https://hitchwiki.org/en/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Caroneiro&feedformat=atomHitchwiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T07:24:14ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.32.3https://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Russia&diff=63223Russia2012-08-18T01:06:48Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
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<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Russia<br />
|language = Russian<br />
|capital = [[Moscow]]<br />
|pop = 145,274,019 <br />
|currency = Ruble (RUB)<br />
|hitch = <rating country='ru' /><br />
|BW = RU<br />
}}<br />
'''Russia''' is the largest country on Earth, and is a fantastic country for hitch hiking. It is well ingrained within the country's culture, and it is a much more comfortable way to see the country, compared to taking the train. Despite the popularity of hitch hiking compared to other countries, people will still be surprised by what you are doing.<br />
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It is possible to cover vast distances per day when hitching, greater than 1000 km if you are lucky, but generally only when using major M roads in Western Russia. Do not expect all M roads to be dual carriageways – sometimes even a major road is a narrow, unpaved muddy patch. Generally speaking, the further East you go, the worse the road condition gets. There are real motorways, though, marked with a green sign of an autobahn same as in Europe. Standards are improving too; there is an ongoing policy of funding the rebuilding many roads in Russia, which will bring standards to a much higher level.<br />
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Because you can get dropped off and immediately hitch onwards on nearly all roads in Russia, using a sign is never necessary and in fact the community recommends against it. In spite of the country's size, there are very few roads, here there is little ambiguity in where you could be going, when hitching from a given location. Hitchhiking in Russian is called ''Автостоп'' (avtostop). It literally means “car stopping”, and is basically the only word understood as hitching (i.e. travelling by getting lifts for free).<br />
When people ask you anywhere in russia: куда ты едешь? (where are you going to?) you should answer: я поеду в автостопом (ya payedu v avtastopom) then they will ask you another question and this time you say the name of the city. <br />
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In spite of popular belief about the dangers of Russia, and perceived problems with the police, as a hitch hiker you will more than likely have no problem in the country. Police will usually not bother you at all, even if they know you are a foreigner (except at the border - that is another matter), and as long as you take the usual precautions, you will not find yourself in danger from any person - the cold however, in winter time, is a much bigger issue. Being offered copious amounts of alcohol can also be a problem!<br />
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=== Maps ===<br />
In mostly all bigger book stores in Russia one can find the [http://www.allmaps.ru/avto_km_stolb/russia/ Автоатлас России] (''Auto Atlas Russia'') which is perfect for hitchhiking Russia. Including gas stations, DPS stations, even traffic lights along main roads. The atlas also includes city maps and maps of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and the Baltic states as well. Price is 377 RUB (July 2009).<br />
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Also, there are maps almost completely presenting full infrastructure of some cities including public transportation system at [http://www.2gis.ru/ 2gis.ru]. November, 1st 2009 there were 22 cities: Астрахань, Барнаул, Бийск, Екатеринбург, Иркутск, Казань, Кемерово ,Красноярск ,Курган, Нижневартовск, Нижний Новгород, Новокузнецк, Новосибирск, Одесса, Омск, Пермь, Самара, Тольятти, Томск, Тюмень, Уфа, Челябинск. U can use on-line version or download installer and use maps off-line. Also there is opportunity to use 2gis on Windows Mobile platform and even on usual cellphone with Java MIDP-2 engine (needs internet access).<br />
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== Safety ==<br />
[[File:2001 Hitch-hiking in Russia.jpg|thumb|280px|left|[[User:Sigurdas|Sigurdas]] hitch-hiking towards [[Murmansk]] from [[St. Petersburg]]. Winter 2001.]]<br />
Some consider Russian roads are not among the safest on Earth; this might or might not be true.<br />
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Its common knowledge Russians like to drink vodka, but you will unlikely meet a drunken driver unless you go deep into some village area; driving drunk is heavily penalized in Russia so majority of people never wants to run the risk if there is at least a single police checkpoint on the road (on all the major roads, there are many). But, just in case you encounter a car with a drunken driver inside – wave him away and wait for a sober one.<br />
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[[File:IMG 9652.JPG|thumb|200px|right|[[User:Lucysd|Lucysd]] 200 km from [[Mongolia]]]]<br />
If the area feels unsafe you might want to hitchhike from police post to police post. The police posts situated on all highways with intervals of about 100 km. These posts, commonly called Post DPS, are good places to hitchhike since cars will drive by slowly, and police is always close. You can also ask the police officers to help you get a ride which really might work. Be prepared to be asked for your ID or even run a cell-phone check (verification that your cell is not in the stolen cells database), though.<br />
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Also, there is a possibility to get a lift by talking to drivers on gas stations. You will not be misunderstood but since there are almost no highways and you can point your thumb anywhere, wasting time on a gas station waiting for cars is not preferred unless there is heavy raining, or the spot is bad etc. If there are two of you one can hitch on the road and the other one ask people on nearby gas station; that really might bring you a lift faster. But the “default” method of hitchhiking in Russia is still thumbing on the roadside ;)<br />
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Do not write places names on cardboards – nobody in this country cares to read them. Or, if you still want to use the paper, write a region number instead of the name (see below for a list of reg numbers).<br />
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Especially the southern provinces [[Dagestan]], [[Chechnya]] (worldwide most victims), [[Ingushetia]], [[North Ossetia]] and [[Kabardino-Balkaria]] have problems with land-mines.<br />
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=== Girls and solo-hitching ===<br />
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Many Russian girls do hitch alone, and still scary stories seldom hit the news lines. It does not at all mean that the country is free of perverts, and almost all of the solo-travelers (not necessarily girls) will tell you accounts of some sexual harassment they have encountered while hitching. 99% of such encounters end OK with nothing more serious then words but if you do not want to be asked for sex – or to hold a camera while somebody is masturbating – consider finding a travel buddy.<br />
Somehow, Russians are still very amused by foreigners, and many report that solo traveling even extremely long distances, like Central and Eastern Russia, for a foreign girl who speaks some Russian is absolutely safe since she is treated like someone ‘from the outside’ by virtually everyone. Keep in mind that being a foreigner you are somewhat protected from some issues that Russian hitchhikers face on the roads.<br />
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=== Border Crossings, Police, Visas and formalities ===<br />
The general consensus is that, providing your passport and visa are in order, you will have no problem entering Russia. Even hitching in at remote border crossings in the middle of the night is fine. However you are very likely to be held when leaving the country by a land crossing, particularly if hitching out. You will most likely be required to describe your trip in great detail, and explain other passport stamps. Do not worry if this happens, just answer their questions and you will be allowed to go. (eventually)<br />
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Whilst hitching in Russia, the police will occasionally stop the vehicle you are travelling in to check the driver's documents. There is a small possibility that your driver will be asked about you, the passenger. This is likely to be the only time your ID is likely to be checked when hitching in Russia, other than at the borders. The police will not ask for too much information usually; they will look at your passport, visa and immigration card, and they may take notes of your name and address. They will most likely not check your visa registration. <br />
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You do have to have your passport with the visa and other papers you get while crossing the border handy. A good idea is to put them in some transparent waterproof bag – the immigration card is absolutely soviet style, and will not survive even the light raining. <br />
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As a visitor to Russia, it is important to understand the registration rules. Officially, you must register your visa in Russia within 3 working days of arriving in the country, and also subsequently register again in any town or city you remain in for 3 days or longer. It is very important to understand these rules, particularly the former. Many Russians are also not aware of these rules, and may give wrong advice.<br />
If you are staying in a hotel or hostel, they will usually register you, often for free; even if you are staying at some friend's you might ask their staff for help too. If you are being hosted by a private citizen then you can register at the post office. This process is complicated and time consuming unfortunately, but registration provides peace of mind that you will have no problems if the police or border police try to find any.<br />
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If you do not plan to stay for a long time just have some strong evidence that you have just arrived. Buy a hamburger and keep the receipt before leaving some nice town or city you pass by (make sure there is the place‘s name on it). The train or bus tickets are the best means to persuade cops you are not hanging around St.Petersburg for half a year already, so you might take a short ride on a local train from time to time to have a set of tickets marking your way.<br />
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Whilst it is not recommended, you may be able to risk not registering your visa. The border police do not often check visa registration, particularly at non European borders, as it is too much hassle. Some regular tourists in Russia comment that the cost and time consumption of registering a visa is too great, and prefer to hope that they are not checked when leaving. However if you are caught with an unregistered visa, expect at least a 2000 Ruble fine.<br />
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If you are travelling anywhere North of St. Petersburg, particularly around Murmansk and towards Norway, it is highly recommended that you register your visa. User haggismn had registration and other documents checked three times at the various military check points. (not including the Norwegian border itself)<br />
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== Cities ==<br />
* [[Cheboksary]]<br />
* [[Moscow]]<br />
* [[Novosibirsk]]<br />
* [[Omsk]]<br />
* [[Petrozavodsk]]<br />
* [[St. Petersburg]]<br />
* [[Yekaterinburg]]<br />
* [[Voronezh]]<br />
* [[Rostov-on-Don]]<br />
* [[Sochi]]<br />
* [[Irkutsk]]<br />
* [[Ulan-Ude]]<br />
* [[Ufa]]<br />
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Count about 5 days from [[Moscow]] to [[Novosibirsk]], and about 18 days from Moscow to [[Vladivostok]].<br />
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=== Number plates ===<br />
Russian number plates contain a region code, that indicates the origin of the car and possibly the drivers destination.<br />
You can write it on a cardboard instead of a place name and use while thumbing. See [[Russian plate numbers]] for a list.<br />
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== Border Crossing ==<br />
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Citizens of most countries need a visa, the notable exceptions are most former Soviet states (apart from the Baltic states) and Israel. Most visa types require an invitation.<br />
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=== [[Azerbaijan]] ===<br />
The border seems to be open only for holders of CIS passports.<br />
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=== [[Baltic states|Baltics]] ===<br />
It's no problem to walk over the checkpoints in Latvia or Estonia to Russia.<br />
* [[Terehova-Zasitino border crossing]], towards [[Riga]] ([[Latvia]])<br />
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=== [[People's_Republic_of_China|China]] ===<br />
The crossing at Zabaykal'sk/Manzhouli requires that you are on board a vehicle. It is possible to get on board a Chinese tour bus for around 300 roubles. It is also ok to stand before the entrance to the border area and wait for a ride. As long as its not too cold, you shouldn't have any problem getting a ride. If you are not Chinese, Mongolian or Russian, prepare to be interrogated by the Russian border police about your journey. Coming from China is a similar process, however you will probably not be interrogated.<br />
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=== [[Finland]] ===<br />
* [[Torfyanovka-Valimaa border crossing]]<br />
* [[Brusnichnoe-Nuijamaa border crossing]]<br />
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=== [[Georgia]] ===<br />
The [[Verkhny Lars-Darial Gorge border crossing|Verkhny Lars - Darial Gorge crossing]] was reopened on March 1st, 2010 and since July 2011 is open for international travellers as well. Getting into [[Georgia]] via [[Abkhazia]] is not possible. For more specific information, check the [[Abkhazia]] article.<br />
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=== [[Lithuania]] ===<br />
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There are several border crossings between Lithuania and Russia's [[Kaliningrad Oblast]]<br />
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* [[Chernyshevskoye-Kybartai border crossing]]<br />
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=== [[Norway]] ===<br />
The high amount of security between Murmansk and the border with Norway is a relic of Soviet rule, when people could escape into Norway without fear of being deported, unlike Finland. You will find that it isn't possible to walk to the border. From about 5 km out you will need to be in a vehicle. However, hitching is no problem, provided your documents and registration are in order (they will be checked). The army may also assist you in getting a ride at the military check points. If you are leaving Russia, prepare to be interrogated at the Russian side of the border about your journey.<br />
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=== [[Poland]] ===<br />
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* [[Bagrationovsk-Bezledy border crossing]] with Russia's [[Kaliningrad Oblast]]<br />
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=== [[Ukraine]] ===<br />
The country is Russia's eternal 'native brother' and, despite all the political mess that constantly happens between the two states, [[Ukraine]] is one of the countries that is very easy to enter from Russia (Russians do not even need a foreign passport to enter it, as well as for [[Belarus]]). Make sure that the border crossing is working before attempting to use it. The big gate on the M2/E95 road ([[Moscow]] to [[Kharkiv]]) can be crossed on foot, which is very convenient because you do not have to wait in the line of the cars and you wont make your driver wait for you in case you have any delays with your passport. You will have to leave the car before all the checkpoints begin, though, or you will be considered a car passenger by the border police.<br />
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== Sleeping ==<br />
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Unfortunately, Russia still lacks a large hostel network. You can find several hostels in Moscow and in St. Perersburg, and they are gradually spreading over the country; but as for now, in almost any city nothing of the kind is available. To find both accommodation and company, you can use [http://hospitalityclub.org Hospitality Club], [http://couchsurfing.org CouchSurfing] and Russian+Ukranian+Belorussian Livejournal community [http://vpiska.livejournal.com Vpiska]. The official language of the latter is Russian but you can use English as well (ask other members to translate your post to Russian in the end of your message if you like). Just post the name of the locations you are planning to stay in, or your route, the dates of your possible arrival, the number of your party, some information about you and your mobile number.<br />
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If travelling long distances through the country, it is advisable to bring a sleeping bag and tent. If sleeping by the side of the road, try to find a place obscured by trees, and avoid places with stray dogs. Sleeping by the road is usually very safe, provided you are not visible. Security guards and police will usually not bother you if they see you.<br />
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Long-distance truck drivers are often very hospitable, and many will allow you to sleep in the second bunk of their cab.<br />
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There are many transit drivers taking cars across the country to and from Vladivostok. You may find yourself with one of these drivers for a number of days. There have been isolated incidents where people sleeping in these transit cars have been attacked and had their car stolen, and so the drivers may want you to stay with them for their own safety.<br />
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== External links ==<br />
* [http://010-vladok.reitsma.ru/ Story about hitchhiking from Rotterdam to Vladivostok] {{en}}<br />
* [http://no-planes.de/?p=76/ Story about hitchhiking from Hamburg to Lake Baikal] {{en}}<br />
* [http://hike.ru/ Russian hitchhiking website] {{ru}}<br />
* [http://www.bpclub.ru/index.php Russian backpacker & hitchhiker's forum] {{ru}}<br />
* [http://avp.travel.ru/ Academy of Free Travel, Moscow based hitchhiking club] {{ru}}<br />
* [http://vpiska.livejournal.com Livejournal 'Vpiska' community], mostly {{ru}} but {{en}} speakers are also welcome<br />
* [http://ru_autostop.livejournal.com Russian] hitchhiking communities. {{ru}}, but you can ask questions and get replies in {{en}}<br />
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{{IsIn|Asia}}<br />
{{IsIn|Eastern Europe}}<br />
{{Subdivisions of Russia}}<br />
{{Europe/countries}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
[[trash:Russia]]<br />
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[[Category:Russia| ]]<br />
[[Category:Eastern Europe]]<br />
[[Category:Asia]]<br />
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[[de:Russland]]<br />
[[es:Rusia]]<br />
[[fi:Venäjä]]<br />
[[fr:Russie]]<br />
[[ru:Россия]]<br />
[[tr:Rusya]]</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Niagara&diff=61763Niagara2012-06-11T11:07:40Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
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<div>in Niagara Falls, (the canadian side). Heading to Toronto, you'll find the best spot walking along Queen Elizabeth Highway.<br />
There's a great spot passing the touristic info center under the bridge (super nice if it's raining or snowing)</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=London_(Ontario)&diff=60231London (Ontario)2012-03-28T23:56:32Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
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<div>'''Going west to Windsor/Detroit:''' Hitch on the 401 with white oaks after passing the detour to Sarnia. It should be pretty easy to get a ride from there</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Toronto&diff=60230Toronto2012-03-28T23:53:38Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
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<div><map lat='43.76712702120528' lng='-79.34326171875' zoom='9' view='3' float='right' /><br />
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'''Toronto''' is the largest city in [[Canada]] with over 5 million inhabitants in the ''Greater Toronto Area''. It is also the capital city of [[Ontario]]. It is a fabulous city worth visiting, with a vibrant musical and cultural scene.<br />
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== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
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=== East toward [[Oshawa]], [[Kingston (Ontario)|Kingston]], [[Ottawa]] and [[Montreal]] ===<br />
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Some say that hitching out of Toronto is difficult. But as not so many points seem to have been tried yet, maybe you can give it a try and discover some new ones.<br />
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Easiest way: Bloor-Danforth subway all the way East to Kennedy, transfer to Scarborough RT, go all the way to McCowan, exit, walk North to Corporate Drive 401 ramp. In fact, on Google street view you can see a hitch hiker there getting picked up :)<br />
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To go East, you need to reach Highway 401, North of the city centre. You can reach it via Don Valley Parkway (404), slightly East of the centre. There are several on-ramps to it such as Dundas St and Queen St, a walkable distance from the centre. Please note that you cross a deprived area on your way there (around Moss park), but it's generally safe. <br />
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Others advise to avoid hitching within city limits, as it is an approach sometimes used by prostitutes to acquire customers. If you prefer, you may take transit to one of the smaller centres outside of the city. GO transit (www.gotransit.ca) has regular trains leaving Union station downtown Toronto for Oshawa (60km). Get off at the Oshawa train station, there are on-ramps onto the 401 nearby (20 mins unpleasant walk). Oshawa also has it's own public transit system that can get you further east. Have a sign for points east, as there is a lot of local traffic in the Oshawa area. Alternatively, from Oshawa, you can get aboard a GO bus for Peterborough (80km), or a ride VIA rail into Cobourg (117km). Both of these cities are well out of the GTA and are easier to walk to good hitching points. Onramps onto the 401 in Cobourg are good spots, and if you find yourself in Peterborough, the junction of HWY 115 and Lansdowne st, where HWY 7 begins, is a good place to begin travels towards Ottawa. Highway 7 between Peterborough and Ottawa is notorious for being a bit tough to hitch on, though I personally have never had difficulties on it. <br />
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Also, there is a large service station off the 401 near Bowmanville, which may be a good spot to get a lift east.<br />
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NOTE: [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]] is well known for being a jailing centre, there are more than 10 prisons in the area. It is a very, very difficult place to get picked up from. If Kingston is not your destination, consider taking a ride that gets you well beyond it. Though, if you're curious, Kingston is one of Ontario's most charming cities, despite all the jails!<br />
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=== SouthWest toward [[Hamilton]], [[Niagara]] and [[Buffalo]] ===<br />
My experience from yesterday,this route is quite challenging but not impossible.Take a subway to Kipling Station,transfer to a bus 123,go all the way until the end.Just across the street from the last bus stop you will see Tim Hortons.One block away you will notice big traffic flowing to Mississauga ,that s the exit ramp you wanna put your thumb.It didnt work for me,the area is still within city limits,people are grumpy ,tired after long day of work,big chance they wont even bother paying attention on you.however if you walk along this highway all the way to Mississauga center,take a first ramp called Cawtrha.this spot will take you down south to Hamilton and Buffalo.It worked for me.<br />
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The last bus stop on the 123 is called Longbranch, it's on Lakeshore; if you keep on the side of the road you're on and walk forward, there's a pretty good place to hitch within your line of sight. If you stay on Lakeshore it'll take you through Oakville and Burlington into Hamilton. In Hamilton, if you're heading towards Niagara or Buffalo, your best bet is to get onto Centennial Pkwy where it turns onto the QEW. I got a ride from there into Lincoln (about halfway from Hamilton to Niagara Falls, right beside St. Catherine's) and went from a gas station there to the Falls. A lot of people will tell you not to take drivers advice, but if you're unfamiliar with the area (as I was) locals are usually happy to tell you what secondary roads feed into the major arteries, and from there you can just use your intuition to find a good spot.<br />
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=== West toward [[Kitchener (Ontario)]], [[London (Ontario)]], [[Windsor (Ontario)]], [[Sarnia]] and [[Detroit]] ===<br />
Get to the airport by going to Kipling station and taking the express shuttle to the airport, and then go to the 401 to hitch from there. Another option is to go all the way to Milton and hitching from there.<br />
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=== North toward [[Barrie]] ===<br />
{{IsIn|Ontario}}<br />
This method gets you just north of Major Mackenzie drive which is far enough outside of Toronto that you will be able to get a lift. In the Summer, you can take the subway to Yorkdale station (I believe York Mills Station works too), Proceed to the GO Bus Terminal and buy a direct ticket to Wonderland (should be $4-5). When you arrive at the park it is about a 200 meter walk back to Highway 400. There is an overpass on/off ramp right there, where you can wait for a ride. When you get off at the Park if you go in the opposite direction from the highway about 300 m there is a large plaza with lots of gas stations and fast food joints for food, including a Tim Hortons for your coffee fix. Also check the "Canada's Wonderland" website for updated info on this bus, under the heading "Planning a visit" then "Directions". <br />
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Helpful Tip:<br />
Try to convince the bus driver to let you off just after you get off highway 400 if you want to avoid the walk from the park back to the highway.<br />
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Alternate Route to the Park:<br />
To my opinion, the best way to get there - operating year round, cheap, frequent: take the ttc bus 165D from Wilson subway to its last stop, Hwy 400 Car Pool Lot. Buses run Mon-Sat from 5.43am - 24 to 30 mins interval, last bus at 9.51pm. If You will not get a ride north, the last bus 165D back to Toronto runs at 10.54pm. Sunday: they run from 8.50am till 8.10pm - every 32-40 minutes. You can use a free transfer from the subway, and You are supposed to pay extra $0.35 since You travel past the city border. <br />
This last stop is only a FEW METERS from the ramp! THe ramp is in a good place because it is out of the city, yet there is enough traffic on it. This seems to be the best spot to hitch north/transcanada from Toronto.<br />
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Another effective way of hitching out of Toronto Heading north along the 400: Take the TTC to Finch and Jane and walk West along Finch until you reach the ramp to the 400. You can stand on the sidewalk at the edge of the on ramp to the 400 North and avoid any legal woes this way. There is enough of a curb that people can safely pull over and enough traffic to make this feasible. I have hitched from here 5 times and have never wated longer than an hour. Good luck! (If you can get to the bass pro shop...this is a good place to start also, though it is difficult to get to off the getgo). <br />
[[trash:Toronto]]<br />
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[[Category:Canada]]<br />
[[Category:Ontario]]<br />
[[Category:Greater Toronto Area]]</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Uruguay&diff=60229Uruguay2012-03-28T23:46:24Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
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<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Uruguay<br />
|in = South America<br />
|map = <map lat='-32.6' lng='-55.5' zoom='6' view='0' height='300'/><br />
|language = Spanish<br />
|capital = [[Montevideo]]<br />
|pop = 3,477,779<br />
|currency = Uruguayan peso (UYU)<br />
|hitch = <rating country='uy' /><br />
}}<br />
'''Uruguay''' is a country in [[South America]]. <br />
<br />
More than half of Uruguay's population is concentrated in the capital of [[Montevideo]], meaning a very low population density in the country's interior. In the Uruguayan countryside you will doubtlessly encounter some of the most laid back, friendly folks you could imagine. Humble, generous and curious about anyone passing through, it is the people rather than the geography that make travel memorable in this overlooked corner of the continent. A stable, democratic country with low levels of corruption, high levels of education, and the noticeable absence of the class division, Uruguay is often called the Switzerland of South America. Check it out. The tranquility of the countryside and the openness of the people will leave an impression on any traveler.<br />
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Uruguay is a relatively small country, so travelling from the top Northern City to Montevideo would not take much time. From Rivera (a border town with Brazil) to Montevideo is only 520 km.<br />
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As far as hitchhiking/vagabond traveling go, Uruguay's a pretty easy place to hang out. Probably about 1 in 4 cars will give you a lift (outside of Montevideo). Unfortunately there are many stretches of desolate (but pretty) highway where you'll be lucky to see 4 cars pass in an hour. Expect long waits. The coast, from [[Chuy]] to [[Colonia De Sacramento]], is more trafficked and therefore an easier place to get a lift. The beaches aren't stunning but there are some cool towns, sand dunes, and even sea lions to be seen. Whether arriving to or departing from Montevideo, expect to use public transportation to get you into/out of town.<br />
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Many Uruguayan locals have hitchhiked through their country, and have had great experiences and good rides.<br />
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'''Chuy''': Right after passport control you can get a ride in about 5 minutes, unfortunately rides will be short most of the time, so try to get to Uruguay early in the morning, otherwise you will be stuck on Punta del diablo or even worst Castillo.<br />
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''''''Montevideo''' to Colonia and Gualeguaychu.''' Catch the Santiago Vazquez bus in downtown Montevideo Vazquez and Mercedes(not sure of the bus number though, you should ask) When you get to Santiago Vazquez cross the bridge and start hitching after the toll. If going to Gualeguaychu get off in the 2 and start hitching there. However it's strongly recommended to go to Colonia. If you're going from Colonia to Gualeguaychu hitch on the 21. Even if you will see the ugliest towns in the country and you'll get cider instead of water people are super nice. <br />
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== Sleeping out ==<br />
Montevideo is the only city in the country where it's not recommended to sleep on the street. In the rest of the country, you can sleep rough without a care. Football stadiums are recommended. Scale a wall, watch out for night shift workers, and cozy up in a press box. Pretty luxurious. And you can shower at just about any service station for a dollar or two.<br />
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== Food ==<br />
Don't forget to try alfajores, a cookie-ish delicacy. Opt for homemade ones or the brand Punta Ballena. And to maximize your experience, you'll need to drink a lot of mate. For Uruguayans, yerba mate is practically a religion. Everyone carries a thermos and a mate gourd pretty much everywhere they go. "Me convidas con un mate?" is a good way to start a conversation and make a new friend. If you really wanna make friends here, point out that Uruguay advanced further in the World Cup than its two football powerhouse neighbors. And of course, Forlan is better than Messi.<br />
<br />
Chivitos is also an excellent choice in Uruguayan food. More a fast food, Chivitos is huge flattened Sandwich, that consists of 3 to 4 kinds of Vegetables with a huge piece of meat. In towns, the Chivitos will cost around 65-80 Uruguayan Pesos, and in Montevideo or more Touristic Cities, it can range from 90 to 140 Pesos.<br />
<br />
Like in Argentina, Uruguay is also known for their traditional Barbecues. Specially in towns like Rivera or Tacuarembó, Barbecues starts from 6 pm and meanwhile everybody drinks, sings and dance until the meat is done, which will be already 10 pm. Expect to eat huge amounts of meat, specially in towns. One of their favorites is probably the Sausage that has cheese inside it. A delicious treat !<br />
<br />
Again, like in Argentina, the Dulce de Leche is very widely known.<br />
<br />
'''VEGETERIANS''' can find pasta about anywhere for 5 dollars in restaurants, otherwise eat lots of fruits.<br />
<br />
== Personal Experience ==<br />
There is very few traffic on the Uruguayan Highways, hence the fact that the entire country only has 3.5 million inhabitants. We could not hitch a single ride on that day, and so we called it a night after it started getting dark. The next day we walked and hitched, and walked and hitched...until a truck picked us up, and took us all the way to Montevideo. Which was some 490 kilometers from where we were standing. Hitchhiking in Uruguay is definitely better then Argentina. (Tony Tung)<br />
<br />
[[Category:South America]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Uruguay]]<br />
[[es:Uruguay]]<br />
[[fr:Uruguay]]</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Uruguay&diff=59652Uruguay2012-02-12T20:35:33Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Uruguay<br />
|in = South America<br />
|map = <map lat='-32.6' lng='-55.5' zoom='6' view='0' height='300'/><br />
|language = Spanish<br />
|capital = [[Montevideo]]<br />
|pop = 3,477,779<br />
|currency = Uruguayan peso (UYU)<br />
|hitch = <rating country='uy' /><br />
}}<br />
'''Uruguay''' is a country in [[South America]]. <br />
<br />
More than half of Uruguay's population is concentrated in the capital of [[Montevideo]], meaning a very low population density in the country's interior. In the Uruguayan countryside you will doubtlessly encounter some of the most laid back, friendly folks you could imagine. Humble, generous and curious about anyone passing through, it is the people rather than the geography that make travel memorable in this overlooked corner of the continent. A stable, democratic country with low levels of corruption, high levels of education, and the noticeable absence of the class division, Uruguay is often called the Switzerland of South America. Check it out. The tranquility of the countryside and the openness of the people will leave an impression on any traveler.<br />
<br />
Uruguay is a relatively small country, so travelling from the top Northern City to Montevideo would not take much time. From Rivera (a border town with Brazil) to Montevideo is only 520 km.<br />
<br />
As far as hitchhiking/vagabond traveling go, Uruguay's a pretty easy place to hang out. Probably about 1 in 4 cars will give you a lift (outside of Montevideo). Unfortunately there are many stretches of desolate (but pretty) highway where you'll be lucky to see 4 cars pass in an hour. Expect long waits. The coast, from [[Chuy]] to [[Colonia De Sacramento]], is more trafficked and therefore an easier place to get a lift. The beaches aren't stunning but there are some cool towns, sand dunes, and even sea lions to be seen. Whether arriving to or departing from Montevideo, expect to use public transportation to get you into/out of town.<br />
<br />
Many Uruguayan locals have hitchhiked through their country, and have had great experiences and good rides.<br />
<br />
== Sleeping out ==<br />
Montevideo is the only city in the country where it's not recommended to sleep on the street. In the rest of the country, you can sleep rough without a care. Football stadiums are recommended. Scale a wall, watch out for night shift workers, and cozy up in a press box. Pretty luxurious. And you can shower at just about any service station for a dollar or two. <br />
<br />
== Food ==<br />
Don't forget to try alfajores, a cookie-ish delicacy. Opt for homemade ones or the brand Punta Ballena. And to maximize your experience, you'll need to drink a lot of mate. For Uruguayans, yerba mate is practically a religion. Everyone carries a thermos and a mate gourd pretty much everywhere they go. "Me convidas con un mate?" is a good way to start a conversation and make a new friend. If you really wanna make friends here, point out that Uruguay advanced further in the World Cup than its two football powerhouse neighbors. And of course, Forlan is better than Messi.<br />
<br />
Chivitos is also an excellent choice in Uruguayan food. More a fast food, Chivitos is huge flattened Sandwich, that consists of 3 to 4 kinds of Vegetables with a huge piece of meat. In towns, the Chivitos will cost around 65-80 Uruguayan Pesos, and in Montevideo or more Touristic Cities, it can range from 90 to 140 Pesos.<br />
<br />
Like in Argentina, Uruguay is also known for their traditional Barbecues. Specially in towns like Rivera or Tacuarembó, Barbecues starts from 6 pm and meanwhile everybody drinks, sings and dance until the meat is done, which will be already 10 pm. Expect to eat huge amounts of meat, specially in towns. One of their favorites is probably the Sausage that has cheese inside it. A delicious treat !<br />
<br />
Again, like in Argentina, the Dulce de Leche is very widely known.<br />
<br />
'''VEGETERIANS''' can find pasta about anywhere for 5 dollars in restaurants, otherwise eat lots of fruits.<br />
<br />
== Personal Experience ==<br />
There is very few traffic on the Uruguayan Highways, hence the fact that the entire country only has 3.5 million inhabitants. We could not hitch a single ride on that day, and so we called it a night after it started getting dark. The next day we walked and hitched, and walked and hitched...until a truck picked us up, and took us all the way to Montevideo. Which was some 490 kilometers from where we were standing. Hitchhiking in Uruguay is definitely better then Argentina. (Tony Tung)<br />
<br />
[[Category:South America]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Uruguay]]<br />
[[es:Uruguay]]<br />
[[fr:Uruguay]]</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Argentina&diff=59651Argentina2012-02-12T20:31:42Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Argentina<br />
|in = South America<br />
|map = <map lat='-41' lng='-64' zoom='4' view='0' height='550' country='Argentina'/><br />
|language = Spanish<br />
|capital = [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
|pop = 40,482,000<br />
|currency = Peso (ARS)<br />
|BW = AR<br />
|hitch = <rating country='ar' /><br />
|hitchbase = 9<br />
}}<br />
'''[[Argentina]]''' is a country in [[South America]]. The capital is [[Buenos Aires]]. It has borders to [[Chile]], [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Paraguay]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking culture ==<br />
<br />
For hitchhikers '''Argentina''' can be divided into two parts. The North, which is pretty okay to hitchhike, and the South on which opinions vary a lot: it may be difficult to hitchhike if you get into the lonely dirt roads of the Patagonia, because population is scarce. But if you travel southward to the end of Argentina, rides may be a little bit hard, but they take you a long way along.<br />
<br />
Argentina has a reputation for variable to long waiting times. Several hours isn't unusual overall.<br />
<br />
It seems to be much safer, faster, and informative to ask drivers at roadside stops such as gas stations and truckstops. Standing on the road with a thumb out can last for hours, and is really a last resort. If you want to go far, go with the truckers. They will carry you sometimes over 1000 km, and leave you at a good place to continue. Just keep asking. When you're looking for a ride at truck stops, keep an eye out for Brazilian and Chilean plates. Truckers from these neighboring countries are usually much more willing to give you a ride than the Argies, who will bullshit you about the transport company having sensors in the seats and harsh fines for taking riders.<br />
<br />
It's considered normal to ask the people working filling tanks at gas stations to ask people for you. If you're a foreigner, do mention it! A Dutch guy mentioned that it seems to be a lot easier to get rides.<br />
<br />
==Northern Argentina==<br />
<br />
Even if northern Argentina has recently seen several cases of crime for both the hitchhiker and the driver, it's still easy to hitch there (unlike in Bs As). In 2011 2 french female around Salta, Argentina, raped and killed by a local. And personal experiences of Chilean Truck Drivers, being drugged by an old lady he picked up, whom invites him to a Mate Drink. Unfortunately, 900 dollars was robbed. Since these problems are from the last 2 years, local Argentine drivers are scared of picking up people. Travelling by 2 or more is even harder.<br />
But once you get rides, it will be one of your most smoothest rides. And people are very friendly. They like to invite you to (not drugged) mate´s and even some of there local foods, like the empanadas. <br />
<br />
'''Jujuy:''' Great landscapes and full colored mountains, you might wait up to 2 hours but you can be sure somebody will pick you up.<br />
Don't bother about Gendarmes and checkpoints, I hitched right next to them. Take the 34<br />
<br />
'''Salta:''' Really easy to hitch here, I got picked up in about 30 minutes. Greener than Jujuy<br />
<br />
'''Tucumán:''' Harder than Jujuy or Salta, besides out of all northern provinces is the most dangerous... If you're heading to Bs As TAKE THE 45 PESOS train to retiro, even if their incredibly bad designed website says tickets are sold out arrive a couple of minutes before departure and tell them you must get there. CARRY YOUR OWN FOOD AND DRINKS and prepare for the heat and the really<br />
disgusting toilets hehehe...<br />
<br />
'''Formosa:''' People are not used to tourist and will be asking really weird questions, cause they don't understand what are you doing<br />
there.. there's not a lot of traffic in the 81. But I never got stuck anywhere.. Beware of the extreme hot temperatures!!!!<br />
<br />
[[File:C_rivadavia.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[User:narfette|narfette]] hitchhiking on ruta 3, Trelew, Argentina]]<br />
<br />
=== Toll Roads ===<br />
<br />
There are quite some ''peajes'' (toll passages). In the South however, these are not so good and you will just be sent away after a while.<br />
<br />
=== License Plates ===<br />
<br />
License plates are black, composed by three white letters and three white numbers. If you're in another country and hitching to Argentina, look for these plates!<br />
<br />
=== Maps ===<br />
<br />
A normal map is pretty expensive, but there is a road map containing many countries of [[South America]] for something like 10 pesos. [http://www.br.map24.com/ Map24] (in Portuguese) has information about the whole of [[South America]].<br />
<br />
== Public Transport ==<br />
Buses are expensive but unbelievable nice. Fully reclining seat and food provided. If you take a bus, treat it as a hotel and save a night's hotel fees.<br />
<br />
Trains are super cheap but only serve limited routes. They are an excellent way to see the countryside and come in contact with a different segment of the population than you'd encounter on a 1st class bus. Highly recommendable. <br />
<br />
In the cities you generally need exact change (coins, no paper money) to pay your fare, so hold on to those 1 peso coins.<br />
<br />
== Regions & Cities ==<br />
<br />
Patagonia has a single very crowded road, which is the ''national ruta nº 3'' that goes along the coast. It is your better bet when heading South.Although there are often many kilometers in between villages, it is a well travelled road.<br />
<br />
There are also some East-West roads, some of them being dirt, some being pavement. It is easy to get a ride on the paved road but dirt roads, however, are much harder because of the lack of vehicles.<br />
<br />
The ''national ruta nº 40'' goes from San Carlos de Bariloche (South) is a road that gets frequently closed off because of the bad weather and is reputed to be hellish to hitch on - fewer cars, unpaved sections and some people have said they have gone days without seeing anyone. Winding, remote mountain roads and bad weather conditions in any season but summer make it less travelled by truckers and therefore is not recommended. [[Petrol station hitchhiking|Gas stations]] are generally your best bet, although roadside hitching is possible. <br />
:In my experience, Ruta 40 is a moderate/difficult but possible hitch during tourist season. You'd be insane to try any other time. Your best bet on Route 40 (at least the southern bit) would be Chilean truckers. From Perito Moreno to Punto Gallegos, the Chileans use the Argentine roads for lack of similar infrastructure in their own country. Also Chilean truckers are way nicer than their Argentine counterparts.<br />
<br />
Ruta 81 starts goes form Embarcación to Formosa. (Border city with Paraguay)<br />
<p>Ruta 11 goes from Formosa to Corrientes/Resistencia (Border cities with southern Paraguay)</P><br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:img0080ow5.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[User:SAn|SAn]] hitchhiking in Argentina]]<br />
* [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
* [[Cordoba (Argentina)|Cordoba]]<br />
* [[Gualeguay]], [[Gualeguaychu]]<br />
* [[Larroque]]<br />
* [[Mendoza]]<br />
* [[Neuquen]]<br />
* [[Posadas]]<br />
* [[Quines]]<br />
* [[Rosario]]<br />
* [[San Luis]], [[San Marcos Sierra]]s<br />
* [[Villa Maria]]<br />
* [[Zapala]]<br />
<br />
== Safety ==<br />
<br />
One word of advice is that although traffic is much heavier in the north, the routes do cross major cities, and hitchhiking is much more dangerous near urban centers. It would be advisable, if possible, to get off at the nearest pueblo and take a bus into cities such as Cordoba, Santa Fe, Rosario, etc. The same can be said for leaving. In the south there are really no big cities, and the highways all have gas stations, and the people are much more helpful. No danger there.<br />
<br />
== Border Crossing ==<br />
<br />
Argentinian border crossings are pretty laid back. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] crossed 4 times in 2006 and doesn't have clear memories about it (meaning it's not that a big deal).<br />
You better avoid changing money at the border crossings though. <br />
<br />
If you're coming from or entering Chile in Patagonia, you can possibly expect a needlessly complicated and long process once you arrive to Argentine customs if their X-Ray machine is broken (which it often is).They must do a manual search of your bags and tend to find silly, irrelevant things like tin foil that are apparently a matter of National Security. [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] was once delayed leaving Argentina at the Paso Austral to Chile for several hours because of a 'suspicion' that turned out to be baseless. Fortunately, the ''Gendarmeria'' have poorly trained attack dogs who care more about playing with towels than sniffing for contraband.<br />
<br />
==Northern Chile - Argentina==<br />
Crossing in to the Borders of Jujuy, Argentina is not as easy as the other ones in the nation. Once you get to migrations at Paso Jama, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.. the officials will require you to fill in a documents, mentioning your transportation. And in the case of hitchhiking, you must fill in the name of your driver, and the driver must as well fill in HIS form with your name. This is due to the fact that they wont let you thumb nor walk at the Paso Jama. So you must first get yourself a truck driver, who is willing to take you and do all the papers.<br />
Once you arrive to Argentine Borders, and you happen to not be with your Truck Driver anymore, you must do the same thing here. The reason they will give you here, is that the distance from the border to the next town or city is to big, so they would not want you to try to walk your way to next town... which is at least some 200 to 300 km.<br />
<br />
== Eating & Drinking ==<br />
<br />
As a vegan you're down to fruits and veggies from the markets. No restaurant will serve anything vegan. As a vegetarian you're down to pizzas.<br />
<br />
== Accommodation & Sleeping ==<br />
<br />
[[User:Guaka|guaka]] slept next to a gas station once, without a tent, without being bothered by anything but mosquitos.<br />
<br />
<br />
In 2010 [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] squatted in an empty shipping container behind a gas station in [[Ushuaia]] for 45 days. He also has squatted up service stations from Bariloche all the way to Salta, with just a ratty sleeping bag and body odor. He would sometimes get free sandwiches from staff/passerby, and the occasional shower when he started to be mistaken for garbage.<br />
<br />
Note that hitchhiking is usually much faster when [[Appearance|keeping clean]] and when you mind your personal hygiene. YPF service stations in Argentina oftentimes have very cheap, or even free, shower facilities. A few of them even have low-price laundry services that are an excellent resource for any type of traveller.<br />
<br />
== Other Useful Info ==<br />
<br />
=== Vaccinations ===<br />
In many hospitals around the country anyone can get FREE vaccinations such as ones for yellow fever, etc.<br />
<br />
* [http://www.autostopargentina.com.ar/ Autostop Argentina] (in Spanish)<br />
{{Hitchbase_country|9}}<br />
{{Template:South_America/countries}}<br />
<br />
[[wikipedia:Argentina]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Argentina]]<br />
[[Category:South America]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Argentinien]]<br />
[[es:Argentina]]<br />
[[fi:Argentiina]]<br />
[[fr:Argentine]]<br />
[[pt:Argentina]]</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Argentina&diff=59650Argentina2012-02-12T20:30:27Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Argentina<br />
|in = South America<br />
|map = <map lat='-41' lng='-64' zoom='4' view='0' height='550' country='Argentina'/><br />
|language = Spanish<br />
|capital = [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
|pop = 40,482,000<br />
|currency = Peso (ARS)<br />
|BW = AR<br />
|hitch = <rating country='ar' /><br />
|hitchbase = 9<br />
}}<br />
'''[[Argentina]]''' is a country in [[South America]]. The capital is [[Buenos Aires]]. It has borders to [[Chile]], [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Paraguay]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking culture ==<br />
<br />
For hitchhikers '''Argentina''' can be divided into two parts. The North, which is pretty okay to hitchhike, and the South on which opinions vary a lot: it may be difficult to hitchhike if you get into the lonely dirt roads of the Patagonia, because population is scarce. But if you travel southward to the end of Argentina, rides may be a little bit hard, but they take you a long way along.<br />
<br />
Argentina has a reputation for variable to long waiting times. Several hours isn't unusual overall.<br />
<br />
It seems to be much safer, faster, and informative to ask drivers at roadside stops such as gas stations and truckstops. Standing on the road with a thumb out can last for hours, and is really a last resort. If you want to go far, go with the truckers. They will carry you sometimes over 1000 km, and leave you at a good place to continue. Just keep asking. When you're looking for a ride at truck stops, keep an eye out for Brazilian and Chilean plates. Truckers from these neighboring countries are usually much more willing to give you a ride than the Argies, who will bullshit you about the transport company having sensors in the seats and harsh fines for taking riders.<br />
<br />
It's considered normal to ask the people working filling tanks at gas stations to ask people for you. If you're a foreigner, do mention it! A Dutch guy mentioned that it seems to be a lot easier to get rides.<br />
<br />
==Northern Argentina==<br />
<br />
Even if northern Argentina has recently seen several cases of crime for both the hitchhiker and the driver, it's still easy to hitch there (unlike in Bs As). In 2011 2 french female around Salta, Argentina, raped and killed by a local. And personal experiences of Chilean Truck Drivers, being drugged by an old lady he picked up, whom invites him to a Mate Drink. Unfortunately, 900 dollars was robbed. Since these problems are from the last 2 years, local Argentine drivers are scared of picking up people. Travelling by 2 or more is even harder.<br />
But once you get rides, it will be one of your most smoothest rides. And people are very friendly. They like to invite you to (not drugged) mate´s and even some of there local foods, like the empanadas. <br />
<br />
'''Jujuy:''' Great landscapes and full colored mountains, you might wait up to 2 hours but you can be sure somebody will pick you up.<br />
Don't bother about Gendarmes and checkpoints, I hitched right next to them. Take the 34<br />
<br />
'''Salta:''' Really easy to hitch here, I got picked up in about 30 minutes. Greener than Jujuy<br />
'''<br />
Tucumán:''' Harder than Jujuy or Salta, besides out of all northern provinces is the most dangerous... If you're heading to Bs As TAKE THE 45 PESOS train to retiro, even if their incredibly bad designed website says tickets are sold out arrive a couple of minutes before departure and tell them you must get there. CARRY YOUR OWN FOOD AND DRINKS and prepare for the heat and the really<br />
disgusting toilets hehehe...<br />
'''<br />
Formosa:''' People are not used to tourist and will be asking really weird questions, cause they don't understand what are you doing<br />
there.. there's not a lot of traffic in the 81. But I never got stuck anywhere.. Beware of the extreme hot temperatures!!!!<br />
<br />
[[File:C_rivadavia.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[User:narfette|narfette]] hitchhiking on ruta 3, Trelew, Argentina]]<br />
<br />
=== Toll Roads ===<br />
<br />
There are quite some ''peajes'' (toll passages). In the South however, these are not so good and you will just be sent away after a while.<br />
<br />
=== License Plates ===<br />
<br />
License plates are black, composed by three white letters and three white numbers. If you're in another country and hitching to Argentina, look for these plates!<br />
<br />
=== Maps ===<br />
<br />
A normal map is pretty expensive, but there is a road map containing many countries of [[South America]] for something like 10 pesos. [http://www.br.map24.com/ Map24] (in Portuguese) has information about the whole of [[South America]].<br />
<br />
== Public Transport ==<br />
Buses are expensive but unbelievable nice. Fully reclining seat and food provided. If you take a bus, treat it as a hotel and save a night's hotel fees.<br />
<br />
Trains are super cheap but only serve limited routes. They are an excellent way to see the countryside and come in contact with a different segment of the population than you'd encounter on a 1st class bus. Highly recommendable. <br />
<br />
In the cities you generally need exact change (coins, no paper money) to pay your fare, so hold on to those 1 peso coins.<br />
<br />
== Regions & Cities ==<br />
<br />
Patagonia has a single very crowded road, which is the ''national ruta nº 3'' that goes along the coast. It is your better bet when heading South.Although there are often many kilometers in between villages, it is a well travelled road.<br />
<br />
There are also some East-West roads, some of them being dirt, some being pavement. It is easy to get a ride on the paved road but dirt roads, however, are much harder because of the lack of vehicles.<br />
<br />
The ''national ruta nº 40'' goes from San Carlos de Bariloche (South) is a road that gets frequently closed off because of the bad weather and is reputed to be hellish to hitch on - fewer cars, unpaved sections and some people have said they have gone days without seeing anyone. Winding, remote mountain roads and bad weather conditions in any season but summer make it less travelled by truckers and therefore is not recommended. [[Petrol station hitchhiking|Gas stations]] are generally your best bet, although roadside hitching is possible. <br />
:In my experience, Ruta 40 is a moderate/difficult but possible hitch during tourist season. You'd be insane to try any other time. Your best bet on Route 40 (at least the southern bit) would be Chilean truckers. From Perito Moreno to Punto Gallegos, the Chileans use the Argentine roads for lack of similar infrastructure in their own country. Also Chilean truckers are way nicer than their Argentine counterparts.<br />
<br />
Ruta 81 starts goes form Embarcación to Formosa. (Border city with Paraguay)<br />
<p>Ruta 11 goes from Formosa to Corrientes/Resistencia (Border cities with southern Paraguay)</P><br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:img0080ow5.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[User:SAn|SAn]] hitchhiking in Argentina]]<br />
* [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
* [[Cordoba (Argentina)|Cordoba]]<br />
* [[Gualeguay]], [[Gualeguaychu]]<br />
* [[Larroque]]<br />
* [[Mendoza]]<br />
* [[Neuquen]]<br />
* [[Posadas]]<br />
* [[Quines]]<br />
* [[Rosario]]<br />
* [[San Luis]], [[San Marcos Sierra]]s<br />
* [[Villa Maria]]<br />
* [[Zapala]]<br />
<br />
== Safety ==<br />
<br />
One word of advice is that although traffic is much heavier in the north, the routes do cross major cities, and hitchhiking is much more dangerous near urban centers. It would be advisable, if possible, to get off at the nearest pueblo and take a bus into cities such as Cordoba, Santa Fe, Rosario, etc. The same can be said for leaving. In the south there are really no big cities, and the highways all have gas stations, and the people are much more helpful. No danger there.<br />
<br />
== Border Crossing ==<br />
<br />
Argentinian border crossings are pretty laid back. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] crossed 4 times in 2006 and doesn't have clear memories about it (meaning it's not that a big deal).<br />
You better avoid changing money at the border crossings though. <br />
<br />
If you're coming from or entering Chile in Patagonia, you can possibly expect a needlessly complicated and long process once you arrive to Argentine customs if their X-Ray machine is broken (which it often is).They must do a manual search of your bags and tend to find silly, irrelevant things like tin foil that are apparently a matter of National Security. [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] was once delayed leaving Argentina at the Paso Austral to Chile for several hours because of a 'suspicion' that turned out to be baseless. Fortunately, the ''Gendarmeria'' have poorly trained attack dogs who care more about playing with towels than sniffing for contraband.<br />
<br />
==Northern Chile - Argentina==<br />
Crossing in to the Borders of Jujuy, Argentina is not as easy as the other ones in the nation. Once you get to migrations at Paso Jama, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.. the officials will require you to fill in a documents, mentioning your transportation. And in the case of hitchhiking, you must fill in the name of your driver, and the driver must as well fill in HIS form with your name. This is due to the fact that they wont let you thumb nor walk at the Paso Jama. So you must first get yourself a truck driver, who is willing to take you and do all the papers.<br />
Once you arrive to Argentine Borders, and you happen to not be with your Truck Driver anymore, you must do the same thing here. The reason they will give you here, is that the distance from the border to the next town or city is to big, so they would not want you to try to walk your way to next town... which is at least some 200 to 300 km.<br />
<br />
== Eating & Drinking ==<br />
<br />
As a vegan you're down to fruits and veggies from the markets. No restaurant will serve anything vegan. As a vegetarian you're down to pizzas.<br />
<br />
== Accommodation & Sleeping ==<br />
<br />
[[User:Guaka|guaka]] slept next to a gas station once, without a tent, without being bothered by anything but mosquitos.<br />
<br />
<br />
In 2010 [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] squatted in an empty shipping container behind a gas station in [[Ushuaia]] for 45 days. He also has squatted up service stations from Bariloche all the way to Salta, with just a ratty sleeping bag and body odor. He would sometimes get free sandwiches from staff/passerby, and the occasional shower when he started to be mistaken for garbage.<br />
<br />
Note that hitchhiking is usually much faster when [[Appearance|keeping clean]] and when you mind your personal hygiene. YPF service stations in Argentina oftentimes have very cheap, or even free, shower facilities. A few of them even have low-price laundry services that are an excellent resource for any type of traveller.<br />
<br />
== Other Useful Info ==<br />
<br />
=== Vaccinations ===<br />
In many hospitals around the country anyone can get FREE vaccinations such as ones for yellow fever, etc.<br />
<br />
* [http://www.autostopargentina.com.ar/ Autostop Argentina] (in Spanish)<br />
{{Hitchbase_country|9}}<br />
{{Template:South_America/countries}}<br />
<br />
[[wikipedia:Argentina]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Argentina]]<br />
[[Category:South America]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Argentinien]]<br />
[[es:Argentina]]<br />
[[fi:Argentiina]]<br />
[[fr:Argentine]]<br />
[[pt:Argentina]]</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Argentina&diff=59649Argentina2012-02-12T20:29:29Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Argentina<br />
|in = South America<br />
|map = <map lat='-41' lng='-64' zoom='4' view='0' height='550' country='Argentina'/><br />
|language = Spanish<br />
|capital = [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
|pop = 40,482,000<br />
|currency = Peso (ARS)<br />
|BW = AR<br />
|hitch = <rating country='ar' /><br />
|hitchbase = 9<br />
}}<br />
'''[[Argentina]]''' is a country in [[South America]]. The capital is [[Buenos Aires]]. It has borders to [[Chile]], [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Paraguay]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking culture ==<br />
<br />
For hitchhikers '''Argentina''' can be divided into two parts. The North, which is pretty okay to hitchhike, and the South on which opinions vary a lot: it may be difficult to hitchhike if you get into the lonely dirt roads of the Patagonia, because population is scarce. But if you travel southward to the end of Argentina, rides may be a little bit hard, but they take you a long way along.<br />
<br />
Argentina has a reputation for variable to long waiting times. Several hours isn't unusual overall.<br />
<br />
It seems to be much safer, faster, and informative to ask drivers at roadside stops such as gas stations and truckstops. Standing on the road with a thumb out can last for hours, and is really a last resort. If you want to go far, go with the truckers. They will carry you sometimes over 1000 km, and leave you at a good place to continue. Just keep asking. When you're looking for a ride at truck stops, keep an eye out for Brazilian and Chilean plates. Truckers from these neighboring countries are usually much more willing to give you a ride than the Argies, who will bullshit you about the transport company having sensors in the seats and harsh fines for taking riders.<br />
<br />
It's considered normal to ask the people working filling tanks at gas stations to ask people for you. If you're a foreigner, do mention it! A Dutch guy mentioned that it seems to be a lot easier to get rides.<br />
<br />
==Northern Argentina==<br />
<br />
Even if northern Argentina has recently seen several cases of crime for both the hitchhiker and the driver, it's still easy to hitch there (unlike in Bs As). In 2011 2 french female around Salta, Argentina, raped and killed by a local. And personal experiences of Chilean Truck Drivers, being drugged by an old lady he picked up, whom invites him to a Mate Drink. Unfortunately, 900 dollars was robbed. Since these problems are from the last 2 years, local Argentine drivers are scared of picking up people. Travelling by 2 or more is even harder.<br />
But once you get rides, it will be one of your most smoothest rides. And people are very friendly. They like to invite you to (not drugged) mate´s and even some of there local foods, like the empanadas. <br />
<br />
==Jujuy: Great landscapes and full colored mountains, you might wait up to 2 hours but you can be sure somebody will pick you up.<br />
Don't bother about Gendarmes and checkpoints, I hitched right next to them. Take the 34==<br />
<br />
Salta: Really easy to hitch here, I got picked up in about 30 minutes. Greener than Jujuy<br />
<br />
==Tucumán: Harder than Jujuy or Salta, besides out of all northern provinces is the most dangerous... If you're heading to Bs As TAKE THE 45 PESOS train to retiro, even if their incredibly bad designed website says tickets are sold out arrive a couple of minutes before departure and tell them you must get there. CARRY YOUR OWN FOOD AND DRINKS and prepare for the heat and the really<br />
disgusting toilets hehehe...==<br />
<br />
==Formosa: People are not used to tourist and will be asking really weird questions, cause they don't understand what are you doing<br />
there.. there's not a lot of traffic in the 81. But I never got stuck anywhere.. Beware of the extreme hot temperatures!!!!==<br />
<br />
[[File:C_rivadavia.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[User:narfette|narfette]] hitchhiking on ruta 3, Trelew, Argentina]]<br />
<br />
=== Toll Roads ===<br />
<br />
There are quite some ''peajes'' (toll passages). In the South however, these are not so good and you will just be sent away after a while.<br />
<br />
=== License Plates ===<br />
<br />
License plates are black, composed by three white letters and three white numbers. If you're in another country and hitching to Argentina, look for these plates!<br />
<br />
=== Maps ===<br />
<br />
A normal map is pretty expensive, but there is a road map containing many countries of [[South America]] for something like 10 pesos. [http://www.br.map24.com/ Map24] (in Portuguese) has information about the whole of [[South America]].<br />
<br />
== Public Transport ==<br />
Buses are expensive but unbelievable nice. Fully reclining seat and food provided. If you take a bus, treat it as a hotel and save a night's hotel fees.<br />
<br />
Trains are super cheap but only serve limited routes. They are an excellent way to see the countryside and come in contact with a different segment of the population than you'd encounter on a 1st class bus. Highly recommendable. <br />
<br />
In the cities you generally need exact change (coins, no paper money) to pay your fare, so hold on to those 1 peso coins.<br />
<br />
== Regions & Cities ==<br />
<br />
Patagonia has a single very crowded road, which is the ''national ruta nº 3'' that goes along the coast. It is your better bet when heading South.Although there are often many kilometers in between villages, it is a well travelled road.<br />
<br />
There are also some East-West roads, some of them being dirt, some being pavement. It is easy to get a ride on the paved road but dirt roads, however, are much harder because of the lack of vehicles.<br />
<br />
The ''national ruta nº 40'' goes from San Carlos de Bariloche (South) is a road that gets frequently closed off because of the bad weather and is reputed to be hellish to hitch on - fewer cars, unpaved sections and some people have said they have gone days without seeing anyone. Winding, remote mountain roads and bad weather conditions in any season but summer make it less travelled by truckers and therefore is not recommended. [[Petrol station hitchhiking|Gas stations]] are generally your best bet, although roadside hitching is possible. <br />
:In my experience, Ruta 40 is a moderate/difficult but possible hitch during tourist season. You'd be insane to try any other time. Your best bet on Route 40 (at least the southern bit) would be Chilean truckers. From Perito Moreno to Punto Gallegos, the Chileans use the Argentine roads for lack of similar infrastructure in their own country. Also Chilean truckers are way nicer than their Argentine counterparts.<br />
<br />
Ruta 81 starts goes form Embarcación to Formosa. (Border city with Paraguay)<br />
<p>Ruta 11 goes from Formosa to Corrientes/Resistencia (Border cities with southern Paraguay)</P><br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:img0080ow5.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[User:SAn|SAn]] hitchhiking in Argentina]]<br />
* [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
* [[Cordoba (Argentina)|Cordoba]]<br />
* [[Gualeguay]], [[Gualeguaychu]]<br />
* [[Larroque]]<br />
* [[Mendoza]]<br />
* [[Neuquen]]<br />
* [[Posadas]]<br />
* [[Quines]]<br />
* [[Rosario]]<br />
* [[San Luis]], [[San Marcos Sierra]]s<br />
* [[Villa Maria]]<br />
* [[Zapala]]<br />
<br />
== Safety ==<br />
<br />
One word of advice is that although traffic is much heavier in the north, the routes do cross major cities, and hitchhiking is much more dangerous near urban centers. It would be advisable, if possible, to get off at the nearest pueblo and take a bus into cities such as Cordoba, Santa Fe, Rosario, etc. The same can be said for leaving. In the south there are really no big cities, and the highways all have gas stations, and the people are much more helpful. No danger there.<br />
<br />
== Border Crossing ==<br />
<br />
Argentinian border crossings are pretty laid back. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] crossed 4 times in 2006 and doesn't have clear memories about it (meaning it's not that a big deal).<br />
You better avoid changing money at the border crossings though. <br />
<br />
If you're coming from or entering Chile in Patagonia, you can possibly expect a needlessly complicated and long process once you arrive to Argentine customs if their X-Ray machine is broken (which it often is).They must do a manual search of your bags and tend to find silly, irrelevant things like tin foil that are apparently a matter of National Security. [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] was once delayed leaving Argentina at the Paso Austral to Chile for several hours because of a 'suspicion' that turned out to be baseless. Fortunately, the ''Gendarmeria'' have poorly trained attack dogs who care more about playing with towels than sniffing for contraband.<br />
<br />
==Northern Chile - Argentina==<br />
Crossing in to the Borders of Jujuy, Argentina is not as easy as the other ones in the nation. Once you get to migrations at Paso Jama, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.. the officials will require you to fill in a documents, mentioning your transportation. And in the case of hitchhiking, you must fill in the name of your driver, and the driver must as well fill in HIS form with your name. This is due to the fact that they wont let you thumb nor walk at the Paso Jama. So you must first get yourself a truck driver, who is willing to take you and do all the papers.<br />
Once you arrive to Argentine Borders, and you happen to not be with your Truck Driver anymore, you must do the same thing here. The reason they will give you here, is that the distance from the border to the next town or city is to big, so they would not want you to try to walk your way to next town... which is at least some 200 to 300 km.<br />
<br />
== Eating & Drinking ==<br />
<br />
As a vegan you're down to fruits and veggies from the markets. No restaurant will serve anything vegan. As a vegetarian you're down to pizzas.<br />
<br />
== Accommodation & Sleeping ==<br />
<br />
[[User:Guaka|guaka]] slept next to a gas station once, without a tent, without being bothered by anything but mosquitos.<br />
<br />
<br />
In 2010 [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] squatted in an empty shipping container behind a gas station in [[Ushuaia]] for 45 days. He also has squatted up service stations from Bariloche all the way to Salta, with just a ratty sleeping bag and body odor. He would sometimes get free sandwiches from staff/passerby, and the occasional shower when he started to be mistaken for garbage.<br />
<br />
Note that hitchhiking is usually much faster when [[Appearance|keeping clean]] and when you mind your personal hygiene. YPF service stations in Argentina oftentimes have very cheap, or even free, shower facilities. A few of them even have low-price laundry services that are an excellent resource for any type of traveller.<br />
<br />
== Other Useful Info ==<br />
<br />
=== Vaccinations ===<br />
In many hospitals around the country anyone can get FREE vaccinations such as ones for yellow fever, etc.<br />
<br />
* [http://www.autostopargentina.com.ar/ Autostop Argentina] (in Spanish)<br />
{{Hitchbase_country|9}}<br />
{{Template:South_America/countries}}<br />
<br />
[[wikipedia:Argentina]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Argentina]]<br />
[[Category:South America]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Argentinien]]<br />
[[es:Argentina]]<br />
[[fi:Argentiina]]<br />
[[fr:Argentine]]<br />
[[pt:Argentina]]</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Argentina&diff=59648Argentina2012-02-12T20:28:49Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Argentina<br />
|in = South America<br />
|map = <map lat='-41' lng='-64' zoom='4' view='0' height='550' country='Argentina'/><br />
|language = Spanish<br />
|capital = [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
|pop = 40,482,000<br />
|currency = Peso (ARS)<br />
|BW = AR<br />
|hitch = <rating country='ar' /><br />
|hitchbase = 9<br />
}}<br />
'''[[Argentina]]''' is a country in [[South America]]. The capital is [[Buenos Aires]]. It has borders to [[Chile]], [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Paraguay]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking culture ==<br />
<br />
For hitchhikers '''Argentina''' can be divided into two parts. The North, which is pretty okay to hitchhike, and the South on which opinions vary a lot: it may be difficult to hitchhike if you get into the lonely dirt roads of the Patagonia, because population is scarce. But if you travel southward to the end of Argentina, rides may be a little bit hard, but they take you a long way along.<br />
<br />
Argentina has a reputation for variable to long waiting times. Several hours isn't unusual overall.<br />
<br />
It seems to be much safer, faster, and informative to ask drivers at roadside stops such as gas stations and truckstops. Standing on the road with a thumb out can last for hours, and is really a last resort. If you want to go far, go with the truckers. They will carry you sometimes over 1000 km, and leave you at a good place to continue. Just keep asking. When you're looking for a ride at truck stops, keep an eye out for Brazilian and Chilean plates. Truckers from these neighboring countries are usually much more willing to give you a ride than the Argies, who will bullshit you about the transport company having sensors in the seats and harsh fines for taking riders.<br />
<br />
It's considered normal to ask the people working filling tanks at gas stations to ask people for you. If you're a foreigner, do mention it! A Dutch guy mentioned that it seems to be a lot easier to get rides.<br />
<br />
==Northern Argentina==<br />
<br />
Even if northern Argentina has recently seen several cases of crime for both the hitchhiker and the driver, it's still easy to hitch there (unlike in Bs As). In 2011 2 french female around Salta, Argentina, raped and killed by a local. And personal experiences of Chilean Truck Drivers, being drugged by an old lady he picked up, whom invites him to a Mate Drink. Unfortunately, 900 dollars was robbed. Since these problems are from the last 2 years, local Argentine drivers are scared of picking up people. Travelling by 2 or more is even harder.<br />
But once you get rides, it will be one of your most smoothest rides. And people are very friendly. They like to invite you to (not drugged) mate´s and even some of there local foods, like the empanadas. <br />
<br />
==Jujuy: Great landscapes and full colored mountains, you might wait up to 2 hours but you can be sure somebody will pick you up.<br />
Don't bother about Gendarmes and checkpoints, I hitched right next to them. Take the 34==<br />
<br />
==Salta: Really easy to hitch here, I got picked up in about 30 minutes. Greener than Jujuy==<br />
<br />
==Tucumán: Harder than Jujuy or Salta, besides out of all northern provinces is the most dangerous... If you're heading to Bs As TAKE THE 45 PESOS train to retiro, even if their incredibly bad designed website says tickets are sold out arrive a couple of minutes before departure and tell them you must get there. CARRY YOUR OWN FOOD AND DRINKS and prepare for the heat and the really<br />
disgusting toilets hehehe...==<br />
<br />
==Formosa: People are not used to tourist and will be asking really weird questions, cause they don't understand what are you doing<br />
there.. there's not a lot of traffic in the 81. But I never got stuck anywhere.. Beware of the extreme hot temperatures!!!!==<br />
<br />
[[File:C_rivadavia.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[User:narfette|narfette]] hitchhiking on ruta 3, Trelew, Argentina]]<br />
<br />
=== Toll Roads ===<br />
<br />
There are quite some ''peajes'' (toll passages). In the South however, these are not so good and you will just be sent away after a while.<br />
<br />
=== License Plates ===<br />
<br />
License plates are black, composed by three white letters and three white numbers. If you're in another country and hitching to Argentina, look for these plates!<br />
<br />
=== Maps ===<br />
<br />
A normal map is pretty expensive, but there is a road map containing many countries of [[South America]] for something like 10 pesos. [http://www.br.map24.com/ Map24] (in Portuguese) has information about the whole of [[South America]].<br />
<br />
== Public Transport ==<br />
Buses are expensive but unbelievable nice. Fully reclining seat and food provided. If you take a bus, treat it as a hotel and save a night's hotel fees.<br />
<br />
Trains are super cheap but only serve limited routes. They are an excellent way to see the countryside and come in contact with a different segment of the population than you'd encounter on a 1st class bus. Highly recommendable. <br />
<br />
In the cities you generally need exact change (coins, no paper money) to pay your fare, so hold on to those 1 peso coins.<br />
<br />
== Regions & Cities ==<br />
<br />
Patagonia has a single very crowded road, which is the ''national ruta nº 3'' that goes along the coast. It is your better bet when heading South.Although there are often many kilometers in between villages, it is a well travelled road.<br />
<br />
There are also some East-West roads, some of them being dirt, some being pavement. It is easy to get a ride on the paved road but dirt roads, however, are much harder because of the lack of vehicles.<br />
<br />
The ''national ruta nº 40'' goes from San Carlos de Bariloche (South) is a road that gets frequently closed off because of the bad weather and is reputed to be hellish to hitch on - fewer cars, unpaved sections and some people have said they have gone days without seeing anyone. Winding, remote mountain roads and bad weather conditions in any season but summer make it less travelled by truckers and therefore is not recommended. [[Petrol station hitchhiking|Gas stations]] are generally your best bet, although roadside hitching is possible. <br />
:In my experience, Ruta 40 is a moderate/difficult but possible hitch during tourist season. You'd be insane to try any other time. Your best bet on Route 40 (at least the southern bit) would be Chilean truckers. From Perito Moreno to Punto Gallegos, the Chileans use the Argentine roads for lack of similar infrastructure in their own country. Also Chilean truckers are way nicer than their Argentine counterparts.<br />
<br />
Ruta 81 starts goes form Embarcación to Formosa. (Border city with Paraguay)<br />
<p>Ruta 11 goes from Formosa to Corrientes/Resistencia (Border cities with southern Paraguay)</P><br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:img0080ow5.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[User:SAn|SAn]] hitchhiking in Argentina]]<br />
* [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
* [[Cordoba (Argentina)|Cordoba]]<br />
* [[Gualeguay]], [[Gualeguaychu]]<br />
* [[Larroque]]<br />
* [[Mendoza]]<br />
* [[Neuquen]]<br />
* [[Posadas]]<br />
* [[Quines]]<br />
* [[Rosario]]<br />
* [[San Luis]], [[San Marcos Sierra]]s<br />
* [[Villa Maria]]<br />
* [[Zapala]]<br />
<br />
== Safety ==<br />
<br />
One word of advice is that although traffic is much heavier in the north, the routes do cross major cities, and hitchhiking is much more dangerous near urban centers. It would be advisable, if possible, to get off at the nearest pueblo and take a bus into cities such as Cordoba, Santa Fe, Rosario, etc. The same can be said for leaving. In the south there are really no big cities, and the highways all have gas stations, and the people are much more helpful. No danger there.<br />
<br />
== Border Crossing ==<br />
<br />
Argentinian border crossings are pretty laid back. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] crossed 4 times in 2006 and doesn't have clear memories about it (meaning it's not that a big deal).<br />
You better avoid changing money at the border crossings though. <br />
<br />
If you're coming from or entering Chile in Patagonia, you can possibly expect a needlessly complicated and long process once you arrive to Argentine customs if their X-Ray machine is broken (which it often is).They must do a manual search of your bags and tend to find silly, irrelevant things like tin foil that are apparently a matter of National Security. [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] was once delayed leaving Argentina at the Paso Austral to Chile for several hours because of a 'suspicion' that turned out to be baseless. Fortunately, the ''Gendarmeria'' have poorly trained attack dogs who care more about playing with towels than sniffing for contraband.<br />
<br />
==Northern Chile - Argentina==<br />
Crossing in to the Borders of Jujuy, Argentina is not as easy as the other ones in the nation. Once you get to migrations at Paso Jama, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.. the officials will require you to fill in a documents, mentioning your transportation. And in the case of hitchhiking, you must fill in the name of your driver, and the driver must as well fill in HIS form with your name. This is due to the fact that they wont let you thumb nor walk at the Paso Jama. So you must first get yourself a truck driver, who is willing to take you and do all the papers.<br />
Once you arrive to Argentine Borders, and you happen to not be with your Truck Driver anymore, you must do the same thing here. The reason they will give you here, is that the distance from the border to the next town or city is to big, so they would not want you to try to walk your way to next town... which is at least some 200 to 300 km.<br />
<br />
== Eating & Drinking ==<br />
<br />
As a vegan you're down to fruits and veggies from the markets. No restaurant will serve anything vegan. As a vegetarian you're down to pizzas.<br />
<br />
== Accommodation & Sleeping ==<br />
<br />
[[User:Guaka|guaka]] slept next to a gas station once, without a tent, without being bothered by anything but mosquitos.<br />
<br />
<br />
In 2010 [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] squatted in an empty shipping container behind a gas station in [[Ushuaia]] for 45 days. He also has squatted up service stations from Bariloche all the way to Salta, with just a ratty sleeping bag and body odor. He would sometimes get free sandwiches from staff/passerby, and the occasional shower when he started to be mistaken for garbage.<br />
<br />
Note that hitchhiking is usually much faster when [[Appearance|keeping clean]] and when you mind your personal hygiene. YPF service stations in Argentina oftentimes have very cheap, or even free, shower facilities. A few of them even have low-price laundry services that are an excellent resource for any type of traveller.<br />
<br />
== Other Useful Info ==<br />
<br />
=== Vaccinations ===<br />
In many hospitals around the country anyone can get FREE vaccinations such as ones for yellow fever, etc.<br />
<br />
* [http://www.autostopargentina.com.ar/ Autostop Argentina] (in Spanish)<br />
{{Hitchbase_country|9}}<br />
{{Template:South_America/countries}}<br />
<br />
[[wikipedia:Argentina]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Argentina]]<br />
[[Category:South America]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Argentinien]]<br />
[[es:Argentina]]<br />
[[fi:Argentiina]]<br />
[[fr:Argentine]]<br />
[[pt:Argentina]]</div>Caroneirohttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Argentina&diff=59647Argentina2012-02-12T20:25:03Z<p>Caroneiro: </p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Argentina<br />
|in = South America<br />
|map = <map lat='-41' lng='-64' zoom='4' view='0' height='550' country='Argentina'/><br />
|language = Spanish<br />
|capital = [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
|pop = 40,482,000<br />
|currency = Peso (ARS)<br />
|BW = AR<br />
|hitch = <rating country='ar' /><br />
|hitchbase = 9<br />
}}<br />
'''[[Argentina]]''' is a country in [[South America]]. The capital is [[Buenos Aires]]. It has borders to [[Chile]], [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Paraguay]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking culture ==<br />
<br />
For hitchhikers '''Argentina''' can be divided into two parts. The North, which is pretty okay to hitchhike, and the South on which opinions vary a lot: it may be difficult to hitchhike if you get into the lonely dirt roads of the Patagonia, because population is scarce. But if you travel southward to the end of Argentina, rides may be a little bit hard, but they take you a long way along.<br />
<br />
Argentina has a reputation for variable to long waiting times. Several hours isn't unusual overall.<br />
<br />
It seems to be much safer, faster, and informative to ask drivers at roadside stops such as gas stations and truckstops. Standing on the road with a thumb out can last for hours, and is really a last resort. If you want to go far, go with the truckers. They will carry you sometimes over 1000 km, and leave you at a good place to continue. Just keep asking. When you're looking for a ride at truck stops, keep an eye out for Brazilian and Chilean plates. Truckers from these neighboring countries are usually much more willing to give you a ride than the Argies, who will bullshit you about the transport company having sensors in the seats and harsh fines for taking riders.<br />
<br />
It's considered normal to ask the people working filling tanks at gas stations to ask people for you. If you're a foreigner, do mention it! A Dutch guy mentioned that it seems to be a lot easier to get rides.<br />
<br />
==Northern Argentina==<br />
<br />
Even if northern Argentina has recently seen several cases of crime for both the hitchhiker and the driver, it's still easy to hitch there (unlike in Bs As). In 2011 2 french female around Salta, Argentina, raped and killed by a local. And personal experiences of Chilean Truck Drivers, being drugged by an old lady he picked up, whom invites him to a Mate Drink. Unfortunately, 900 dollars was robbed. Since these problems are from the last 2 years, local Argentine drivers are scared of picking up people. Travelling by 2 or more is even harder.<br />
But once you get rides, it will be one of your most smoothest rides. And people are very friendly. They like to invite you to (not drugged) mate´s and even some of there local foods, like the empanadas. <br />
Jujuy: Great landscapes and full colored mountains, you might wait up to 2 hours but you can be sure somebody will pick you up.<br />
Don't bother about Gendarmes and checkpoints, I hitched right next to them. Take the 34<br />
Salta: Really easy to hitch here, I got picked up in about 30 minutes. Greener than Jujuy<br />
Tucumán: Harder than Jujuy or Salta, besides out of all northern provinces is the most dangerous...<br />
Formosa: People are not used to tourist and will be asking really weird questions, cause they don't understand what are you doing<br />
there.. there's not a lot of traffic in the 81. But I never got stuck anywhere.. Beware of the extreme hot temperatures!!!! <br />
<br />
[[File:C_rivadavia.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[User:narfette|narfette]] hitchhiking on ruta 3, Trelew, Argentina]]<br />
<br />
=== Toll Roads ===<br />
<br />
There are quite some ''peajes'' (toll passages). In the South however, these are not so good and you will just be sent away after a while.<br />
<br />
=== License Plates ===<br />
<br />
License plates are black, composed by three white letters and three white numbers. If you're in another country and hitching to Argentina, look for these plates!<br />
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=== Maps ===<br />
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A normal map is pretty expensive, but there is a road map containing many countries of [[South America]] for something like 10 pesos. [http://www.br.map24.com/ Map24] (in Portuguese) has information about the whole of [[South America]].<br />
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== Public Transport ==<br />
Buses are expensive but unbelievable nice. Fully reclining seat and food provided. If you take a bus, treat it as a hotel and save a night's hotel fees.<br />
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Trains are super cheap but only serve limited routes. They are an excellent way to see the countryside and come in contact with a different segment of the population than you'd encounter on a 1st class bus. Highly recommendable. <br />
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In the cities you generally need exact change (coins, no paper money) to pay your fare, so hold on to those 1 peso coins.<br />
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== Regions & Cities ==<br />
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Patagonia has a single very crowded road, which is the ''national ruta nº 3'' that goes along the coast. It is your better bet when heading South.Although there are often many kilometers in between villages, it is a well travelled road.<br />
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There are also some East-West roads, some of them being dirt, some being pavement. It is easy to get a ride on the paved road but dirt roads, however, are much harder because of the lack of vehicles.<br />
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The ''national ruta nº 40'' goes from San Carlos de Bariloche (South) is a road that gets frequently closed off because of the bad weather and is reputed to be hellish to hitch on - fewer cars, unpaved sections and some people have said they have gone days without seeing anyone. Winding, remote mountain roads and bad weather conditions in any season but summer make it less travelled by truckers and therefore is not recommended. [[Petrol station hitchhiking|Gas stations]] are generally your best bet, although roadside hitching is possible. <br />
:In my experience, Ruta 40 is a moderate/difficult but possible hitch during tourist season. You'd be insane to try any other time. Your best bet on Route 40 (at least the southern bit) would be Chilean truckers. From Perito Moreno to Punto Gallegos, the Chileans use the Argentine roads for lack of similar infrastructure in their own country. Also Chilean truckers are way nicer than their Argentine counterparts.<br />
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Ruta 81 starts goes form Embarcación to Formosa. (Border city with Paraguay)<br />
<p>Ruta 11 goes from Formosa to Corrientes/Resistencia (Border cities with southern Paraguay)</P><br />
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[[File:img0080ow5.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[User:SAn|SAn]] hitchhiking in Argentina]]<br />
* [[Buenos Aires]]<br />
* [[Cordoba (Argentina)|Cordoba]]<br />
* [[Gualeguay]], [[Gualeguaychu]]<br />
* [[Larroque]]<br />
* [[Mendoza]]<br />
* [[Neuquen]]<br />
* [[Posadas]]<br />
* [[Quines]]<br />
* [[Rosario]]<br />
* [[San Luis]], [[San Marcos Sierra]]s<br />
* [[Villa Maria]]<br />
* [[Zapala]]<br />
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== Safety ==<br />
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One word of advice is that although traffic is much heavier in the north, the routes do cross major cities, and hitchhiking is much more dangerous near urban centers. It would be advisable, if possible, to get off at the nearest pueblo and take a bus into cities such as Cordoba, Santa Fe, Rosario, etc. The same can be said for leaving. In the south there are really no big cities, and the highways all have gas stations, and the people are much more helpful. No danger there.<br />
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== Border Crossing ==<br />
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Argentinian border crossings are pretty laid back. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] crossed 4 times in 2006 and doesn't have clear memories about it (meaning it's not that a big deal).<br />
You better avoid changing money at the border crossings though. <br />
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If you're coming from or entering Chile in Patagonia, you can possibly expect a needlessly complicated and long process once you arrive to Argentine customs if their X-Ray machine is broken (which it often is).They must do a manual search of your bags and tend to find silly, irrelevant things like tin foil that are apparently a matter of National Security. [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] was once delayed leaving Argentina at the Paso Austral to Chile for several hours because of a 'suspicion' that turned out to be baseless. Fortunately, the ''Gendarmeria'' have poorly trained attack dogs who care more about playing with towels than sniffing for contraband.<br />
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==Northern Chile - Argentina==<br />
Crossing in to the Borders of Jujuy, Argentina is not as easy as the other ones in the nation. Once you get to migrations at Paso Jama, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.. the officials will require you to fill in a documents, mentioning your transportation. And in the case of hitchhiking, you must fill in the name of your driver, and the driver must as well fill in HIS form with your name. This is due to the fact that they wont let you thumb nor walk at the Paso Jama. So you must first get yourself a truck driver, who is willing to take you and do all the papers.<br />
Once you arrive to Argentine Borders, and you happen to not be with your Truck Driver anymore, you must do the same thing here. The reason they will give you here, is that the distance from the border to the next town or city is to big, so they would not want you to try to walk your way to next town... which is at least some 200 to 300 km.<br />
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== Eating & Drinking ==<br />
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As a vegan you're down to fruits and veggies from the markets. No restaurant will serve anything vegan. As a vegetarian you're down to pizzas.<br />
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== Accommodation & Sleeping ==<br />
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[[User:Guaka|guaka]] slept next to a gas station once, without a tent, without being bothered by anything but mosquitos.<br />
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In 2010 [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] squatted in an empty shipping container behind a gas station in [[Ushuaia]] for 45 days. He also has squatted up service stations from Bariloche all the way to Salta, with just a ratty sleeping bag and body odor. He would sometimes get free sandwiches from staff/passerby, and the occasional shower when he started to be mistaken for garbage.<br />
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Note that hitchhiking is usually much faster when [[Appearance|keeping clean]] and when you mind your personal hygiene. YPF service stations in Argentina oftentimes have very cheap, or even free, shower facilities. A few of them even have low-price laundry services that are an excellent resource for any type of traveller.<br />
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== Other Useful Info ==<br />
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=== Vaccinations ===<br />
In many hospitals around the country anyone can get FREE vaccinations such as ones for yellow fever, etc.<br />
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* [http://www.autostopargentina.com.ar/ Autostop Argentina] (in Spanish)<br />
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[[pt:Argentina]]</div>Caroneiro