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Hitchhiking in Europe

by Melissa Atienza-Petri on July 17th, 2006

Pretend that I need to explain… 

Hitchhiking is when one solicits a ride by standing at the edge of the road, with the thumb extended.  This form of getting around is, obviously, one of the cheapest way to get yourself from one place to another. 

The thing is, there is a bit of risk involved.  You could be extremely lucky and meet a friendly local who could take you where you want to go. Or, you could get picked up by someone dangerous. 

When hitch hiking, it would be best to take some precautionary measures: 

• Do not accept a ride in a car full of people
• If possible, hitch for a ride with a friend
• If in doubt, best to turn down the ride.
• Keep a mental note of the car (model, make, license plate) before you board.

A safer option would be to get a ride from sites where you can get information (about the driver, car, destination) even before you leave. That way, you can pass on this information to someone else.  Check out hitchhikers.org and Compartir for people with cars who can take you, the hitchhiker.

[photo source: crudder]

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POSTED IN: Transportation in Europe