Changes

*'''(1) Border crossing [[Bad Bentheim]]''' {{average}}**At the border you'll find a big parking area for trucks, a police station and toilets. There's a bridge to walk over the highway to a restaurant on the other side of the road and another parking area (for people going into the [[Netherlands]]). Hitchhiking there is quite easy if you prefer trucks. Many trucks stops there and will give you a ride when they start their journey through [[Germany]]. Don't expect too much cars on the parking area, there is no petrol station and many people just don't want to stop because the police is hanging around there. Sometimes they close the border and check every car that is coming into [[Germany]]. If so, ''don't panic'' but be happy, because all cars have to pass the parking area, ideal for hitchhiking. Unfortunately, the police is not announcing the border controls.

*'''(2) {{Ramp}} [[Gildehaus]]''' {{south}} {{good}} -- {{north}} {{good}}**This is the first [[Germany|German]] ramp behind the border. Next to the ramp you'll find a small industrial park. Hitchhiking on the traffic island is not the best spot ever, but pretty doable. Mostly local traffic going towards [[Nordhorn]], Bad Bentheim or Oldenzaal. Good enough for getting towards one of the better on-ramps nearby, waiting times here are normally pretty short.*'''{{Parking}} Bentheimer Wald''' {{average}}**Just 3 km behind the 1st ramp drivers will recognize a small parking area with a toilet building. Hitchhiking from here is OK, some trucks stopping here and maybe some travellers from the [[Netherlands]] want to make a first stop in [[Germany]]. Just prepare yourself for waiting some 40-50 minutes, the A30 is sometimes very empty and then cars on this parking area are rare. Maybe you can ask one of the many passing border police cars to give you a ride. Questions about you and your stay in the [[Netherlands]] to find out if you have marijuana with you are normal, especially when you are a hitchhiker somewhere on the road from Amsterdam to [[Germany]] :-) Just relax and stay cool, the guys from the border police also do. Mostly. :-)*'''(3) {{Ramp}} [[Nordhorn]] / [[Bad Bentheim]]''' {{south}} {{Very Good}} -- {{north}} {{average}}-{{bad}}**Small traffic-island to stand on, some space for cars to stop behind. [[User:platschi|platschi]] was standing here lots of times and got lifts within only some minutes in direction [[Rheine]] or further. Not very good the situation towards the [[Netherlands]], not much traffic going there, mostly locals heading towards Oldenzaal, which is a much better place to hitch already. [[User:Platschi|Platschi's]] waiting time eastwards: average 5 minutes, westwards average 40 minutes. A lot of traffic here on weekdays between 3 and 4 pm!*'''(4) {{Ramp}} [[Schüttorf]]-Nord''' {{south}} {{average}} -- {{north}} {{bad}}**This ramp is quite small, there is not much space to stop cars when they go onto the highway. No hard shoulder to stand on, just a tiny traffic island. But if there is not much traffic (and that seems to be quite often), people can and will stop for you. It is directly at the highway junction, so take care where people are going to! [[User:Platschi|Platschi]] was standing here twice and got rides eastwards within seconds. For the other direction towards ''NL'', you're definitely wrong. Nobody is going up here for that direction, better try to hitch through the city towards [[Bad Bentheim]] and take the ramp there!*'''(5) {{Junction}} [[Schüttorf]] (highway junction)''' {{senseless}}**You can't get out here, and if you do so: it's illegal! Take care, often border police driving around this junction. Here the '''A30''' crosses the [[A31 (Germany)|A31]].*'''(6) {{Ramp}} [[Salzbergen]]''' {{average}}-{{bad}}**Quite small and tight ramp at the beginning of a little village. Few traffic, but [[User:Platschi|platschi]] had luck in December 2007 and got a ride within 5 minutes towards [[Osnabrück]]. Within this time three cars drove eastwards, but haven't seen any cars direction [[Netherlands]]. In January 2008 he waited for a ride into the other direction (NL) but recognized that 80% of the traffic went into direction [[Osnabrück]]. It seems that only a small bunch of cars is going onto the highway at all. Expect some longer waiting time. In Sep 08, he got a ride offer from here towards Amsterdam within 5 minutes. Luck?*'''{{Parking}}{{WC}} Emstal''' {{average}}-{{good}} [[File:ramp_kanalhafen.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Ramp (here: ''[[Rheine]]-Kanalhafen'') with traffic island.]]**The 2nd parking area along the '''A30'''. It is smaller than the first one, but it seems that more cars stop here. It has no petrol station, only a small toilet building and some space for parking. Nevertheless a good spot to get lifts, especially some cars in direction [[Netherlands]] stop here.*'''(7) {{Ramp}} [[Rheine]]-Nord''' {{south}} {{bad}} -- {{north}} {{good}}**This ramp is on a nice spot with traffic lights and much cars passing, but there is no place to stand if going towards Hannover. No hard shoulder or anything to let the cars stop for you, only some small space when you walk up the ramp for some meters. The place is doable, though, with waiting times mostly not longer than 10 minutes. For the other direction towards [[Netherlands|NL]] it's good, also with some green for stopping cars. If you want, you can force cars to stop by pushing the button at the traffic lights. Mostly rides towards [[Bad Bentheim]] on-ramp or south direction [[Oberhausen]], waiting time differs from 5 to 40 minutes.*'''(8) {{Ramp}} [[Rheine]]''' {{average}}**On-ramp with only a few cars passing by. Waiting could be long, but mostly it's possible to get rides within 30 minutes at least to one of the next on-ramps. Due to lack of traffic it's ok to stand on the side of the on-ramp, though there is no hard shoulder available. If it's impossible here, try to go around 500m down towards [[Rheine]], there's a traffic light and a restaurant where you can ask people that are stopping.*'''(9) {{Ramp}} [[Rheine]]-Kanalhafen''' {{average}}**Small ramp next to a tiny industrial park. Some traffic going on towards [[Osnabrück]], but again not much space to stop cars. Best option is to stand on the traffic island and smile to every passing car saying you want to go out of here. Might help, waiting time depends. Never try on a Sunday, but on normal working days it should be possible to get rides at least towards [[Rheine]]-Nord within 20-30 minutes, sometimes faster.*'''(10) {{Ramp}} [[Hörstel]]''' {{south}} {{Very Good}} - {{north}} {{good}}**This ramp is located behind a bridge where mostly some cars are parked, so it is sometimes difficult for you to see coming cars (also for them!) just before they head in the ramp. Best would also be here to stand on the traffic island, make yourself ''visible'' and try to catch some people going to [[Ibbenbüren]], [[Osnabrück]] or further. It's pretty easy. For going towards the [[Netherlands]] it's a bit more difficult, most cars only ride towards [[Rheine]]. Best is to catch a ride to [[Rheine]]-Nord.*'''(11a) {{Ramp}} [[Ibbenbüren]]-West''' {{average}}-{{bad}}**This is a new ramp. Not much traffic, mostly from an (not yet existing) industrial park. You can hitchhike on top of the bridge, so cars will recognize you early and can stop while going up the bridge.*'''(11b) {{Ramp}} [[Ibbenbüren]]''' {{Very Good}}**2 well-known fastfood restaurants next to the ramp, much traffic in both directions. Stand along the hard shoulder of the ramp, there's plenty of space for cars to stop! A sign '''OS''' (for [[Osnabrück]]) might help wonders. For direction [[Netherlands|NL]], just stand at the 3rd exit of the roundabout! Good spot though.*'''(12) {{Ramp}} [[Laggenbeck]] {{average}}**At this ramp there's enough space to stand on the hard shoulder, hitchhiking is okay, with all traffic going to [[Osnabrück]] anyway.*'''{{Parking}}{{WC}} Brockbachtal''' {{average}}-{{good}}**Parking area with ''no'' petrol station or restaurant. Some maps will tell you that, but that's a lie. A petrol station is planned for the next decade, but no constructions yet. In ''2005'' it was reconstructed into a bigger parking area. Nevertheless enough traffic eastwards, sometimes people get lost there thinking there's a petrol station. Luck for you! Waiting time between 20 and 50 minutes.*'''(13) {{Ramp}} [[Lotte]]''' {{senseless}}**Well, enough space for you to stand on, but nearly no traffic.*'''(14) {{Junction}} [[Lotte]] (highway junction)'''

**Here the [[A1 (Germany)|A1]] crosses the '''A30'''. It's of course not allowed to stand here, so if you want to go north towards [[Hamburg]] or south direction [[Münster]] or [[Ruhr Area]], be sure to get off the A30 here!*'''(15) {{Ramp}} [[Osnabrück|Hasbergen]]-Gaste''' {{average}} - {{bad}}

*'''(16) {{Ramp}} [[Osnabrück]]-Hellern''' {{north}} {{bad}} -- {{south}} {{bad}}**For going east: There's a big traffic light, but it's hard to stop traffic there, even the ramp is very small and no hard shoulder to stand on. Only safe possibility is the small way for cars coming from the left side. But anyway, it's possible. [[User:Platschi|Platschi]] hitchhiked here twice and got rides within ~30min towards the next ramp in ''Nahne''. For direction west, it's even harder, traffic ist fast and if they stop, it's dangerous because of drivers coming from behind can't overtake them properly. Also no hard shoulder on the ramp itself.*'''(17) {{Ramp}} [[Osnabrück]]-Sutthausen''' {{bad}}

*'''(18) {{Ramp}} [[Osnabrück]]-Nahne''' {{Very Good}}**Perfect ramp, take a look at the [[Osnabrück]] page for closer information. Nice hard shoulder to stand on! But take care, there are 2 ramps for going eastwards. Best is to take the one for traffic coming out of OS.*'''(19) {{Junction}} [[Osnabrück]]-Süd (highway junction)'''**Here the [[A33 (Germany)|A33]] crosses the '''A30'''. It's not allowed to stand here, so if you want to go south towards [[Bielefeld]], try to get out at the ramp in ''Nahne''!*'''(20) {{Ramp}} [[Natbergen]]''' {{average}}**Ramp has enough space to stand on, traffic is normal, mostly going towards [[Melle]].*'''(21) {{Ramp}} [[Bissendorf]]''' {{average}}**Not much traffic towards Osnabrück and with police station, seems not very popular for people to stop for you.*'''(22) {{Ramp}} [[Gesmold]]''' ?*'''(23) {{Ramp}} [[Melle]]-West''' ?*'''(24) {{Ramp}} [[Melle]]-Ost''' {{south}} {{very good}}**Very good for direction east. Just hitch behind the roundabout, there's enough space for cars to stop, and traffic drives slow. Perfect!*'''{{gas}} Service station ''Grönegau'' {{good}}**The only service station along the '''A30'''. Your spot for hitching further towards [[Bad Oeynhausen]] or the [[Netherlands]]. Quite good, always some traffic there, many Polish trucks going towards NL.*'''(25) {{Ramp}} [[Riemsloh]]''' ?*'''(26) {{Ramp}} [[Bruchmühlen]]''' ?*'''(27) {{Ramp}} [[Bünde]]''' ?*'''(28) {{Ramp}} [[Hiddenhausen]]''' ?*'''(29) {{Ramp}} [[Kirchlengern]]''' ?*'''(30) {{Ramp}} [[Löhne]]''' ?*'''(31) {{junction}} Dreieck-[[Löhne]]''' {{senseless}}**No way!*'''(32) {{Ramp}} [[Gohfeld]]''' ?