FEATURE //
10 Essential Tips to Improve Your Hitchhiking Game
by Turner Wright
I’ve hitchhiked in the US, Japan, Thailand, and New Zealand. Inevitably, there will always be that awkward encounter at rest stops and random intersections: the fellow hitchhiker who tries to dissuade you from sticking out your thumb.
“Where you headed? I’ve been trying to get a ride for two and a half hours. Good luck, man …”
Most recently, in kiwi land, I was told this by a man wearing a shirt stained with McD’s grease and cut off jeans, sporting an unkempt beard, bracing himself against an 80L exterior frame backpack, and holding a dirty piece of cardboard with his destination scrawled in black ink. It was hard for me not to laugh; I had been hitching at this particular location off and on for six weeks, and had never had to wait more than twenty minutes for a ride.
What’s the secret? How can you ensure a free ride down the road?
#1: Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
Clean shaven, clean clothes, and no traces of blood (yes, really) or sweat on your skin. I suppose lack of facial hair is open to debate, but I have a suspicion drivers are more likely to pick up men who look like they’re on their way to officer training school rather than those who emulate ZZ Top.
#2: Lose the Sunglasses
Whether you’re sporting a cheap pair of frames you purchased an hour ago from a shady character downtown or a trendy set of Oakleys, it’s best to set them aside and let motorists see your face.
#3: Be Neighborly
This tip depends on the living situation, of course, but if you happen to be residing and hitchhiking in the same area, take heed of your presence in the community. Do you ever go for walks or runs in the morning or evening? Wave at motorists as they pass; perhaps they’ll remember you if you need a ride to the bus station later on.
#4: Limit One Bag Per Person
Try not to carry more than one piece of luggage. If you can’t travel without a full 60L ackpack so be it, but the ideal hitchhiker is supporting a simple day pack, or none at all. Saves the driver the hassle of clearing out the back seat or popping the trunk – you can just rest it on your knees.
A Particularly Bold Approach © lanuiop
#5: Have a Creative Approach
I’ve seen all kinds here – people wearing fake casts on their arms and legs; dressing up in costume; girls showing off their legs (classic); some physical gimmick like chasing after cars that hesitate or performing some gymnastic stunts. If you think anything will help you to stand out, even the absurd, then go for it.
#6: Choose Your Location Wisely
If you need to start your journey from a major metropolitan area, consider walking or arranging transportation for the first 20-30 kilometers, ensuring you’re delivered in a rural area and less likely to catch people running errands and going to work.
Motorists need room to pull over; don’t assume they’ll just stop in their lane and halt incoming traffic to pick you up.
Check local hitchhiking laws. For instance, it’s illegal to hitchhike on the motorways of New Zealand (though not highly enforced).
#7: Make a Sign
Fifty-fifty shot here. Carrying a cardboard sign with your destination written in sharp bold letters might make it easier to find one driver willing to take you the full distance, but could also discourage those going only a few kilometers from making the effort to stop.
If you’re traveling in a foreign country where English is not the native language, it would definitely be a good idea to write “I can speak ____” in the local tongue. Drivers might want more than simply “Roma? Ok, ok … (3 hours later) here … bye bye.”
#8: Consider the Time of Day
Rush hour traffic (7-9 AM, 4-6 PM) can leave you aggravated even if you’re not stuck behind two hundred cars and a construction zone. A parent who might enjoy conversation with a traveler in the middle of the day is less likely to let a stranger enter her car with her 10-year-old son, fresh from school. Blue and white collar workers usually want to get home and chill immediately following a long day of stress.
Hitching, Taiwan © prufrock27
#9: Looking Pathetic Helps
Pity rides are all too common in the world of hitchhiking.
Somewhat of an exception to the luggage and cleanliness rules is playing the proper role of a hitchhiker – a traveler displaced and alone in this uncertain world of ours. Now imagine such a character in the pouring rain. Along a rural highway in the dead of night. Wearing a t-shirt and shorts when the outside temperature reaches zero degrees Celsius. A combination of the three would be ideal. Pity rides are all too common in the world of hitchhiking.
#10: You Are Not Special
Finally – never, never assume you are entitled to a ride. I know it can be frustrating to sit outside for hours in the rain or glaring sun watching car after car after truck … after horse-drawn carriage pass you by. However, if you start thinking “Why didn’t she pick me up? She’s going the same direction, and her passenger seat was empty,” then that resentment will simply build until you lose hope of making it to your destination, stop wearing a smile, and only stick out your thumb at every fifth vehicle. Strangers grant you a privilege by taking the time out of their busy day and escorting you further down the open road. Don’t forget it.
In your experience, what are the best countries for hitchhiking? Share your tips and stories with us below!
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Related topics: Features, Tips, Transportation, Travel
About the Author
Turner Wright enjoys the finer things in life, which include: writing travel articles, eating too much, and running until his veins pump battery acid. He is a simple boy from Austin, Texas, but will soon be bouncing around three continents. Check out his blog, Once A Traveler.
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May 13th, 2009
I personally like to flash a little of my (rather hairy) man legs.
Really attracts the female motorists’ attention!
May 13th, 2009
Hey,
I hitched all of Mexico. I’m a blonde female, which is stupid if you do it alone. However, I always did it with a couple of other travelers, usually guys! We would get picked up, mainly in pick ups and they’d sit in the back and me in front. Like I said, it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but at the time it seemed so.
Plus, I learned my Spanish on those very long trips. Mexico is huge, and we always got picked up by men. So they were very eager to help and patient.
May 14th, 2009
I once saw a guy hitchhiking in Banff National Park (Canada) right at the exit on to the Trans-Canada highway. Not too unusual, except he was playing the BAGPIPIPES very loudly as he slowly paced the side of the road. He was going the opposite direction as I was. Don’t know if he got a ride.
May 14th, 2009
I just got back from hitch hiking around Europe. As far as I know it is fairly common to hitch hike around there and don’t know if it is any different in the States.
The Clean shaven thing was a toss up. If you can shave do it but as long as you are waring half way decent cloths you should be alright. Also smelling half way decent is a plus. I had people pick me up after hiking a few miles on a trail along the coast and was smelling pretty ripe, and yes don’t wear sunglasses. It just makes you look that much more shady and I know if I was going to be picking someone up I wouldn’t be picking up shady people.
Signs are your friend in a place you don’t speak the language. I found out that most people in Europe speak better English then they or others might think.
Location location, in Europe they have a great motorway system. They have survice stations all over the main roads and it always pays to get dropped off at the one BEFORE big cities instead of in. There is nothing more frustrating then having to pitch your tent in a gas station because you spent all day trying to get a ride and no one going out of town. Also look for an area where traffic is bottle necked as they leave the station. That just makes that many more people see you and more likely to have that one person stop for you.
Looking pathetic is a life saver too. I had just been dropped off at a station and was finding a place to write my next sign when a car full of girls drove up and offered me a ride, they could clearly see my huge pack and they still stopped with 3 people in the car and a full trunk.
I guess I should wrap this up, or start a new article. But if your new to hitch hiking this pretty much has all the basics covered. Good write up.
May 14th, 2009
I tried hitchhiking once, didn’t really pan out the way I had hoped. But these tips are very helpful. I already have the looking pathetic part down.
May 15th, 2009
i hitched in Belize. It’s pretty common practice there. I’m not sure I’d hitch in America though….or that i’d pick someone up there either…
May 15th, 2009
I disagree with some of the advice here, especially the claim that the best bag is a simple day pack. A lot of my drivers have told me that they would not have taken me had I not had a large backpack that shouts “world traveler, not local drifter”.
For essential tips to improve hitchhiking, I’d recommend getting the “Practical Free Travel” booklet published by the Academy of Free Travel. Anton Krotov and his circle have been hitchhiking the world as a way of life for well over a decade, and their tips work. I laughed when I saw the writer of this article boast about his 20-minute waiting time, for after spending time at the Academy of Free Travel base in Cairo last winter, my waiting time is now around 5 minutes.
May 16th, 2009
Strangest ride I ever managed hitching was in an ambulance. We were a group of four in a small town getting supplies while hiking the Apalachian Trail, 2 guys, 2 gals. Best hint for getting a ride is to hitch with 2 pretty college girls.
May 18th, 2009
[...] lastly some excellent hitching tips including, lose those shades, pick your location wisely and “looking pathetic [...]
May 19th, 2009
Turner,
Great Article!!!
I agree with a lot of the advice. I’m planning a hitchhiking trip around the US & from what I know it is all about looking “harmless” and also Location location. The slower people are going, the better. Accessibility, if they don’t have to put much effort into picking you up, then you have more of a chance. Good luck on your travels.
May 22nd, 2009
[...] @vagabondish Mike Richard is the author of the web travel ‘zine by the same name. Great news and advice much more unique than most travel guides like these tips on hitchhiking. [...]
May 23rd, 2009
I think you forgot the most obvious tip of them all. Bring a female! Not to be sexist, but its just an all out proven fact that you get more rides quicker if you have a girl with you.
May 24th, 2009
Nice tips. I don’t think one can always select the right time of day. But would be more helpful to “Choose Your Location Wisely”, unless in the middle of nowhere.
May 26th, 2009
Safety first, not to be sexest, but I think it’s fairly well accepted that females should not hitch alone. Also not to be too dramatic, but many people have disappeared by accepting rides from strangers.
May 27th, 2009
[...] This post was Twitted by 30words – Real-url.org [...]
May 28th, 2009
i hitched in Belize. It’s pretty common practice there. I’m not sure I’d hitch in America though….or that i’d pick someone up there either…
June 4th, 2009
[...] 10 Essential Tips to Improve Your Hitchhiking GameI once saw a guy hitchhiking in Banff National Park (Canada) right at the exit on to the Trans-Canada highway. Not too unusual, except he was playing the BAGPIPIPES very loudly as he slowly paced the side of the road. … For essential tips to improve hitchhiking, I’d recommend getting the “Practical Free Travel” booklet published by the Academy of Free Travel. Anton Krotov and his circle have been hitchhiking the world as a way of life for well over a decade, … [...]
June 19th, 2009
I hitched off & on for 3 yrs in 1990’s. 40’s Female. I learned many years ago to read the energy of a person and of their car. I would wait and step to the road when it felt right. Longest wait was 30 minutes.
Wore white men’s dress shirt with baggy jeans. Black small duffel, blk tote bag, black jacket with lots of pockets. Ask if the driver has a story or wanted to hear one.
Last hitch was 1700 miles, second truck past.
July 1st, 2009
I’ve hitchhiked with a dog and guitar and rarely had bad luck. I also road the rails and it was a trip and a half. If you’re interested in more check out the book I wrote about my adventures on Amazon. com or Barnes and Noble or Borders. The book is titled “Thumb Flagging”, by Jerome Peterson
July 2nd, 2009
[...] Vagabondish offers ten Tips to improve your hitchhiking skills, like I have a suspicion drivers are more likely to pick up men who look like they’re on their way to officer training school rather than those who emulate ZZ Top. [...]
July 2nd, 2009
# zero: smile!
July 3rd, 2009
Hitching in Germany is incredibly simple, once you get on the Autobahn. Getting there is the complicated part, but I had no problems going from Hamburg to Berlin, Dresden, etc (single female). I highly recommend signs, since Germans are incredibly efficient, and unless you tell them where you want to go, almost nobody will stop for you. Tip–the first 1-3 letters on a license plate tell you where a car is from (and about half the time, where it’s going)
July 6th, 2009
I did a race with 12 people hitchhiking accross Canada a few years ago. We had a hostel international sponsor and and waited for people at each major city before moving on. took 10 days to get everyne from halifax to vancouver (including a few days of drinking,naked body searches, and dead birds, and underage pornostars. Im in Japan at the moment… was thinking of trying to get people on board for a race from shanghai to paris next year. or maybe not a race but rather a mass exhibition. Anyone have a guess on how long we would need? also anyone else interested?
July 8th, 2009
well i dont know much about hitchkking but in my opinion you need to be a woman, good curves would help as well, in spain where i came from they did on TV a programme, kind of Big Brother, about travelling htchkking from Moscow to Beijin, and they all were couples, guess who won….a couple of beatiful women
July 9th, 2009
These are indeed fine tips for the traveller. They are so easy that it’s easier to forget these details. Thanks to formulate these tips in a nice post. Will keep it handy and use it for my next trip, if i am going on one…..
July 12th, 2009
hostel valencia, i think you´re right. there is a study: “Increasing the bra-size of the female-hitchhiker was significantly associated with an increase in number of male drivers, but not female drivers, who stopped to offer a ride.”
July 20th, 2009
Awesome, thanks. I’ll be forwarding this to a friend of mine
July 31st, 2009
Hey it was a great article. A lot of us feel the necessity for a general guideline and it can help a lot. Thanks
August 5th, 2009
Interesting tips, personally I’m too lazy to put the thumb out, but you wrote some good stuff. Just to add and I guess it means anywhere but hailing from Kiwi-land myself I would be really careful about whose car you’re getting into. The stats are high in NZ for overseas hitchhikers that have disappeared or encountered problems.
August 21st, 2009
I just got done hitch hiking around the US for two months. I had many people tell me I was the first hitch hiker they have ever picked up, because I was clean cut and carrying a large pack. They figured I was out doing something, rather than trying to just run away.