Anyone going from Richmond, Va to Memphis, Tn? I could really use a ride. Fell on hard times and going out there for a job if anyone can help

Looking to hitch from Vancouver-area to Revelstoke, BC. How are people in BC about hitching, is it a reliable method to get me to Revelstoke within a few days ?

Hey y’all hope all is going well, I’ve been hitching down the length of Morocco and I’m at the end of a day stop in Casablanca. I know it’s probably a long shot but does anyone have any experience getting onto the big highway headed South to Agadir? Thanks for any help and godspeed :))

I live near San Antonio thinking about hitching down through east coast of Mexico all the way to PDC, I’ve heard it would be a bad idea to go through Tamaulipas. Thoughts, advice?

Just wondering where the present day hitchikers sleep at night? Do you just curl up in a field somewhere? As I used to do many years ago.

A week ago, I finished hitchhiking from Gibraltar (south of Spain) across the Atlantic to Trinidad (off the coast of Venezuela). It took me around 4 months - 1.5 on the ocean and 2.5 searching for boats. Hitchhiking across an ocean is definitely possible, and here is what I learned.

How to Hitchhike Across the Atlantic (or Any Other Ocean):

Why would a Captain pick up a hitchhiker? When a Captain sails across the Atlantic (or anywhere), they need someone at the cockpit of the boat at all times to watch the instruments and the ocean. This is why a comfortable crossing requires at least 3 people, where each has 8 hours of watch a day. Sometimes the captain can't find 2 friends to go with them, or a friend cancels last minute, or they have a very big boat and want to split the watches by 4 (6 hours a day). Here's where you come in. You have the opportunity to fill their need and be carried across the ocean.

Do I need to know how to sail? No, it should definitely be useful, but being on watch is fairly simple, and you can learn it pretty fast.

Is it free? Sometimes. I hitchhiked on 2 boats - Gibraltar to the Canaries and the Canaries to Trinidad - and both times the rides were free, and the captain even paid for my food. More often, however, the captain wants around €10 for food per day. If they want more, decline (unless you are rich). You will find a better boat.

How to get In contact with a captain who needs you? There are 2 ways: online and in person.

How to find a boat online? There are various platforms like Crewbay, Findacrew, and several Facebook groups where captains look for amateur sailors(Just search "sailboat" and "hitchhiking" ). This needs to be done well in advance, and there is more competition.

How to find a boat in person? This is the true vagabond way. In person, you can always negotiate a better deal and meet a lot of like-minded people.

1. Find out about the current sailing season: To make a passage, the wind needs to be right. To cross the Atlantic, that's from October to February, so do your research.

2. Find the right port: For example, you could technically start to hitchhike from any port in the Mediterranean, but every boat going out of the Mediterranean must pass through Gibraltar, and all boats have to pass the Canary Islands, in thise places you will find the most boats but also the most hitchhikers.

3. Be social with other hitchhikers: If you take a popular route like the Atlantic crossing, there will be other hitchhikers. Yes, they are technically competition, but make friends with them. My first boat was already full, but then a crew member canceled the day before leaving, and another hitchhiker I made friends with contacted me.

How to talk to captains:

• Online: My initial tactic was to wait until a captain came out of the pontoon and talk to them. This has the advantage of not getting in trouble with marina security, however, it will take a very long time, and you will miss some captains.
• In person: The other tactic is 20 times more effective. I used it only later but got a lot more maybes and finally found a boat with it. Get a notebook, hide your backpack, put on your best clothes, and wait for a captain to come out of the security door. Then just pretend that you belong there and walk in. Act like you belong there. Next, go from boat to boat and talk to anyone who is on the deck. Make a drawing of the marina and cross off any boat that you already asked. Note all maybes. If there is security, go out and try again in a few hours. If they ask you, tell them you are friends with one of the boat owners (preferably one you already met).

Important advice:

Build a network: Make friends with the captains. Ask them if they know any other boats in need of crew. Talk about their boat and their journey. You will learn about sailing, might get invited to dinner on their boats, and even be introduced to a captain who needs crew.

Get creative: There are other ways to meet captains. You could swim up to a boat at anchor in a bay, find out about sailing-related events where Captains might go, or find the closest bakery and put a flyer there.

Be careful: Once you find a Captain who wants to take you across the ocean, make sure they have experience, the boat is okay, and there are no social problems. Once you are on the ocean, you are trapped with them for maybe weeks with no contact with the outside world. I heard of a guy whose captain was in prison for 8 years because of rape. You don't want to go on his boat.

Be prepared for seasickness: The first 4 days, I threw up daily, and the first week I felt awful. Eventually, it went away, but be prepared for a tough ride if you are prone to seasickness. Also, get some medication beforehand. I didn't tolerate them, but they helped a lot of others.

Further Resources:

• There is a book called "Ocean Nomad" that deals with boathitchhiking in fair detail.

https://www.amazon.com/OCEAN-NOMAD-Complete-Contribute-Healthier/dp/9082745429

• I also recommend you read the hitchhiking wiki's entry about boathitchhiking.

https://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Hitchhiking_a_boat&mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop

• If you are interested in what it might look like, I have a YouTube channel with some videos about my trip (link on my profile).

Final words: To be successful, you need patience and endurance. On average, it will take 2 weeks to find a boat, but if you have endurance and time, you will find a boat. I have never met anyone who waited longer than 2 months. There will also be a lot of people, captains included, who will tell you it is impossible. Don't listen.

I am happy to answer any questions you have.

I've been thinking about hitchhiking in Europe for almost a year and now I got this ambitious idea about hitchhiking from the northernmost point of Europe to the southernmost point. (Nordkapp to Punta de Tarifa).

Do you know if anyone has ever hitchhiked this route?

I tried googling about it but couldn't find anything.

1. Hi everyone I'm thinking about going hitchhiking and I have some questions first of all how safe it is for me to go all alone? I'm 19m but I have like 50kg (110pounds) and 170cm (5.6)... well idk if I would be able to defend myself...
2. also... many of u said that Greece Spain Italy etc is really not a good option and u should stay away haha... why tho?
3. and last one... do u have any tips for me, what should I do, and what should I be aware of thx I hope someone will notice this
4. btw im from Czechia so if someone from CZ/SK is reading this or if you have time for random questions about hitchhiking u can dm pls

Hey all, I am a soon-to-be-graduate with some savings to spend. I have a project ending in Southern Kyrgyzstan in early September and I want to make it to a friend in Kathmandu that or the following month. Obviously I could fly, but I wonder if it would be possible to travel overland on the cheap(ish), even hitchhiking? I don’t mind roughing it and have lots of backpacking experience in rough and remote areas, but I am comparatively uninformed on this religiously diverse region.

I know it’s possible to travel through Xinjiang and on through Tibet, and I think this is my primary option, however I would love to see Pakistan and Kashmir, where I have another friend I’d love to visit en route.

In advance, I appreciate concern for risks in some of these areas (notably the climate, remoteness, and violence in Kashmir and elsewhere), but frankly this is part of the appeal for me - and this is an aspect I will visit more seriously after addressing logistical feasibility (I also recognise my privilege in this regard as a fairly large bloke…).

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hello does anyone have any advice for hitchhiking from Philly to Chicago? This is my first time ever hitchhiking, should I just start on an on-ramp to I-76? What supplies should I bring? Should I expect to have to sleep outside? How long should I expect a trip like this to take? Links to any recourses would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I want to hitchhike across Canada, starting from Toronto, Ontario to Vancouver,BC, my initial question is where should I start to look for rides starting from Ontario or near by area! Wanna know about a few good locations to get ride till Sudbury!

I have never hitchhiked before and need to get up from Southern California to Grants pass Oregon, any advice? Should I even bother or just take a bus? Seems like all people try to do is scare me away from that option, especially as a woman. Thanks 🙏🏻

Have you hitchhiked in Mexico essentially? Im planning to go all around Mexico but I'm fearful and I know there are some states that 'need to be avoid' but what are your thoughts?

Il be doing a short hitchhiking trip in the UK soon, havent really planned where im going, keeping it open. Just see where we end up.
Im heading to the European mainland in May so you could come along there too if you wished.

Hey all, me and my friend are starting our first hitchhiking adventure. And I was wondering if someone had experience with hitchhiking in Iceland. We’re two young girls and I’m getting a bit nervous about safety or that we will get stuck somewhere. Any tips appreciated, Thanks ;)

Do you carry knives while hitchhiking? What if you also want to camp? What’s legal across borders?

Hey guys, I am planning to visit Croatia next week. I have never tried hitchhiking before but really would love to try. I am thinking of hitchhiking from Zagreb to Rovinj, and from Opatija to Plitvicka Jezera. Not sure Any one has any experience to share? Like best spots to try luck, etc. Thanks a lot!

I understand that most people go into this voluntarily, but I've always wondered, if you decide that you don't want to do it anymore, and want a stable job and place to live, isn't it hard?

I don't view hitchhiking as homelessness and I don't view hitchhikers as homeless, but unless I'm mistaken, aren't many of the things hitchhikers do behaviors associated with homelessness?

I've always heard horror stories about how hard it is to stop being homeless once you become homeless. That combined with the US's housing shortage, expensive cost of living, and the crappy job market, and those are the main things that's always discouraged me from doing it. Especially without any money.

So like, is it hard and dangerous to reintegrate into the rat race after leaving it?

Hitchmap now has a route planner for long distance travel.

Some examples:

• Amsterdam to Barcelona
• Freiburg to Riga
• London to Berlin

The route planner only uses reviews of the past few years, as older reviews don't have destination data. If you notice a missing spot on a route, please add a new review!

Hey all,

I’ve been hitchhiking around the world and really love it. I’ve met awesome people, had indescribable adventures, and I’ve learned and grown a lot.

One question I have though is about the concept of begpacking. I’ve gotten the vibe in some southeast Asian countries that hitchhiking by ‘privileged foreigners’ is morally wrong.

I hitchhike for fun and to meet local people, not because a $3 bus ticket is too expensive. But now I’m having second thoughts on whether I should hitchhike. Does it matter if locals or foreigners think I’m a begpacker? Am I a begpacker? Should you only hitchhike in countries with established hitchhiking culture (eg Europe)?

I’m more than happy to share what I have or pay for lunch with my driver, but of course people driving by don’t know that. I’m a bit confused on how to think about hitchhiking in Southeast Asia when there’s this negative attitude toward begpackers.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.

First of all this is the story of my worst hitchhiking experience. This incident was sketchy AF but I still wouldn't give up my love for hitchhiking. I am a 21yo (20 at the time) man from Finland. Anyway, to the story...

This happened on the 2nd of December last year in Kalamata, Greece. I had been hitchhiking for quite a while at that point. I had started from Budapest and had hitchhiked through 7 different countries with only positive outcomes. The story begins around 11am on Saturday. Some hours before I had woken in my hammock hung up behind the castle ruins, in the only place that had trees that weren't someone's olive trees. I was tired from the lack of sleep caused by the cold night and early wake up by noises of the busy market across the street. After a quick tour of the town and some breakfast, it was time for hitchhiking.

I made a sign with the words "Athens" and "Sparta" in Greek. I was standing here: https://www.google.com/maps/@37.0452021,22.1256934,73m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu, by a road leading to a roundabout where the first exit goes towards Areopoli, the second towards Sparta and the third towards Athens. A lot of cars drove by, but nearly all of them took the first exit. It took at least an hour for the first car to stop. It was this small, quite old, worn out white car and driving it was an older guy (around 60) who looked a little dirty (greasy hair, some teeth missing and big nose filled with visible blackheads). He didn't really speak English but I could understand that he was going to Sparta. I was a bit frustrated by the fact that pretty much all the cars were going towards Areopoli so I thought this might be my only chance and jumped in.

We are trying to have a conversation but without a shared language it isn't really possible. We introduce ourselves and I try to explain where I'm from. He smokes and offers me a cigarette too but I refuse. We drive just shy of 6km before the guy suddenly makes a left turn and we end up in his yard. He stops the car, gets up and signals me to follow, so I do. I take my bags and feel a bit confused. It's a small house on the mountain surrounded by sheep and olive trees. There's a dog sleeping in the sun but it doesn't seem to be bothered by us at all.

We walk to this balcony/terrace that surrounds his house. I put my bags inside of his house and join him sitting on the balcony. He lights up another cigarette and asks if I want to eat something or maybe take a shower. I refuse and with the help of google translate I ask why we aren't going to Sparta. He answers that I can sleep at his house and he'll drive me there tomorrow. I try to explain that I would like to get to Sparta or even to Athens today so staying at his place isn't really an option. I'm pointing out that there's not that many cars going past his house (like 1 every 15min) and only some 4-5 hours of daylight left so every minute is valuable to me. He doesn't really seem to understand me so I get up and walk through the door to grab my bags.

I put my backpack on and pick up my other bag. I turn over and see him inside. I try to walk out but he stops me and guides my to the side. Locks the door and turns to me. At this moment I'm not panicking or anything because I assume that this is a form of hospitality and he is just doing this jokingly to offer me some food. I keep saying no to him but he doesn't care. Now he is standing right in front of me and I'm starting to feel very disturbed by his presence. For some reason I keep staring at his blackhead filled nose. The image still haunts me. He opens his mouth and raises his right hand in a loose fist in order to show me some blow job motion. I'm still saying no to him. He suddenly grabs me by the crotch and I can feel this cold tingling sensations shivering through my body as my hairs stand on end. I keep saying no and I start to raise my fist in order to hit him. We stand like this for a couple of seconds and he let's go. I'm still feeling the urge to hit him but I don't. He asks "no sex?" and I almost shout "no" at him in tone that makes it sound that I'm questioning the question itself. He open the door and I'm free.

I walk out feeling so fucking creeped out by the experience. I walk past the dog to the road and I see two pick-up trucks on the other side of the road. The trucks are surrounded by a group of hunters carrying shotguns on their shoulders. This makes me instantly feel a lot safer. I keep walking by the road for a while before a car passes me by. it's quite warm and I'm in the middle of nowhere so I empty one of my water bottles and turn upside down showing it to the cars passing by so they would think that I'm out of water. This works and the second car stops. I get to Sparta and later that day to Athens safely but I felt disgusting until I got to take shower.

Additional notes:

- I'm quite a lean guy and not that strong so I was lucky that the situation didn't end up worse. Though I think I could have beaten that also very lean shepherd grandpa.

- As a safety measure I carried a knife with me but it wasn't on me at the moment of the incident. Also the knife could have made the situation worse. Obviously I wouldn't have stabbed him unless it wasn't necessary.

- After this experience I still think hitchhiking is the best way of travelling.

My little brother spent his whole life vagabonding. Up to Alaska, down to Mexico, and even around Europe. He took his own life a few years ago, and I still miss him every day. He left a request to be cremated and laid to rest in his favorite place in the world, Ithaca NY. I want to honor his memory by hitchhiking from SLC, UT to Ithaca to take him on one last journey, and to be able to experience for the first time a little of what he lived. I've NEVER done anything like this in my life and I have NO IDEA how to go about it or what to expect. I would deeply appreciate ANY advice anyone can offer (what to bring, what routes to take, how long I can expect it to take cause I'll have to take time off work, tips n tricks). I'm shooting for this August around his birthday (hopefully I won't have to put it off again). Thanks in advance! My brother was on the road for a looong time, before a few years ago when he finally decided to take a rest, and I understand the traveling community can be tightknit, so I'll bet some of y'all met or knew him :)

For me it's breaking my wired headphones while trying to get into my rides as quickly as possible to not cause a fuss and dismounting my backpack unontrollably as I get too ecited somebody finally stopped, thereby damaging my cables. Broke 11 so far. Anybody else struggling with this or do you have different hidden costs?

And you had about 24hrs to do it.. how would you hedge your bets?

First time hitchhiker looking for advice and tips for this situation. (My situation come Sunday when I try and get to the path of the eclipse).

Thank you!

Which is best in your opinion? Would it be a hinderence to sit, since you might come a cross as more of a bum and that you are harder to see? I feel like standing might make me appear a little more unappealing.

We hitchhike to spain, now we are about to try and get out of Barcelona. No idea where we can go. Anyone have any easy acces spaces to wildkamp? Thanks :)

Ps: if you don’t want to share location; send pm.

Im on Couchsurfing and have been asking to stay with different hosts but no one seems available or isn’t answering my requests.

My plan is to hitchhike in Europe and then couchsurf to save on costs when out there.

Would anyone recommend asking their drivers if they can host them or know anyone that could? Or should it only be something they offer up?

Thanks for the input!