, download a free language translation software, and show that you respect them. Do your absolute best to communicate with them.
When I was on the island of Senja in northern Norway, I had a driver who had been in the Norwegian military and he mentioned a beautiful location that his team used to visit for training campouts. He loved the views and offered to take me there, even though it was AN HOUR in the opposite direction of the way he was headed. At the time, two friends I had met the day earlier were hitchhiking separately, and we planned to meet later on at a specific location (as I suggested earlier). My driver offered to drive over to where they were hitchhiking from and pick them up as well. It was a genuinely kind and thoughtful act. I can’t imagine the same situation would have ensued if I had been closed off and rude. If I did have a negative demeanor, my driver likely would have taken me the minimum distance and called it a day, and I would have never experienced the amazing views and beautiful sunset at the location he drove us to.
Smile and wave!
Keep in mind that someone is taking a risk by inviting a stranger into their car. Think about the type of person you’d want to pick up versus the type of person you’d likely drive past. Adjust your behavior accordingly. A genuine smile will show a driver that you are non threatening and will be a warm and friendly driving companion.
Be a hitchhiking host!
I am a firm believer in karma. By this logic, pick up hitchhikers when the opportunity presents itself and give them a good experience if you later seek a good hitchhiking experience yourself. What goes around comes around.
You won’t always be picked up in the first few minutes of hitchhiking, and you won’t always have the best conversation with your driver. But, if you follow the tips provided in this post, I can guarantee that your overall hitchhiking experiences will, at the very least, improve. Just remember that you are essentially asking to be a guest in someone else’s car by holding out that thumb, so be respectful and show the proper gratitude. And, of course, pay it forward when the opportunity presents itself.
If you found this post helpful in learning new ways to be an effective hitchhiker, check out my post, How to Avoid Being Murdered While Hitchhiking to learn some safety steps to protect yourself.