In this article, I will share with you my hitchhiking experiences and how to travel by hitchhiking in Australia and Europe.
Essential to remember
Traveling by hitchhiking remains viable in Europe (France, Germany, Romania) and outside Europe (Georgia, Iran, Mongolia). In Southeast Asia and Latin America, hitchhiking is less common: use local buses at low cost. Safety: travel with 2 if possible.
Traveling by hitchhiking: how to do it?
Why did traveling by hitchhiking allow me to discover another form of travel?
During my stay in Australia, I hitchhiked for the first time in my life with two other people (a couple) who had never done it either. We actually found our ride in 20 minutes 😀
Did you know?
Iran is considered one of the best countries in the world for hitchhiking: the hospitality is such that you can find yourself invited to dinner and to sleep at the home of the stranger who picked you up. The road network is dense.
Since then, I recommend this mode of travel which, contrary to what one might think, is a very safe and economical way to travel if done properly.
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My experience
My longest hitchhike: 600 km in Georgia, from Tbilisi to Mestia. 3 different vehicles, 11 hours on the road, invited twice to drink tchatcha (local alcohol). It is the most striking human experience of my road trip.
Traveling by hitchhiking My beginnings: The prejudices about hitchhiking
- Apprehension about the driver
At first, one thinks no one will pick us up and/or that we will encounter psychopathic people, but this is not the case; they are either former hitchhikers or former travelers or normal people who are often very open-minded. You made a good impression on them or he/she is alone and wants company.
| Country | Hitchhiking ease |
|---|---|
| Iran | Excellent |
| Georgia | Excellent |
| Germany | Very good |
| France | Average |
| Australia | Good (long distances) |
| Brazil | Difficult |
- Doubt
When you start hitchhiking alone, you get discouraged quickly, but hitchhiking is another travel experience; I was invited to someone’s home and had the opportunity to have a barbecue with people I had only known for 20 minutes.
Advantages
- Almost no cost
- Unforgettable encounters
- Total freedom of itinerary
- Local immersion
- Feeling of adventure
Weak points
- Possible insecurity (especially alone)
- Long waiting times
- Weather depends on luck
- Limited luggage
- Risk of getting stuck
It was a family hosting a woofer so they were used to foreigners. Clearly, the first time, you think “what are we doing on the side of the highway hitchhiking” but when I travel I like to create new memories and step out of my comfort zone.
  ;   ;Hitchhiking: How to face the fears?
- Be careful with drivers, sometimes you may get drivers who drive a bit fast or who are drunk, stop them or ask to get off if you notice it!
- Get used to doing it, it’s like almost everything, when you get used to it, you immediately feel more comfortable and no longer have that fear.
- Have boldness, hitchhiking is daring, going towards the unknown and also meeting other people.
Know that most of the time, people are very helpful. In a country like Australia, it is ideal for hitchhiking, because there are many travelers and also many retirees who take the road to tour Australia, they are called “grey nomads”.
The classic trap to avoid
If you hitchhike alone, be extremely careful about the choice of vehicle: politely refuse those who make you uncomfortable, always get in on the passenger side, and send the license plate number to a close contact before each trip.
My unforgettable memories or anecdotes from hitchhiking trips:
  ;- Invitation to drink beers during New Year’s 2010 at a local’s home in Tasmania. I worked on New Year’s Eve and after my work, I decided to hitchhike to Hobart to quickly go online. On my way back around 7 p.m. to my caravan park, I hitchhiked. Two out of three cars that picked me up offered me beers for New Year’s and one of the cars even invited me to celebrate with them. I refused because we were going to celebrate New Year’s at the caravan park where I was staying.
If you are preparing your departure, take a look at our guide on jobs where you travel which complements the topic well. The feedback around working and blogging also provides useful benchmarks to avoid unpleasant surprises. And to go further for inspiration, the article on becoming a real is worth a detour.
- I found myself alone in the middle of the countryside in Tasmania at 9 p.m. (the sun had set). That day, I was heading to Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. I had 80 km to cover from the town and I started at 1 p.m. There were three of us and we split up to have a better chance of getting a ride, so I ended up hitchhiking alone.
After a first and second car that brought me 30 km closer in 1h30, I waited on the roadside for 2 hours. At 6 p.m., someone coming back from work gave me a ride near his home and I continued hitchhiking without success, so I decided to walk. That’s what I did for 1h30 before finding a car. I had a little scare, but it was one of my best memories along with climbing Cradle Mountain and camping alone in the park at night.
- My brother arrives the next day and I have no rental means to join him. At that time, I was working a little over 100 km from Cairns, picking pumpkins. I finished work at 6 p.m. I had to get to Cairns the next day to catch a plane to Brisbane to meet my brother who was arriving from France to see me. After saying goodbye to my friends who had abandoned me on the side of a highway 80 km from Cairns (it still took 1 hour to reach Cairns because the road was hilly; they had already helped me halfway). I asked not to be taken all the way because he still had 1 hour then 1h30 on the way back. After 45 minutes, I found someone who took me to the airport and I slept there.
- Last challenge of the 2009 trip: Getting to France by hitchhiking from Germany. I waited three times 15 minutes in Germany in three cars to reach the French border. Then arriving in France (in Metz), I waited 2 hours and no one took me, thanks France! It was already late, so I then slept in a youth hostel and took the train to return to Gare de l’Est where my brother waited for me.
I also hitchhiked many other times, but these are the experiences that marked me.
Is it safe to hitchhike?
Yes, in the mentioned countries (Iran, Georgia, Germany). Riskier in Latin America or sub-Saharan Africa. Traveling in pairs = much safer.
How to maximize your chances when hitchhiking?
Sign with destination, visible clothing, smile, choice of location (toll exit, gas station).
Should you hitchhike solo?
Avoid if you are a woman. In pairs (man + woman or 2 men), it’s more reassuring for the driver and safer for you.
