https://hitchwiki.org/en/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=OlcheMaith&feedformat=atomHitchwiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T06:44:03ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.32.3https://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Tel_Aviv&diff=91735Tel Aviv2018-08-03T01:15:00Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox Israeli Location<br />
|country = Israel<br />
|district = Tel Aviv District<br />
|map = <map lat='32.05' lng='34.8' zoom='11' view='2' country='Israel'/><br />
|pop = 438,818 (2016); Metropolitan Area: 3,335,800 (2008)<br />
|highways = 1, 2, 4, 5, 20<br />
}}<br />
'''Tel Aviv''' is Israel's economy and trade center, and serves as the center of the vast metropolitan area which is built all over central [[Israel]]. It is also where most of the foreign embassies are located, since the status of Jerusalem is disputed.<br />
<br />
There is almost no good hitchhike spot in Tel Aviv itself, and your best bet is always to take the bus to the suburbs and try there, which is a pain on Shabbath, since there the public transport is very limited and more expensive.<br />
<br />
== Hitch out ==<br />
=== To [[Haifa]] and the North ===<br />
__TOC__<br />
Hitchhiking to [[Haifa]] and the North is not that bad at all. There are two good places to start, both accessible by buses leaving from the central bus station, or from the Arlozerov Terminal (Namir street).<br />
<br />
<br />
To the Cinema City complex take bus number 501/601/90 (8.7 NIS). This is on the main road, 5 min out of Tel Aviv, and located half a kilometer north of the Gilot junction, where traffic from Jerusalem joins in with Tel Aviv traffic towards the north. Here there is a bus stop, but traffic on the main road is moving too fast to easily stop a car. Try instead hitchhiking a lift with one of the cars leaving the petrol station or shopping mall. Many drivers are only going to the first city on the main road, [[Herzaliya]], but you can eventually get a lift that will take you beyond.<br />
<br />
You can also take a bus to the intersection where the main road turns off towards Yakum, 20 min out of Tel Aviv, after Herzalyia.. To get to this Yakum junction take bus 601 (13.5NIS). From here you can hitchhike from near the bus stop, which is a bit off the main road and so you'll be waiting for cars coming from Yakum or the petrol station here.<br />
<br />
Another good spot to hitch from Tel Aviv to the North is from right next to the Azrieli shopping mall (HaShalom train station). You'll need to cross the big bridge from Azrieli east (towards Givataim, on HaShalom/Givat HaTahmoshet street), past the train station, and right there turn left to the small ramp leading to Ayalon North. See exact location [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=32.073056,34.793985&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=0&sz=18&sll=32.072934,34.794254&sspn=0.002477,0.003449&ie=UTF8&z=18 here].<br />
Notice that if you're going far north, that most of the traffic here is local, so it's best not to take a ride if doesn't take you at least as far as Netanya - otherwise you'll end up in another bad hitching spot in the Tel Aviv area.<br />
<br />
<br />
To Haifa a direct ride is best, as sometime drivers get off the highway where there is no good hitchhiking spot. However, ask the driver and he may know a petrol station on the main road where he can drop you off. To [[Afula]] and [[Tiberias]] you will need to get a ride which turns right in Ceaseria Junction to Road 65 - If the driver continues till Haifa then you will not be able to get off in that junction.<br />
<br />
=== To [[Beer Sheva]], the Negev, [[Eilat]], [[Egypt]] and [[Aqaba]] ([[Jordan]]) ===<br />
<br />
One possible spot for this is from the Central ("Merkaz"/"Savidor"/"Tzafon") train station, AKA Arlozorov Bus Terminal, there is a small ramp leading to Ayalon Highway South-bound. Most of the traffic is local, and traffic goes from here in 3 main direction: Ayalon South, Road 4 (Ashdod, South) and Road 1 to [[Jerusalem]] direction. On that ramp there is a little used bus stop, and a place for cars to brake. They often do, even if it seems improbable at first. See exact location [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=Exits+Ayalon+Darom-%E2%80%AB%D7%90%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9F+%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9D%E2%80%AC%E2%80%8E&geocode=FV6J6QEdZvcSAg&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=32.082236,34.797376&sspn=0.001239,0.001725&ie=UTF8&ll=32.082315,34.797419&spn=0.001239,0.001725&z=19 here].<br />
<br />
Another spot is Holtz junction, ten minutres walk from the central bus station - Go to the end of Levinsky street, where the bus station is, and turn south before the bridge over the highway, until you get to a street called Kibbutz Galuyot. Then go left under the bridge. There is a bus stop there that is a good spot for rides south and east in the direction of Jerusalem - if the driver is going all the way to the Jerusalem area, ask them to drop you off at Latroun interchange - under the interchange bridge is a possible (not very good) spot, or walk a little bit south along highway 3 (about 5 minutes), past the monastery, there is a bus station that is a much better spot. <br />
<br />
On-ramps to Road 20 (the Ayalon) that are north of LaGuardia (Halacha, Arozolov and HaShalom) are all safe and commonly used for hitchhiking. Standing with a sign is very helpful - "south" (דרום) would be the best sign to hold. Be aware of drivers using Road 6 may be exiting in an area where it is difficult to get a ride. Kiryat Gat is the only Road 6 exit with regular on/off traffic. It is not recommended to take a ride to Ashdod, as there is nowhere safe to drop riders who are heading south because the intersection is now an interchange that continues far away from the road south. Another destination to be aware of is Ashkelon or Sderot (Road 4) - you may wait a long time for a ride out and there are often hitching queues on Friday afternoon/evening.<br />
<br />
However, if 14.5NIS (3 Euro) is only a small part of your daily budget and you're not addicted to hitchhiking there is not really a good reason to go hitchhike - as the bus from Tel Aviv to [[Beer Sheva]] is pretty cheap, and from there you can continue south by thumb easily. Other two options for the adventurous from Tel Aviv:<br />
<br />
# The La Guardia on ramp south. Basically, anyone going South will take you to a better spot. It's not very safe though.<br />
# Take bus 475 from Tel Aviv central bus station, and ask the driver for a ticket till "El-Al junction" (11.7 NIS). The bus will pass the "Airport offices", and the next station is where you should get off. From the bus station you just descended to, it is possible to hitchhike south towards Beer Sheva. You go south on Road 40#, don't take a ride which diverts from this road, and you will get to Beer Sheva. (The last few kms are considered road 406, so don't worry about it). <br />
<br />
If you are heading southern towards the Negev, [[Eilat]] or [[Egypt]], then it's recommended to take a bus till "Goral Junction", 10 km north of Beer Sheva. Take any bus to [[Beer Sheva]], like line 370 from Arlozerov terminal, and ask the driver to go off in that junction. From there continue your journey on Road 40, and again do not divert from this road. If you don't find there any long-haul rides, ask the drivers to take you do "Hativat Ha-Negev" Junction, from which any ride south will be helpful. Road 40 continues approx. 200 km south, till you reach "Ketura" junction, where you change to road 90 that goes all the way south to Eilat, the Jordanian border crossing at Aqaba, and the Egyptian border crossing at Taba.<br />
<br />
=== To [[Jerusalem]] ===<br />
<br />
Go to the closest Road 20 (Ayalon) junction - preferably Keren Kayemet, Rokach, Halacha, Hashalom or Kibbutz Galuyot. Use a sign (preferably in Hebrew: ירושלים). People will be going to Jerusalem anytime, so only take rides that can bring you the whole way.<br />
<br />
# HaShalom is usually very easy during daytime, but other junctions can work as well. <br />
# At Kibbutz Galuyot, stand at at 3780 st. junction (32°02'47.4"N 34°47'09.5"E) rather than the bus stop. <br />
# The La Guardia on-ramp is not very [[hitchhiker's safety|safe]], not a lot of space for traffic to stop, but it's walkable from the center and of course, people ''do'' stop. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] used it twice and it didn't take longer than 10 minutes.<br />
# Arlozorov might be slower since traffic is heading in many different directions.<br />
<br />
# [[User:Guaka|guaka]] has had okay results with taking a local bus (Kavim 168 and some others) to the Tsomet Aluf Zede junction in Ramat Gan.<br />
<br />
[[User:Roaming Pencil|Roaming Pencil]] has done it several times from different junctions and would recommend never accepting partway rides or taking any road other than Road 1, if possible. There are always people heading to Jerusalem down this route. <br />
<br />
Keep in mind that Jerusalem is quite big and spread over mountains and hills, which makes it less walkable than Tel AViv. You'll probably need to use public transport (or walk a lot) once you get there.<br />
<br />
=== To [[Nablus]] ===<br />
Take bus 127 to the second but last stop, walk on to highway 5, enjoy hitching in on-ramp since there won't be highway policemen. Be aware that Palestinians are sharing taxi, sometimes you have to pay for the ride. <br />
<br />
{{Cities Israel}}<br />
<br />
== Resources ==<br />
{{nomadwiki}}<br />
[[he: תל אביב]]<br />
[[de:Tel Aviv]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Tel_Aviv&diff=91734Tel Aviv2018-08-03T01:14:09Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox Israeli Location<br />
|country = Israel<br />
|district = Tel Aviv District<br />
|map = <map lat='32.05' lng='34.8' zoom='11' view='2' country='Israel'/><br />
|pop = 438,818 (2016); Metropolitan Area: 3,335,800 (2008)<br />
|highways = 1, 2, 4, 5, 20<br />
}}<br />
'''Tel Aviv''' is Israel's economy and trade center, and serves as the center of the vast metropolitan area which is built all over central [[Israel]]. It is also where most of the foreign embassies are located, since the status of Jerusalem is disputed.<br />
<br />
There is almost no good hitchhike spot in Tel Aviv itself, and your best bet is always to take the bus to the suburbs and try there, which is a pain on Shabbath, since there the public transport is very limited and more expensive.<br />
<br />
== Hitch out ==<br />
=== To [[Haifa]] and the North ===<br />
__TOC__<br />
Hitchhiking to [[Haifa]] and the North is not that bad at all. There are two good places to start, both accessible by buses leaving from the central bus station, or from the Arlozerov Terminal (Namir street).<br />
<br />
<br />
To the Cinema City complex take bus number 501/601/90 (8.7 NIS). This is on the main road, 5 min out of Tel Aviv, and located half a kilometer north of the Gilot junction, where traffic from Jerusalem joins in with Tel Aviv traffic towards the north. Here there is a bus stop, but traffic on the main road is moving too fast to easily stop a car. Try instead hitchhiking a lift with one of the cars leaving the petrol station or shopping mall. Many drivers are only going to the first city on the main road, [[Herzaliya]], but you can eventually get a lift that will take you beyond.<br />
<br />
You can also take a bus to the intersection where the main road turns off towards Yakum, 20 min out of Tel Aviv, after Herzalyia.. To get to this Yakum junction take bus 601 (13.5NIS). From here you can hitchhike from near the bus stop, which is a bit off the main road and so you'll be waiting for cars coming from Yakum or the petrol station here.<br />
<br />
Another good spot to hitch from Tel Aviv to the North is from right next to the Azrieli shopping mall (HaShalom train station). You'll need to cross the big bridge from Azrieli east (towards Givataim, on HaShalom/Givat HaTahmoshet street), past the train station, and right there turn left to the small ramp leading to Ayalon North. See exact location [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=32.073056,34.793985&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=0&sz=18&sll=32.072934,34.794254&sspn=0.002477,0.003449&ie=UTF8&z=18 here].<br />
Notice that if you're going far north, that most of the traffic here is local, so it's best not to take a ride if doesn't take you at least as far as Netanya - otherwise you'll end up in another bad hitching spot in the Tel Aviv area.<br />
<br />
<br />
To Haifa a direct ride is best, as sometime drivers get off the highway where there is no good hitchhiking spot. However, ask the driver and he may know a petrol station on the main road where he can drop you off. To [[Afula]] and [[Tiberias]] you will need to get a ride which turns right in Ceaseria Junction to Road 65 - If the driver continues till Haifa then you will not be able to get off in that junction.<br />
<br />
=== To [[Beer Sheva]], the Negev, [[Eilat]], [[Egypt]] and [[Aqaba]] ([[Jordan]]) ===<br />
<br />
One possible spot for this is from the Central ("Merkaz"/"Savidor"/"Tzafon") train station, AKA Arlozorov Bus Terminal, there is a small ramp leading to Ayalon Highway South-bound. Most of the traffic is local, and traffic goes from here in 3 main direction: Ayalon South, Road 4 (Ashdod, South) and Road 1 to [[Jerusalem]] direction. On that ramp there is a little used bus stop, and a place for cars to brake. They often do, even if it seems improbable at first. See exact location [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=Exits+Ayalon+Darom-%E2%80%AB%D7%90%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9F+%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9D%E2%80%AC%E2%80%8E&geocode=FV6J6QEdZvcSAg&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=32.082236,34.797376&sspn=0.001239,0.001725&ie=UTF8&ll=32.082315,34.797419&spn=0.001239,0.001725&z=19 here].<br />
<br />
Another spot is Holtz junction, ten minutres walk from the central bus station - Go to the end of Levinsky street, where the bus station is, and turn south before the bridge over the highway, until you get to a street called Kibbutz Galuyot. Then go left under the bridge. There is a bus stop there that is a good spot for rides south and east in the direction of Jerusalem - if the driver is going all the way to the Jerusalem area, ask them to drop you off at Latroun interchange - under the interchange bridge is a possible (not very good) spot, or walk a little bit south along highway 3 (about 5 minutes), past the monastery, there is a bus station that is a much better spot. <br />
<br />
On-ramps to Road 20 (the Ayalon) that are north of LaGuardia (Halacha, Arozolov and HaShalom) are all safe and commonly used for hitchhiking. Standing with a sign is very helpful - "south" (דרום) would be the best sign to hold. Be aware of drivers using Road 6 may be exiting in an area where it is difficult to get a ride. Kiryat Gat is the only Road 6 exit with regular on/off traffic. It is not recommended to take a ride to Ashdod, as there is nowhere safe to drop riders who are heading south because the intersection is now an interchange that continues far away from the road south. Another destination to be aware of is Ashkelon or Sderot (Road 4) - you may wait a long time for a ride out and there are often hitching queues on Friday afternoon/evening.<br />
<br />
However, if 14.5NIS (3 Euro) is only a small part of your daily budget and you're not addicted to hitchhiking there is not really a good reason to go hitchhike - as the bus from Tel Aviv to [[Beer Sheva]] is pretty cheap, and from there you can continue south by thumb easily. Other two options for the adventurous from Tel Aviv:<br />
<br />
# The La Guardia on ramp south. Basically, anyone going South will take you to a better spot. It's not very safe though.<br />
# Take bus 475 from Tel Aviv central bus station, and ask the driver for a ticket till "El-Al junction" (11.7 NIS). The bus will pass the "Airport offices", and the next station is where you should get off. From the bus station you just descended to, it is possible to hitchhike south towards Beer Sheva. You go south on Road 40#, don't take a ride which diverts from this road, and you will get to Beer Sheva. (The last few kms are considered road 406, so don't worry about it). <br />
<br />
If you are heading southern towards the Negev, [[Eilat]] or [[Egypt]], then it's recommended to take a bus till "Goral Junction", 10 km north of Beer Sheva. Take any bus to [[Beer Sheva]], like line 370 from Arlozerov terminal, and ask the driver to go off in that junction. From there continue your journey on Road 40, and again do not divert from this road. If you don't find there any long-haul rides, ask the drivers to take you do "Hativat Ha-Negev" Junction, from which any ride south will be helpful. Road 40 continues approx. 200 km south, till you reach "Ketura" junction, where you change to road 90 that goes all the way south to Eilat, the Jordanian border crossing at Aqaba, and the Egyptian border crossing at Taba.<br />
<br />
=== To [[Jerusalem]] ===<br />
<br />
Go to the closest Road 20 (Ayalon) junction - preferably Keren Kayemet, Rokach, Halacha, Hashalom or Kibbutz Galuyot. Use a sign (preferably in Hebrew: ירושלים). People will be going to Jerusalem anytime, so only take rides that can bring you the whole way.<br />
<br />
# HaShalom is usually very easy during daytime, but other junctions can work as well. <br />
# At Kibbutz Galuyot, stand at at 3780 st. junction (32°02'47.4"N 34°47'09.5"E) rather than the bus stop. <br />
# The La Guardia on-ramp is not very [[hitchhiker's safety|safe]], not a lot of space for traffic to stop, but it's walkable from the center and of course, people ''do'' stop. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] used it twice and it didn't take longer than 10 minutes.<br />
# Arlozorov might be slower since traffic is heading in many different directions.<br />
<br />
# [[User:Guaka|guaka]] has had okay results with taking a local bus (Kavim 168 and some others) to the Tsomet Aluf Zede junction in Ramat Gan.<br />
<br />
[User:Roaming Pencil|Roaming Pencil] has done it several times from different junctions and would recommend never accepting partway rides or taking any road other than Road 1, if possible. There are always people heading to Jerusalem down this route. <br />
<br />
Keep in mind that Jerusalem is quite big and spread over mountains and hills, which makes it less walkable than Tel AViv. You'll probably need to use public transport (or walk a lot) once you get there.<br />
<br />
=== To [[Nablus]] ===<br />
Take bus 127 to the second but last stop, walk on to highway 5, enjoy hitching in on-ramp since there won't be highway policemen. Be aware that Palestinians are sharing taxi, sometimes you have to pay for the ride. <br />
<br />
{{Cities Israel}}<br />
<br />
== Resources ==<br />
{{nomadwiki}}<br />
[[he: תל אביב]]<br />
[[de:Tel Aviv]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Israel&diff=91733Israel2018-08-03T00:54:05Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Israel<br />
|capital = [[Jerusalem]]<br />
|language = [[Hebrew]] (official), [[Arabic]] (official), [[Western Europe phrasebook#English|English]] and sometimes [[Eastern Europe phrasebook#Russian|Russian]] most commonly used foreign languages<br />
|pop = 8,737,000 (2017)<br />
|currency = New Israeli Sheqel (ILS) (also NIS)<br />
|hitch = {{good}}<br />
|avp = israel<br />
}}<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking is very common in '''Israel'''. [[Hitchhiking]] is often done by pointing to the ground with the pointing finger far from the body, instead of raising a thumb. If you raise a thumb, people might not understand. <br />
<br />
Variations exists such as pointing straight down while bobbing the hand up and down to indicate a short distance hitch, or point]ng right or left to indicate a desire to turn right or left at the next major junction.<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking in Israel varies. In some areas it's very common, you'll often see locals hitchhiking and cars stop quickly wherever you try. In others, it can take ages, especially if you don't have a sign. If you're getting out of a large city, make sure you have a sign - preferably in Hebrew. <br />
<br />
Stopping at most junctions is possible. An exception for this consists of the few highways in which stopping is only possible at on-ramps and petrol station hitchhiking|petrol stations. The highways are:<br />
* Highway no. 1 between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv and the Dead Sea.<br />
* Highway no. 2 between Tel Aviv to Haifa ("Kvish HaHof")<br />
* Highway no. 5 between Tel-Aviv and the West bank.<br />
* Highway no. 6 that crosses the country from north (Yokne'am) to south (Be'er Sheva)<br />
* Highway no. 20 ("Netivay Ayalon") in Tel-Aviv.<br />
* Highway no. 50 ("Begin Highway") in Jerusalem.<br />
<br />
Some roads like 85, 70, are partly highway which mean you better ask or check before whether there is but station/ place you can stop due there are a lot of interchanges.<br />
In Israel is really common to use maps navigators apps (as Wase, google maps). So often drivers don't really know if they exctly goes through your destination. If you have smartphone, and you have specific destination- you better should check and even download the map, than you can see whats your hitch hike possibilities, sometime if it close enough in rural areas drivers will make detour for you as well. If in general the driver way is on your way (for exmple if you need to go to Kiryat Shmona from jerusalem and the driver go to Tiberias) you can get up to the car, and than ask politely if you can check by the driver Wase, or your google maps, where is the best junction for you to get down. Remember, always better not stand inside a city. For example- if the driver go through 90 road- I will get down in Zemach junction, becouse it's big rural junction. If he goes through 6 road I will get down in Tishbi Junction, just after Yokneam, from the same reason.It's also good to download the map becouse it's reduce stress, you feel that you know where you go.. <br />
<br />
[[File:Israel 338.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Tmoon hitching to Eilat]]<br />
[[File:CraigIsraelKfarAdomim.jpg|thumb|220px|right|[[User:Halt, Stop! Reudnitz kommt.|Craig]] at Kfar Adomim Junction en route to [[Dead Sea]] (5 mins).]]<br />
The most usual way to start an hitchhiking journey is to take a bus out of town, to a junction in your direction. Almost every junction has a hitchhiking spot (the famous ''[[Trempiyada]]''), or at least a bus station where drivers can stop. Many drivers stop in such a place simply to drop or pick up people, not for picking you up - approaching them can still pay off well though, as often they will pick you up anyway. [[User:Guaka|guaka]]'s wild guesstimate is about 20% of the time, definitely worth the walk, the gesture and the smile.<br />
<br />
In some places, like [[Tel Aviv]], it's very hard to hitchhike from the city, and inter-urban buses are relatively cheap and can get you to the nearest junction. you can hitchhike in Tel Aviv at Aluf Sade junction (near Ramat Efal, Shafrirm interchage, near Bar Ilan uni). sometime it's easyer even to take a train to the airport and than walk to the bus station and hitch-hike there to jerusalem. <br />
Jerusalem is really friendly to hich hikers, and you can hitch hike even in the nighbourhoods. There is 6 exists from the city, to different directions, and you have Trempiyadas in all of them. ask locals where is the best spot to hitch hike to ypour next destination. <br />
<br />
The longest road in Israel is 90 road, that go from the northest point in Metula, to Eilat. it's NOT an high-way so it's not a crowded one but quite usefull when you hitch-hiking becouse you can stop basicly everywhere and it's will take you to the north, south, dead sea, jerusalem, Tiberias, Sea of Gallile, Rosh pina..and cet. it's also goes near the Jordaninas border. <br />
<br />
In the rural areas, hitch-hiking is extremly common and people will help you and sometime will take you specialy to the place you need. People in Israel are direct, so don't be shy, you can share your destinations and they will help you to get there.<br />
<br />
Road 6: It's a highway road the intent to cross the country from north to south but not all built yet. it's a paying road, and it's the faster road in Israel. therefor its impossible to hitchhike on it, but you can join it always in the interchange before.. for exmaple- from center to north, get to Kesem junction, (train go there, and also easy to hitch hike from west bank) and walk on the sidewalk until you find trempiyada to north. Near Modiin there is Shoam junction, and from the south you can stand at the outside for Kiryat Gat. in the north, the soutern trempiyada in Yokneam it's gooD spot. MIND THAT once you on road 6 peoople usually don't get dowwn so if for example you need to go to Tel Aviv, don't take a lift to Jerusalem becouse they don't have place to stop. there are 2 gas stations in road 6, and you can try to stop there.. <br />
<br />
== Safety ==<br />
Like always, precaution is needed when hitchhiking, although in Israel hitchhiking is a way of life. You will find hitchhikers ''everywhere''. Even still, caution is necessary.<br />
<br />
You should remember that as a country in a sub-tropical region, it can get '''very''' hot in Israel, sometimes as early as March and as late as September. If you can, before hitchhiking check the predicted [[weather]] in the region of your travel, and if it's going to be hot, don't ignore it. Exposing yourself to heat without caution can be dangerous. In hot days, wear a hat and drink a lot of fluids, especially if hitchhiking in the desert. Suncream and sunglasses are also recommended.<br />
<br />
Due the fact that Israel is also in a problematic security situations, I think you just need to be bit more carefull that your usual, especially if you hitch-hike west bank, and if your intuation alert you from the driver, don't jump in. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== Cities and locations ==<br />
* [[Jerusalem]]<br />
* [[Tel Aviv]]<br />
* [[Haifa]]<br />
* [[Beer Sheva|Be'er Sheva]]<br />
* [[Dead Sea (Israel)|Dead Sea]]<br />
* [[Eilat]]<br />
* [[Ben Gurion International Airport]]<br />
[[File:Israel- erga hitching in rosh-pina.jpg|thumb|320|right|[[User:Erga]] hitching close to home in the north of the country]]<br />
* [[Rosh Pina]]<br />
* [[Tiberias]]<br />
* [[Netanya]]<br />
* [[Modi'in]]<br />
* [[Rehovot]]<br />
* [[The Golan Heights]]<br />
<br />
== Politics of hitchhiking in Israel ==<br />
It's common to get rides from Arab Israelis and from religious Jews. So it's wise to avoid talking politics unless you really know your ways and who you're talking to. Remembers a ride where the driver was listening to Arabic music, not speaking English, but indicating he "hates all Arabs", he just loves Arabic music. Tricky.<br />
<br />
[[User:Vulla|Vulla]]: "All the people will ask you why did you choose to travel in Israel. Most of the people want to talk about the politic situation, don't be afraid to ask questions...people want to show their point of view and just demonstrating that Israel is really a great country and not just a country war which it seems from outside, they will not have problems to say what they real think. That's my experience travelling HH in Israel, is a real way to understand this complex but great land"<br />
<br />
A lot of Arabs don't speak English, in which case it can actually be okay to approach them in Hebrew (especially if you're not a native speaker). Some Orthodox Jews prefer to speak only Yiddish, so it may be helpful to learn a few basic phrases in this language (hint: it's mutually intelligible with German).<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking inside the [[West Bank]] comes with its own special intricacies.<br />
<br />
Inside Israel (not in the West Bank) it's significantly harder to hitchhike at junctions close to Arab villages. Somehow cars coming out of the village are less likely to pick up hitchhikers. This could be because their wife is sitting next to them or someone of the closely knit network of the village is driving behind them. In such cases it makes a lot of sense to try to find out of the previous or next junction has different traffic (e.g. predominantly Jewish or further away from Arab villages) and to move on or back there.<br />
<br />
== Shabbat ==<br />
In Israel people work on [[Good times to hitchhike|Sundays]] so you'll be fine, but Shabbat is a fairly bad 24 hours for hitchhiking there since religious people are not driving at all (and they're usually quite skilled at [[picking up hitchhikers]]) and there's generally less traffic, but particularly on smaller roads there will be a lot of people out with their families and people pickup hitchhikers more because there is no public transport. Note that Shabbat starts on Friday when the Sun sets and ends at sunset on Saturday. Friday night, a few hours before sunset and Saturday night, immediately after sunset, are both EXCELLENT times to hitchhike! Many people drive from rural areas to the "center" of the country, urban Tel Aviv or Jerusalem due to visiting family for the Shabbat (Jewish sabbath) - beware of the traffic jams!<br />
<br />
== Crossing borders ==<br />
'''Note''': Israel shares borders with these countries; however, due to hostile relations between the states, it is impossible to legally cross over to Syria or Lebanon; Getting to [[Gaza]] should requires special circumstances (being a journalist or an aid worker etc.). Getting to Egypt and Jordan can be easily done through the border crossings with those countries.<br />
<br />
Getting into Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank is hassle free, as that is not a border. Sometimes on the way out of the autonomy you would need to present your passport with a valid visa (a slip of paper you get upon arrival to the country) in the checkpoint. <br />
<br />
=== To [[Egypt]] ===<br />
[[Taba]] is the only border crossing for passengers from Israel to [[Egypt]]. It is situated 5km south of [[Eilat]], and is accessible by public transport from both directions. There are almost no cars passing the border, everyone does it by foot. Notice that if you plan to continue after [[Sinai]], to [[Cairo]] for instance, you most likely need an Egyptian visa which is obtainable in the Egyptian embassy in [[Tel Aviv]] or the Egyptian consulate in [[Eilat]]. Bring with you 4 passport photos, 100 NIS and a photocopy of your passport. It takes around 4 hours for Western citizens.<br />
<br />
Before 2002, [[Rafah]] border crossing was also a way. After Israeli forces closed down the [[Rafah]] border crossing in Gaza in 2002 and after the disengagement from Gaza in 2005, [[Taba]] is the only border crossing for passengers from Israel to [[Egypt]].<br />
<br />
=== To [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]] ===<br />
Not possible. You can't enter Syria or Lebanon coming from Israel.<br />
<br />
Stamps issue: These two countries, along with a just a few others Arab states (all in all, less than 10 Arab states) will deny entry of visitors with evidence of visit to Israel. This means: passport that shows that you've been in Israel, even with just a stamp from a border crossing to Egypt or Jordan (see next section for more details).<br />
<br />
==== Avoiding an Israeli stamp ====<br />
Since 2013, Israeli immigration officers no longer stamp passports but issue visa paper-slips instead. You should keep the slip until you exit Israel. <br />
<br />
At the Jordan crossings officials on both sides generally seem to not stamp your passport if you ask them to.<br />
<br />
Egyptians generally always stamp. Your only way to avoid a stamp when going to Egypt from Israel is to go through Jordan, and take the ferry from [[Aqaba]] to [[Taba]], Egypt.<br />
<br />
=== To [[Jordan]] ===<br />
Israel currently run 3 border terminals with [[Jordan]]:<br />
<br />
# In northern Israel, next to [[Beit She'an]], you can cross in the "Jordan River"/"Sheikh Hussein" border crossing, from which it is quite straight forward if you continue onwards to Amman.<br />
# In central Israel, in the West Bank, "Allenby"/"King Hussein" border crossing, separating [[Jordan]] from the Israsel/West Bank. The border crossing is jointly operated by Israel (for international or Israeli passengers) and the Palestinian Authority (for Palestinian passengers). This is also the most direct border crossing from [[Amman]] to [[Jerusalem]]. Crossing into Israel/West Bank require no special visa. Crossing into Jordan requires obtaining a Jordanian visa in advance, as such are not issued in the border crossing.<br />
# In the south, 3km north of [[Eilat]], you can cross at the Arava crossing (''Yitzchak Rabin terminal'') which separates [[Eilat]] from [[Aqaba]].<br />
<br />
{{Cities Israel}}<br />
<br />
{{IsIn|Western Asia}}<br />
[[trash:Israel]]<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[Category:Israel]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Israel]]<br />
[[He:ישראל]]<br />
[[fr:Israël]]<br />
[[zh:以色列]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=User:OlcheMaith&diff=91732User:OlcheMaith2018-08-03T00:38:55Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Nina is a blogger at [https://www.roamingpencil.com/ Roaming Pencil] who draws and writes about hitchhiking. She is also slowly incorporating her experiences into HitchWiki. She has hitchhiked about 1000km in South America (2011) and over 20,000km in Europe (2016-17) and hopes to be hitching into 2018 and onward!<br />
<br />
'''Countries hitchhiked (briefly or extensively):'''<br />
<br />
* Albania<br />
* Argentina<br />
* Austria<br />
* Belgium<br />
* Bosnia and Herzegovina<br />
* Bulgaria<br />
* Chile<br />
* Croatia<br />
* England<br />
* France<br />
* Germany<br />
* Greece<br />
* Hungary<br />
* Israel<br />
* Italy <br />
* Kosovo<br />
* Macedonia<br />
* Montenegro<br />
* Netherlands<br />
* Poland<br />
* Scotland<br />
* Serbia<br />
* Slovenia<br />
* Spain (Catalonia only)<br />
* Switzerland<br />
* Ukraine<br />
* Wales</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=User_talk:OlcheMaith&diff=91731User talk:OlcheMaith2018-08-03T00:37:41Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Hello, OlcheMaith! Welcome to Hitchwiki! Thank you for [[Special:Contributions/OlcheMaith|your contributions]]. You might find the following useful:<br />
<br />
{{welcome_message}}<br />
<br />
I hope you like it here and continue to contribute. If you have any questions, you can ask me on my talk page or ask at the [[Hitchwiki:Community Portal|community portal.]] And again, welcome!<br />
-- [[User:Irningston|Irningston]] ([[User talk:Irningston|talk]]) 19:42, 31 December 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi! I just fixed the link from your profile page. Wiki text can be a bit difficult to edit at times but here's [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting a simple cheat sheet]. Welcome to Hitchwiki and thanks for all the edits on Scotland! -[[User:Mikael|Mikael]] ([[User talk:Mikael|talk]]) 15:19, 16 June 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Thanks! More edits to come soon :) I'm quite new to Wiki editing but will try to learn!<br />
<br />
== Merge users ==<br />
By the way, is it possible to change my user name to a different one? :) [[User:OlcheMaith|Nina]]<br />
:Sorry, can't modify usernames in MediaWiki (the software we use). -[[User:Mikael|Mikael]] ([[User talk:Mikael|talk]]) 13:53, 20 June 2017 (UTC)<br />
:If you create a new user we can [[Special:UserMerge|merge]] your current one into it. BTW i added your blog to [https://planet.traumschule.org planet.traumschule.org]. --[[User:Traumschule|Traumschule]] ([[User talk:Traumschule|talk]]) 18:04, 12 October 2017 (UTC)<br />
::Thanks! I'll do that :) And thanks for adding my blog as well! [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 23:20, 4 November 2017 (UTC)<br />
::I've created a new user: http://hitchwiki.org/en/User:Roaming_Pencil. Could you merge them please? :) [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 00:17, 3 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Maastricht ==<br />
<br />
Nina, I've updated the page on Maastricht, with the new northbound spot near Stadionplein. I've also removed a few of your notes, notably that it's faster to bike out of Maastricht than to walk, since this is generic, universal info and knowledge, but thanks for the advice. I've also used my bike in the past to get to the other side of town. I also removed your "Maastricht is a black hitch-hiking hole" note since it is not. Rather recently I have hitched out of M northbound over ten times. On my most frequent spot (spot #3 in the list) my long term average is 17 minutes / 34 km on 42 departures. For north recommended sign is simply "A2". From Maastricht deeper into Germany I generally do the N278 (easier thanks to my starting location, and avoids the A79 / A76 junction and Heerlen), turn left on N281 (wait <5 minutes standing right in front of the roundabout), leave that car at the N281/A76 intersection and walk 1.5 km to the (border) petrol station Esso Tienbaan (the true starting point of a longer trip). --[[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]] ([[User talk:Fverhart|talk]]) 13:50, 8 March 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks for the update and the valuable info! I haven't been to Maastricht since last October, so when I was there I only used spot #2 to hitchhike north (during 2017). Maybe I was doing something wrong... Anyway, the new one sounds really good! I'll probably try it out as soon as I'm back. [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 00:37, 3 August 2018 (UTC)</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=User_talk:OlcheMaith&diff=91730User talk:OlcheMaith2018-08-03T00:17:59Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Hello, OlcheMaith! Welcome to Hitchwiki! Thank you for [[Special:Contributions/OlcheMaith|your contributions]]. You might find the following useful:<br />
<br />
{{welcome_message}}<br />
<br />
I hope you like it here and continue to contribute. If you have any questions, you can ask me on my talk page or ask at the [[Hitchwiki:Community Portal|community portal.]] And again, welcome!<br />
-- [[User:Irningston|Irningston]] ([[User talk:Irningston|talk]]) 19:42, 31 December 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi! I just fixed the link from your profile page. Wiki text can be a bit difficult to edit at times but here's [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting a simple cheat sheet]. Welcome to Hitchwiki and thanks for all the edits on Scotland! -[[User:Mikael|Mikael]] ([[User talk:Mikael|talk]]) 15:19, 16 June 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Thanks! More edits to come soon :) I'm quite new to Wiki editing but will try to learn!<br />
<br />
== Merge users ==<br />
By the way, is it possible to change my user name to a different one? :) [[User:OlcheMaith|Nina]]<br />
:Sorry, can't modify usernames in MediaWiki (the software we use). -[[User:Mikael|Mikael]] ([[User talk:Mikael|talk]]) 13:53, 20 June 2017 (UTC)<br />
:If you create a new user we can [[Special:UserMerge|merge]] your current one into it. BTW i added your blog to [https://planet.traumschule.org planet.traumschule.org]. --[[User:Traumschule|Traumschule]] ([[User talk:Traumschule|talk]]) 18:04, 12 October 2017 (UTC)<br />
::Thanks! I'll do that :) And thanks for adding my blog as well! [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 23:20, 4 November 2017 (UTC)<br />
::I've created a new user: http://hitchwiki.org/en/User:Roaming_Pencil. Could you merge them please? :) [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 00:17, 3 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Maastricht ==<br />
<br />
Nina, I've updated the page on Maastricht, with the new northbound spot near Stadionplein. I've also removed a few of your notes, notably that it's faster to bike out of Maastricht than to walk, since this is generic, universal info and knowledge, but thanks for the advice. I've also used my bike in the past to get to the other side of town. I also removed your "Maastricht is a black hitch-hiking hole" note since it is not. Rather recently I have hitched out of M northbound over ten times. On my most frequent spot (spot #3 in the list) my long term average is 17 minutes / 34 km on 42 departures. For north recommended sign is simply "A2". From Maastricht deeper into Germany I generally do the N278 (easier thanks to my starting location, and avoids the A79 / A76 junction and Heerlen), turn left on N281 (wait <5 minutes standing right in front of the roundabout), leave that car at the N281/A76 intersection and walk 1.5 km to the (border) petrol station Esso Tienbaan (the true starting point of a longer trip). --[[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]] ([[User talk:Fverhart|talk]]) 13:50, 8 March 2018 (UTC)</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Theth&diff=90054Theth2017-12-09T14:26:27Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div><map lat="42.39699837104811" lng="19.75643375868309" zoom="12" view="0" float="right" />'''Theth''' is a small village up in the mountains in Shalë municipality, northern [[Albania]]. Nearest bigger city is [[Shkodër]].<br />
<br />
Village is surrounded by amazing mountains views and trekking paths in Theth national park. The most famous one is the hike from Theth to Valbone.<br />
Theth doesn't have supermarkets or ATMs and the only way to buy food is to eat in the restaurants/guesthouses, so it's a good idea to bring food (and means of cooking it, if needed).<br />
<br />
'''Hitching in''' <br />
<br />
No matter what direction you come from, hitch in from the SH1 way. From Shkoder, there is another direct route to Theth, but it's scarcely travelled, so don't hitch from there. When reaching Koplik, turn towards Theth from the roundabout, and hitch from there. First you'll need to get to [[Bogë]], the last village before Theth. From [[Bogë]] anybody going towards [[Theth]] will basically take you all the way. If not, getting stuck up in the mountains might be dangerous without proper gear, but you can always walk your way down.<br />
<br />
It's quite remote and the road to Theth is only partially asphalted. However, as of 2014, the asphalting of the final part to Theth is under way. It's recommended to access only with SUV vehicle but you would also see more shabby minibuses doing the route. Hitching experiences can greatly vary: sometimes, you can get an easy ride from tourists going up, but as tourism is picking up here, you might also find that tourist jeeps are packed, and local operators will charge you up to 15 euros for the ride. In general, it might take a while as there are not many cars passing. It can take up to 3-4 hours driving from Koplik to Theth. <br />
<br />
[[Image:Albania hh truck.jpg|right|thumb|Hitching down from the mountains at the back of truck.]]<br />
<br />
Remember that village gets isolated over the winter, so be cautious during spring/autumn seasons.<br />
<br />
In general, the infrastructure towards Theth is greatly advancing, but so is tourism. Consequently, the area is prone to significant change in the coming years.<br />
<br />
== Camping ==<br />
<br />
There are some yards where you can camp freely and even use the bathrooms outside. You can also cross the river and camp near the forest, where you'll be more isolated and able to light a fire if it's cold (or if you want to cook).</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Albania&diff=90053Albania2017-12-08T22:36:11Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox Country<br />
|country = of Albania<br />
|in = Europe<br />
|map= <map lat='41.02623044860001' lng='19.3853759765625' zoom='6' view='0' float='right' /><br />
|language = Albanian<br />
|capital = [[Tirana]]<br />
|pop = 3,170,048<br />
|currency = Lek (ALL)<br />
|hitch = <rating country='al' /><br />
}}<br />
'''Albania''' is a country in the [[Balkans]] in [[Southern Europe]]. The capital is [[Tirana]]. It has borders to [[Montenegro]], [[Kosovo]], [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]] and [[Greece]].<br />
<br />
The road network is not very complicated, and getting out from and past towns is usually just a matter of walking in the right direction. Roads do tend to go through the towns, but keep an eye out for signs for shortcuts to avoid tedious walking when transiting.<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking culture ==<br />
<br />
[[Hitchhiking]] in Albania can go surprisingly well. Even though Albania is still one of the poorest countries in [[Europe]], the country's living conditions have improved greatly in the past years. <br />
<br />
People are usually friendly and ready to help. Be aware some drivers expect money, since private taxi is a major form of public transport. A very easy way to avoid misunderstandings (if you are strict about hitchhiking) is to say "autostop, jo lek" - "hitchhiking, no money" while showing the thumb up sign ("jo" is pronounced "yo"). This is very clear to drivers and they will either drive away or pick you up anyway. <br />
<br />
Hitchhiking with a sign can be useful to differentiate yourself from the other people using public transportation, but on smaller roads a thumb is enough (and might actually make things easier since people might not be going far and it's hard to know what to put on your sign).<br />
<br />
[[Image:Albania hh truck.jpg|right|thumb|Hitching down from [[Theth]] at the back of a truck.]]Many private minibuses join the main cities via the main roads. There are no bus stops, so they may stop when they see you hitchhiking. They are quite cheap, for example a ride from [[Tirana]] - [[Shkodër]] (120 km) costs 500 Lek (about EUR 3.5). Thus, it may happen that they pick you for free if you say that you don't have money. <br />
<br />
Also, make sure to keep an eye on the road -- if the driver makes sudden turns and other similar actions while driving it is likely that he is either a taxi driver or that he thinks he is doing good by bringing you to the local bus station, and would expect some money from you. You therefore will have to be reiterative on stating that you travel by '''autostop'''. This kind of driver behaviour usually is not valid for the company car or truck drivers': they are already salaried and won't be offering a taxi service to you.<br />
<br />
Women hitchhiking alone do not encounter more issues than the average European country.<br />
<br />
[[File:100_1393.JPG|200px|thumb|left|Border Crossing from Macedonia at Ohrid Lake]]<br />
[[File:tirana.jpg|right|thumb|typical road scene in Tirana]]<br />
<br />
=== Safety ===<br />
<br />
Albania has a good hitchhiking reputation. The government financial trust in [[police]] force has lifted up the safety level in most areas of the country; however, it is paramount to remain cautious, and hitching by night as well as in some areas might not be too wise. Beware of the poorest area and hitching next to slums since you will be quickly dragging the attention of dozens of children lurking at your bags, and would make almost impossible for you to get out of there, so if you find yourself around such place just walk away and ignore the people until you are in a better area.<br />
<br />
== Cities ==<br />
<br />
* [[Tirana]]<br />
* [[Durrës]]<br />
* [[Elbasan]] <br />
* [[Vlorë]] <br />
* [[Shkodër]]<br />
* [[Sarandë]]<br />
<br />
=== Other places ===<br />
* [[Theth]] (village & national park)<br />
* [[Borsh]] (village with a wonderful beach)<br />
<br />
== Border Crossing ==<br />
<br />
Be careful at the borders, because officers can be corrupted and there are many problems with smuggling of cigarettes, drugs and guns. Border controls are more "exact" than in the rest of the [[Balkans]].<br />
<br />
* [[Morine border crossing|Kosovo-Albanian border crossing]]<br />
** ''[[User:rozwal|rozwal]] had not issues whatsoever, guards were very friendly and inquired about our purpose of stay (November 2011).''<br />
* [[Ulcinj-Shkoder border crossing|Montenegro-Albanian border crossing]]<br />
** ''[[User:Harveypekar|Harveypekar]] 2010. I tried at Podgorice, but ended up stuck for 2 hours. I made the sign for "a little bit" and made it to Tuzi, where it's better. Even though the touts will discourage you, and shout at cars that you won't pay, I got a ride after 30 mins in an Albanian car. Backsheesh for leaving Montenegro was 5 beers, and entering Albania 200 leks. My drivers paid that. Beware that the road to Skoder is really slow and could take well over an hour. I heard the crossing on the coast is barely visited, and only by tourists, with way less hassle by border guards.<br />
* [[Qafë-Thanës-Struga border crossing]]<br />
** ''[[User:Quarim|Quarim]] had problems at the border check to [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]] (direction [[Struga]], [[Ohrid]]) in 2008, he gave a bribe that the officers let him pass.'' <br />
** ''[[User:Klaudyna|Klaudyna]] reports a very different experience: ''We crossed the Macedonian - Albanian border on foot and started hitchhiking straight after crossing, about 100 meters away from the officers. We thought it's was going to bring us in trouble and we were trying to be as discreet with it as possible. They noticed us of course, but their reaction was quite different from what we expected - they stopped a car for us and told the driver to bring us to Tirana coz there is not much traffic and otherwise we would have waited forever.''<br />
** ''[[User:rozwal|rozwal]] had not issues whatsoever (November 2011).''<br />
** ''[[User:Kutikuti|Kutikuti]] : I crossed the Kosovo - Albanian border in September 2011 without any control whatsoever. There were guards and offices, but noone actually bothered to check if I had a passport. When I arrived in Shkoder, I told the receptionist about the situation, hoping that she would direct me to some police station or anywhere official, but the only thing she said was "never mind...".<br />
* [[Kakavia Greece-Albania border crossing]]<br />
**Arriving from Greece, [[Igoumenitsa]], [[Ioannina]] and Kalpaki, is not a high traffic road but anyway very easy to reach. As crossed the border, you will have a big square, with cafes, shops and so on, you can change money there, but you will be assaulted by anyone try to rip you off. Better move to the petrol stations, you have one, 200m down, closer but a bit less traffic and another one, better, 1 km later, after the junction with kakavia village, already on the way to [[Gjirokaster]], the first albanian city you will meet.<br />
**Arriving from Albania, there are quite frequent busses on the Greek side of the border in the direction of Kalpaki (3,60 eur), Ioannina. (July 2013)<br />
** ''[[User:Fedecicco|Fedecicco]] I passed it (july 2012) without any problem, no corruption nor serious problem met. Only an enormous mass of albanian taxi drivers assault you as you cross the border by foot. Just said them no, almost nobody spoke english, and continued my way.''<br />
** ''[[User:nerd-has-a-shirt|Val]] I passed the border (July 2014) with german passport, not even one question asked. I honestly doubt his english would have been good enough at that point as he looked very shy and not knowing what to say when he gave me back the passport.<br />
<br />
== Eating & Drinking ==<br />
<br />
In Tirana (and probably in other cities, too) you can find very cheap local food markets with really good and fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, olives, etc. Local olive oil and freshly baked bread is something everyone has to taste! <br />
<br />
Do not drink tap water in Albania.<br />
<br />
''This statement is partly false, I asked around and it seems to depend on the area you are in. For example Gjirokaster is very well drinkable. ** ''[[User:nerd-has-a-shirt|Val]] I had no Problems staying one week drinking it. Next tip, if you are in Dhermi area, ask in big hotels they sometimes have a water cleaning filter in their system and you can fill up your bottle easily.'' [[User:MOAH|Mind of a Hitchhiker]] drank the tap water in Albania for one month and was perfectly fine.<br />
<br />
== Accomodation & Sleeping ==<br />
<br />
In Tirana one can easily get accommodated in so called private sector: these are people who have their apartments arranged to accepts occasional tourists. It is safe, quite cheap (you can talk about how much you can pay), you get friendly company (if needed) and tips how and where. To find these kind of places just ask some more tidily looking folks on the street, or in Internet cafes and other similar places.<br />
There is a nice and individual hostel in the center of Tirana. Tirana Backpacker Hostel, Rruga Elbasanit 85, Tirana.<br />
For free you can stay at Couchsurfer house. Albanians are very good hosts and they can help you by showing the city you will stay or giving directions.<br />
<br />
[[User:MOAH|Mind of a Hitchhiker]] had an awesome time freecamping and squatting in Albania. There's lots of building going on in Albania, especially at the coast in [[Sarandë]] there's a whole rise of ugly concrete structures, presumably to launder money. There's not enough people who actually buy those apartments, so squatting is really doable for the night if you manage to sneak in unnoticed. There's empty buildings in the whole country. If you walk about 4km north of [[Dürres]] centre there's a few beaches and hills excellent for pitching a tent.<br />
<br />
== Other Useful Info ==<br />
<br />
* [http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Albanian_phrasebook Albanian Phrasebook] on Wikivoyage<br />
* [http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Albania Albania] on Wikivoyage <br />
<br />
{{Template:Europe/countries}} <br />
{{IsIn|Balkans}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
[[trash:Albania]]<br />
[[nomad:Albania]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Albania]]<br />
[[Category:Southern Europe]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Albanien]]<br />
[[fr:Albanie]]<br />
[[pl:Albania]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=User:OlcheMaith&diff=90052User:OlcheMaith2017-12-08T22:19:40Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Nina is a blogger at [https://www.roamingpencil.com/ Roaming Pencil] who draws and writes about hitchhiking. She is also slowly incorporating her experiences into HitchWiki. She has hitchhiked about 1000km in South America (2011) and over 20,000km in Europe (2016-17) and hopes to be hitching into 2018 and onward!<br />
<br />
'''Countries hitchhiked (briefly or extensively):'''<br />
<br />
* Albania<br />
* Argentina<br />
* Austria<br />
* Belgium<br />
* Bosnia and Herzegovina<br />
* Chile<br />
* Croatia<br />
* England<br />
* France<br />
* Germany<br />
* Greece<br />
* Hungary<br />
* Israel<br />
* Italy <br />
* Kosovo<br />
* Macedonia<br />
* Montenegro<br />
* Netherlands<br />
* Poland<br />
* Scotland<br />
* Serbia<br />
* Slovenia<br />
* Spain (Catalonia only)<br />
* Switzerland<br />
* Ukraine<br />
* Wales</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Patra&diff=90051Patra2017-12-08T22:17:58Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox Italian Location<br />
|country = Greece<br />
|state = <br />
|map = <map lat='38.25166192031555' lng='21.741943359375' zoom='11' float='right' view='0' /><br />
|pop = 172,000<br />
|plate = AX, AZ<br />
|motorways = {{E|55}}, {{E|65}}<br />
}}<br />
'''Patra''' (also '''Patras''', Greek: Πάτρα) is a city in [[Greece]]. It's one of the Greek cities with a [[ferries between Italy and Greece|ferry link]] to [[Italy]], connecting to [[Venice]], [[Bari]], [[Brindisi]] and [[Ancona]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking Out ==<br />
<br />
===Northeast towards [[Lamia]], [[Larissa]], [[Thessaloniki]] or northwest towards [[Arta]], [[Ioannina]], [[Albania]]===<br />
<br />
There are two ways to get from Patra to the Greek mainland: a bridge and a ferry (both from Rio to Antirrio). The ferry is free for foot passengers and cheaper than the bridge for cars, and also easier to access than the bridge. It runs several times per hour.<br />
<br />
=== East towards [[Korinthos]], [[Athens (Greece)|Athens]] ===<br />
===From Rio Toll Station:===<br />
Take Bus No 6 from downtown Patra (EUR 1.30). Ask for Korinthou Street. There are stops there. Get off at the end of the line at the hospital. There's a road on your left leading to the toll station after 15 min walk.<br />
<br />
==== A hitchhiker's experience ====<br />
''I have hitchhiked right after the toll station 3-4 times. Only once a toll station employee told me to leave. I went to the cantine 20m away and got a ride there from a guy who had stopped for a snack. Another time a policeman just asked me to step behind the bars. I had no problem to catch a ride.''<br />
<br />
<br />
***Recent, June 2012)<br />
I followed these directions but didnt have any luck getting off at the right stop, its a bit confusing. The best idea is to get on the correct bus #6, to hospital, my driver spoke no english or spanish, but he understood hospital, after you SEE the hospital WAIT, he will go do a loop, and stop at 1 little newstand then continue, the next time he will stop at the CANTINA(it looks like nothing, might be a few cars there) get off! You should see the highway right in front of you(above) crawl/hike up the 10 ft ravine and bam your on the highway(emergency lane) all the cars were slow so no worries, now walk to the left, you should be like 40ft. from the toll booth. Theres probably a woman walking by in a yellow shiny shirt and she will help you across without getting hit by the other cars. When your on the other side, walk 30 ft towards Athens and theres a Cantina thats out of business. Stand there, no problems, I got an offer within 30 minutes, helps to have a sign! Luck<br />
<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
{{isIn|Greece}}<br />
<br />
=== South towards the Peloponese ===<br />
<br />
Catch bus no 8 from outside the central railway station. Stay on for about 1/2 an hour, into the small town of Ovyra on the outskirts of Patras. The bus takes a sharp right in the down and goes down a hill. At the bottom of the hill it turns left. Get off at the next stop (you should see signs for the junction) and you can follow signs to easily walk to the slip road for the E55 going south.<br />
<br />
<br />
[[WikiPedia:Patras]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Greece]]<br />
[[Category:E55]]<br />
[[Category:E65]]<br />
[[Category:Ferries]]<br />
[[trash:Patra]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Greece&diff=90050Greece2017-12-08T22:09:26Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Greece<br />
|map= <map lat='39.8' lng='21.47' zoom='6' view='0' float='right' /><br />
|language = Greek<br />
|capital = [[Athens]]<br />
|pop = 11,216,708<br />
|currency = Euro (€) (EUR)<br />
|BW = GR<br />
|hitch = <rating country='gr' /><br />
}}<br />
'''Greece''' is a country in [[Southern Europe]], bordering [[Albania]], [[Republic of Macedonia|FYRoM]], [[Bulgaria]], and [[Turkey]]. It is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]].<br />
<br />
[[File:IMG_2349.jpg|thumb|250px|Hitchhiker [[User:Whisperingofthestars|Jason]] thumbing in Greece, June 2008. His hips have seemingly turned inside out.]]<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking in Greece can vary between very slow and very fast.<br />
<br />
A few useful Greece-particular tips to make it faster:<br />
<br />
1. '''Signs''' are usually very helpful. Write the closest reasonably big town - not road numbers and not a faraway destination. <br />
The Greeks generally will take your sign very literally and won't stop if they're not going that far, even if it's the same direction.<br />
Write the signs in both Greek and English.<br />
<br />
2. '''Local roads''' during daytime can be very fast and hitched without a sign. After dark people won't be going far and many of them won't stop.<br />
<br />
3. '''Motorways''' - Sliproads, ramps etc generally don't work well (unless you're in a big city and many cars are taking the road you need). If there's a motorway, the best (though not safest) option will be to stand on it. <br />
Officially it's illegal, and some hitchhikers have been asked to move by the police, while others have had no problems at all. It's better to stay away from tollbooths, bridges and tunnels, since you might be seen by people or by cameras.<br />
Safety-wise, there is usually room to stop, and sometimes you can walk on the external side of the fence until you get to a good point. <br />
* Petrol stations are very small and rare on motorways, so hitchhiking from one to another is not a good option. Better stay on the motorway itself.<br />
<br />
4. '''Locals''' can give very good hitchhiking advice (locations, routes, and sometimes they'll even find the next ride for you). Make sure they understand that you're hitchhiking all the way (not just to a bus station) and tell them where you want to be today. They might be able to help!<br />
<br />
Many Greeks seem to be afraid of immigrants. It's best not to ask too much about it as something close to racism and prejudice comes out. Greeks who have lived abroad or have travelled around seem to be much more open to picking up hitch-hikers, as are foreign tourists.<br />
<br />
Because there are few [[highway|motorways]] in Greece, the national roads become great havens of locals and long distance drivers pouring in from the south east to west and vice versa, up into the north. Also, tolls have increased as of recently, making motorways less attractive for long distance drivers. Greek drivers will never directly ask for money. In very few cases, some might say they don't have enough to pay the tolls, or that they have not enough petrol to arrive to their destination and no money to buy more. <br />
<br />
You can cross the border by foot!<br />
EDIT- If you´re crossing border to Turkey between Alexandroupoli and Tekirdag it´s not possible to go by foot. Between greek and turkish border there is a bridge and soldiers will tell you that you have to go by car on this bridge of course because of national security. (Checked in Semptember 2016)<br />
<br />
It would be smart not to mention "Macedonia" as a country. Greeks call "Macedonia" the northern part of Greece. If you're going to the [[Republic of Macedonia|former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia]], and want to avoid the political conversation, just say that you're going to "FYROM" or [[Skopje]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Greece-map-license-plates.jpg|thumb|300px|Map of licence plates.]]<br />
In summer it can get very hot in Greece, so be careful that you don't get sunburned and carry plenty of water with you. It is also wise to have a large cardboard sign which you can use as makeshift umbrella while you're waiting for cars.<br />
<br />
== Number plates ==<br />
The number plates of Greece consist of 3 letters and 4 digits. The first 1 or 2 letters represent a state. The plates are valid for the whole life of the vehicle even if its owner moves to an other town, so you can not be absolutely sure about where the vehicle is from.<br />
<br />
== [[Camping|Wild camping]] ==<br />
Wild camping in Greece is forbidden by law. If you camp next to hotels, organized campgrounds or other kind of tourist accommodation, their owner can call the police. [[Police]] may fine you (150 euro) during the summer months (July and August especially), so it's best to ask other wild campers when you arrive at a beach.<br />
<br />
Compared with the other Mediterranean EU countries, there are still a lot of of beaches where you can camp for free and without police problems. You can camp freely anywhere in the mountains, valleys, hills, river beds etc. Nobody is going to chase you off.<br />
<br />
== Cities ==<br />
* [[Athens (Greece)|Athens]]<br />
* [[Thessaloniki]]<br />
* [[Patra]]<br />
* [[Ioannina]]<br />
* [[Kalamata]]<br />
* [[Florina]]<br />
* [[Igoumenitsa]]<br />
* [[Greek islands]]<br />
* [[Kavala]]<br />
* [[Xanthi]]<br />
<br />
== Getting away ==<br />
* To [[Ferries between Italy and Greece|Italy]]<br />
You can get a ferries from Igoumenitsa or Patra. A lot of trucks going through Igoumenitsa. <br />
Ferries are expensive and time consuming, but there is a shower and you can sleep on the deck. Crossing in the truck cab - dangerous and illegal. There are discounts for students. If you are under 25 - ask for a discount!<br />
<br />
== Personal Experiences ==<br />
" I was just crossing Greece from Bulgaria to Turkey and I expected easy way but it was totally different. I spent there about 4 days hitch-hiking full of depressions. Greeks just didn't stop and waiting time about 3 hours wasn't anything special. For me it was the worst hitch-hiking country ever. For me Greece was even worse than Italy or Spain!" (August 2016) => Local's answer : There's a big wave of refugees since the war in Syria and people are scared. A driver could be detained for trafficking, if he's carrying passengers who entered Greece illegally. If you try NOT to look like a refugee and speak to people in gas stations, East Macedonia + Thraki could be crossed in less than 48h.<br />
<br />
Not looking like a refugee is easily the worst advice I've heard, I look like what most people would consider a hipster and still a very nice and helpful worker at a petrol station thought that I'm an Algerian for an hour even though I've said that I'm Hungarian in Greek, just because of my Mediterranean complexion.<br />
However, I didn't have absurd waiting times but the existence of highways without good possibilities for hitchhikers to use them makes Greece easily the worst Balkans country to hitchhike.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{IsIn|Balkans}}<br />
{{Template:Europe/countries}}<br />
<br />
[[trash:Greece]]<br />
<br />
[[wikipedia:Greece]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Route to Istanbul#From Greece|Turkey]]<br />
[[Category:Greece| ]]<br />
[[Category:Southern Europe]]<br />
[[Category:E75]]<br />
[[Category:Route Athens - Thessaloniki]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Griechenland]]<br />
[[fr:Grèce]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Greece&diff=90049Greece2017-12-08T22:08:44Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = of Greece<br />
|map= <map lat='39.8' lng='21.47' zoom='6' view='0' float='right' /><br />
|language = Greek<br />
|capital = [[Athens]]<br />
|pop = 11,216,708<br />
|currency = Euro (€) (EUR)<br />
|BW = GR<br />
|hitch = <rating country='gr' /><br />
}}<br />
'''Greece''' is a country in [[Southern Europe]], bordering [[Albania]], [[Republic of Macedonia|FYRoM]], [[Bulgaria]], and [[Turkey]]. It is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]].<br />
<br />
[[File:IMG_2349.jpg|thumb|250px|Hitchhiker [[User:Whisperingofthestars|Jason]] thumbing in Greece, June 2008. His hips have seemingly turned inside out.]]<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking in Greece can vary between very slow and very fast.<br />
<br />
A few useful Greece-particular tips to make it faster:<br />
1. '''Signs''' are usually very helpful. Write the closest reasonably big town - not road numbers and not a faraway destination. <br />
The Greeks generally will take your sign very literally and won't stop if they're not going that far, even if it's the same direction.<br />
Write the signs in both Greek and English.<br />
2. '''Local roads''' during daytime can be very fast and hitched without a sign. After dark people won't be going far and many of them won't stop.<br />
3. '''Motorways''' - Sliproads, ramps etc generally don't work well (unless you're in a big city and many cars are taking the road you need). If there's a motorway, the best (though not safest) option will be to stand on it. <br />
Officially it's illegal, and some hitchhikers have been asked to move by the police, while others have had no problems at all. It's better to stay away from tollbooths, bridges and tunnels, since you might be seen by people or by cameras.<br />
Safety-wise, there is usually room to stop, and sometimes you can walk on the external side of the fence until you get to a good point. <br />
* Petrol stations are very small and rare on motorways, so hitchhiking from one to another is not a good option. Better stay on the motorway itself.<br />
4. '''Locals''' can give very good hitchhiking advice (locations, routes, and sometimes they'll even find the next ride for you). Make sure they understand that you're hitchhiking all the way (not just to a bus station) and tell them where you want to be today. They might be able to help!<br />
<br />
Many Greeks seem to be afraid of immigrants. It's best not to ask too much about it as something close to racism and prejudice comes out. Greeks who have lived abroad or have travelled around seem to be much more open to picking up hitch-hikers, as are foreign tourists.<br />
<br />
Because there are few [[highway|motorways]] in Greece, the national roads become great havens of locals and long distance drivers pouring in from the south east to west and vice versa, up into the north. Also, tolls have increased as of recently, making motorways less attractive for long distance drivers. Greek drivers will never directly ask for money. In very few cases, some might say they don't have enough to pay the tolls, or that they have not enough petrol to arrive to their destination and no money to buy more. <br />
<br />
You can cross the border by foot!<br />
EDIT- If you´re crossing border to Turkey between Alexandroupoli and Tekirdag it´s not possible to go by foot. Between greek and turkish border there is a bridge and soldiers will tell you that you have to go by car on this bridge of course because of national security. (Checked in Semptember 2016)<br />
<br />
It would be smart not to mention "Macedonia" as a country. Greeks call "Macedonia" the northern part of Greece. If you're going to the [[Republic of Macedonia|former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia]], and want to avoid the political conversation, just say that you're going to "FYROM" or [[Skopje]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Greece-map-license-plates.jpg|thumb|300px|Map of licence plates.]]<br />
In summer it can get very hot in Greece, so be careful that you don't get sunburned and carry plenty of water with you. It is also wise to have a large cardboard sign which you can use as makeshift umbrella while you're waiting for cars.<br />
<br />
== Number plates ==<br />
The number plates of Greece consist of 3 letters and 4 digits. The first 1 or 2 letters represent a state. The plates are valid for the whole life of the vehicle even if its owner moves to an other town, so you can not be absolutely sure about where the vehicle is from.<br />
<br />
== [[Camping|Wild camping]] ==<br />
Wild camping in Greece is forbidden by law. If you camp next to hotels, organized campgrounds or other kind of tourist accommodation, their owner can call the police. [[Police]] may fine you (150 euro) during the summer months (July and August especially), so it's best to ask other wild campers when you arrive at a beach.<br />
<br />
Compared with the other Mediterranean EU countries, there are still a lot of of beaches where you can camp for free and without police problems. You can camp freely anywhere in the mountains, valleys, hills, river beds etc. Nobody is going to chase you off.<br />
<br />
== Cities ==<br />
* [[Athens (Greece)|Athens]]<br />
* [[Thessaloniki]]<br />
* [[Patra]]<br />
* [[Ioannina]]<br />
* [[Kalamata]]<br />
* [[Florina]]<br />
* [[Igoumenitsa]]<br />
* [[Greek islands]]<br />
* [[Kavala]]<br />
* [[Xanthi]]<br />
<br />
== Getting away ==<br />
* To [[Ferries between Italy and Greece|Italy]]<br />
You can get a ferries from Igoumenitsa or Patra. A lot of trucks going through Igoumenitsa. <br />
Ferries are expensive and time consuming, but there is a shower and you can sleep on the deck. Crossing in the truck cab - dangerous and illegal. There are discounts for students. If you are under 25 - ask for a discount!<br />
<br />
== Personal Experiences ==<br />
" I was just crossing Greece from Bulgaria to Turkey and I expected easy way but it was totally different. I spent there about 4 days hitch-hiking full of depressions. Greeks just didn't stop and waiting time about 3 hours wasn't anything special. For me it was the worst hitch-hiking country ever. For me Greece was even worse than Italy or Spain!" (August 2016) => Local's answer : There's a big wave of refugees since the war in Syria and people are scared. A driver could be detained for trafficking, if he's carrying passengers who entered Greece illegally. If you try NOT to look like a refugee and speak to people in gas stations, East Macedonia + Thraki could be crossed in less than 48h.<br />
<br />
Not looking like a refugee is easily the worst advice I've heard, I look like what most people would consider a hipster and still a very nice and helpful worker at a petrol station thought that I'm an Algerian for an hour even though I've said that I'm Hungarian in Greek, just because of my Mediterranean complexion.<br />
However, I didn't have absurd waiting times but the existence of highways without good possibilities for hitchhikers to use them makes Greece easily the worst Balkans country to hitchhike.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{IsIn|Balkans}}<br />
{{Template:Europe/countries}}<br />
<br />
[[trash:Greece]]<br />
<br />
[[wikipedia:Greece]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Route to Istanbul#From Greece|Turkey]]<br />
[[Category:Greece| ]]<br />
[[Category:Southern Europe]]<br />
[[Category:E75]]<br />
[[Category:Route Athens - Thessaloniki]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Griechenland]]<br />
[[fr:Grèce]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Talk:Albania&diff=89882Talk:Albania2017-11-04T23:26:55Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>I'd love to edit the "hitchhiking culture" section - I think it can be made shorter and clearer (e.g there are many suggestions of things to say to drivers to explain that you're hitchhiking, but I'd just replace all of them with "autostop, jo lek" which has been working perfectly for me in the past month). Is it OK if I give it a makeover? <br />
Also, in the accommodation part there are things that might belong on Nomadwiki (paid accommodation). [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 23:26, 4 November 2017 (UTC)</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=User_talk:OlcheMaith&diff=89881User talk:OlcheMaith2017-11-04T23:20:51Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Hello, OlcheMaith! Welcome to Hitchwiki! Thank you for [[Special:Contributions/OlcheMaith|your contributions]]. You might find the following useful:<br />
<br />
{{welcome_message}}<br />
<br />
I hope you like it here and continue to contribute. If you have any questions, you can ask me on my talk page or ask at the [[Hitchwiki:Community Portal|community portal.]] And again, welcome!<br />
-- [[User:Irningston|Irningston]] ([[User talk:Irningston|talk]]) 19:42, 31 December 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi! I just fixed the link from your profile page. Wiki text can be a bit difficult to edit at times but here's [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting a simple cheat sheet]. Welcome to Hitchwiki and thanks for all the edits on Scotland! -[[User:Mikael|Mikael]] ([[User talk:Mikael|talk]]) 15:19, 16 June 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Thanks! More edits to come soon :) I'm quite new to Wiki editing but will try to learn!<br />
<br />
== Merge users ==<br />
By the way, is it possible to change my user name to a different one? :) [[User:OlcheMaith|Nina]]<br />
:Sorry, can't modify usernames in MediaWiki (the software we use). -[[User:Mikael|Mikael]] ([[User talk:Mikael|talk]]) 13:53, 20 June 2017 (UTC)<br />
:If you create a new user we can [[Special:UserMerge|merge]] your current one into it. BTW i added your blog to [https://planet.traumschule.org planet.traumschule.org]. --[[User:Traumschule|Traumschule]] ([[User talk:Traumschule|talk]]) 18:04, 12 October 2017 (UTC)<br />
::Thanks! I'll do that :) And thanks for adding my blog as well! [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 23:20, 4 November 2017 (UTC)</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Talk:Maastricht&diff=89694Talk:Maastricht2017-10-12T14:42:24Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>I think that due to the newly opened Noordebrug some spots might be irrelevant and other new ones might (hopefully) exist. I'm not there anymore to check, so I've only edited what I know, but maybe someone else has some updated information? [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 14:42, 12 October 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Regarding the official hitchhiking spot in Maastricht, which was created in the early 1990s, its future is currently not clear. The government is in a decision making proces which of three alternatives for the reconstruction of the motorway through our city will be realized. This decision will be made this summer. <br />
<br />
I have gotten in contact with a politician of the municipal government of Maastricht, who has brought to attention the point of creating a new official hitchhiking spot, among the other political parties and three consortia who are candidate for the realisation of the motorway project. A friend of me also has brought up the point, as he is active within the local politics, and he has posed questions about this, by an official letter directed to the aldernman of Maastricht who is responsible for environment and mobility. <br />
<br />
Response from that side came from the registrar of the alderman, being that there is currently no possibility to think over the request due to capacity / workloads, in the designing department especially. Also it was pointed out that the official hitchhiking spot would - if recreated - be moved further north of the city. <br />
<br />
In my opinion the hitchhiking spot should not be realized more to the north for mainly two reasons;<br />
- the accessibility of the spot would be less, further from the city center<br />
- because of that, creative hitchhikers would start to use a different spot than the official one, closer to the center, to acquire their lifts out of town<br />
<br />
Due to these proceedings and also the bureaucratic sounding answer from my friend, I leave the matter for autumn. --[[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]] 14:55, 18 June 2009 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Thanks for the update, Frank. It's an excellent spot, let's hope it there will be a similar spot in the future. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 18:16, 19 June 2009 (UTC)</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Maastricht&diff=89693Maastricht2017-10-12T14:39:45Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox Dutch Location<br />
|country = Netherlands<br />
|map = <map lat='50.84930707388861' lng='5.700874328613281' zoom='12' view='3'/><br />
|pop = 117,548<br />
|state = Limburg<br />
|motorways = [[A2 (Netherlands)|A2]], [[A79 (Netherlands)|A79]]<br />
|hitchbase = 131<br />
}}<br />
'''Maastricht''' is the most southern city of the [[Netherlands]], located in the province of [[Limburg]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
<br />
As to 2017, getting out of Maastricht seems to be the hardest part of any journey. [[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] has managed to get out every time, but it usually took at least an hour of waiting (in any direction).<br />
<br />
=== North towards [[Eindhoven]] (A2) {{E|25}}, east towards [[Heerlen]], [[Aachen]] ([[Germany]]) (A79) ===<br />
''See below, under '''East towards [[Gulpen]], [[Aachen]] (N278)''' for an alternate route. The construction along here in 2016 is crazy.''<br />
<br />
There was a ''[[liftershalte]]'', a special spot for hitchhiking, at the beginning of the [[A2 (Netherlands)|A2]] near the soccer stadium ''De Geusselt'' (Viaductweg x N2/A2). With the upgrade of the N2 to [[A2 (Netherlands)|A2]] this liftershalte was removed. <br />
<br />
Hitchhiking this direction is not always very easy. There is no obvious spot. Here are a few suggestions. <br />
<br />
1. Traffic lights at west end of the Terblijterweg, where it connects with the N2/A2 motorway, close to the Geusselt football stadium. You really have to go to the traffic lights, which requires 150 meter of walking illegally along the Terblijterweg which is closed for pedestrians. Once at the traffic lights it should not take more than a few minutes to get a ride, pref. use a sign A2 or A79 / Heerlen. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]]: a good spot, police would send you away but it is unlikely that you need to wait long if you know what you're doing! Personal experience of [[User:Rainboat|rainboat]]: We waited here for nearly an hour, carrying a sign saying A2.<br />
<br />
2. Crossroad Meerssenerweg / Viaductweg where you can ask rides at the traffic lights. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]]: works but not all traffic goes the A2. Sign A2 or A79 / Heerlen can help. <br />
[[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] always waits here for at least an hour, whether she's hitchhiking north or west, but eventually it works. Not sure whether this spot is possible now with the roadworks.<br />
<br />
3. Just before A2-access lane Maastricht-Randwyck at the road Oeslingerbaan, on the bridge over the A2. There is a hard shoulder on the bridge on which a driver can easily stop. A sign Heerlen is recommended here if you are going there or into Germany, passing by or going to Aachen. Bus 1 and 6 (direction De Heeg) stop nearby at busstop Oeslingerbaan/Langendaal. http://goo.gl/maps/430rZ. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]]: An average wait of 20 minutes, a sign A2 or A79 / Heerlen helps. Police may send you away here. Easiest way to get on the bridge is from BP petrol station walk behind the safety rail along Oeslingerbaan. <br />
<br />
4. New access lane of the A2-motorway on the junction Kruisdonk, near Rothem. Drivers can stop at the access lane on a hard shoulder beside the driving lane. To get here from the city you can take bus line 59 or 159 until busstop "Kruispunt" in Rothem, then walk south along Ambyerweg / cycling path for 500 meters. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]]: despite a lot of space on the access lane waiting times are rather long. You can approach cars at the traffic light at the exit lane, many of them are crossing the road and driving up the A2. Everybody can take you to the next petrol station. <br />
<br />
5. Hitchhiking north through Belgium - somewhere along Brusselseweg. Aim for Maasmechelen - if you reach the N78, it goes back into the Netherlands and meets the A2/E25 after the black hole of hitchhiking out of Maastricht is over.<br />
<br /><br />
Generally, if you are heading for [[Germany]] passing by or going to [[Aachen]] you should aim for a ride to [[Heerlen]], where you can hitchhike again on the N281 towards [[Aachen]]. Standing on the motorway junction just before [[Heerlen]] should be avoided, because it is not allowed to stand there. <br />
<br />
[[File:Tmoon.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[User:Tmoon|Tmoon]] hitching out of Maastricht]]<br />
<br />
=== East towards [[Gulpen]], [[Aachen]] (N278/"Cadier en Keer") ===<br />
Take the bus #53 or #54 from the center towards ''Akersteenweg'' (you can also walk, but it takes a while; cycling is faster). At this bus stop you'll find a petrol station[https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Esso/@50.8418987,5.7388902,18z/data=!4m21!1m15!4m14!1m6!1m2!1s0x47c0ded3c3a19e73:0x9c68915e1903c150!2sGenk,+Belgium!2m2!1d5.5021!2d50.96613!1m6!1m2!1s0x47c0ea267bccbe6f:0xe2b8beb79c8d93b5!2sAkersteenweg,+Maastricht,+Netherlands!2m2!1d5.7322656!2d50.8429126!3m4!1s0x0:0x5097d3d4b56f8abb!8m2!3d50.8422334!4d5.7397992?hl=en]. There you can try to get a lift towards [[Aachen]] in [[Germany]]. You might have to get a few lifts, village to village, along the N278 aka "Cadier en Keer", but you shouldn't ever have to wait very long. Usually a lift to at least Vaals, which is right before the border and Aachen, is possible. <br />
<br />
=== South towards [[Liège|Liege]] (A2) {{E|25}} ===<br />
Follow the rail track from the central station out of the town in a southern direction from the backside exit (use the bridge over the rails). At the first rail/road crossing south of the station hike on over the cycling path and later, still by the side of the railway, over Sint Gerardusweg. Follow this way until the end, thus you walk under a bridge (John F. Kennedysingel). This is the junction Europaplein. Keep walking 100 meters ahead to the motorway ramp. Average wait is about 10 minutes, max. 30 minutes. Longer rides are not common. Petrol station between Maastricht and Liège (still in the Netherlands) is not very busy, but can give longer rides into France. Knowing the good spots in Liège to hitch-hike is a good idea.<br />
<br />
=== West towards [[Hasselt]], [[Antwerpen]], [[Leuven]], [[Brussels]] (Belgian N2) ===<br />
Best place towards [[Hasselt]] is at or just after the traffic lights at the crossing of Via Regia and Canteleerstraat, the first crossing after the traffic square Via Regia. Expect short rides to [[Veldwezelt]], [[Mopertingen]] and [[Bilzen]]. You will reach the motorway at [[Diepenbeek]] or [[Bilzen]], where you can easily get further. All the motorway access lanes in Hasselt are suitable for either [[Brussels]] or [[Antwerpen]]. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]: Average wait of about 10 minutes and you should accept every ride that takes you further on the Belgian N2. Just before Bilzen you can hitch-hike at the roundabout towards Hasselt and further into Belgium. <br />
<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
[[trash:Maastricht]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Limburg|Limburg]]<br />
[[Category:E25]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Maastricht&diff=89692Maastricht2017-10-12T14:38:43Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox Dutch Location<br />
|country = Netherlands<br />
|map = <map lat='50.84930707388861' lng='5.700874328613281' zoom='12' view='3'/><br />
|pop = 117,548<br />
|state = Limburg<br />
|motorways = [[A2 (Netherlands)|A2]], [[A79 (Netherlands)|A79]]<br />
|hitchbase = 131<br />
}}<br />
'''Maastricht''' is the most southern city of the [[Netherlands]], located in the province of [[Limburg]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
<br />
As to 2017, getting out of Maastricht seems to be the hardest part of any journey. [[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] has managed to get out every time, but it usually took at least an hour of waiting (in any direction).<br />
<br />
=== North towards [[Eindhoven]] (A2) {{E|25}}, east towards [[Heerlen]], [[Aachen]] ([[Germany]]) (A79) ===<br />
''See below, under '''East towards [[Gulpen]], [[Aachen]] (N278)''' for an alternate route. The construction along here in 2016 is crazy.''<br />
<br />
There was a ''[[liftershalte]]'', a special spot for hitchhiking, at the beginning of the [[A2 (Netherlands)|A2]] near the soccer stadium ''De Geusselt'' (Viaductweg x N2/A2). With the upgrade of the N2 to [[A2 (Netherlands)|A2]] this liftershalte was removed. <br />
<br />
Hitchhiking this direction is not always very easy. There is no obvious spot. Here are a few suggestions. <br />
<br />
1. Traffic lights at west end of the Terblijterweg, where it connects with the N2/A2 motorway, close to the Geusselt football stadium. You really have to go to the traffic lights, which requires 150 meter of walking illegally along the Terblijterweg which is closed for pedestrians. Once at the traffic lights it should not take more than a few minutes to get a ride, pref. use a sign A2 or A79 / Heerlen. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]]: a good spot, police would send you away but it is unlikely that you need to wait long if you know what you're doing! Personal experience of [[User:Rainboat|rainboat]]: We waited here for nearly an hour, carrying a sign saying A2.<br />
2. Crossroad Meerssenerweg / Viaductweg where you can ask rides at the traffic lights. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]]: works but not all traffic goes the A2. Sign A2 or A79 / Heerlen can help. <br />
[[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] always waits here for at least an hour, whether she's hitchhiking north or west, but eventually it works. Not sure whether this spot is possible now with the roadworks.<br />
3. Just before A2-access lane Maastricht-Randwyck at the road Oeslingerbaan, on the bridge over the A2. There is a hard shoulder on the bridge on which a driver can easily stop. A sign Heerlen is recommended here if you are going there or into Germany, passing by or going to Aachen. Bus 1 and 6 (direction De Heeg) stop nearby at busstop Oeslingerbaan/Langendaal. http://goo.gl/maps/430rZ. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]]: An average wait of 20 minutes, a sign A2 or A79 / Heerlen helps. Police may send you away here. Easiest way to get on the bridge is from BP petrol station walk behind the safety rail along Oeslingerbaan. <br />
4. New access lane of the A2-motorway on the junction Kruisdonk, near Rothem. Drivers can stop at the access lane on a hard shoulder beside the driving lane. To get here from the city you can take bus line 59 or 159 until busstop "Kruispunt" in Rothem, then walk south along Ambyerweg / cycling path for 500 meters. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]]: despite a lot of space on the access lane waiting times are rather long. You can approach cars at the traffic light at the exit lane, many of them are crossing the road and driving up the A2. Everybody can take you to the next petrol station. <br />
5. Hitchhiking north through Belgium - somewhere along Brusselseweg. Aim for Maasmechelen - if you reach the N78, it goes back into the Netherlands and meets the A2/E25 after the black hole of hitchhiking out of Maastricht is over.<br />
<br /><br />
Generally, if you are heading for [[Germany]] passing by or going to [[Aachen]] you should aim for a ride to [[Heerlen]], where you can hitchhike again on the N281 towards [[Aachen]]. Standing on the motorway junction just before [[Heerlen]] should be avoided, because it is not allowed to stand there. <br />
<br />
[[File:Tmoon.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[User:Tmoon|Tmoon]] hitching out of Maastricht]]<br />
<br />
=== East towards [[Gulpen]], [[Aachen]] (N278/"Cadier en Keer") ===<br />
Take the bus #53 or #54 from the center towards ''Akersteenweg'' (you can also walk, but it takes a while; cycling is faster). At this bus stop you'll find a petrol station[https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Esso/@50.8418987,5.7388902,18z/data=!4m21!1m15!4m14!1m6!1m2!1s0x47c0ded3c3a19e73:0x9c68915e1903c150!2sGenk,+Belgium!2m2!1d5.5021!2d50.96613!1m6!1m2!1s0x47c0ea267bccbe6f:0xe2b8beb79c8d93b5!2sAkersteenweg,+Maastricht,+Netherlands!2m2!1d5.7322656!2d50.8429126!3m4!1s0x0:0x5097d3d4b56f8abb!8m2!3d50.8422334!4d5.7397992?hl=en]. There you can try to get a lift towards [[Aachen]] in [[Germany]]. You might have to get a few lifts, village to village, along the N278 aka "Cadier en Keer", but you shouldn't ever have to wait very long. Usually a lift to at least Vaals, which is right before the border and Aachen, is possible. <br />
<br />
=== South towards [[Liège|Liege]] (A2) {{E|25}} ===<br />
Follow the rail track from the central station out of the town in a southern direction from the backside exit (use the bridge over the rails). At the first rail/road crossing south of the station hike on over the cycling path and later, still by the side of the railway, over Sint Gerardusweg. Follow this way until the end, thus you walk under a bridge (John F. Kennedysingel). This is the junction Europaplein. Keep walking 100 meters ahead to the motorway ramp. Average wait is about 10 minutes, max. 30 minutes. Longer rides are not common. Petrol station between Maastricht and Liège (still in the Netherlands) is not very busy, but can give longer rides into France. Knowing the good spots in Liège to hitch-hike is a good idea.<br />
<br />
=== West towards [[Hasselt]], [[Antwerpen]], [[Leuven]], [[Brussels]] (Belgian N2) ===<br />
Best place towards [[Hasselt]] is at or just after the traffic lights at the crossing of Via Regia and Canteleerstraat, the first crossing after the traffic square Via Regia. Expect short rides to [[Veldwezelt]], [[Mopertingen]] and [[Bilzen]]. You will reach the motorway at [[Diepenbeek]] or [[Bilzen]], where you can easily get further. All the motorway access lanes in Hasselt are suitable for either [[Brussels]] or [[Antwerpen]]. Personal experience of [[User:Fverhart|Fverhart]: Average wait of about 10 minutes and you should accept every ride that takes you further on the Belgian N2. Just before Bilzen you can hitch-hike at the roundabout towards Hasselt and further into Belgium. <br />
<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
[[trash:Maastricht]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Limburg|Limburg]]<br />
[[Category:E25]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=User:OlcheMaith&diff=89691User:OlcheMaith2017-10-12T14:22:43Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Nina is a blogger at [https://www.roamingpencil.com/ Roaming Pencil] who draws and writes about hitchhiking. She is also slowly incorporating her experiences into HitchWiki. She has hitchhiked about 1000km in South America (2011) and over 10,000km in Europe (2016-17) and hopes to be hitching into 2018 and onward!<br />
<br />
'''Countries hitchhiked (briefly or extensively):'''<br />
<br />
* Albania<br />
* Argentina<br />
* Austria<br />
* Belgium<br />
* Bosnia and Herzegovina<br />
* Chile<br />
* Croatia<br />
* England<br />
* France<br />
* Germany<br />
* Hungary<br />
* Israel<br />
* Italy <br />
* Montenegro<br />
* Netherlands<br />
* Poland<br />
* Scotland<br />
* Serbia<br />
* Slovenia<br />
* Spain (Catalonia only)<br />
* Switzerland<br />
* Ukraine<br />
* Wales</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Talk:Dover&diff=88400Talk:Dover2017-07-09T22:07:03Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Hey, I'm on an editing roll :) I edited these out since it seems too confusing to me - why send people to all these places when they can just stay at the bus stop near BP? I didn't want to erase things that might be useful, so I'm copying it all here. What do you think? Can anyone confirm any of these options as alternatives to BP? (Are there cases in which any of these would be better than BP?)<br />
Otherwise my suggestion is to edit them out. If eventually anything happens to the BP spot, we can edit it again :) <br />
<br />
Here's what I erased from the page:<br />
<br />
''* There is a small park at the entrance in front of this hitchhiking point. If there are any drivers you might try to ask them. <br />
* You can try your luck inside the Travel Centre or on the car park in front of it. The problem is that both are nowadays very quiet as most people book on-line. If you speak to people here, you will have to convince them that they don't pay anything extra for taking you across and possibly that you are not an illegal immigrant. [[User:Grégoire|Grégoire]] was told by a person working at a ticket office that you can also directly ask to the people making the queue if they have room in their car before they buy the ticket, so that they can verify it is legal. He found a car in ten minutes, but thinks it should be done discretely. [[User:Pete the Temp|Pete the Temp]] found some leads by approaching cars but there was much suspicion and many people coming to buy tickets were crossing as foot passengers. <br />
* you are allowed to stand at the rail of the last roundabout leading into the port, i.e. before the port property. You'll be standing at the height of a truck driver who can see you clearly and can pull aside just in front of the Port Police building after the roundabout. This is far from ideal, and some police don't like it. <br />
* much better are the normal bus stops on the main seaside road with a sign that says France. [recommended]<br />
* if you're really stuck you can also try at the Western Docks, there is a truck park where drivers carrying certain types of goods or from outside the EU have to stop to complete some paperwork.''<br />
<br />
Also, there was a lot of contradicting information on being/not being able to spend the night in the ferry terminal. Does anyone know what the current situation is?<br />
<br />
And I think the entire Channel crossing/Maidstone/Dover/Calais scene should be reorganized so that information is easy to find. I'll get to that soon if no one stops me ;) <br />
<br />
[[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 20:51, 6 July 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
-I just added a new page [[English channel]] to get all of this information in one easy-to-read place. Add/subtract from it as you see fit but let's try to keep it as short and succinct as possible. We should definitely do some clean up on the [[Dover]], [[Calais]], [[Maidstone Services]], and [[Channel Tunnel]] pages. I'll start working on that soon. I see questions about hitchhiking the English Channel so often on facebook groups, it would be really nice to have one short and all-inclusive page to send people to. <br />
[[User:TBF|TBF]] ([[User talk:TBF|talk]]) 23:00 9 July 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Great, thanks! Yes, that's what I feel as well - too much (partially contradicting) information on an issue that shouldn't really be *that* complicated. I think it was just being edited in little chunks for a long while... I'll start working on it too. [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 22:07, 9 July 2017 (UTC)</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Tobermory&diff=88389Tobermory2017-07-07T13:31:05Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Tobermory is a village on the [[Isle of Mull]] in [[Scotland]]. <br />
<br />
==Hitchhiking out==<br />
Hitchhiking to other place on Mull is pretty straightforward - walk the main road along the shore and to the south to catch rides to Craignure (where you can get a ferry to Oban) or up the other road (B882) to get to the north or west of Mull. Both roads can lead to Fionnport (where you can catch a ferry to [Iona]), but the one through Craignure should have more traffic.<br />
To get to mainland Scotland (or to another island), you will need a boat. CalMac Ferries sail to Kilchoan, which is a tiny village with not much traffic or places to camp. Better find a ride out on the ferry, and get there early so you might have a chance to catch someone from a later ferry. If you have time, Tobermory might be a good place for hitchhiking a boat to different locations - stay in the area for a few days and ask around the harbor. <br />
<br />
== Accommodation and Sleep ==<br />
On the southern end of the harbor (to your right if you face the shore) there's a path leading up and into the woods. Wildcamping spots can be found there (you will need to walk about 15-30 minutes, depending on your place of choice). You can sleep in your sleeping bag on the wooden table, or walk further and find a place to pitch your tent. <br />
<br />
== Other useful info ==<br />
There are toilet, shower and laundry facilities in the harbor which cost money (bring coins) but aren't very expensive. Opening times are ~ 7:00 - 21:00. There's also Wifi inside the building - ask someone for the password.</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Tobermory&diff=88388Tobermory2017-07-07T13:30:33Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''{{Tobermory}}''' is a town on the [[Isle of Mull]] in [[Scotland]]. <br />
<br />
==Hitchhiking out==<br />
Hitchhiking to other place on Mull is pretty straightforward - walk the main road along the shore and to the south to catch rides to Craignure (where you can get a ferry to Oban) or up the other road (B882) to get to the north or west of Mull. Both roads can lead to Fionnport (where you can catch a ferry to [Iona]), but the one through Craignure should have more traffic.<br />
To get to mainland Scotland (or to another island), you will need a boat. CalMac Ferries sail to Kilchoan, which is a tiny village with not much traffic or places to camp. Better find a ride out on the ferry, and get there early so you might have a chance to catch someone from a later ferry. If you have time, Tobermory might be a good place for hitchhiking a boat to different locations - stay in the area for a few days and ask around the harbor. <br />
<br />
== Accommodation and Sleep ==<br />
On the southern end of the harbor (to your right if you face the shore) there's a path leading up and into the woods. Wildcamping spots can be found there (you will need to walk about 15-30 minutes, depending on your place of choice). You can sleep in your sleeping bag on the wooden table, or walk further and find a place to pitch your tent. <br />
<br />
== Other useful info ==<br />
There are toilet, shower and laundry facilities in the harbor which cost money (bring coins) but aren't very expensive. Opening times are ~ 7:00 - 21:00. There's also Wifi inside the building - ask someone for the password.</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Dover&diff=88387Dover2017-07-07T09:15:03Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}<br />
<br />
'''Dover''' is a busy port in East Kent, in the South of [[England]]. For hitchhikers this is one of if not the best possibility to cross the Channel. Because it is the closest port to continental Europe on mainland Britain with just 21 miles from the [[France|French]] port of [[Calais]], Dover is the busiest cross-Channel port in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], with 18 million passengers every year and thousands of lorries (trucks) each day. Regular ferry services operate from Dover to Calais (''P&O'') and [[Dunkerque]] (''DFDS Seaways''). For timetables, check the external links at the end of this article.<br />
<br />
==Crossing the Channel (to France)==<br />
<br />
====General Information====<br />
<br />
* Drivers.pay per vehicle, so bringing an additional passenger will not change the costs. If they already have their ticket, they will need to amend it (for free) and add another passenger. A foot passenger ticket will cost you about €40. <br />
* The border police does not like hitchhikers. It's completely legal to hitchhike, but makes them suspicious. Whether you catch a ride for the tunnel or the ferry, '''ask the driver politely not to mention that you're hitchhiking'''. Explain the situation so that the driver realizes you aren't doing anything wrong. <br />
* If you want to take the tunnel/ferry, It's best to find a lift before Dover, at [[Maidstone Services]] on the M20 or [[Medway Services]] on the M2. Don't go to the [[Maidstone Services|Ashford Truckstop]], hitchhiking seems to be very hard there and hitchhikers aren't allowed near the drivers, many of whom can't take anyone anyway. (This is correct as of 2012; if things have changed, let us know!)<br />
* The ferry, as opposed to the tunnel, has the advantage of having 1.5 hours to find a ride to your next destination. '''Do your best to find the next ride on the ferry''' - even if it's for a short distance (though many people will be going far!) since hitchhiking out of [[Calais]] isn't fun. Many drivers don't speak a lot of English, but try all your languages (or a map) and something might work. Polish, Romanian, Russian and German are particularly useful. You can also ask people when they're queuing up to leave upon arrival, but it might be risky to wait so long. <br />
* If you're changing rides, it's a good idea to bring your backpack to the ferry instead of leaving it in the vehicle. But keep in mind that you're not allowed to leave it unattended and if you do, they will panic and look for you. If you don't want to be hauling it around, maybe ask someone who isn't moving around much to keep an eye on it, or pick it up from the car upon arrival (requires more logistics with the old and new drivers). <br />
* Ferries from Dover go to both Dunkirque and Calais. If you are trying to hitch down to Paris or further south then make sure your ride is going to Calais as you will find it difficult to find a lift otherwise. However, if you are hitching to Belgium, Germany etc. then you should get the ferry to Dunkirque. <br />
<br />
==== In Dover ====<br />
<br />
If you have reached Dover without a ride across the Channel, go to the BP petrol station (51°07'06.1"N 1°18'25.0"E) and catch a ride from the bus stop just outside it. Your sign should say ''FRANCE'' (or ''FRANCE (ferry)''), not ''FERRY'', otherwise people will be offering you rides to the ferry port. This road is swarming with drivers on their way to the ferry. <br />
Stay here and '''don't go to the ferry port!''' There's no point since you won't be allowed on the premises of the port (confirmed 2017).<br />
<br />
==== On the ferry====<br />
<br />
* When on the ferry try to find the Commercial Drivers Restaurant on one of the floors. From there you can get a free drink (hot chocolate, tea, coffee, soft drink), however if you wish to buy food it will cost you.<br />
* Commercial drivers also have better rates for currency exchange, so if you're hitching a truck, maybe the driver will agree to change your money for you.<br />
<br />
==== If you are super stuck ====<br />
* If hitchhiking doesn't work, carpooling can come in really handy. There are People on Blablacar going every evening to Calais. I paid 5 GBP for the ride. Much better than:<br />
* A two way ticket (return) for the same day costs GBP 18 (as opposed to GBP 30 for a one-way ticket). But be careful, when you go to buy the ticket go without backpacks because they won't sell you the ticket, because they'll say you won't come back. Act like you are going for the ride with the ferry <!-- (Me and my two friends did this: we asked if there were any things to do on the ferry like video games, or a casino, a place where to eat or drink something etc.)--> Also when you go on the bus, if the person who sold you the ticket is there, try to give your backpacks to someone else until you are on the bus, from there you won't have any problems no more. <br />
* If all fails you might have to stay for the night. The cheapest place to do so (as far as I'm aware) is the First and Last Pub. Although named a Pub, there are bunks inside for customers to stay for £15 per night(breakfast usually provided). But its reception is located at Russell street, in the The Castle Inn/Dover Backpackers. <br />
* If the ferry terminal is closed, go to the train station instead, it is not too far from the ferry terminal and even if it's locked, you can ask the staff to open it for you. There are also several pubs in the city centre that are open up till 2:00, if you want a drink.<br />
<br />
== Other directions ==<br />
<br />
=== North towards [[Canterbury]] along the A2 ===<br />
From Dover there's the A2 that runs north to [[Canterbury]] and on to the M2, the A20 that follows the coast south to [[Folkestone]], and the A256 that heads north towards [[Ramsgate]], [[Broadstairs]] and [[Margate]].<br />
<br />
For leaving Dover, you probably have a better chance of a lift if you follow the Main road out of town. After about 20 minutes when you start to walk up a hill, there is a good place for vehicles to pull in.<br />
<br />
=== North and North East towards [[Folkestone]] and [[London]] along the M20 ===<br />
One option is to walk out of the terminal building, through the car park, and follow the road signs pointing cars towards the M20. Unfortunately there isn't really a safe place to pull over until the first bus stop, about 500m away. By this stage traffic is often going quite quickly, and some of it is now local traffic, but it is mostly port traffic, and you should be able to convince someone to stop. A sign would be useful (such as 'M20').<br />
* I waited over an hour here, and walked further to find a better spot, but only found the next bus stop, another 500m or so further down the road. Conditions were no better, but I got a ride in about 5 minutes -Nomad Kat<br />
<br />
=== West towards [[Brighton]] ===<br />
<br />
Here you can try to get a lift onto the M20 and follow the motorways up and over. Another option is to get onto the coastal road (A259) all the way to Brighton. From my experience I would seriously advise skipping the romantic idea of the coastal road and keep yourself on the motorway. After Folkstone it's largely local traffic, a long walk out of the town and you sit there wishing you had of kept to the bright lights of the motor way!! However of course it led to a rich experience!<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* [http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/routes_dover_-_calais_timetable_timetable_DOCA.htm P&O ferries timetable Calais–Dover]<br />
* [http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to-france/Timetable/ DFDS Seaways ferries timetable Dunkerque–Dover]<br />
<br />
{{IsIn|South East (England)}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[Category:England]]<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom]]<br />
[[Category:E15]]<br />
[[Category:Ferries]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Dover]]<br />
[[trash:Dover]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Maidstone_Services&diff=88377Maidstone Services2017-07-06T21:03:00Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox ServiceStation<br />
|in = England<br />
|highway = {{Mgb|20}}<br />
|from = [[Westenhanger Services]]<br />
|from direction = [[Dover]]<br />
|from1 = [[Clacket Lane Services north]]<br />
|from direction1 = [[Oxford]], [[Reading]]<br />
|towards = [[Clacket Lane Services south]]<br />
|towards direction = [[Oxford]], [[Reading]]<br />
|towards1 = [[Westenhanger Services]]<br />
|towards direction1 = [[Dover]]<br />
|map = <map lat="51.26629407070861" lng="0.6146886462402301" zoom="16" view="0" float="right" /><br />
|crossing = <br />
|facilities = <br />
|hitch = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
== Maidstone Services ==<br />
<br />
'''Maidstone Services''' is a Motorway Services Area situated along the M20 in [[England]], just south of the town of Maidstone. You can see what Maidstone Services looks like on Google Streetview.<br />
<br />
[http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&q=Maidstone+Services&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=Maidstone+Services&hnear=Maidstone+Services&cid=0,0,2266471664562615665&ei=swErTNLIKpH60wS_nozfAg&ved=0CCoQnwIwAw&layer=c&cbll=51.266932,0.614472&panoid=id3kCROZvLd_DnG1e1nWTA&ll=51.267017,0.614483&spn=0,0.015235&z=16&cbp=12,341.57,,0,18.56 Maidstone Services on Google Streetview]<br />
<br />
It is the only Services along the M20 between [[Dover]] and the M25 Ring surrounding Greater [[London]]. It is located at Exit 8 (which is huge roundabout) on the Northern side of the motorway. Many European cars (and some truckers, but there is not a lot of space for trucker, which would rather stops at the 'trucker Services in Ashford') stops at this Services which offers Restaurants area and Gasoline. The negative side is that it welcomes traffic going both ways (towards as well as from [[London]]). You simply need to ask around or show a sign just in case.<br />
<br />
You can therefore catch a ride going into [[Channel Tunnel|The Channel Tunnel]] which is 20 miles South or all the way to [[Dover]] crossing with the ferry.<br />
<br />
When [[User:Frida|Frida]] and a friend were at Maidstone, it seemed more people going towards the Channel than going towards London were stopping there to get some food in the restaurant. If you are looking for a lift across the water, go in front of the restaurant and don't be shy to ask people for a lift.<br />
<br />
Asking might be better than holding a sign because you'll be able to explain your situation and gain the driver's trust (since you'll need them to be willing to a. add you to their ticket free of charge b. not to say that you're hitchhiking, though this seems to be more important when entering the UK rather than leaving it). <br />
<br />
<br />
=== Arriving by Train ===<br />
[[File:Hollingbourne.png|200px|thumb|right|A map to the service station.]] <br />
<br />
Hitchhiking out of London can take a long time, so if you'd rather sleep in and waste some money you can get the train to Hollingbourne. I, [[User:Mooseling|Mooseling]], just tried this and found it very easy. From London, the train goes past Maidstone Services just about a minute before reaching Hollingbourne station, so you basically want to go into the farm fields and follow the tracks back to the service station. Get out of the train, walk back along the platform and down next to the tracks. Just ignore the sign that prohibits this, but make sure nobody's watching. After about twenty meters there are gates in the fences next to the tracks, go through the one on the left and into the fields. Stay in the fields and keep following the tracks back away from the station. You'll need to cross a little stream and a couple fences, and after three fields you'll enter a little woodland. This surrounds the service station, just walk straight through it and you'll be there. I did it in the spring and it was very nice. I was tempted to stop and fly a kite.<br />
<br />
== Ashford Services ==<br />
<br />
As of 2012 this is not a good place to hitchhike for various reasons - better stick to Maidstone. If anything changes, let us know!<br />
<br />
''A possible sneaky and cunning way to get to Dover'' - Exit Ashford Services and turn right on the roundabout, walk down the road for one minute and then turn left down '''Ashford Road'''. Continue to walk along Ashford Road for about ten minutes until you reach '''Sandling Road''' which will take you all the way down to a reasonable remote train station! This train station contains a pay-on-the-train system where you pay a little bit of your fare (we paid 20p) and the machine gives you your ticket and expects you to pay the rest when the conductor sees you - which he did not!! 1p fare from Ashford to Dover anyone!?<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/maidstone/ Maidstone services - Motorway Services Online]<br />
<br />
[[Category:England]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Maidstone_Services&diff=88376Maidstone Services2017-07-06T20:59:13Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox ServiceStation<br />
|in = England<br />
|highway = {{Mgb|20}}<br />
|from = [[Westenhanger Services]]<br />
|from direction = [[Dover]]<br />
|from1 = [[Clacket Lane Services north]]<br />
|from direction1 = [[Oxford]], [[Reading]]<br />
|towards = [[Clacket Lane Services south]]<br />
|towards direction = [[Oxford]], [[Reading]]<br />
|towards1 = [[Westenhanger Services]]<br />
|towards direction1 = [[Dover]]<br />
|map = <map lat="51.26629407070861" lng="0.6146886462402301" zoom="16" view="0" float="right" /><br />
|crossing = <br />
|facilities = <br />
|hitch = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
== Maidstone Services ==<br />
<br />
'''Maidstone Services''' is a Motorway Services Area situated along the M20 in [[England]], just south of the town of Maidstone. You can see what Maidstone Services looks like on Google Streetview.<br />
<br />
[http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&q=Maidstone+Services&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=Maidstone+Services&hnear=Maidstone+Services&cid=0,0,2266471664562615665&ei=swErTNLIKpH60wS_nozfAg&ved=0CCoQnwIwAw&layer=c&cbll=51.266932,0.614472&panoid=id3kCROZvLd_DnG1e1nWTA&ll=51.267017,0.614483&spn=0,0.015235&z=16&cbp=12,341.57,,0,18.56 Maidstone Services on Google Streetview]<br />
<br />
It is the only Services along the M20 between [[Dover]] and the M25 Ring surrounding Greater [[London]]. It is located at Exit 8 (which is huge roundabout) on the Northern side of the motorway. Many European cars (and some truckers, but there is not a lot of space for trucker, which would rather stops at the 'trucker Services in Ashford') stops at this Services which offers Restaurants area and Gasoline. The negative side is that it welcomes traffic going both ways (towards as well as from [[London]]). You simply need to ask around or show a sign just in case.<br />
<br />
You can therefore catch a ride going into [[Channel Tunnel|The Channel Tunnel]] which is 20 miles South or all the way to [[Dover]] crossing with the ferry.<br />
<br />
When [[User:Frida|Frida]] and a friend were at Maidstone, it seemed more people going towards the Channel than going towards London were stopping there to get some food in the restaurant. If you are looking for a lift across the water, go in front of the restaurant and don't be shy to ask people for a lift.<br />
<br />
<br />
=== Arriving by Train ===<br />
[[File:Hollingbourne.png|200px|thumb|right|A map to the service station.]] <br />
<br />
Hitchhiking out of London can take a long time, so if you'd rather sleep in and waste some money you can get the train to Hollingbourne. I, [[User:Mooseling|Mooseling]], just tried this and found it very easy. From London, the train goes past Maidstone Services just about a minute before reaching Hollingbourne station, so you basically want to go into the farm fields and follow the tracks back to the service station. Get out of the train, walk back along the platform and down next to the tracks. Just ignore the sign that prohibits this, but make sure nobody's watching. After about twenty meters there are gates in the fences next to the tracks, go through the one on the left and into the fields. Stay in the fields and keep following the tracks back away from the station. You'll need to cross a little stream and a couple fences, and after three fields you'll enter a little woodland. This surrounds the service station, just walk straight through it and you'll be there. I did it in the spring and it was very nice. I was tempted to stop and fly a kite.<br />
<br />
== Ashford Services ==<br />
<br />
As of 2012 this is not a good place to hitchhike for various reasons - better stick to Maidstone. If anything changes, let us know!<br />
<br />
''A possible sneaky and cunning way to get to Dover'' - Exit Ashford Services and turn right on the roundabout, walk down the road for one minute and then turn left down '''Ashford Road'''. Continue to walk along Ashford Road for about ten minutes until you reach '''Sandling Road''' which will take you all the way down to a reasonable remote train station! This train station contains a pay-on-the-train system where you pay a little bit of your fare (we paid 20p) and the machine gives you your ticket and expects you to pay the rest when the conductor sees you - which he did not!! 1p fare from Ashford to Dover anyone!?<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/maidstone/ Maidstone services - Motorway Services Online]<br />
<br />
[[Category:England]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Dover&diff=88375Dover2017-07-06T20:55:46Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}<br />
<br />
'''Dover''' is a busy port in East Kent, in the South of [[England]]. For hitchhikers this is one of if not the best possibility to cross the Channel. Because it is the closest port to continental Europe on mainland Britain with just 21 miles from the [[France|French]] port of [[Calais]], Dover is the busiest cross-Channel port in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], with 18 million passengers every year and thousands of lorries (trucks) each day. Regular ferry services operate from Dover to Calais (''P&O'') and [[Dunkerque]] (''DFDS Seaways''). For timetables, check the external links at the end of this article.<br />
<br />
==General information for crossing the Channel==<br />
* Drivers.pay per vehicle, so bringing an additional passenger will not change the costs. If they already have their ticket, they will need to amend it (for free) and add another passenger. A foot passenger ticket will cost you about €40. <br />
* The border police does not like hitchhikers. It's completely legal to hitchhike, but makes them suspicious. Whether you catch a ride for the tunnel or the ferry, '''ask the driver politely not to mention that you're hitchhiking'''. Explain the situation so that the driver realizes you aren't doing anything wrong. <br />
* If you want to take the tunnel/ferry, It's best to find a lift before Dover, at [[Maidstone Services]] on the M20 or [[Medway Services]] on the M2. Don't go to the [[Maidstone Services|Ashford Truckstop]], hitchhiking seems to be very hard there and hitchhikers aren't allowed near the drivers, many of whom can't take anyone anyway. (This is correct as of 2012; if things have changed, let us know!)<br />
* The ferry, as opposed to the tunnel, has the advantage of having 1.5 hours to find a ride to your next destination. '''Do your best to find the next ride on the ferry''' - even if it's for a short distance (though many people will be going far!) since hitchhiking out of [[Calais]] isn't fun. Many drivers don't speak a lot of English, but try all your languages (or a map) and something might work. Polish, Romanian, Russian and German are particularly useful. You can also ask people when they're queuing up to leave upon arrival, but it might be risky to wait so long. <br />
* If you're changing rides, it's a good idea to bring your backpack to the ferry instead of leaving it in the vehicle. But keep in mind that you're not allowed to leave it unattended and if you do, they will panic and look for you. If you don't want to be hauling it around, maybe ask someone who isn't moving around much to keep an eye on it, or pick it up from the car upon arrival (requires more logistics with the old and new drivers). <br />
* Ferries from Dover go to both Dunkirque and Calais. If you are trying to hitch down to Paris or further south then make sure your ride is going to Calais as you will find it difficult to find a lift otherwise. However, if you are hitching to Belgium, Germany etc. then you should get the ferry to Dunkirque. <br />
<br />
==== In Dover ====<br />
<br />
If you have reached Dover without a ride across the Channel, go to the BP petrol station (51°07'06.1"N 1°18'25.0"E) and catch a ride from the bus stop just outside it. Your sign should say ''FRANCE'' (or ''FRANCE (ferry)''), not ''FERRY'', otherwise people will be offering you rides to the ferry port. This road is swarming with drivers on their way to the ferry. <br />
Stay here and '''don't go to the ferry port!''' There's no point since you won't be allowed on the premises of the port (confirmed 2017).<br />
<br />
== Extra information ==<br />
<br />
* When on the ferry try to find the Commercial Drivers Restaurant on one of the floors. From there you can get a free drink (hot chocolate, tea, coffee, soft drink), however if you wish to buy food it will cost you.<br />
* Commercial drivers also have better rates for currency exchange, so if you're hitching a truck, maybe the driver will agree to change your money for you.<br />
<br />
== If you are super stuck ==<br />
<br />
* If hitchhiking doesn't work carpooling can come in really handy. There are People on Blablacar going every evening to Calais. I paid 5 GBP for the ride. Much better than:<br />
* A two way ticket (return) for the same day costs GBP 18 (as opposed to GBP 30 for a one-way ticket). But be careful, when you go to buy the ticket go without backpacks because they won't sell you the ticket, because they'll say you won't come back. Act like you are going for the ride with the ferry <!-- (Me and my two friends did this: we asked if there were any things to do on the ferry like video games, or a casino, a place where to eat or drink something etc.)--> Also when you go on the bus, if the person who sold you the ticket is there, try to give your backpacks to someone else until you are on the bus, from there you won't have any problems no more. <br />
* If all fails you might have to stay for the night. The cheapest place to do so (as far as I'm aware) is the First and Last Pub. Although named a Pub, there are bunks inside for customers to stay for £15 per night(breakfast usually provided). But its reception is located at Russell street, in the The Castle Inn/Dover Backpackers. <br />
* If the ferry terminal is closed, go to the train station instead, it is not too far from the ferry terminal and even if it's locked, you can ask the staff to open it for you. There are also several pubs in the city centre that are open up till 2:00, if you want a drink.<br />
<br />
== Other directions ==<br />
<br />
=== North towards [[Canterbury]] along the A2 ===<br />
From Dover there's the A2 that runs north to [[Canterbury]] and on to the M2, the A20 that follows the coast south to [[Folkestone]], and the A256 that heads north towards [[Ramsgate]], [[Broadstairs]] and [[Margate]].<br />
<br />
For leaving Dover, you probably have a better chance of a lift if you follow the Main road out of town. After about 20 minutes when you start to walk up a hill, there is a good place for vehicles to pull in.<br />
<br />
=== North and North East towards [[Folkestone]] and [[London]] along the M20 ===<br />
One option is to walk out of the terminal building, through the car park, and follow the road signs pointing cars towards the M20. Unfortunately there isn't really a safe place to pull over until the first bus stop, about 500m away. By this stage traffic is often going quite quickly, and some of it is now local traffic, but it is mostly port traffic, and you should be able to convince someone to stop. A sign would be useful (such as 'M20').<br />
* I waited over an hour here, and walked further to find a better spot, but only found the next bus stop, another 500m or so further down the road. Conditions were no better, but I got a ride in about 5 minutes -Nomad Kat<br />
<br />
=== West towards [[Brighton]] ===<br />
<br />
Here you can try to get a lift onto the M20 and follow the motorways up and over. Another option is to get onto the coastal road (A259) all the way to Brighton. From my experience I would seriously advise skipping the romantic idea of the coastal road and keep yourself on the motorway. After Folkstone it's largely local traffic, a long walk out of the town and you sit there wishing you had of kept to the bright lights of the motor way!! However of course it led to a rich experience!<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* [http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/routes_dover_-_calais_timetable_timetable_DOCA.htm P&O ferries timetable Calais–Dover]<br />
* [http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to-france/Timetable/ DFDS Seaways ferries timetable Dunkerque–Dover]<br />
<br />
{{IsIn|South East (England)}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[Category:England]]<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom]]<br />
[[Category:E15]]<br />
[[Category:Ferries]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Dover]]<br />
[[trash:Dover]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Dover&diff=88374Dover2017-07-06T20:54:46Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}<br />
<br />
'''Dover''' is a busy port in East Kent, in the South of [[England]]. For hitchhikers this is one of if not the best possibility to cross the Channel. Because it is the closest port to continental Europe on mainland Britain with just 21 miles from the [[France|French]] port of [[Calais]], Dover is the busiest cross-Channel port in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], with 18 million passengers every year and thousands of lorries (trucks) each day. Regular ferry services operate from Dover to Calais (''P&O'') and [[Dunkerque]] (''DFDS Seaways''). For timetables, check the external links at the end of this article.<br />
<br />
==General information for crossing the Channel==<br />
* Drivers.pay per vehicle, so bringing an additional passenger will not change the costs. If they already have their ticket, they will need to amend it (for free) and add another passenger. A foot passenger ticket will cost you about €40. <br />
* The border police does not like hitchhikers. It's completely legal to hitchhike, but makes them suspicious. Whether you catch a ride for the tunnel or the ferry, '''ask the driver politely not to mention that you're hitchhiking'''. Explain the situation so that the driver realizes you aren't doing anything wrong. <br />
* If you want to take the tunnel/ferry, It's best to find a lift before Dover, at [[Maidstone Services]] on the M20 or [[Medway Services]] on the M2. Don't go to the [[Maidstone Services|Ashford Truckstop]], hitchhiking seems to be very hard there and hitchhikers aren't allowed near the drivers, many of whom can't take anyone anyway. (This is correct as of 2012; if things have changed, let us know!)<br />
* The ferry, as opposed to the tunnel, has the advantage of having 1.5 hours to find a ride to your next destination. '''Do your best to find the next ride on the ferry''' - even if it's for a short distance (though many people will be going far!) since hitchhiking out of [[Calais]] isn't fun. Many drivers don't speak a lot of English, but try all your languages (or a map) and something might work. Polish, Romanian, Russian and German are particularly useful. You can also ask people when they're queuing up to leave upon arrival, but it might be risky to wait so long. <br />
* If you're changing rides, it's a good idea to bring your backpack to the ferry instead of leaving it in the vehicle. But keep in mind that you're not allowed to leave it unattended and if you do, they will panic and look for you. If you don't want to be hauling it around, maybe ask someone who isn't moving around much to keep an eye on it, or pick it up from the car upon arrival (requires more logistics with the old and new drivers). <br />
* Ferries from Dover go to both Dunkirque and Calais. If you are trying to hitch down to Paris or further south then make sure your ride is going to Calais as you will find it difficult to find a lift otherwise. However, if you are hitching to Belgium, Germany etc. then you should get the ferry to Dunkirque. <br />
<br />
==== In Dover ====<br />
<br />
If you have reached Dover without a ride across the Channel, go to the BP petrol station (51°07'06.1"N 1°18'25.0"E) and catch a ride from the bus stop just outside it. Your sign should say ''FRANCE'' (or ''FRANCE (ferry)''), not ''FERRY'', otherwise people will be offering you rides to the ferry port. This road is swarming with drivers on their way to the ferry. <br />
Stay here and '''don't go to the ferry port!''' There's no point since you won't be allowed on the premises of the port (confirmed 2017).<br />
<br />
== Extra information ==<br />
<br />
* When on the ferry try to find the Commercial Drivers Restaurant on one of the floors. From there you can get a free drink (hot chocolate, tea, coffee, soft drink), however if you wish to buy food it will cost you.<br />
* Commercial drivers also have better rates for currency exchange, so if you're hitching a truck, maybe the driver will agree to change your money for you.<br />
<br />
== If you are super stuck ==<br />
<br />
* If hitchhiking doesn't work carpooling can come in really handy. There are People on Blablacar going every evening to Calais. I paid 5 GBP for the <br />
ride. Much better than:<br />
* A two way ticket (return) for the same day costs GBP 18 (as opposed to GBP 30 for a one-way ticket). But be careful, when you go to buy the ticket go without backpacks because they won't sell you the ticket, because they'll say you won't come back. Act like you are going for the ride with the ferry <!-- (Me and my two friends did this: we asked if there were any things to do on the ferry like video games, or a casino, a place where to eat or drink something etc.)--> Also when you go on the bus, if the person who sold you the ticket is there, try to give your backpacks to someone else until you are on the bus, from there you won't have any problems no more. <br />
* If all fails you might have to stay for the night. The cheapest place to do so (as far as I'm aware) is the First and Last Pub. Although named a Pub, there are bunks inside for customers to stay for £15 per night(breakfast usually provided). But its reception is located at Russell street, in the The Castle Inn/Dover Backpackers. <br />
If the ferry terminal is closed, go to the train station instead, it is not too far from the ferry terminal and even if it's locked, you can ask the staff to open it for you. There are also several pubs in the city centre that are open up till 2:00, if you want a drink.<br />
<br />
== Other directions ==<br />
<br />
=== North towards [[Canterbury]] along the A2 ===<br />
From Dover there's the A2 that runs north to [[Canterbury]] and on to the M2, the A20 that follows the coast south to [[Folkestone]], and the A256 that heads north towards [[Ramsgate]], [[Broadstairs]] and [[Margate]].<br />
<br />
For leaving Dover, you probably have a better chance of a lift if you follow the Main road out of town. After about 20 minutes when you start to walk up a hill, there is a good place for vehicles to pull in.<br />
<br />
=== North and North East towards [[Folkestone]] and [[London]] along the M20 ===<br />
One option is to walk out of the terminal building, through the car park, and follow the road signs pointing cars towards the M20. Unfortunately there isn't really a safe place to pull over until the first bus stop, about 500m away. By this stage traffic is often going quite quickly, and some of it is now local traffic, but it is mostly port traffic, and you should be able to convince someone to stop. A sign would be useful (such as 'M20').<br />
* I waited over an hour here, and walked further to find a better spot, but only found the next bus stop, another 500m or so further down the road. Conditions were no better, but I got a ride in about 5 minutes -Nomad Kat<br />
<br />
=== West towards [[Brighton]] ===<br />
<br />
Here you can try to get a lift onto the M20 and follow the motorways up and over. Another option is to get onto the coastal road (A259) all the way to Brighton. From my experience I would seriously advise skipping the romantic idea of the coastal road and keep yourself on the motorway. After Folkstone it's largely local traffic, a long walk out of the town and you sit there wishing you had of kept to the bright lights of the motor way!! However of course it led to a rich experience!<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* [http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/routes_dover_-_calais_timetable_timetable_DOCA.htm P&O ferries timetable Calais–Dover]<br />
* [http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to-france/Timetable/ DFDS Seaways ferries timetable Dunkerque–Dover]<br />
<br />
{{IsIn|South East (England)}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[Category:England]]<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom]]<br />
[[Category:E15]]<br />
[[Category:Ferries]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Dover]]<br />
[[trash:Dover]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Dover&diff=88373Dover2017-07-06T20:54:25Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}<br />
<br />
'''Dover''' is a busy port in East Kent, in the South of [[England]]. For hitchhikers this is one of if not the best possibility to cross the Channel. Because it is the closest port to continental Europe on mainland Britain with just 21 miles from the [[France|French]] port of [[Calais]], Dover is the busiest cross-Channel port in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], with 18 million passengers every year and thousands of lorries (trucks) each day. Regular ferry services operate from Dover to Calais (''P&O'') and [[Dunkerque]] (''DFDS Seaways''). For timetables, check the external links at the end of this article.<br />
<br />
==General information for crossing the Channel==<br />
* Drivers.pay per vehicle, so bringing an additional passenger will not change the costs. If they already have their ticket, they will need to amend it (for free) and add another passenger. A foot passenger ticket will cost you about €40. <br />
* The border police does not like hitchhikers. It's completely legal to hitchhike, but makes them suspicious. Whether you catch a ride for the tunnel or the ferry, '''ask the driver politely not to mention that you're hitchhiking'''. Explain the situation so that the driver realizes you aren't doing anything wrong. <br />
* If you want to take the tunnel/ferry, It's best to find a lift before Dover, at [[Maidstone Services]] on the M20 or [[Medway Services]] on the M2. Don't go to the [[Maidstone Services|Ashford Truckstop]], hitchhiking seems to be very hard there and hitchhikers aren't allowed near the drivers, many of whom can't take anyone anyway. (This is correct as of 2012; if things have changed, let us know!)<br />
* The ferry, as opposed to the tunnel, has the advantage of having 1.5 hours to find a ride to your next destination. '''Do your best to find the next ride on the ferry''' - even if it's for a short distance (though many people will be going far!) since hitchhiking out of [[Calais]] isn't fun. Many drivers don't speak a lot of English, but try all your languages (or a map) and something might work. Polish, Romanian, Russian and German are particularly useful. You can also ask people when they're queuing up to leave upon arrival, but it might be risky to wait so long. <br />
* If you're changing rides, it's a good idea to bring your backpack to the ferry instead of leaving it in the vehicle. But keep in mind that you're not allowed to leave it unattended and if you do, they will panic and look for you. If you don't want to be hauling it around, maybe ask someone who isn't moving around much to keep an eye on it, or pick it up from the car upon arrival (requires more logistics with the old and new drivers). <br />
* Ferries from Dover go to both Dunkirque and Calais. If you are trying to hitch down to Paris or further south then make sure your ride is going to Calais as you will find it difficult to find a lift otherwise. However, if you are hitching to Belgium, Germany etc. then you should get the ferry to Dunkirque. <br />
<br />
==== In Dover ====<br />
<map lat='51.12625978268193' lng='1.3254833221435547' zoom='16' view='0' float='right' /><br />
<br />
If you have reached Dover without a ride across the Channel, go to the BP petrol station (51°07'06.1"N 1°18'25.0"E) and catch a ride from the bus stop just outside it. Your sign should say ''FRANCE'' (or ''FRANCE (ferry)''), not ''FERRY'', otherwise people will be offering you rides to the ferry port. This road is swarming with drivers on their way to the ferry. <br />
Stay here and '''don't go to the ferry port!''' There's no point since you won't be allowed on the premises of the port (confirmed 2017).<br />
<br />
== Extra information ==<br />
<br />
* When on the ferry try to find the Commercial Drivers Restaurant on one of the floors. From there you can get a free drink (hot chocolate, tea, coffee, soft drink), however if you wish to buy food it will cost you.<br />
* Commercial drivers also have better rates for currency exchange, so if you're hitching a truck, maybe the driver will agree to change your money for you.<br />
<br />
== If you are super stuck ==<br />
<br />
* If hitchhiking doesn't work carpooling can come in really handy. There are People on Blablacar going every evening to Calais. I paid 5 GBP for the <br />
ride. Much better than:<br />
* A two way ticket (return) for the same day costs GBP 18 (as opposed to GBP 30 for a one-way ticket). But be careful, when you go to buy the ticket go without backpacks because they won't sell you the ticket, because they'll say you won't come back. Act like you are going for the ride with the ferry <!-- (Me and my two friends did this: we asked if there were any things to do on the ferry like video games, or a casino, a place where to eat or drink something etc.)--> Also when you go on the bus, if the person who sold you the ticket is there, try to give your backpacks to someone else until you are on the bus, from there you won't have any problems no more. <br />
* If all fails you might have to stay for the night. The cheapest place to do so (as far as I'm aware) is the First and Last Pub. Although named a Pub, there are bunks inside for customers to stay for £15 per night(breakfast usually provided). But its reception is located at Russell street, in the The Castle Inn/Dover Backpackers. <br />
If the ferry terminal is closed, go to the train station instead, it is not too far from the ferry terminal and even if it's locked, you can ask the staff to open it for you. There are also several pubs in the city centre that are open up till 2:00, if you want a drink.<br />
<br />
== Other directions ==<br />
<br />
=== North towards [[Canterbury]] along the A2 ===<br />
From Dover there's the A2 that runs north to [[Canterbury]] and on to the M2, the A20 that follows the coast south to [[Folkestone]], and the A256 that heads north towards [[Ramsgate]], [[Broadstairs]] and [[Margate]].<br />
<br />
For leaving Dover, you probably have a better chance of a lift if you follow the Main road out of town. After about 20 minutes when you start to walk up a hill, there is a good place for vehicles to pull in.<br />
<br />
=== North and North East towards [[Folkestone]] and [[London]] along the M20 ===<br />
One option is to walk out of the terminal building, through the car park, and follow the road signs pointing cars towards the M20. Unfortunately there isn't really a safe place to pull over until the first bus stop, about 500m away. By this stage traffic is often going quite quickly, and some of it is now local traffic, but it is mostly port traffic, and you should be able to convince someone to stop. A sign would be useful (such as 'M20').<br />
* I waited over an hour here, and walked further to find a better spot, but only found the next bus stop, another 500m or so further down the road. Conditions were no better, but I got a ride in about 5 minutes -Nomad Kat<br />
<br />
=== West towards [[Brighton]] ===<br />
<br />
Here you can try to get a lift onto the M20 and follow the motorways up and over. Another option is to get onto the coastal road (A259) all the way to Brighton. From my experience I would seriously advise skipping the romantic idea of the coastal road and keep yourself on the motorway. After Folkstone it's largely local traffic, a long walk out of the town and you sit there wishing you had of kept to the bright lights of the motor way!! However of course it led to a rich experience!<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* [http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/routes_dover_-_calais_timetable_timetable_DOCA.htm P&O ferries timetable Calais–Dover]<br />
* [http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to-france/Timetable/ DFDS Seaways ferries timetable Dunkerque–Dover]<br />
<br />
{{IsIn|South East (England)}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[Category:England]]<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom]]<br />
[[Category:E15]]<br />
[[Category:Ferries]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Dover]]<br />
[[trash:Dover]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Dover&diff=88372Dover2017-07-06T20:53:37Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}<br />
<br />
'''Dover''' is a busy port in East Kent, in the South of [[England]]. For hitchhikers this is one of if not the best possibility to cross the Channel. Because it is the closest port to continental Europe on mainland Britain with just 21 miles from the [[France|French]] port of [[Calais]], Dover is the busiest cross-Channel port in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], with 18 million passengers every year and thousands of lorries (trucks) each day. Regular ferry services operate from Dover to Calais (''P&O'') and [[Dunkerque]] (''DFDS Seaways''). For timetables, check the external links at the end of this article.<br />
<br />
==General information for crossing the Channel==<br />
* Drivers.pay per vehicle, so bringing an additional passenger will not change the costs. If they already have their ticket, they will need to amend it (for free) and add another passenger. A foot passenger ticket will cost you about €40. <br />
* The border police does not like hitchhikers. It's completely legal to hitchhike, but makes them suspicious. Whether you catch a ride for the tunnel or the ferry, '''ask the driver politely not to mention that you're hitchhiking'''. Explain the situation so that the driver realizes you aren't doing anything wrong. <br />
* If you want to take the tunnel/ferry, It's best to find a lift before Dover, at [[Maidstone Services]] on the M20 or [[Medway Services]] on the M2. <br />
Don't go to the [[Maidstone Services|Ashford Truckstop]], hitchhiking seems to be very hard there and hitchhikers aren't allowed near the drivers, many of whom can't take anyone anyway. (This is correct as of 2012; if things have changed, let us know!)<br />
* The ferry, as opposed to the tunnel, has the advantage of having 1.5 hours to find a ride to your next destination. '''Do your best to find the next ride on the ferry''' - even if it's for a short distance (though many people will be going far!) since hitchhiking out of [[Calais]] isn't fun. Many drivers don't speak a lot of English, but try all your languages (or a map) and something might work. Polish, Romanian, Russian and German are particularly useful. You can also ask people when they're queuing up to leave upon arrival, but it might be risky to wait so long. <br />
* If you're changing rides, it's a good idea to bring your backpack to the ferry instead of leaving it in the vehicle. But keep in mind that you're not allowed to leave it unattended and if you do, they will panic and look for you. If you don't want to be hauling it around, maybe ask someone who isn't moving around much to keep an eye on it, or pick it up from the car upon arrival (requires more logistics with the old and new drivers). <br />
* Ferries from Dover go to both Dunkirque and Calais. If you are trying to hitch down to Paris or further south then make sure your ride is going to Calais as you will find it difficult to find a lift otherwise. However, if you are hitching to Belgium, Germany etc. then you should get the ferry to Dunkirque. <br />
<br />
==== In Dover ====<br />
<map lat='51.12625978268193' lng='1.3254833221435547' zoom='16' view='0' float='right' /><br />
<br />
If you have reached Dover without a ride across the Channel, go to the BP petrol station (51°07'06.1"N 1°18'25.0"E) and catch a ride from the bus stop just outside it. Your sign should say ''FRANCE'' (or ''FRANCE (ferry)''), not ''FERRY'', otherwise people will be offering you rides to the ferry port. This road is swarming with drivers on their way to the ferry. <br />
Stay here and '''don't go to the ferry port!''' There's no point since you won't be allowed on the premises of the port (confirmed 2017). <br />
<br />
== Extra information ==<br />
<br />
* When on the ferry try to find the Commercial Drivers Restaurant on one of the floors. From there you can get a free drink (hot chocolate, tea, coffee, soft drink), however if you wish to buy food it will cost you.<br />
* Commercial drivers also have better rates for currency exchange, so if you're hitching a truck, maybe the driver will agree to change your money for you.<br />
<br />
== If you are super stuck ==<br />
<br />
* If hitchhiking doesn't work carpooling can come in really handy. There are People on Blablacar going every evening to Calais. I paid 5 GBP for the <br />
ride. Much better than:<br />
* A two way ticket (return) for the same day costs GBP 18 (as opposed to GBP 30 for a one-way ticket). But be careful, when you go to buy the ticket go without backpacks because they won't sell you the ticket, because they'll say you won't come back. Act like you are going for the ride with the ferry <!-- (Me and my two friends did this: we asked if there were any things to do on the ferry like video games, or a casino, a place where to eat or drink something etc.)--> Also when you go on the bus, if the person who sold you the ticket is there, try to give your backpacks to someone else until you are on the bus, from there you won't have any problems no more. <br />
* If all fails you might have to stay for the night. The cheapest place to do so (as far as I'm aware) is the First and Last Pub. Although named a Pub, there are bunks inside for customers to stay for £15 per night(breakfast usually provided). But its reception is located at Russell street, in the The Castle Inn/Dover Backpackers. <br />
If the ferry terminal is closed, go to the train station instead, it is not too far from the ferry terminal and even if it's locked, you can ask the staff to open it for you. There are also several pubs in the city centre that are open up till 2:00, if you want a drink.<br />
<br />
== Other directions ==<br />
<br />
=== North towards [[Canterbury]] along the A2 ===<br />
From Dover there's the A2 that runs north to [[Canterbury]] and on to the M2, the A20 that follows the coast south to [[Folkestone]], and the A256 that heads north towards [[Ramsgate]], [[Broadstairs]] and [[Margate]].<br />
<br />
For leaving Dover, you probably have a better chance of a lift if you follow the Main road out of town. After about 20 minutes when you start to walk up a hill, there is a good place for vehicles to pull in.<br />
<br />
=== North and North East towards [[Folkestone]] and [[London]] along the M20 ===<br />
One option is to walk out of the terminal building, through the car park, and follow the road signs pointing cars towards the M20. Unfortunately there isn't really a safe place to pull over until the first bus stop, about 500m away. By this stage traffic is often going quite quickly, and some of it is now local traffic, but it is mostly port traffic, and you should be able to convince someone to stop. A sign would be useful (such as 'M20').<br />
* I waited over an hour here, and walked further to find a better spot, but only found the next bus stop, another 500m or so further down the road. Conditions were no better, but I got a ride in about 5 minutes -Nomad Kat<br />
<br />
=== West towards [[Brighton]] ===<br />
<br />
Here you can try to get a lift onto the M20 and follow the motorways up and over. Another option is to get onto the coastal road (A259) all the way to Brighton. From my experience I would seriously advise skipping the romantic idea of the coastal road and keep yourself on the motorway. After Folkstone it's largely local traffic, a long walk out of the town and you sit there wishing you had of kept to the bright lights of the motor way!! However of course it led to a rich experience!<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* [http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/routes_dover_-_calais_timetable_timetable_DOCA.htm P&O ferries timetable Calais–Dover]<br />
* [http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to-france/Timetable/ DFDS Seaways ferries timetable Dunkerque–Dover]<br />
<br />
{{IsIn|South East (England)}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[Category:England]]<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom]]<br />
[[Category:E15]]<br />
[[Category:Ferries]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Dover]]<br />
[[trash:Dover]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Talk:Dover&diff=88371Talk:Dover2017-07-06T20:53:29Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Hey<br />
<br />
When I need or want to give advice on hitchhiking from the UK to mainland Europe or vice versa I usually refer to this page on Digihitch: [http://www.digihitch.com/europe27.html Hitchhiking Into and Out Of The UK]<br />
<br />
It tells you that it is better to hitchhike to Europe or to the UK on motorway services: [[Maidstone]] in [[UK]] and [[Jabekke]] in [[Belgium]].<br />
<br />
However, these pages on the growing Hitchwiki resource mention Calais and Dover again as options to hitchhike: [[United Kingdom]], [[Dover]], [[Calais]].<br />
<br />
That's quite confusing to me. So, what is better? To hitch from the services or on the harbours. My guess the first. Would the Hitchwiki need to be edited on this?<br />
<br />
:It needs correction indeed, hitching the harbour isn't easy as it is prohibited to actually be in the harbour property. Most of the traffic all do the electronic check-in and therefore barely no traffic stops anymore at the Travel Centre for booking, the trucker flow is quite dense and there isn't really sideway for them to stop over.<br />
:The Tunnel is still the best option, from Maidstone Services, or potentially the truck stop in Ashford area. [[User:Maplefanta|Maplefanta]] 00:56, 3 July 2007 (CEST)<br />
<br />
After my last few experiences, I have to say that nearly everything written in this section is wrong, the channel tunnel entrance has revealed a great option; maidstone services is still the place to be in Kent when picking a ride into the south-east; dover harbour is impossible to catch a ride and nobody does stop at the customer services anymore as everything is now electronic way into the harbour; car going into the ferry can only take passengers for free their tickets were bought during a promotion, otherwise ferry crossing are car + passengers (truckers excluded) while the tunnel is always paid per vehicule only. Anybody up to support refreshing this whole section again? [[User:Maplefanta|Maplefanta]] 15:23, 30 October 2007 (CET)<br />
: Well, if you say it's wrong, then we should surely change it. I only went over the channel in the other direction, and my experiences there were: Standing at the tunnel entrance is senseless, and the staff sent us away after a while, saying this is illegal. So, the port is the best option. Many people buy their tickets online and the number of persons is on it, so they can't take you. However, if they buy their tickets on the spot, they can take you for free, but the number of passengers still has to be on the ticket, so you have to ask before they buy it. We waited in front of the ticket office, which worked very great. Does that fit into your experience? I did it in July 2007. --[[User:MrTweek|MrTweek]]<small><sup>[http://http://www.liftershalte.info/ site], [[user talk:MrTweek|wikitalk]]</sup></small> 15:38, 30 October 2007 (CET)<br />
<br />
== Petrol Station in Dover ==<br />
<br />
why isn't it listed in the article? did I just miss it or is there a catch? will elaborate in a couple of days, after I've successfully used it :-)--[[User:Zenit|Zenit]] 01:14, 29 September 2010 (CEST)<br />
<br />
Hey, I'm on an editing roll :) I edited these out since it seems too confusing to me - why send people to all these places when they can just stay at the bus stop near BP? I didn't want to erase things that might be useful, so I'm copying it all here. What do you think? Can anyone confirm any of these options as alternatives to BP? (Are there cases in which any of these would be better than BP?)<br />
Otherwise my suggestion is to edit them out. If eventually anything happens to the BP spot, we can edit it again :) <br />
<br />
Here's what I erased from the page:<br />
<br />
''* There is a small park at the entrance in front of this hitchhiking point. If there are any drivers you might try to ask them.'' <br />
''* You can try your luck inside the Travel Centre or on the car park in front of it. The problem is that both are nowadays very quiet as most people book on-line. If you speak to people here, you will have to convince them that they don't pay anything extra for taking you across and possibly that you are not an illegal immigrant. [[User:Grégoire|Grégoire]] was told by a person working at a ticket office that you can also directly ask to the people making the queue if they have room in their car before they buy the ticket, so that they can verify it is legal. He found a car in ten minutes, but thinks it should be done discretely. [[User:Pete the Temp|Pete the Temp]] found some leads by approaching cars but there was much suspicion and many people coming to buy tickets were crossing as foot passengers. ''<br />
''* you are allowed to stand at the rail of the last roundabout leading into the port, i.e. before the port property. You'll be standing at the height of a truck driver who can see you clearly and can pull aside just in front of the Port Police building after the roundabout. This is far from ideal, and some police don't like it. ''<br />
''*Much better are the normal bus stops on the main seaside road with a sign that says France. [recommended]''<br />
''* If you're really stuck you can also try at the Western Docks, there is a truck park where drivers carrying certain types of goods or from outside the EU have to stop to complete some paperwork.''<br />
<br />
Also, there was a lot of contradicting information on being/not being able to spend the night in the ferry terminal. Does anyone know what the current situation is?<br />
<br />
And I think the entire Channel crossing/Maidstone/Dover/Calais scene should be reorganized so that information is easy to find. I'll get to that soon if no one stops me ;) <br />
<br />
[[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 20:51, 6 July 2017 (UTC)</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Talk:Dover&diff=88370Talk:Dover2017-07-06T20:51:49Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Hey<br />
<br />
When I need or want to give advice on hitchhiking from the UK to mainland Europe or vice versa I usually refer to this page on Digihitch: [http://www.digihitch.com/europe27.html Hitchhiking Into and Out Of The UK]<br />
<br />
It tells you that it is better to hitchhike to Europe or to the UK on motorway services: [[Maidstone]] in [[UK]] and [[Jabekke]] in [[Belgium]].<br />
<br />
However, these pages on the growing Hitchwiki resource mention Calais and Dover again as options to hitchhike: [[United Kingdom]], [[Dover]], [[Calais]].<br />
<br />
That's quite confusing to me. So, what is better? To hitch from the services or on the harbours. My guess the first. Would the Hitchwiki need to be edited on this?<br />
<br />
:It needs correction indeed, hitching the harbour isn't easy as it is prohibited to actually be in the harbour property. Most of the traffic all do the electronic check-in and therefore barely no traffic stops anymore at the Travel Centre for booking, the trucker flow is quite dense and there isn't really sideway for them to stop over.<br />
:The Tunnel is still the best option, from Maidstone Services, or potentially the truck stop in Ashford area. [[User:Maplefanta|Maplefanta]] 00:56, 3 July 2007 (CEST)<br />
<br />
After my last few experiences, I have to say that nearly everything written in this section is wrong, the channel tunnel entrance has revealed a great option; maidstone services is still the place to be in Kent when picking a ride into the south-east; dover harbour is impossible to catch a ride and nobody does stop at the customer services anymore as everything is now electronic way into the harbour; car going into the ferry can only take passengers for free their tickets were bought during a promotion, otherwise ferry crossing are car + passengers (truckers excluded) while the tunnel is always paid per vehicule only. Anybody up to support refreshing this whole section again? [[User:Maplefanta|Maplefanta]] 15:23, 30 October 2007 (CET)<br />
: Well, if you say it's wrong, then we should surely change it. I only went over the channel in the other direction, and my experiences there were: Standing at the tunnel entrance is senseless, and the staff sent us away after a while, saying this is illegal. So, the port is the best option. Many people buy their tickets online and the number of persons is on it, so they can't take you. However, if they buy their tickets on the spot, they can take you for free, but the number of passengers still has to be on the ticket, so you have to ask before they buy it. We waited in front of the ticket office, which worked very great. Does that fit into your experience? I did it in July 2007. --[[User:MrTweek|MrTweek]]<small><sup>[http://http://www.liftershalte.info/ site], [[user talk:MrTweek|wikitalk]]</sup></small> 15:38, 30 October 2007 (CET)<br />
<br />
== Petrol Station in Dover ==<br />
<br />
why isn't it listed in the article? did I just miss it or is there a catch? will elaborate in a couple of days, after I've successfully used it :-)--[[User:Zenit|Zenit]] 01:14, 29 September 2010 (CEST)<br />
<br />
Hey, I'm on an editing roll :) I edited these out since it seems too confusing to me - why send people to all these places when they can just stay at the bus stop near BP? I didn't want to erase things that might be useful, so I'm copying it all here. What do you think? Can anyone confirm any of these options as alternatives to BP? (Are there cases in which any of these would be better than BP?)<br />
Otherwise my suggestion is to edit them out. If eventually anything happens to the BP spot, we can edit it again :) <br />
<br />
Here's what I erased from the page:<br />
<br />
''* There is a small park at the entrance in front of this hitchhiking point. If there are any drivers you might try to ask them. <br />
* You can try your luck inside the Travel Centre or on the car park in front of it. The problem is that both are nowadays very quiet as most people book on-line. If you speak to people here, you will have to convince them that they don't pay anything extra for taking you across and possibly that you are not an illegal immigrant. [[User:Grégoire|Grégoire]] was told by a person working at a ticket office that you can also directly ask to the people making the queue if they have room in their car before they buy the ticket, so that they can verify it is legal. He found a car in ten minutes, but thinks it should be done discretely. [[User:Pete the Temp|Pete the Temp]] found some leads by approaching cars but there was much suspicion and many people coming to buy tickets were crossing as foot passengers. <br />
* you are allowed to stand at the rail of the last roundabout leading into the port, i.e. before the port property. You'll be standing at the height of a truck driver who can see you clearly and can pull aside just in front of the Port Police building after the roundabout. This is far from ideal, and some police don't like it. <br />
* much better are the normal bus stops on the main seaside road with a sign that says France. [recommended]<br />
* if you're really stuck you can also try at the Western Docks, there is a truck park where drivers carrying certain types of goods or from outside the EU have to stop to complete some paperwork.''<br />
<br />
Also, there was a lot of contradicting information on being/not being able to spend the night in the ferry terminal. Does anyone know what the current situation is?<br />
<br />
And I think the entire Channel crossing/Maidstone/Dover/Calais scene should be reorganized so that information is easy to find. I'll get to that soon if no one stops me ;) <br />
<br />
[[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 20:51, 6 July 2017 (UTC)</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Talk:London&diff=88369Talk:London2017-07-06T19:48:35Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{toDo}}<br />
==Discussion==<br />
I put a couple of tips on for London, how to get west and east.<br />
<br />
Paul (djdirect from CS)<br />
<br />
:Great job, mate! Maybe you can also write some things you learnt from your exotic hitch experiences, like in [[China]]? :) [[User:Guaka|Guaka]] 21:52, 14 September 2006 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I would suggest to gather the information about stations that does not have gates? [[User:Maplefanta|Maplefanta]] 02:17, 5 December 2007 (CET)<br />
<br />
Perhaps somebody will find this useful: [http://wiki.stealthiswiki.org/wiki/Free_London Free London on StealThisWiki]<br />
<br />
I'm trying to edit the page to make it easier to use. I've moved the public transport information to the beginning and added some points. I know we have it in nomadwiki, but that's more extensive and I think it's important to know at least a few important things before trying to navigate the system yourself. In most cases you will have to use public transport to get in or out (and obviously inside the city) and it can be confusing for newcomers, who don't realize the size of the city and the prices. <br />
<br />
Also, the hitchhiking in/out sections are a mess and I'm not sure how to fix it. The price information doesn't make sense to me because it really depends on the zone you're traveling from and the time. Same for "how to get there" explanations. It's a huge city and the directions will differ for everyone - there's not even a single city center most people would be traveling from.I think it would be better to erase all these prices and directions, and to leave the destination station and the line it's on (e.g for Mottingham - Mottingham National Rail, zone 4, etc). Then people can check the public transport section to get information about fares. Citymapper is both an app and a website, so if people can access Hitchwiki they can also use Citymapper :) I don't want to erase things without hearing what others think, but I feel that the page is just too confusing now (this being said after spending 2.5 months in London and hitchhiking in and out :) ). [[User:OlcheMaith|OlcheMaith]] ([[User talk:OlcheMaith|talk]]) 19:48, 6 July 2017 (UTC)</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=London&diff=88368London2017-07-06T19:48:22Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>__TOC__<br />
{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}<br />
{{Infobox Location<br />
|country = England<br />
|pop = 8.623 million (2015)<br />
|motorways = {{Mgb|1}} {{Mgb|11}} {{Mgb|2}} {{Mgb|20}} {{Mgb|23}} {{Mgb|25}} {{Mgb|3}} {{Mgb|4}}<br />
|map = <map lat='51.500152' lng='-0.126236' zoom='11' view='3'/><br />
}}<br />
'''London''' is the capital of [[England]] and the [[United Kingdom]].<br />
It's worth knowing that London is HUGE (third biggest city in Europe). Traveling inside London takes much longer than reaching it from outside, especially during rush hour. <br />
<br />
== Public Transport ==<br />
''See the specific article for [[nomad:Transport for London|Transport for London]] on nomadwiki.'' <br />
<br />
Here are a few important points:<br />
<br />
Distances inside London are huge, so it's quite probable you'll be using public transport inside the city (if you manage to navigate inside London by hitchhiking, please tell us about it!) <br />
If you're not just going in and out, '''get an Oyster card''' - it's much cheaper and you can use it for any public transport (even river buses!). The information [http://https://tfl.gov.uk/ TFL] provides is very extensive; [http://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/fares/single-fare-finder?intcmp=1660 Here] is where you can find the fare between any two places.<br />
<br />
'''Traveling cheap:''' Public transport prices can be high and depends on the zones between which you're traveling, day of the week and time in the day. You can try to get as close to your zone as possible (distance is not important - only zone numbers matter). E.g if you're going to Bethnal Green in zone 2, it would be better to reach zones 1 or 3 than 4 or 5. Use [http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf|this map] or google the station to see which zone it's in.<br />
A bus (or tram) will always be cheaper than other transport (they have a fixed price of £1.5, and your second ride within an hour is free).<br />
<br />
'''Planning journeys:''' Use the Citymapper app - it usually works better than Google Maps and also shows prices.<br />
<br />
'''Negative balance''': If you don't have enough money on your Oyster for the next ride, you can still take the Tube/train - as long as you have ''some'' amount of money, you'll be able to pass, but will end up with a negative balance. If you're leaving London, this probably doesn't matter, so you don't have to bother charging for your last ride. Keep in mind that the train system is separate from the Tube/Overground/DLR, so if you're taking the Tube and then the train, you need to have a positive balance upon leaving the Tube. <br />
<br />
'''Megabus''' have cheap services to several cities around the UK - in some cases it might be cheaper to use these than to get to/from the hitchhiking spot outside the city (unless you're willing to walk for several hours). <br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking in ==<br />
<br />
London has a motorway ring-road, the [[M25 (GB)|M25]].<br />
<br />
Your options are:<br />
<br />
1. '''Get dropped off on or near the M25 and use the public transport to get wherever you need.'''<br />
<br />
If you are coming from the west and your driver is heading south on the M25, ask to be dropped off at the first junction on the M25: Heathrow Terminal 5. Get off at the roundabout at the end of the motorway spur and walk to the terminal building. The Piccadilly Line Underground starts here. If they are heading north, see the description for getting to Uxbridge Underground station below.<br/ ><br />
If you are coming from the southeast on the M20, ask to be dropped off at the A20/M20/M25 roundabout. From here you can take the B2173 road 2km to Swanley train station. Alternatively, if they are heading further north, get dropped off at the M25/A12 junction and walk ≈3km west to Harold Wood station.<br/ ><br />
If you're coming from the north and your driver is heading towards the M4/M3 direction, try to persuade them to do a slight detour off the M25 to junction 1 of the M40 (roundabout with A40). From there, it's a ≈2km walk to Uxbridge Underground station. Otherwise, get off at the last services (Toddington) before the M25 and look for a lift going inside the ring road.<br/ ><br />
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2. '''Hitch into London from the last services on your motorway before the M25 (the driver will usually know which one this is).''' Then try to find a ride that bring you close enough to your destination. Check "public transport" for navigating the system efficiently and cheaply.<br />
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See the transiting around the M25 section below if you just want to bypass London.<br />
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== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
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Hitchhiking out of London is pretty tricky, but not impossible - the big problem is getting onto a motorway is a bit of a challenge, once you're on the motorway, stick to the petrol stations, hitching entrance ramp to entrance ramp is quite difficult, especially in the big cities.<br />
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=== West towards [[Reading]], [[Swindon]], ([[South West England|The South-West]]), [[Bristol]], [[South West England|Devon]], [[South West England|Cornwall]] [[South Wales]] {{Mgb|4}} ===<br />
<map lat='51.491738177580345' lng='-0.28118133544921875' zoom='16' view='0' float='right' /><br />
==== Option 1: M4 Motorway Junction 1 (Chiswick Roundabout) ====<br />
1. Take the District Line Underground to ''Gunnersbury'' (zone 3) or train to ''Kew Bridge''. (Alternatively, the Overground at ''South Acton'' doesn't have barriers, but is a kilometer further away.) Both stations are on the Chiswick High Road (A315 - one west and one east of the roundabout) along which you walk 500m to Junction 1 of the M4 where you will see the Esso petrol station that is on the corner of the slip road onto the motorway heading west. There is a bus lay-by nearby with a sign saying M4 west.<br />
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2. Take bus H91 from ''Hammersmith Bus station'' in the direction of Hounslow West and get off at ''Chiswick Roundabout/Gunnersbury'', and you are already at the bus lay-by hitching point.<br />
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'''Last verified''': October 2015 - hitched from this point twice recently - only waited approx. 15 minutes for a ride onto the M4.<br/ ><br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off peak) from Zone 1. (Bus fare £1.50)<br />
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==== Option 2: A4 leading to M4 (or M3) ====<br />
Heading for [[South West England|Cornwall]], it is much easier hitching the M4 and changing to the M5 in [[Bristol]] than trying to hitch the M3 through [[South West England|Dorset]].<br />
Take District Line Underground to ''West Kensington'' (zone 2). Turn right out of the station, there are traffic lights 10m away. Turn right and there is a lay-by where you can stand. The advantage of this spot is that all the traffic must stop here frequently for the lights and much of it is going to either of the motorways. (It's also cheaper to get to). I never normally wait more than 30 mins here.<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £2.40 (off peak) from Zone 1.<br />
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==== Option 3: Motorway service station Heston ====<br />
Take Piccadilly Line Underground westbound and get off at ''Hounslow West'' (zone 5). Turn right from the station exit and walk 800m west along Bath Road to just past Henleys roundabout where there is a BP petrol station. Right at the exit of the petrol station is a footpath heading north. Walk ≈650m and where it splits, turn right 20 metres until you reach Armytage Rd. Turn left onto this road and continue north for another ≈200m, cross over Cranford Lane and then continue north again for another ≈350m along Phoenix Way until it bends to the left. Just past the bend, you will see a short path on the right through the bushes/trees onto Heston service station.<br />
It's not an overly busy services but enough traffic to justify getting out here and cutting out all the local traffic in the centre. Use a sign as there is also traffic heading onto the M25 both south and north.<br/ ><br />
The public transport cost to get here is a few pence more expensive than the other option, but definitely worth the investment. <br />
'''Last verified''': January 2017<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £3.10 (off peak) from Zone 1<br />
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=== Southeast towards [[South East England|The South East]], [[Maidstone]], [[Folkestone]] ([[Channel Tunnel]]), [[Dover]] (Ferries to Europe) {{Mgb|20}} ===<br />
<map lat='51.43983124736507' lng='0.0528717041015625' zoom='15' view='0' float='right' /><br />
==== Option 1: Mottingham ====<br />
Take the train from ''Charing Cross Station'' (Zone 1) to ''Mottingham Station'' (Zone 4). It passes through ''Waterloo East'' (Zone 1), ''London Bridge'' (Zone 1), ''New Cross'' (Zone 2) and ''Lewisham'' (Zone 2) stations on its way to ''Dartford'' or ''Gillingham''. Alternatively, take the Jubilee line to North Greenwich, and from there, the 161 bus to Mottingham. When you come out of the train station, walk 100m south along Court Road to the intersection with Sidcup Road (A20). At the traffic lights turn left, where you will see a Shell petrol station.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': Cost of the train to Mottingham was £5. (edit- Prices must have gone down!) Me and and my girlfriend hitchhiked from Mottingham spot and a lorry picked us up in 15 minutes and took us to the start of M20. There we waited about 20 minutes in a motorway entrance, and got a drive by another lorry all the way to Folkestone service station. There a car picked us up after 5 minutes and took us with them on the ferry and all the way to [[Brugge]] in [[Belgium]].<br />
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The best ride to accept from Mottingham is one that brings you directly into the South-East along the M20 and past the M20/M25 junction, most likely to the [[Maidstone Services]]. Many drivers have said that many hitch-hikers happen to stand and hitch at the M20/M25 junction, but the police might be more likely to pick you up. <br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1. (Mottingham train station doesn't have barriers...)<br/ ><br />
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'''NOTE:''' The most classic method departing London in the direction of continental Europe begins in Mottingham. Most traffic is local, thus it is best to ask people whether they are going onto the M25 ring road. If yes, they will passby the BP @ Swanley as described in option 2. The next major service station after Swanley is after the M25 called Maidstone Services on the M20 Junction 8; be sure to find a ride that exits at junction 8 as the main exit for the town of Maidstone is junction 7. This is the last major service station located before Dover and it is recommended to find a ride directly onto the train or ferry from here. Edward101277 has hitched across the channel many times from Maidstone, with waits ranging from 30 seconds to as long as 6 hours.<br />
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==== Option 2: BP petrol station on Swanley Bypass (A20) ==== <br />
Take a train from ''London Victoria'' to ''Swanley''. Some trains will go directly there, otherwise change at Bromley South. (There is also a direct train from St. Pancras to Swanley, but it cost £8.80 (peak) in Nov 2015, so might as well just get a megabus if you're going to pay that much). From the station, cross the tracks with the pedestrian bridge to Everest Place, turn right on St. Mary's Rd to the roundabout at London Road. From here, turn left (north) along London Road/ Maidstone Road for 2.6kms. Here you'll find a hole in the fence on the left leading to a BP petrol station with a McD. It's a longer walk than to the Texaco mentioned below but managed to get a lift there in 15 minutes at 22:00 asking people (September 2013). It seemed most traffic was M20/M25, but might of been the time of night. This is perfect for getting to Maidstone.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': November 2015<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': One train ticket ''from zone 1'' (approximately £3.50 off-peak) or take the train from Elephant & Castle in central south-east (no barriers) towards Seven Oaks for a free ride.<br />
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==== Option 3: Texaco petrol station, Swanley ====<br />
Same directions as for Option 2 above, but this time, walk into town from the station, and head to the London Road going south towards M20. On the way there is a Texaco petrol station that seems quite busy. Further down (where I hitchhiked, August 2012) there is a big parking space, with a greasy spoon van if you're hungry or in need of a cup of coffee. The road takes you straight down to the motorway. <br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': [[User:TBF|TBF]] hitchhiked from the Texaco station in Nov 2015 and got a ride to Maidstone in about 20 minutes. Make sure that you get a ride going to Maidstone Service Station, because it's after the town so someone going to the town of Maidstone won't pass the service station. If you do get a ride just to the town of Maidstone, there is a good lay-by for hitchhiking on the roundabout that leads to the on ramp to the M20, but you'll have to thumb a ride because there is nowhere to ask people. It works with a sign saying "M20 4 miles" to get to the service station. <br />
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<map lat='51.3902018510923' lng='0.188269615173336' zoom='15' view='0' float='right' /><br />
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==== Option 4: Motorway service station Clackett Lane (M25) ====<br />
1. Take the train from ''London Bridge'' to ''Oxted''. Walk southeast along Station Road to Westerham Road (A25). Turn left (east) and walk 3.5km till the junction with Clackett Lane. Turn left here and walk 1.6km along Clackett Lane to the entrance to the service station (heading East) just after you pass over the M25 motorway bridge.<br />
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2. Take the train from ''Victoria'' to ''Bromley South''. Then take bus 246 south in the direction of Westerham Green and get off at ''Pilgrims Way''. Walk west along Pilgrims Way and then Pilgrims Lane for ≈1.4km until you reach Clackett Lane. Turn left (south) and walk for ≈1km until you reach the entrance to the service station heading East (before crossing over the motorway bridge).<br />
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'''Last Verified''': April 2015<br />
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'''Cost of Public Transport''': You can reach London Bridge by overground from a station without barriers and skip the fare.<br />
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=== Southeast towards [[South East England|The South East]], [[Hastings]], [[Royal Tunbridge Wells]] A21 ===<br />
{{infoneeded| Help providing the information with the one available for the M20}}<br />
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=== Northwest towards [[Oxford]], [[High Wycombe]], [[Warwick]], [[Birmingham]], [[North Wales]] {{Mgb|40}} ===<br />
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[[M40 (GB)|M40]] is different from other motorways originating from London, as it starts quite close to M25 as a continuation of the dual-carriageway A40.<br />
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==== Option 1: M40 Junction 1 ====<br />
Take a Piccadilly or Metropolitan Line to ''Uxbridge'' (Zone 6). Exit the station onto High Street and turn right. Walk until you reach Harefield Road - turn left there, and then right at the next big roundabout. From there follow signs to M40 - you will eventually get to junction 1 slip road, and you can hitch-hike from there (there's also a nice spot at the traffic lights). You might need to cross parts of the road where vehicle will already be flying at motorway speeds - stay safe!!! <br />
Confirm with the driver that he is going straight onto the M40, and does not turn onto M25 (London Orbital). Also beware that Junction 2 is not very easy to hitch-hike on (see M40 article).<br/ ><br />
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==== Option 2: A40 Junction (Hangar Lane) ====<br />
Take the Central Line tube (West Ruislip branch) to ''Hangar Lane'' (zone 3). As you exit into the main hall of the tube station, have a look at the local area map and find the exit for the westbound A40 slip road. Keep walking along the slip road, and then A40. There are two good places to hitch from:<br />
1. A bus stop just past the junction with Lynwood Rd. It has a long lay-by, which is a good place to hitch from as long as there's nothing parked there. Legally, it's a "non-stopping except buses" lay-by.<br />
2. The other place is half a mile further on, a little lay-by with no restrictions. I ([[User:Lnx|Lnx]]) have not personally hitched from there, but it looks like a good spot and has an advantage of being open to the entire A40 (the Lynwood Rd bus stop has a separation between the incoming slip road and the main carriageway, so you can only be picked up by traffic emerging from North Circular Road, or Lynwood Road). <br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 26th January 2008<br />
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==== Option 3: A40 Junction (Hillingdon) ====<br />
Take the Piccadilly or Metropolitan Line tube to ''Hillingdon'' (zone 6). As you exit the tube station and go to the end of walkway, turn right and walk until you reach the big traffic light-controlled crossroads of 'Long Lane' and 'Western Avenue' (NOT the A40 Western Avenue). Cross the road, then turn right and continue to the roundabout, whose primary exit is the slip-road to A40. Stand on the grass next to of the hatched area - the hatched area is a good and legal place for a vehicle to stop. The area is also well-lit which makes it a perfect place to hitch at night.<br />
It is advisable to have a sign saying "Oxford" or something, as a lot of traffic leaves [[M40 (GB)|M40]] at junction 1a to continue on [[M25 (GB)|M25]].<br />
There is also an Oxford Tube coach stop in Western Avenue/Freezeland Way nearby. If you happen to get really stuck (which I think you won't - I waited only about 12 minutes for a ride on an evening during a post-Christmas season) and only need to get to Oxford, this might be an alternative.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 28th October 2010. I took this advice to travel from London to Oxford in October 2010, and it worked very well: I didn't reach the roadside until 21:00, so the world beyond the streetlights was utterly dark, but still got a ride within half an hour. A good spot to travel Northbound from London.<br />
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=== North towards [[Luton]], [[Milton Keynes]], ('''''[[East Midlands|The East Midlands]]'''''), [[Northampton]], [[Leicester]], [[Derby]], [[Nottingham]], [[Sheffield]], [[Leeds]] {{Mgb|1}} ===<br />
==== Option 1: Motorway service station London Gateway ====<br />
Take Northern Line tube to Edgware, and then walk 2.5km: Turn right out of the station onto 'Station Road'. Follow the road along, it turns into 'Hale Lane', keep going, then turn left onto 'Selvage Lane' and keep going, you will then go over a bridge over the M1 and come to a big roundabout 'Apex Corner'. Go down into the subway under the roundabout, and come out on the A1 ('Barnet Way), just by the petrol station. Turn left just behind the petrol station onto 'Ellesmere Avenue', this road runs parallel to the high way. Keep walking until you come to a road on your left with a big sign with three symbols, one of which would translate as 'no access to anyone except authorised vehicles' and clearly goes under the motorway. Walk down it and you come to [https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/51.6136474,-0.2756824/51.6331801,-0.267389/@51.6234134,-0.28321,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m24!4m23!1m20!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2707532!2d51.6182613!3s0x487616bd30b5031d:0x8018c6fc46ad7c0a!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2601509!2d51.6168185!3s0x487616bf7b9c6b11:0x36592f73c8bb24ff!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2554027!2d51.6210173!3s0x487616ea6c84b413:0x4e9825452a0ab13a!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2661023!2d51.6315945!3s0x4876168dfd4886a1:0x9337096bd5773568!1m0!3e2?hl=en London Gateway Services].<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': March 2016 - Takes a long time to get there, but got a lift in 20 seconds past Luton. May 2016 - waited 30 minutes at the exit; good place to hitch. December 2016 - Took only about 20 minutes at the exit.<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £3.10 (off peak) from zone 1.<br />
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<map lat='51.572129' lng='-0.230595' zoom='16' view='0' width='400px' height='200px' float='right' /><br />
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==== Option 2: [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=51.572780,+-0.230950&ie=UTF8&z=12&iwloc=addr&om=1 Staples Corner] ====<br />
Take Northern Line tube to ''Brent Cross'' (zone 3). From there you follow the 'North Circular Road' westwards for about 1km (along Tilling Road), and you get to the bottom of the M1 (don't get confused with the A1 which also passes nearby, although if this road is more convenient for your destination, you can also hitch from here). After passing the shopping centre, you should see the M1. It is possible to hitch at the first entrance you see, which is the traffic coming off the 'Westbound North Circular' (there is a bus stop just after the slip road joins the North Circular, and a small lay-by further on - both adjacent to the lane for M1). You can also hitch at the traffic lights (see spot on the map to the right) or on the hard shoulder on the on-ramp that slopes up right after those traffic lights.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 18th August, 2014<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1.<br />
[[File:Staples_corner_m1.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Hitching Spot at Staples Corner for M1]]<br />
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*This place seems to work really well. I get the bus to brent cross and then its about a 10 min walk to this spot. However, it tends to go slightly quicker if you walk 2 minutes more around the roundabout ('''Staples Corner ''West'' '''). You'll see a railway bridge, go under it and there is a bus stop beside a car repair place (the bus stop itself is near Adrian Avenue and is by the ''Western'' side of the railway bridge). It doesn't look like such a great place, but it works quite well if you have a sign (worked for [[User:Lnx|Lnx]] - a 5-minute wait in the dark!). (Also worked for [[User:Boribariii|Boribariii]], took only 5 minutes with a sign at 1pm on 06/06/2017).<br />
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*This is a very good place, however one user recommends right next to the car repair center ( on the right of it )there is entrance for the M1 Motorway which is slightly going upwards before meeting the highway. You may go up and make sure to stand atleast 100 meters away from the point where cars enter on this road from the redlight behind, since they need some time to spot you and there is plenty of space for them to stop ,if you have a sign that says M1. Worked quite well on 18th Aug 2014. If you are too close to the entrance incline they will zoom past by you so ensure you walk up a bit and give them enough distance to see you and your sign.<br />
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*Important *** : If you are getting a lift from here, ensure that the driver is driving to at least the next service station (Toddington), which is approximately 50-60 miles from this spot. <br />
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*In case you are going to Edinburgh: once you are at any of the service stations on the motorway, you will find a lot of people going in that direction, i.e. going to Leeds and further. Somewhere north of Leeds, the M1 becomes the A1(M) highway; however, ensure that once you are on this highway going in the direction of Newcastle, and then Edinburgh, you do not get out at the last petrol station before Newcastle. Get out at the 2nd, 3rd or 4th last petrol station before Newcastle, but not the last one. The second last one has a huge McD and more long-distance traffic than the last one, which has a Burger King and Costa and is just a small petrol station with mostly local traffic from Newcastle coming for petrol. A hitchhiking couple got stuck here and could not find a ride for 13 hours beyond Newcastle. So the rule of thumb here is: do not get out at the last petrol station before the city, unless it is a McD. Ensure whoever is taking you drops you off only at a petrol station and not on a country road. After Newcastle, there is only one major/decent petrol station in a town called Alnwick (pronounced 'Annick'). Try finding someone who is going to Edinburgh directly from one of the earlier good McD stations. A better alternative route to Edinburgh is to take the M1, M6, A74(M), and A707; this way, you won't have to bother about McD and Newcastle.<br />
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=== North towards, [[Stevanage]], [[Peterborough]], [[East Midlands]], [[East of England|The East]], [[Newcastle]], [[North East England|The North East]] {{agb|1}} ===<br />
''(See information for M1, Option 2 - Staples Corner. Hold the sign saying "A1 North". There must be better places to get onto A1, though...)''* <br />
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This is untested, but should work. Take the tube (Northern Line) to High Barnet, here take the 84 bus to South Mimms services, at the junction between the M25 and A1(M). One user tried this, and thinks the junction is too big, and the traffic too fast, for this to be a good spot. Another user spent 5 unsuccessful hours at South Mimms trying to get the A1(M) North, most people aren't likely to stop at the first service station on their way out of the city.<br />
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=== Northwest towards [[Cambridge]], [[London Stansted]], [[Norwich]], [[East of England|The East]], East Coast {{Mgb|11}} ===<br />
Take the Central Line tube to ''Redbridge'' (zone 4). Once at the station, turn right and use the subways to cross under the A406. Once on the slip road for the A406 (extending Eastern Avenue), there is a great place for vehicles to pull over. The spot is located just next to the bridge over a canal or river. The traffic will not be coming from A406, but it really is a good place to hitch a ride. It is strongly recommended that you bring a M11 sign with you. Personal experience was that even with this sign, a few cars will stop heading towards other destinations.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': March 2012<br />
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The M11 begins near Redbridge, so this is an ideal place to go to. [[User:Siinvincible|Simon]] and [[User:Whisperingofthestars|Jason]] managed to get a ride to Newmarket from the train to Redbridge, as someone noticed us making a sign.<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1.<br />
TIP: To get to the same part of london, you can also take the Central line to Roding Valley. Here there are no barriers as you exit so if you managed to get into the underground system for free, you can get out for free. It's about a half an hour walk to the start of the M11. For getting into the underground system, you can for example get in at Finsbury Park where there are no barriers either. There are also other stations.<br />
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=== Southwest towards [[South West England|The South West]], [[Basingstoke]], [[Salisbury]], [[Southampton]], [[Porstmouth]], [[South West England|Dorset]], [[Poole|Bournemouth]] {{Mgb|3}} ===<br />
M3 is not an easy motorway to get to, although the following worked for [[User:Lnx|Lnx]]:<br/ ><br />
==== Option 1: Lay-by on A316 near Kempton Park ====<br />
Take the train from ''London Waterloo'' in the direction of Shepperton and exit at ''Kempton Park'' station. Exit the station (do not go on the footbridge), cross the racecourse car park and turn right into Park Road, which goes into the slip road coming off A316. When you reach the A316 itself, walk on the pavement in the opposite direction to the traffic. You will immediately see a lay-by (chances are some lorries will be parked there). You can hitch from there. The position is not perfect, as the road is going downhill, and the traffic is traveling very fast (50-70mph).<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 27 March 2008<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': One ticket/travelcard to zone 6 + one ticket from ''Hampton'' to ''Kempton Park'' railway station. '''Kempton Park''' station is just outside London Transport Zones (''Hampton'', the previous station on the Waterloo-Shepperton line, is in zone 6), but it has no ticket barriers and the chances of meeting a ticket inspector between ''Hampton'' and ''Kempton Park'' should be quite remote.<br />
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==== Option 2: A316 Junction with A312 ====<br />
Take the train on the same line as above, and get off at ''Fulwell''. Walk south on Wellington Road, and then turn right onto Park Road. Follow this road as it joins the A312 for about 1.5 km in total. Just below the A316 bridge, which you will see ahead of you as you follow the A312, there is a roundabout. The first left turn on this roundabout is an on-ramp for the A316. There is a bus stop and a pedestrian crossing here, and traffic is going uphill, and so is quite slow. One user waited here for about 30 minutes with a sign saying "M3".<br />
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=== Southwest towards [[Woking]], [[Guildford]], [[Porstmouth]], [[Worthing]] A3/{{agb|3}}, & A24 ===<br />
''Possible site along the A3 would be located between Putney Heath/Roehampton and New Malden/West Wimbledon, New Malden offering the best opportunities''<br />
{{infoneeded|Information needed}}<br />
''The A24 is best reached directly in Leatherhead outside the M25, there is a on-ramp to the M25 as well''<br />
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=== South towards [[Brighton]] {{Mgb|23}} ===<br />
Take a train from ''Victoria'', ''Clapham Junction'', or ''London Bridge'' station to ''East Croyden'' (zone 6). From here, take a train to ''Coulsdon South''. Turn left out of the station on Brighton Road and walk 600m to the roundabout. Nearly all the traffic goes to the M23 from here.<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £3.80 (off-peak) (£2.70 off-peak from Clapham Junction) (June 2016)<br />
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=== East towards [[East of England|The East]], [[East of England|Essex]], [[Chelmsford]], [[Colchester]], [[Ipswich]], [[Southend-on-Sea]] A/12 ===<br />
Take Hammersmith & City Line or District Line to ''Bow Road'' (Zone 2). Walk east for ≈700m along the Bow Road to the roundabout junction with the A12. There are traffic lights here, and a McDonalds across the road. Hitch on the slip road heading north on the A12. You can get lifts from here to Ipswich or Colchester. I waited 20 minutes. It was OK. There is plenty of room for people to stop as there is a bus stop nearby.<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £2.40 (off-peak from Zone 1)<br />
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== Airports ==<br />
Paid transport to and from airports can be expensive. Hitching can be a good alternative. The exits to the airports can also be good places to get lifts to other places. For example, if you get stuck on the western part of the M25, try to get to Heathrow, from there people are going all over the country. If you are coming from Brighton, and trying to get around London, you may get a ride quicker to where you want to go if you get dropped at Gatwick Airport than at Pease Pottage services.<br />
* [[London Gatwick Airport|London Gatwick]]<br />
* [[London Stansted]]<br />
* [[London Heathrow]]<br />
* [[Luton|London Luton]]<br />
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== Transiting Greater London ==<br />
Since nearly all the motorway networks lead towards London, you probably might have to go through that urban area somehow to reach your destination. The M25 is the ring motorway that surrounds the city and connects with every possible motorway network in all directions. It's recommended to find a lift past London as it's somewhat hard to find somebody going off the M25 in your direction from any of the service stations on the M25. Be careful: there are only 3 service stations, and the entire western section has none at all. It may also be possible to head around the M25 from junction to junction. However, the only problem is that a few of the junctions are really bad in the south, and you can get really stuck as a large part of the traffic is only going round the ring a short distance. If if you do get stuck, try making a sign M25 east or west. So consider waiting for a ride that actually takes you to the road you want to be on, rather than just stopping somewhere at random on the M25.<br />
<br/ ><br />
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=== South Mimms Services ===<br />
South Mimms services are in Potters Bar in the northeast of London and are actually just off the M25 at the junction of the A1(M). For some reason, although it's a big services, you can get stuck here for hours. One option, as ever, is to ask people where they're headed... but there are so many directions possible that it could take a long time to find someone headed your way. Standing at the exit of the services is unlikely to work, for whatever reason. Several reports of hours of waiting here mean that you probably need to try something else. If you're going towards the west, you can stand at the ridiculous entrance to the west slip road onto the M25. Although insane, you should be able to get a fast ride out. Have a big sign and someone should be able to at least take you further down the M25 to a better junction, or directly to where you're going, be it to the west or down to Sussex. Any information on going east?<br />
<br />
=== Clacket Lane Services ===<br />
Clackett Lane services are located in the south of London and are possibly the best place to get lifts on the M25. There is a bridge here to cross from one side to the other, which can be useful to know if, for example, you are trying to hitch from the M4 to Brighton but get a lift with someone who is going to Dover.<br />
<br />
Take the train from ''Victoria'' to ''Bromley South''. Then take bus 246 ([http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/246Sum.htm timetable here]) south in the direction of Westerham Green and get off at ''Pilgrims Way''. Walk west along Pilgrims Way and then Pilgrims Lane for ≈1.4km until you reach Clackett Lane. Turn left (south) and walk for ≈1km until you reach the entrance to the service station (heading east). Continue walking along Clackett Lane for another 400m over the motorway M25 bridge to reach the entrance for the services heading west. <br />
You can see where you're going on a map [http://www.motorwayservices.info/clacket_lane_services_m25/googlemap here]. Where it says "Clacket Wood" is the service station. There is also a street view of this area on google maps.<br />
<br />
Clacket Lane is an excellent place to hitch to Brighton (Westbound) or Dover (Eastbound) and also fairly good for most other directions as it's a busy station. Best thing is to stand outside the main doors into the station and ask everyone that comes out if they are going your way ("excuse me, are you by any chance going to Brighton?")<br />
<br />
== Sleep ==<br />
There are several options when it comes to finding a place to sleep. If the worst prevails and you're without a place, you're still not too bad off. Central London is relatively safe and you probably wont be bothered sleeping outside.<br />
<br />
=== [[Camping|Wild Camping]] ===<br />
Its quite possible to sleep out in London in considerable privacy despite its gigantic population of 10 million. Go North East to Trent Park (Piccadilly Line Northbound, second to last stop before Cockfosters - i.e. Oakwood Station). Find the directions for the university (Middlesex) campus and walk (or take the free bus) up the hill. Beside it and beyond the lake are quite a few miles of woodland and and it is incredibly beautiful. [[User:Whisperingofthestars|Jason]] lived here for 7 months during his final year of university. Be careful with park wardens, they eventually discovered him during the last few weeks of his studies. Build camouflage from ferns if staying for long. People are unlikely to be your greatest threat...dogs are. Dogs! A lot of people walk them here but you can find amazing places if you search hard enough. And if you search really really hard, you'll find a tree with the dates of the past dweller's residence...;) <br />
<br />
Also, outside this station (Trent Park), there is a Greek Bakery. Behind it lie huge sacks of bread every night. Please go. Its crazy that this could possibly be wasted every night.<br />
<br />
=== Squatting ===<br />
London used to have an abundance of [[squat]]s, but it has recently become more difficult. While it is still legal to squat commercial property (warehouses, offices, shops), it is illegal to squat residential buildings (if you admit you are doing this to the cops, you might be sentenced to jail time.) For all information on squatting in the UK: the '''[http://www.squatter.org.uk/ Advisory Service for Squatters]''' is helpful for people that are planning to find a place to live and cannot really help you find a place to crash. It's located at the Freedom Bookstore in Whitechapel and is another great place to meet squatters as well as get online for free. The address is Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street, Whitechapel, London, England, E1 7QX. (Tel. 020-32160099)<br />
That being said, there are still a good couple of squats all around London. Most squats are places where people live and go about their normal business, so don't expect too much from them. Perhaps it would be good to find some friendly squatters by word of mouth or on [http://www.couchsurfing.com couchsurfing] or similar. Don't worry about the negative connotations associated with squats. They generally aren't crackhouses or scabies-infested punk hangouts. People of all types squat in London and their homes are usually very nice. They are especially helpful if you're planning to stick around for a while, but can also be great if you're just passing through. [[User:Zac Stewart|Zac]]<small><sup>[[User talk:Zac Stewart|talk]]</sup></small> ended up with a squat to sleep in on his first night, and in [[Mayfair]] of all places! <br />
There are still some remnants of squatting communities in North London, North East London, and South London. If you want to meet some people, go to the practical squatting nights taking place every week (alternating): http://www.squatter.org.uk/for-new-squatters/practical-squatting-nights/<br />
For more info on social centers in London, check out [http://www.socialcentresnetwork.org.uk/ Autonomous London]. Generally though, it has become harder to track squats down or just pop up, as there are fewer, and more and more evictions, which means less space. This should in no way discourage you, however!<br />
<br />
== Eat ==<br />
Cheap and free food abounds in London. <br />
<br />
=== Free ===<br />
Hari Krishna offer free food from several locations in London at lunchtime: outside SOAS by Russel Square from 12:15 to 14:00(Monday thru Saturday), for example. Expect to queue for 30 minutes, arrive early to guarantee a fill - the food does run out. Otherwise...<br />
<br />
If you want a free, warm meal closer to the end of the day: from Thursday to Sunday there is a food market on Brick Lane, next to the vintage market (the one with the vinyl records store). Try going there about 18:00-19:00. Most vendors will be closing their booths and throwing food away. Just go up to them and ask(it's handy to have your own container). It's mostly Asian cuisine therefore delicious.<br />
<br />
In the UK, the term for eating food that would otherwise be thrown away, is called skipping. Lots of people do it, all from people that come from poor countries and see all the food that goes to waist, to people that are political in there way of living. Many people, especially in the squat scene live totally out of food from the bins...<br />
<br />
Plenty of places throw out food at closing time. Always check the bags out front of '''Pret a Mangers''' and '''Benjy's''' at 17:00-19:00. If you feel up to it, you can even go inside when they are closing shop and explain that you're homeless and pick out all the food you want instead of getting it off the sidewalk. Feel no shame, you're helping to curb wastefulness! (That being said, Pret a Mangers doesn't give any food to random people, just to "charity".)<br />
<br />
The '''Coffee Republic''' on Great Marlborough Street near the Oxford Circle and Carnaby Street is reported to put out garbage bags with totally normal food--boiled potatoes, sandwiches, etc. every evening around 20:00 on weekdays and 19:00 on weekends.<br />
The sandwich company "Eat" throw away lots of stuff everyday all over town. Have a look in there bins or outside the shops on the street.<br />
The bakery 'Paul' in Blackfriars and Paddington throw out a lot of cakes, all extremely luxurious and scrumptious. From Blackfriars station walk up the main road, and Paul's will be on your right after a few minutes.<br />
If you are into Sushi, try one of the many Wasabi places in the city when they close at 21:00 or 21:30. They always leave food outside, and there are always loads of people picking it up, but you'll get some if you're on time.<br />
<br />
The most luxurious place to skip is always Waitrose. Places like Sainsburys, Marks and Spencers (generally difficult to skip!), Tesco and so on have a marking system on their packed food that says when the food should be thrown away and when it should be eaten before. The gap between this days are often two days and you can still have it more or less a week more depending on what it is.<br />
Most bins are secured by fences, cameras, etc. Don't mind them too much, it is rare that they'll call the cops on you as long as you don't "destroy property".<br />
<br />
Good places to try in Hackney are E.A.T., Iceland, supermarket metros or locals and markets.<br />
<br />
=== Cheap ===<br />
If you're going to self cater, stick to '''Sainsbury's''' and '''Tesco''' rather than the convenient Off-Licenses for better prices. If you are a bit out of Central London, you might as well look for '''Lidl''', '''Morrisons''', '''Netto''' or '''Asda'''. Anyhow with a decent and wise grocery, you can get your grocery for nearly a week for about 10-15 pounds at any of the mentioned supermarket with decent, fresh and healthy food ''(to cook)''. Be aware though that these supermarkets are not in any sense "ethical". They are wiping out local shops, taking monopoly on feeding us, destroying the environment and throwing away food every day that could feed hundreds of people. It's better to eat out of their bins. <!-- Totally irrelevant information! --><br />
<br />
If you get tired of peanut butter sandwiches or want to fill up for the weekend, try one of the many £5 all-you-can-eat '''Thai Buffets''' which are always always totally vegan! (some good all-you-can-eat start at £3,50). Go early, they get more expensive in the evening. While downtown, you can also get a ''<nowiki>'</nowiki>6-inch sandwich of the day<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' at '''Subway''' for 2 pounds.<br />
<br />
The markets in Camden Town have cheap food around 17:00, especially in the Lock Market where, if you walk for a few minutes past all the initial food courts, you can easily find dishes of noodles for GBP 2.<br />
<br />
== Internet ==<br />
In Westminster, there's a public library which you can use for free Internet access. You might need to register yourself, though, and that process (and waiting for the next available computer) can take quite some time.<br />
<br />
Go to the Apple store (on Regent St. near Oxford Circus), ask any '''local''' around Piccadilly or Regent or Oxford street and they should be able to tell you the exact location.<br />
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[[Category:East of England]]<br />
[[Category:South East England]]<br />
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[[fr:Londres]]<br />
[[pl:Londyn]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=London&diff=88367London2017-07-06T14:58:45Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
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<div>__TOC__<br />
{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}<br />
{{Infobox Location<br />
|country = England<br />
|pop = 8.623 million (2015)<br />
|motorways = {{Mgb|1}} {{Mgb|11}} {{Mgb|2}} {{Mgb|20}} {{Mgb|23}} {{Mgb|25}} {{Mgb|3}} {{Mgb|4}}<br />
|map = <map lat='51.500152' lng='-0.126236' zoom='11' view='3'/><br />
}}<br />
'''London''' is the capital of [[England]] and the [[United Kingdom]].<br />
It's worth knowing that London is HUGE (third biggest city in Europe). Traveling inside London takes much longer than reaching it from outside, especially during rush hour. <br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking in ==<br />
<br />
London has a motorway ring-road, the [[M25 (GB)|M25]].<br />
<br />
Your options are:<br />
<br />
1. '''Get dropped off on or near the M25 and use the public transport to get wherever you need.'''<br />
<br />
If you are coming from the west and your driver is heading south on the M25, ask to be dropped off at the first junction on the M25: Heathrow Terminal 5. Get off at the roundabout at the end of the motorway spur and walk to the terminal building. The Piccadilly Line Underground starts here. If they are heading north, see the description for getting to Uxbridge Underground station below.<br/ ><br />
If you are coming from the southeast on the M20, ask to be dropped off at the A20/M20/M25 roundabout. From here you can take the B2173 road 2km to Swanley train station. Alternatively, if they are heading further north, get dropped off at the M25/A12 junction and walk ≈3km west to Harold Wood station.<br/ ><br />
If you're coming from the north and your driver is heading towards the M4/M3 direction, try to persuade them to do a slight detour off the M25 to junction 1 of the M40 (roundabout with A40). From there, it's a ≈2km walk to Uxbridge Underground station. Otherwise, get off at the last services (Toddington) before the M25 and look for a lift going inside the ring road.<br/ ><br />
<br />
2. '''Hitch into London from the last services on your motorway before the M25 (the driver will usually know which one this is).'''<br />
<br />
Distances inside London are huge, so it's quite probable you'll be using public transport inside the city (if you manage to navigate inside London by hitchhiking, please tell us about it!) <br />
Public transport prices can be high and depends on the zones between which you're traveling, day of the week and time in the day. You can try to get as close to your zone as possible (distance is not important - only zone numbers matter). E.g if you're going to Bethnal Green in zone 2, it would be better to reach zones 1 or 3 than 4 or 5. If you're not just going in and out, '''get an Oyster card''' - it's much cheaper. Use [http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf|this map] or google the station to see which zone it's in. <br />
<br />
See the transiting around the M25 section below if you just want to bypass London.<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
* [http://www.hitchbase.com/ergebnisse.php?LANG=eng&abfrage%5Bstartort%5D=444 Hitchbase] has some information about hitchhiking out of London<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking out of London is pretty tricky, but not impossible - the big problem is getting onto a motorway is a bit of a challenge, once you're on the motorway, stick to the petrol stations, hitching entrance ramp to entrance ramp is quite difficult, especially in the big cities.<br />
<br />
=== West towards [[Reading]], [[Swindon]], ([[South West England|The South-West]]), [[Bristol]], [[South West England|Devon]], [[South West England|Cornwall]] [[South Wales]] {{Mgb|4}} ===<br />
<map lat='51.491738177580345' lng='-0.28118133544921875' zoom='16' view='0' float='right' /><br />
==== Option 1: M4 Motorway Junction 1 (Chiswick Roundabout) ====<br />
1. Take the District Line Underground to ''Gunnersbury'' (zone 3) or train to ''Kew Bridge''. (Alternatively, the Overground at ''South Acton'' doesn't have barriers, but is a kilometer further away.) Both stations are on the Chiswick High Road (A315 - one west and one east of the roundabout) along which you walk 500m to Junction 1 of the M4 where you will see the Esso petrol station that is on the corner of the slip road onto the motorway heading west. There is a bus lay-by nearby with a sign saying M4 west.<br />
<br />
2. Take bus H91 from ''Hammersmith Bus station'' in the direction of Hounslow West and get off at ''Chiswick Roundabout/Gunnersbury'', and you are already at the bus lay-by hitching point.<br />
<br />
'''Last verified''': October 2015 - hitched from this point twice recently - only waited approx. 15 minutes for a ride onto the M4.<br/ ><br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off peak) from Zone 1. (Bus fare £1.50)<br />
<br />
==== Option 2: A4 leading to M4 (or M3) ====<br />
Heading for [[South West England|Cornwall]], it is much easier hitching the M4 and changing to the M5 in [[Bristol]] than trying to hitch the M3 through [[South West England|Dorset]].<br />
Take District Line Underground to ''West Kensington'' (zone 2). Turn right out of the station, there are traffic lights 10m away. Turn right and there is a lay-by where you can stand. The advantage of this spot is that all the traffic must stop here frequently for the lights and much of it is going to either of the motorways. (It's also cheaper to get to). I never normally wait more than 30 mins here.<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £2.40 (off peak) from Zone 1.<br />
<br />
==== Option 3: Motorway service station Heston ====<br />
Take Piccadilly Line Underground westbound and get off at ''Hounslow West'' (zone 5). Turn right from the station exit and walk 800m west along Bath Road to just past Henleys roundabout where there is a BP petrol station. Right at the exit of the petrol station is a footpath heading north. Walk ≈650m and where it splits, turn right 20 metres until you reach Armytage Rd. Turn left onto this road and continue north for another ≈200m, cross over Cranford Lane and then continue north again for another ≈350m along Phoenix Way until it bends to the left. Just past the bend, you will see a short path on the right through the bushes/trees onto Heston service station.<br />
It's not an overly busy services but enough traffic to justify getting out here and cutting out all the local traffic in the centre. Use a sign as there is also traffic heading onto the M25 both south and north.<br/ ><br />
The public transport cost to get here is a few pence more expensive than the other option, but definitely worth the investment. <br />
'''Last verified''': January 2017<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £3.10 (off peak) from Zone 1<br />
<br />
=== Southeast towards [[South East England|The South East]], [[Maidstone]], [[Folkestone]] ([[Channel Tunnel]]), [[Dover]] (Ferries to Europe) {{Mgb|20}} ===<br />
<map lat='51.43983124736507' lng='0.0528717041015625' zoom='15' view='0' float='right' /><br />
==== Option 1: Mottingham ====<br />
Take the train from ''Charing Cross Station'' (Zone 1) to ''Mottingham Station'' (Zone 4). It passes through ''Waterloo East'' (Zone 1), ''London Bridge'' (Zone 1), ''New Cross'' (Zone 2) and ''Lewisham'' (Zone 2) stations on its way to ''Dartford'' or ''Gillingham''. Alternatively, take the Jubilee line to North Greenwich, and from there, the 161 bus to Mottingham. When you come out of the train station, walk 100m south along Court Road to the intersection with Sidcup Road (A20). At the traffic lights turn left, where you will see a Shell petrol station.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': Cost of the train to Mottingham was £5. (edit- Prices must have gone down!) Me and and my girlfriend hitchhiked from Mottingham spot and a lorry picked us up in 15 minutes and took us to the start of M20. There we waited about 20 minutes in a motorway entrance, and got a drive by another lorry all the way to Folkestone service station. There a car picked us up after 5 minutes and took us with them on the ferry and all the way to [[Brugge]] in [[Belgium]].<br />
<br />
The best ride to accept from Mottingham is one that brings you directly into the South-East along the M20 and past the M20/M25 junction, most likely to the [[Maidstone Services]]. Many drivers have said that many hitch-hikers happen to stand and hitch at the M20/M25 junction, but the police might be more likely to pick you up. <br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1. (Mottingham train station doesn't have barriers...)<br/ ><br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The most classic method departing London in the direction of continental Europe begins in Mottingham. Most traffic is local, thus it is best to ask people whether they are going onto the M25 ring road. If yes, they will passby the BP @ Swanley as described in option 2. The next major service station after Swanley is after the M25 called Maidstone Services on the M20 Junction 8; be sure to find a ride that exits at junction 8 as the main exit for the town of Maidstone is junction 7. This is the last major service station located before Dover and it is recommended to find a ride directly onto the train or ferry from here. Edward101277 has hitched across the channel many times from Maidstone, with waits ranging from 30 seconds to as long as 6 hours.<br />
<br />
==== Option 2: BP petrol station on Swanley Bypass (A20) ==== <br />
Take a train from ''London Victoria'' to ''Swanley''. Some trains will go directly there, otherwise change at Bromley South. (There is also a direct train from St. Pancras to Swanley, but it cost £8.80 (peak) in Nov 2015, so might as well just get a megabus if you're going to pay that much). From the station, cross the tracks with the pedestrian bridge to Everest Place, turn right on St. Mary's Rd to the roundabout at London Road. From here, turn left (north) along London Road/ Maidstone Road for 2.6kms. Here you'll find a hole in the fence on the left leading to a BP petrol station with a McD. It's a longer walk than to the Texaco mentioned below but managed to get a lift there in 15 minutes at 22:00 asking people (September 2013). It seemed most traffic was M20/M25, but might of been the time of night. This is perfect for getting to Maidstone.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': November 2015<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': One train ticket ''from zone 1'' (approximately £3.50 off-peak) or take the train from Elephant & Castle in central south-east (no barriers) towards Seven Oaks for a free ride.<br />
<br />
==== Option 3: Texaco petrol station, Swanley ====<br />
Same directions as for Option 2 above, but this time, walk into town from the station, and head to the London Road going south towards M20. On the way there is a Texaco petrol station that seems quite busy. Further down (where I hitchhiked, August 2012) there is a big parking space, with a greasy spoon van if you're hungry or in need of a cup of coffee. The road takes you straight down to the motorway. <br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': [[User:TBF|TBF]] hitchhiked from the Texaco station in Nov 2015 and got a ride to Maidstone in about 20 minutes. Make sure that you get a ride going to Maidstone Service Station, because it's after the town so someone going to the town of Maidstone won't pass the service station. If you do get a ride just to the town of Maidstone, there is a good lay-by for hitchhiking on the roundabout that leads to the on ramp to the M20, but you'll have to thumb a ride because there is nowhere to ask people. It works with a sign saying "M20 4 miles" to get to the service station. <br />
<br />
<map lat='51.3902018510923' lng='0.188269615173336' zoom='15' view='0' float='right' /><br />
<br />
==== Option 4: Motorway service station Clackett Lane (M25) ====<br />
1. Take the train from ''London Bridge'' to ''Oxted''. Walk southeast along Station Road to Westerham Road (A25). Turn left (east) and walk 3.5km till the junction with Clackett Lane. Turn left here and walk 1.6km along Clackett Lane to the entrance to the service station (heading East) just after you pass over the M25 motorway bridge.<br />
<br />
2. Take the train from ''Victoria'' to ''Bromley South''. Then take bus 246 south in the direction of Westerham Green and get off at ''Pilgrims Way''. Walk west along Pilgrims Way and then Pilgrims Lane for ≈1.4km until you reach Clackett Lane. Turn left (south) and walk for ≈1km until you reach the entrance to the service station heading East (before crossing over the motorway bridge).<br />
<br />
'''Last Verified''': April 2015<br />
<br />
'''Cost of Public Transport''': You can reach London Bridge by overground from a station without barriers and skip the fare.<br />
<br />
=== Southeast towards [[South East England|The South East]], [[Hastings]], [[Royal Tunbridge Wells]] A21 ===<br />
{{infoneeded| Help providing the information with the one available for the M20}}<br />
<br />
=== Northwest towards [[Oxford]], [[High Wycombe]], [[Warwick]], [[Birmingham]], [[North Wales]] {{Mgb|40}} ===<br />
<br />
[[M40 (GB)|M40]] is different from other motorways originating from London, as it starts quite close to M25 as a continuation of the dual-carriageway A40.<br />
<br />
==== Option 1: M40 Junction 1 ====<br />
Take a Piccadilly or Metropolitan Line to ''Uxbridge'' (Zone 6). Exit the station onto High Street and turn right. Walk until you reach Harefield Road - turn left there, and then right at the next big roundabout. From there follow signs to M40 - you will eventually get to junction 1 slip road, and you can hitch-hike from there (there's also a nice spot at the traffic lights). You might need to cross parts of the road where vehicle will already be flying at motorway speeds - stay safe!!! <br />
Confirm with the driver that he is going straight onto the M40, and does not turn onto M25 (London Orbital). Also beware that Junction 2 is not very easy to hitch-hike on (see M40 article).<br/ ><br />
<br />
==== Option 2: A40 Junction (Hangar Lane) ====<br />
Take the Central Line tube (West Ruislip branch) to ''Hangar Lane'' (zone 3). As you exit into the main hall of the tube station, have a look at the local area map and find the exit for the westbound A40 slip road. Keep walking along the slip road, and then A40. There are two good places to hitch from:<br />
1. A bus stop just past the junction with Lynwood Rd. It has a long lay-by, which is a good place to hitch from as long as there's nothing parked there. Legally, it's a "non-stopping except buses" lay-by.<br />
2. The other place is half a mile further on, a little lay-by with no restrictions. I ([[User:Lnx|Lnx]]) have not personally hitched from there, but it looks like a good spot and has an advantage of being open to the entire A40 (the Lynwood Rd bus stop has a separation between the incoming slip road and the main carriageway, so you can only be picked up by traffic emerging from North Circular Road, or Lynwood Road). <br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 26th January 2008<br />
<br />
==== Option 3: A40 Junction (Hillingdon) ====<br />
Take the Piccadilly or Metropolitan Line tube to ''Hillingdon'' (zone 6). As you exit the tube station and go to the end of walkway, turn right and walk until you reach the big traffic light-controlled crossroads of 'Long Lane' and 'Western Avenue' (NOT the A40 Western Avenue). Cross the road, then turn right and continue to the roundabout, whose primary exit is the slip-road to A40. Stand on the grass next to of the hatched area - the hatched area is a good and legal place for a vehicle to stop. The area is also well-lit which makes it a perfect place to hitch at night.<br />
It is advisable to have a sign saying "Oxford" or something, as a lot of traffic leaves [[M40 (GB)|M40]] at junction 1a to continue on [[M25 (GB)|M25]].<br />
There is also an Oxford Tube coach stop in Western Avenue/Freezeland Way nearby. If you happen to get really stuck (which I think you won't - I waited only about 12 minutes for a ride on an evening during a post-Christmas season) and only need to get to Oxford, this might be an alternative.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 28th October 2010. I took this advice to travel from London to Oxford in October 2010, and it worked very well: I didn't reach the roadside until 21:00, so the world beyond the streetlights was utterly dark, but still got a ride within half an hour. A good spot to travel Northbound from London.<br />
<br />
=== North towards [[Luton]], [[Milton Keynes]], ('''''[[East Midlands|The East Midlands]]'''''), [[Northampton]], [[Leicester]], [[Derby]], [[Nottingham]], [[Sheffield]], [[Leeds]] {{Mgb|1}} ===<br />
==== Option 1: Motorway service station London Gateway ====<br />
Take Northern Line tube to Edgware, and then walk 2.5km: Turn right out of the station onto 'Station Road'. Follow the road along, it turns into 'Hale Lane', keep going, then turn left onto 'Selvage Lane' and keep going, you will then go over a bridge over the M1 and come to a big roundabout 'Apex Corner'. Go down into the subway under the roundabout, and come out on the A1 ('Barnet Way), just by the petrol station. Turn left just behind the petrol station onto 'Ellesmere Avenue', this road runs parallel to the high way. Keep walking until you come to a road on your left with a big sign with three symbols, one of which would translate as 'no access to anyone except authorised vehicles' and clearly goes under the motorway. Walk down it and you come to [https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/51.6136474,-0.2756824/51.6331801,-0.267389/@51.6234134,-0.28321,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m24!4m23!1m20!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2707532!2d51.6182613!3s0x487616bd30b5031d:0x8018c6fc46ad7c0a!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2601509!2d51.6168185!3s0x487616bf7b9c6b11:0x36592f73c8bb24ff!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2554027!2d51.6210173!3s0x487616ea6c84b413:0x4e9825452a0ab13a!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2661023!2d51.6315945!3s0x4876168dfd4886a1:0x9337096bd5773568!1m0!3e2?hl=en London Gateway Services].<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': March 2016 - Takes a long time to get there, but got a lift in 20 seconds past Luton. May 2016 - waited 30 minutes at the exit; good place to hitch. December 2016 - Took only about 20 minutes at the exit.<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £3.10 (off peak) from zone 1.<br />
<br />
<map lat='51.572129' lng='-0.230595' zoom='16' view='0' width='400px' height='200px' float='right' /><br />
<br />
==== Option 2: [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=51.572780,+-0.230950&ie=UTF8&z=12&iwloc=addr&om=1 Staples Corner] ====<br />
Take Northern Line tube to ''Brent Cross'' (zone 3). From there you follow the 'North Circular Road' westwards for about 1km (along Tilling Road), and you get to the bottom of the M1 (don't get confused with the A1 which also passes nearby, although if this road is more convenient for your destination, you can also hitch from here). After passing the shopping centre, you should see the M1. It is possible to hitch at the first entrance you see, which is the traffic coming off the 'Westbound North Circular' (there is a bus stop just after the slip road joins the North Circular, and a small lay-by further on - both adjacent to the lane for M1). You can also hitch at the traffic lights (see spot on the map to the right) or on the hard shoulder on the on-ramp that slopes up right after those traffic lights.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 18th August, 2014<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1.<br />
[[File:Staples_corner_m1.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Hitching Spot at Staples Corner for M1]]<br />
<br />
*This place seems to work really well. I get the bus to brent cross and then its about a 10 min walk to this spot. However, it tends to go slightly quicker if you walk 2 minutes more around the roundabout ('''Staples Corner ''West'' '''). You'll see a railway bridge, go under it and there is a bus stop beside a car repair place (the bus stop itself is near Adrian Avenue and is by the ''Western'' side of the railway bridge). It doesn't look like such a great place, but it works quite well if you have a sign (worked for [[User:Lnx|Lnx]] - a 5-minute wait in the dark!). (Also worked for [[User:Boribariii|Boribariii]], took only 5 minutes with a sign at 1pm on 06/06/2017).<br />
<br />
*This is a very good place, however one user recommends right next to the car repair center ( on the right of it )there is entrance for the M1 Motorway which is slightly going upwards before meeting the highway. You may go up and make sure to stand atleast 100 meters away from the point where cars enter on this road from the redlight behind, since they need some time to spot you and there is plenty of space for them to stop ,if you have a sign that says M1. Worked quite well on 18th Aug 2014. If you are too close to the entrance incline they will zoom past by you so ensure you walk up a bit and give them enough distance to see you and your sign.<br />
<br />
*Important *** : If you are getting a lift from here, ensure that the driver is driving to at least the next service station (Toddington), which is approximately 50-60 miles from this spot. <br />
<br />
*In case you are going to Edinburgh: once you are at any of the service stations on the motorway, you will find a lot of people going in that direction, i.e. going to Leeds and further. Somewhere north of Leeds, the M1 becomes the A1(M) highway; however, ensure that once you are on this highway going in the direction of Newcastle, and then Edinburgh, you do not get out at the last petrol station before Newcastle. Get out at the 2nd, 3rd or 4th last petrol station before Newcastle, but not the last one. The second last one has a huge McD and more long-distance traffic than the last one, which has a Burger King and Costa and is just a small petrol station with mostly local traffic from Newcastle coming for petrol. A hitchhiking couple got stuck here and could not find a ride for 13 hours beyond Newcastle. So the rule of thumb here is: do not get out at the last petrol station before the city, unless it is a McD. Ensure whoever is taking you drops you off only at a petrol station and not on a country road. After Newcastle, there is only one major/decent petrol station in a town called Alnwick (pronounced 'Annick'). Try finding someone who is going to Edinburgh directly from one of the earlier good McD stations. A better alternative route to Edinburgh is to take the M1, M6, A74(M), and A707; this way, you won't have to bother about McD and Newcastle.<br />
<br />
=== North towards, [[Stevanage]], [[Peterborough]], [[East Midlands]], [[East of England|The East]], [[Newcastle]], [[North East England|The North East]] {{agb|1}} ===<br />
''(See information for M1, Option 2 - Staples Corner. Hold the sign saying "A1 North". There must be better places to get onto A1, though...)''* <br />
<br />
This is untested, but should work. Take the tube (Northern Line) to High Barnet, here take the 84 bus to South Mimms services, at the junction between the M25 and A1(M). One user tried this, and thinks the junction is too big, and the traffic too fast, for this to be a good spot. Another user spent 5 unsuccessful hours at South Mimms trying to get the A1(M) North, most people aren't likely to stop at the first service station on their way out of the city.<br />
<br />
=== Northwest towards [[Cambridge]], [[London Stansted]], [[Norwich]], [[East of England|The East]], East Coast {{Mgb|11}} ===<br />
Take the Central Line tube to ''Redbridge'' (zone 4). Once at the station, turn right and use the subways to cross under the A406. Once on the slip road for the A406 (extending Eastern Avenue), there is a great place for vehicles to pull over. The spot is located just next to the bridge over a canal or river. The traffic will not be coming from A406, but it really is a good place to hitch a ride. It is strongly recommended that you bring a M11 sign with you. Personal experience was that even with this sign, a few cars will stop heading towards other destinations.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': March 2012<br />
<br />
The M11 begins near Redbridge, so this is an ideal place to go to. [[User:Siinvincible|Simon]] and [[User:Whisperingofthestars|Jason]] managed to get a ride to Newmarket from the train to Redbridge, as someone noticed us making a sign.<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1.<br />
TIP: To get to the same part of london, you can also take the Central line to Roding Valley. Here there are no barriers as you exit so if you managed to get into the underground system for free, you can get out for free. It's about a half an hour walk to the start of the M11. For getting into the underground system, you can for example get in at Finsbury Park where there are no barriers either. There are also other stations.<br />
<br />
=== Southwest towards [[South West England|The South West]], [[Basingstoke]], [[Salisbury]], [[Southampton]], [[Porstmouth]], [[South West England|Dorset]], [[Poole|Bournemouth]] {{Mgb|3}} ===<br />
M3 is not an easy motorway to get to, although the following worked for [[User:Lnx|Lnx]]:<br/ ><br />
==== Option 1: Lay-by on A316 near Kempton Park ====<br />
Take the train from ''London Waterloo'' in the direction of Shepperton and exit at ''Kempton Park'' station. Exit the station (do not go on the footbridge), cross the racecourse car park and turn right into Park Road, which goes into the slip road coming off A316. When you reach the A316 itself, walk on the pavement in the opposite direction to the traffic. You will immediately see a lay-by (chances are some lorries will be parked there). You can hitch from there. The position is not perfect, as the road is going downhill, and the traffic is traveling very fast (50-70mph).<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 27 March 2008<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': One ticket/travelcard to zone 6 + one ticket from ''Hampton'' to ''Kempton Park'' railway station. '''Kempton Park''' station is just outside London Transport Zones (''Hampton'', the previous station on the Waterloo-Shepperton line, is in zone 6), but it has no ticket barriers and the chances of meeting a ticket inspector between ''Hampton'' and ''Kempton Park'' should be quite remote.<br />
<br />
==== Option 2: A316 Junction with A312 ====<br />
Take the train on the same line as above, and get off at ''Fulwell''. Walk south on Wellington Road, and then turn right onto Park Road. Follow this road as it joins the A312 for about 1.5 km in total. Just below the A316 bridge, which you will see ahead of you as you follow the A312, there is a roundabout. The first left turn on this roundabout is an on-ramp for the A316. There is a bus stop and a pedestrian crossing here, and traffic is going uphill, and so is quite slow. One user waited here for about 30 minutes with a sign saying "M3".<br />
<br />
=== Southwest towards [[Woking]], [[Guildford]], [[Porstmouth]], [[Worthing]] A3/{{agb|3}}, & A24 ===<br />
''Possible site along the A3 would be located between Putney Heath/Roehampton and New Malden/West Wimbledon, New Malden offering the best opportunities''<br />
{{infoneeded|Information needed}}<br />
''The A24 is best reached directly in Leatherhead outside the M25, there is a on-ramp to the M25 as well''<br />
<br />
=== South towards [[Brighton]] {{Mgb|23}} ===<br />
Take a train from ''Victoria'', ''Clapham Junction'', or ''London Bridge'' station to ''East Croyden'' (zone 6). From here, take a train to ''Coulsdon South''. Turn left out of the station on Brighton Road and walk 600m to the roundabout. Nearly all the traffic goes to the M23 from here.<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £3.80 (off-peak) (£2.70 off-peak from Clapham Junction) (June 2016)<br />
<br />
=== East towards [[East of England|The East]], [[East of England|Essex]], [[Chelmsford]], [[Colchester]], [[Ipswich]], [[Southend-on-Sea]] A/12 ===<br />
Take Hammersmith & City Line or District Line to ''Bow Road'' (Zone 2). Walk east for ≈700m along the Bow Road to the roundabout junction with the A12. There are traffic lights here, and a McDonalds across the road. Hitch on the slip road heading north on the A12. You can get lifts from here to Ipswich or Colchester. I waited 20 minutes. It was OK. There is plenty of room for people to stop as there is a bus stop nearby.<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £2.40 (off-peak from Zone 1)<br />
<br />
== Airports ==<br />
Paid transport to and from airports can be expensive. Hitching can be a good alternative. The exits to the airports can also be good places to get lifts to other places. For example, if you get stuck on the western part of the M25, try to get to Heathrow, from there people are going all over the country. If you are coming from Brighton, and trying to get around London, you may get a ride quicker to where you want to go if you get dropped at Gatwick Airport than at Pease Pottage services.<br />
* [[London Gatwick Airport|London Gatwick]]<br />
* [[London Stansted]]<br />
* [[London Heathrow]]<br />
* [[Luton|London Luton]]<br />
<br />
== Transiting Greater London ==<br />
Since nearly all the motorway networks lead towards London, you probably might have to go through that urban area somehow to reach your destination. The M25 is the ring motorway that surrounds the city and connects with every possible motorway network in all directions. It's recommended to find a lift past London as it's somewhat hard to find somebody going off the M25 in your direction from any of the service stations on the M25. Be careful: there are only 3 service stations, and the entire western section has none at all. It may also be possible to head around the M25 from junction to junction. However, the only problem is that a few of the junctions are really bad in the south, and you can get really stuck as a large part of the traffic is only going round the ring a short distance. If if you do get stuck, try making a sign M25 east or west. So consider waiting for a ride that actually takes you to the road you want to be on, rather than just stopping somewhere at random on the M25.<br />
<br/ ><br />
<br />
=== South Mimms Services ===<br />
South Mimms services are in Potters Bar in the northeast of London and are actually just off the M25 at the junction of the A1(M). For some reason, although it's a big services, you can get stuck here for hours. One option, as ever, is to ask people where they're headed... but there are so many directions possible that it could take a long time to find someone headed your way. Standing at the exit of the services is unlikely to work, for whatever reason. Several reports of hours of waiting here mean that you probably need to try something else. If you're going towards the west, you can stand at the ridiculous entrance to the west slip road onto the M25. Although insane, you should be able to get a fast ride out. Have a big sign and someone should be able to at least take you further down the M25 to a better junction, or directly to where you're going, be it to the west or down to Sussex. Any information on going east?<br />
<br />
=== Clacket Lane Services ===<br />
Clackett Lane services are located in the south of London and are possibly the best place to get lifts on the M25. There is a bridge here to cross from one side to the other, which can be useful to know if, for example, you are trying to hitch from the M4 to Brighton but get a lift with someone who is going to Dover.<br />
<br />
Take the train from ''Victoria'' to ''Bromley South''. Then take bus 246 ([http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/246Sum.htm timetable here]) south in the direction of Westerham Green and get off at ''Pilgrims Way''. Walk west along Pilgrims Way and then Pilgrims Lane for ≈1.4km until you reach Clackett Lane. Turn left (south) and walk for ≈1km until you reach the entrance to the service station (heading east). Continue walking along Clackett Lane for another 400m over the motorway M25 bridge to reach the entrance for the services heading west. <br />
You can see where you're going on a map [http://www.motorwayservices.info/clacket_lane_services_m25/googlemap here]. Where it says "Clacket Wood" is the service station. There is also a street view of this area on google maps.<br />
<br />
Clacket Lane is an excellent place to hitch to Brighton (Westbound) or Dover (Eastbound) and also fairly good for most other directions as it's a busy station. Best thing is to stand outside the main doors into the station and ask everyone that comes out if they are going your way ("excuse me, are you by any chance going to Bighton?")<br />
<br />
== Public Transport ==<br />
''See the specific article for [[nomad:Transport for London|Transport for London]] on nomadwiki.''<br />
<br />
There is a [http://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey journey planner] to find your route to all the hitching spots. <br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/fares/single-fare-finder?intcmp=1660 Here] is where you can find the fare between any two stations / bus stops / etc.<br />
<br />
== Sleep ==<br />
There are several options when it comes to finding a place to sleep. If the worst prevails and you're without a place, you're still not too bad off. Central London is relatively safe and you probably wont be bothered sleeping outside.<br />
<br />
=== [[Camping|Wild Camping]] ===<br />
Its quite possible to sleep out in London in considerable privacy despite its gigantic population of 10 million. Go North East to Trent Park (Piccadilly Line Northbound, second to last stop before Cockfosters - i.e. Oakwood Station). Find the directions for the university (Middlesex) campus and walk (or take the free bus) up the hill. Beside it and beyond the lake are quite a few miles of woodland and and it is incredibly beautiful. [[User:Whisperingofthestars|Jason]] lived here for 7 months during his final year of university. Be careful with park wardens, they eventually discovered him during the last few weeks of his studies. Build camouflage from ferns if staying for long. People are unlikely to be your greatest threat...dogs are. Dogs! A lot of people walk them here but you can find amazing places if you search hard enough. And if you search really really hard, you'll find a tree with the dates of the past dweller's residence...;) <br />
<br />
Also, outside this station (Trent Park), there is a Greek Bakery. Behind it lie huge sacks of bread every night. Please go. Its crazy that this could possibly be wasted every night.<br />
<br />
=== Squatting ===<br />
London used to have an abundance of [[squat]]s, but it has recently become more difficult. While it is still legal to squat commercial property (warehouses, offices, shops), it is illegal to squat residential buildings (if you admit you are doing this to the cops, you might be sentenced to jail time.) For all information on squatting in the UK: the '''[http://www.squatter.org.uk/ Advisory Service for Squatters]''' is helpful for people that are planning to find a place to live and cannot really help you find a place to crash. It's located at the Freedom Bookstore in Whitechapel and is another great place to meet squatters as well as get online for free. The address is Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street, Whitechapel, London, England, E1 7QX. (Tel. 020-32160099)<br />
That being said, there are still a good couple of squats all around London. Most squats are places where people live and go about their normal business, so don't expect too much from them. Perhaps it would be good to find some friendly squatters by word of mouth or on [http://www.couchsurfing.com couchsurfing] or similar. Don't worry about the negative connotations associated with squats. They generally aren't crackhouses or scabies-infested punk hangouts. People of all types squat in London and their homes are usually very nice. They are especially helpful if you're planning to stick around for a while, but can also be great if you're just passing through. [[User:Zac Stewart|Zac]]<small><sup>[[User talk:Zac Stewart|talk]]</sup></small> ended up with a squat to sleep in on his first night, and in [[Mayfair]] of all places! <br />
There are still some remnants of squatting communities in North London, North East London, and South London. If you want to meet some people, go to the practical squatting nights taking place every week (alternating): http://www.squatter.org.uk/for-new-squatters/practical-squatting-nights/<br />
For more info on social centers in London, check out [http://www.socialcentresnetwork.org.uk/ Autonomous London]. Generally though, it has become harder to track squats down or just pop up, as there are fewer, and more and more evictions, which means less space. This should in no way discourage you, however!<br />
<br />
<br />
== Eat ==<br />
Cheap and free food abounds in London. <br />
<br />
=== Free ===<br />
Hari Krishna offer free food from several locations in London at lunchtime: outside SOAS by Russel Square from 12:15 to 14:00(Monday thru Saturday), for example. Expect to queue for 30 minutes, arrive early to guarantee a fill - the food does run out. Otherwise...<br />
<br />
If you want a free, warm meal closer to the end of the day: from Thursday to Sunday there is a food market on Brick Lane, next to the vintage market (the one with the vinyl records store). Try going there about 18:00-19:00. Most vendors will be closing their booths and throwing food away. Just go up to them and ask(it's handy to have your own container). It's mostly Asian cuisine therefore delicious.<br />
<br />
In the UK, the term for eating food that would otherwise be thrown away, is called skipping. Lots of people do it, all from people that come from poor countries and see all the food that goes to waist, to people that are political in there way of living. Many people, especially in the squat scene live totally out of food from the bins...<br />
<br />
Plenty of places throw out food at closing time. Always check the bags out front of '''Pret a Mangers''' and '''Benjy's''' at 17:00-19:00. If you feel up to it, you can even go inside when they are closing shop and explain that you're homeless and pick out all the food you want instead of getting it off the sidewalk. Feel no shame, you're helping to curb wastefulness! (That being said, Pret a Mangers doesn't give any food to random people, just to "charity".)<br />
<br />
The '''Coffee Republic''' on Great Marlborough Street near the Oxford Circle and Carnaby Street is reported to put out garbage bags with totally normal food--boiled potatoes, sandwiches, etc. every evening around 20:00 on weekdays and 19:00 on weekends.<br />
The sandwich company "Eat" throw away lots of stuff everyday all over town. Have a look in there bins or outside the shops on the street.<br />
The bakery 'Paul' in Blackfriars and Paddington throw out a lot of cakes, all extremely luxurious and scrumptious. From Blackfriars station walk up the main road, and Paul's will be on your right after a few minutes.<br />
If you are into Sushi, try one of the many Wasabi places in the city when they close at 21:00 or 21:30. They always leave food outside, and there are always loads of people picking it up, but you'll get some if you're on time.<br />
<br />
The most luxurious place to skip is always Waitrose. Places like Sainsburys, Marks and Spencers (generally difficult to skip!), Tesco and so on have a marking system on their packed food that says when the food should be thrown away and when it should be eaten before. The gap between this days are often two days and you can still have it more or less a week more depending on what it is.<br />
Most bins are secured by fences, cameras, etc. Don't mind them too much, it is rare that they'll call the cops on you as long as you don't "destroy property".<br />
<br />
Good places to try in Hackney are E.A.T., Iceland, supermarket metros or locals and markets.<br />
<br />
=== Cheap ===<br />
If you're going to self cater, stick to '''Sainsbury's''' and '''Tesco''' rather than the convenient Off-Licenses for better prices. If you are a bit out of Central London, you might as well look for '''Lidl''', '''Morrisons''', '''Netto''' or '''Asda'''. Anyhow with a decent and wise grocery, you can get your grocery for nearly a week for about 10-15 pounds at any of the mentioned supermarket with decent, fresh and healthy food ''(to cook)''. Be aware though that these supermarkets are not in any sense "ethical". They are wiping out local shops, taking monopoly on feeding us, destroying the environment and throwing away food every day that could feed hundreds of people. It's better to eat out of their bins. <!-- Totally irrelevant information! --><br />
<br />
If you get tired of peanut butter sandwiches or want to fill up for the weekend, try one of the many £5 all-you-can-eat '''Thai Buffets''' which are always always totally vegan! (some good all-you-can-eat start at £3,50). Go early, they get more expensive in the evening. While downtown, you can also get a ''<nowiki>'</nowiki>6-inch sandwich of the day<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' at '''Subway''' for 2 pounds.<br />
<br />
The markets in Camden Town have cheap food around 17:00, especially in the Lock Market where, if you walk for a few minutes past all the initial food courts, you can easily find dishes of noodles for GBP 2.<br />
<br />
== Internet ==<br />
In Westminster, there's a public library which you can use for free Internet access. You might need to register yourself, though, and that process (and waiting for the next available computer) can take quite some time.<br />
<br />
Go to the Apple store (on Regent St. near Oxford Circus), ask any '''local''' around Piccadilly or Regent or Oxford street and they should be able to tell you the exact location.<br />
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[[Category:East of England]]<br />
[[Category:South East England]]<br />
[[Category:England]]<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom]]<br />
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[[pl:Londyn]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Roundabout&diff=88314Roundabout2017-07-01T01:41:02Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Most '''roundabouts''' are pretty good for [[hitchhiking]]. Traffic has to slow down and if you're lucky there is enough space for cars to [[hitchhiker's safety|safely]] stop.<br />
<br />
Roundabouts have several exits, you can stand on the traffic island on the exit leading your direction. This way you can be sure that every car is going in your direction. <br />
<br />
To choose the best spot, it's a good idea to walk around and see what the speed is like and where cars can stop. Sometimes it's better to stand at one of the entrances, where cars can easily stop, than at the exit where they speed up (even if all of them would be going in your direction). If you're standing at one of the entrances, make sure your sign indicated the direction you need. <br />
<br />
See also [[traffic light hitchhiking|traffic lights]].<br />
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{{stub}}<br />
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[[Category:Practical info]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Wales&diff=88313Wales2017-07-01T01:38:10Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = Wales<br />
|map = <map lat='52.450' lng='-3.80' zoom='7' view='0' float='right' height='350' width='300'/><br />
|language = English, Welsh<br />
|capital = [[Cardiff]]<br />
|pop = 3,004,600<br />
|currency = Pound Sterling (GBP £)<br />
|hitch = from {{good}} to {{very good}} <br />
}}<br />
'''Wales''' (Welsh: Cymru) is a country that is part of the [[United Kingdom]].<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking in '''Wales''' is fun! People are very willing to help and will often take you to your destination, or at least closer to it, even when it's not on their way. Waiting speeds vary, but generally speaking hitchhiking is quite fast, unless you're in the extreme situation of either trying to leave a city or hitching on a very remote road with few cars. <br />
<br />
There are not many motorways, but the A-roads are almost the same, except that they are interrupted by roundabouts in every town. This can make perfect places for hitchhiking for you, although it doesn't have to, as hard shoulders aren't too popular in Wales - aim for bus stops. Though signs are not very necessary outside urban areas, they can sometimes help to make people more inclined to stop.<br />
<br />
Wales is an important through route from Ireland to England, as two major ferry lines use Welsh harbours. The southern line (Rosslare to Fishguard and Pembroke) is mainly used for traffic going towards [[Cardiff]], [[Swansea]] and the South of England, although there is the odd car going to North Wales or [[Liverpool]]/[[Manchester]]. Try your luck and ask around. For North Wales and Liverpool/Manchester, the second line is more promising, though - the one from Dublin to Holyhead. Neither of these lines is hitchable, prices for a single foot passenger are currently around 33€ (for Rosslare to Fishguard on Stena Lines). <br />
<br />
===Welsh pronunciation guide===<br />
<br />
Though for some Welsh people, especially in the North West, Welsh is the first language, everyone you meet will speak English. Even so, some knowledge about Welsh pronunciation can help, since some places only have Welsh names. Others will have an English name and a completely different Welsh name (e.g English - [[Abergavenny]], Welsh - Y Fenni) - both will be written, so you can just use the English one. <br />
<br />
''ll'' (double L) - sounds like a hissed "tl"<br />
<br />
"w" - this is a vowel in Welsh! Something between ''o'' and ''u''<br />
<br />
''c'' - always ''k'' (not ''s'')<br />
<br />
''f'' - sounds like ''v'' (''ff'' is an ''f'')<br />
<br />
''dd'' - sounds like ''th'' in "the"<br />
<br />
''u'' - sounds like ''i'' in ''hitch''<br />
<br />
=== Cities ===<br />
* [[Cardiff]]<br />
* [[Swansea]]<br />
<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Imgp6041.jpg|[[User:Mzenzes|Martin]] hitchhiking in Wales.<br />
File:Carl Nai Maroc.jpg|[[User:Carl|Carl]] & Naomi hitching out of Cardiff.<br />
</gallery><br />
[[trash:Wales]]<br />
{{UK constituent countries}}<br />
{{IsIn|United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:Wales| ]]<br />
[[Category:Northern Europe]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=The_Outer_Hebrides&diff=88312The Outer Hebrides2017-07-01T01:34:54Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{stub}}<br />
'''The Outer Hebrides''' are isles located off the West coast of [[Scotland]] and reachable by CalMac ferries (and possibly [[hitchhiking a boat|boat hitching]]?)<br />
<br />
The major islands are, from north to south:<br />
# Lewis<br />
# Harris<br />
# North Uist<br />
# Benbecula<br />
# South Uist<br />
# Eriskay<br />
# Barra<br />
<br />
Lewis and Harris are in fact one large island. Benbecula, North Uist, South Uist and Eriskay are interconnected by causeways. <br />
If you move from island to island by ferry, it's a good idea to ask people on the ferry whether they are going in your direction (especially since sometimes the ferry terminal is quite far from the main road and might be hard to hitch out of). It is possible to hitchhike the entire stretch, north to south (plus take the ferries where needed) in a long day. You can grab a ferry schedule at any CalMac office.<br />
<br />
Once you're on the main road, things should be easier - though there aren't many cars (or maybe due to this reason), waiting times are low. In the summer, many visitors are tourists from Scotland and England who will stop for you as much as locals will. <br />
<br />
=== Camping ===<br />
<br />
Camping is allowed (like almost anywhere in [[Scotland]]) and very easy. Whenever in doubt, ask a few locals until someone points out a nice place (just make sure they understand that you're looking for a wildcamping spot, not a campsite). <br />
<br />
[[Stornoway]] is the largest town on the Isle of Lewis (accesible by ferry from [[Ullapool]]). It's possible to camp in the castle grounds - some parts are more exposed (and some function as golf courts), but you can camp among the trees and away from the road. There are public toilets near the tourist information office (only open at certain times, and might be locked even during the supposed opening times), and (more discreet) toilets and showers nearby, right by the water (24/7). There's an entrance code, but if you ask someone from the yachts nicely they might give it to you. The facilities are mainly for yacht crews, so keep them clean for them and for us ;) <br />
<br />
[[Tarbert]] is the largest town on the Isle of Harris (accesible by ferry from the Isle of Skye). A great camping spot is on Main Street - just above the tourist information center and by the post office. It's right on the street but no one cares (welcome to Scotland). There are toilets by the information center (not 24/7 though). <br />
<br />
[[Castlebay]] is the largest village on Barra. There's a perfect camping spot (with room for many tents!) by the ocean - if you pass the ferry terminal on your left, you'll see the grass by the shore. Winds can be strong all year, so make sure your tent is stable!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:United_Kingdom]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Category:Highland_Council&diff=88281Category:Highland Council2017-06-26T15:41:48Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Highland''' council is the biggest and least populated council area of [[Scotland]]. In fact, it's about the size of Belgium, and due to it's topography and complete lack of motorways seems to be even much bigger. With barren, sheep-covered expanses of Highland moors, stalking estates the size of a medium-sized city, highland games, deep and dark lochs, mountains and thick forests, this is Scotland how it is portrayed in folklore, books and films. In the whole of the Highlands, the only city is [[Inverness]], which in fact, including it's outlying suburbs contains almost half the council's population, and the further north or west one gets, the thinner the population becomes. As a consequence of this, combined with the lack of decent public transportation outside the main centres such as '''Inverness''' or [[Fort William]], '''hitchhiking''' is ''incredibly easy'' up here with on average 1 in 5 to 10 cars stopping, even on major roads. Do keep in mind that since very few people live here, some roads might have extremely low traffic, and people might only be going a few miles, so getting to your destination might take a while and it's better to start early. <br />
<br />
{|style="margin: 0 auto;"<br />
|<map lat='57.65' lng='-4.9' zoom='8' view='0' width='750' height='750'/><br />
|}<br />
<br />
{{Template:Highland Cities}}<br />
[[Category:Scotland]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Wales&diff=88280Wales2017-06-26T15:38:39Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = Wales<br />
|map = <map lat='52.450' lng='-3.80' zoom='7' view='0' float='right' height='350' width='300'/><br />
|language = English, Welsh<br />
|capital = [[Cardiff]]<br />
|pop = 3,004,600<br />
|currency = Pound Sterling (GBP £)<br />
|hitch = from {{good}} to {{very good}} <br />
}}<br />
'''Wales''' (Welsh: Cymru) is a country that is part of the [[United Kingdom]].<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking in '''Wales''' is fun! People are very willing to help and will often take you to your destination, or at least closer to it, even when it's not on their way. Waiting speeds vary, but generally speaking hitchhiking is quite fast, unless you're in the extreme situation of either trying to leave a city or hitching on a very remote road with few cars. <br />
<br />
There are not many motorways, but the A-roads are almost the same, except that they are interrupted by roundabouts in every town. This can make perfect places for hitchhiking for you, although it doesn't have to, as hard shoulders aren't too popular in Wales - aim for bus stops. Though signs are not very necessary outside urban areas, they can sometimes help to make people more inclined to stop.<br />
<br />
Wales is an important through route from Ireland to England, as two major ferry lines use Welsh harbours. The southern line (Rosslare to Fishguard and Pembroke) is mainly used for traffic going towards [[Cardiff]], [[Swansea]] and the South of England, although there is the odd car going to North Wales or [[Liverpool]]/[[Manchester]]. Try your luck and ask around. For North Wales and Liverpool/Manchester, the second line is more promising, though - the one from Dublin to Holyhead. Neither of these lines is hitchable, prices for a single foot passenger are currently around 33€ (for Rosslare to Fishguard on Stena Lines). <br />
<br />
===Welsh pronunciation guide===<br />
<br />
Though for some Welsh people, especially in the North West, Welsh is the first language, everyone you meet will speak English. Even so, some knowledge about Welsh pronunciation can help, since some places only have Welsh names. Others will have an English name and a completely different Welsh name - both will be written, so you can just use the English one. <br />
<br />
''ll'' (double L) - sounds like a hissed "tl"<br />
<br />
"w" - this is a vowel in Welsh! Something between ''o'' and ''u''<br />
<br />
''c'' - always ''k'' (not ''s'')<br />
<br />
''f'' - sounds like ''v'' (''ff'' is an ''f'')<br />
<br />
''dd'' - sounds like ''th'' in "the"<br />
<br />
''u'' - sounds like ''i'' in ''hitch''<br />
<br />
=== Cities ===<br />
* [[Cardiff]]<br />
* [[Swansea]]<br />
<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Imgp6041.jpg|[[User:Mzenzes|Martin]] hitchhiking in Wales.<br />
File:Carl Nai Maroc.jpg|[[User:Carl|Carl]] & Naomi hitching out of Cardiff.<br />
</gallery><br />
[[trash:Wales]]<br />
{{UK constituent countries}}<br />
{{IsIn|United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:Wales| ]]<br />
[[Category:Northern Europe]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Wales&diff=88279Wales2017-06-26T15:38:06Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = Wales<br />
|map = <map lat='52.450' lng='-3.80' zoom='7' view='0' float='right' height='350' width='300'/><br />
|language = English, Welsh<br />
|capital = [[Cardiff]]<br />
|pop = 3,004,600<br />
|currency = Pound Sterling (GBP £)<br />
|hitch = from {{good}} to {{very good}} <br />
}}<br />
'''Wales''' (Welsh: Cymru) is a country that is part of the [[United Kingdom]].<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking in '''Wales''' is fun! People are very willing to help and will often take you to your destination, or at least closer to it, even when it's not on their way. Waiting speeds vary, but generally speaking hitchhiking is quite fast, unless you're in the extreme situation of either trying to leave a city or hitching on a very remote road with few cars. <br />
<br />
There are not many motorways, but the A-roads are almost the same, except that they are interrupted by roundabouts in every town. This can make perfect places for hitchhiking for you, although it doesn't have to, as hard shoulders aren't too popular in Wales - aim for bus stops. Though signs are not very necessary outside urban areas, they can sometimes help to make people more inclined to stop.<br />
<br />
Wales is an important through route from Ireland to England, as two major ferry lines use Welsh harbours. The southern line (Rosslare to Fishguard and Pembroke) is mainly used for traffic going towards [[Cardiff]], [[Swansea]] and the South of England, although there is the odd car going to North Wales or [[Liverpool]]/[[Manchester]]. Try your luck and ask around. For North Wales and Liverpool/Manchester, the second line is more promising, though - the one from Dublin to Holyhead. Neither of these lines is hitchable, prices for a single foot passenger are currently around 33€ (for Rosslare to Fishguard on Stena Lines). <br />
<br />
===Welsh pronunciation guide===<br />
<br />
Though for some Welsh people, especially in the North West, Welsh is the first language, everyone you meet will speak English. Even so, some knowledge about Welsh pronunciation can help, since some places only have Welsh names. Others will have an English name and a completely different Welsh name - both will be written, so you can just use the English one. <br />
<br />
''ll'' (double L) - sounds like a hissed "tl"<br />
"w" - this is a vowel in Welsh! Something between ''o'' and ''u''<br />
''c'' - always ''k'' (not ''s'')<br />
''f'' - sounds like ''v'' (''ff'' is an ''f'')<br />
''dd'' - sounds like ''th'' in "the"<br />
''u'' - sounds like ''i'' in ''hitch''<br />
<br />
=== Cities ===<br />
* [[Cardiff]]<br />
* [[Swansea]]<br />
<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Imgp6041.jpg|[[User:Mzenzes|Martin]] hitchhiking in Wales.<br />
File:Carl Nai Maroc.jpg|[[User:Carl|Carl]] & Naomi hitching out of Cardiff.<br />
</gallery><br />
[[trash:Wales]]<br />
{{UK constituent countries}}<br />
{{IsIn|United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:Wales| ]]<br />
[[Category:Northern Europe]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=User:OlcheMaith&diff=88278User:OlcheMaith2017-06-26T15:27:18Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>Nina is a blogger at [https://www.roamingpencil.com/ Roaming Pencil] who draws and writes about hitchhiking. She is also slowly incorporating her experiences into HitchWiki. She has hitchhiked about 1000km in South America (2011) and over 10,000km in Europe (2016-17) and hopes to be hitching into 2018 and onward!<br />
<br />
'''Countries hitchhiked (briefly or extensively):'''<br />
<br />
* Argentina<br />
* Belgium<br />
* Chile<br />
* Croatia<br />
* England<br />
* France<br />
* Germany<br />
* Hungary<br />
* Israel<br />
* Italy <br />
* Netherlands<br />
* Poland<br />
* Scotland<br />
* Serbia<br />
* Spain (Catalonia only)<br />
* Switzerland<br />
* Ukraine<br />
* Wales</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=United_Kingdom&diff=88272United Kingdom2017-06-26T02:51:19Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = United Kingdom<br />
|in = Northern Europe<br />
|map= <map lat='54.6992335284814' lng='-4.130859375' zoom='5' view='3' country='United Kingdom' height='420'/><br />
|language = English; recognized regional languages are Welsh, Irish, Ulster Scots, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish<br />
|capital = [[London]]<br />
|pop = 60,975,000<br />
|currency = Pound sterling (GBP)<br />
|hitch = <rating country='uk' /><br />
|BW = GB<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''United Kingdom''' is a member state of the [[European Union]] which forms the so-called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Travel_Area Common Travel area] with [[Ireland]] and is not part of the [[Schengen Agreement]]. Hitchhiking in the United Kingdom is feasible although the British are a little surprised (especially in [[England]]) to see people still doing it these days since it has become a dying trend largely due to the safety worries, insurance issues and very busy roads, but also extremely cheap coach fares . You will still manage a ride somehow but you really need to be '''at the right spot.''' Finding a safe spot where drivers can pull over easily can be crucial here - British people usually don't like to stop in bad places, so make it easy for them to pick you up!<br />
<br />
Hitching in [[Scotland]] or [[Wales]] tends to be more easy than in southern [[England]] although this depends from county to county. For example, the rural mentality in the [[South West England|South West]] makes it a lot more easier than trying to hitch in the [[South East England|South East]]. It seems the closer you are to big cities, especially London, the harder it is. Furthermore, especially in the South of England, people have some kind of you-only-get-what-you-merit-(equals: work for)-attitude, which is why they sometimes react unfriendly to the idea of hitching. On the other hand, very many students hitched in the 70s and 80s and they often give lifts now they are rich and 50plus.<br />
<br />
'' [[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] has hitchhiked over 5000 km in the UK (Mid/North England, Wales and Scotland). She was initially apprehensive due to this page, but has found out that UK is great for hitchhiking, often with low waiting times, people offering rides even before you officially start hitchhiking, and very helpful drivers. ''<br />
<br />
Like anywhere else, it is illegal to walk on motorways, and so hitchhiking is best done from the bottom of [[slip road]]s and at [[rest area|service stations]] (at discretion of the owner). Highways Agency officials may question you if you hitch from sliproads on motorways as technically you are not allowed to do this, but the police will not pay any interest; the Highways Agency staff are more pedantic than the police regarding that.<br />
<br />
When traveling a long distance on the motorways it is best to stick to the service stations as getting a lift on a slip road will take an exceptionally longer time. Don't get dropped at any motorway intersection junctions (''M25/M4'', ''M4/M5'' etc.) as traffic will be going too fast to stop and you will probably be picked up by the police. In case you ''do'' get dropped there your best option is probably to start walking a bit away from the motorway, and if you're a foreigner, attach a sign to your backpack saying e.g. ''from Holland''.<br />
<br />
Apart from motorways, you can also hitch on the so-called A-roads, where - legally - you can stand on the side lane. As A-roads, however, are a replacement for motorways in more rural areas, people basically go at the same speed, and it is quite difficult and dangerous to flag somebody down. <br />
<br />
British people don't like stopping in unsafe places! Try to find a stop where it's easy to stop, even at the cost of lower traffic.<br />
<br />
Also, here rides are lifts and trucks are lorries :) <br />
<br />
If you're hitchhiking long distances and considering making a sign, in general people use the motorway names rather than the city names. For example, from [[London]] to [[South West England|Cornwall]] have a sign saying ''M4''. But if you are hitching on a motorway with multiple cities (i.e. ''M1'') it is an idea to use a sign with the city name (e.g. [[Nottingham]], [[Sheffield]]).<br />
<br />
Most people in the United Kingdom seems to be afraid of terrorist attacks, criminals or whatever. You can easily notice that junctions, stations, supermarkets and sometimes even pubs are video-monitored. They have naked scanners at the airports and so on. If you ask unknown people in cities in the dark for the way or for something, they can be terrified or anxious.<br />
<br />
'''Insights about service stations method'''<br />
*As it is mentioned above, try to stick to motorway services, as lot of traffic is passing, filling up their tanks.<br />
*TALK with drivers who are filling up their tanks in petrol station. <br />
*It will help if you will have a sign, or if you don't have one, have some kind of paper map, because you will look more trustable from distance.<br />
*As they are afraid of terrorists, try to be as polite as possible, sometimes you'll encounter chatty people, chat a little bit for their pleasure, and for you to calm down if you are trying to get a ride for longer time. Also you can even get job offers (Strazdas007 got offer from driver to work as roofpainter or smth like that in service station near Leeds).<br />
*If there are a lot of traffic coming through petrol station, or in general, don't waste time going to speek to drivers in rest area, they will pass you at some point. <br />
*Try asking drivers if you are in good place for heading that direction, for example: Strazdas007 was stuck on Maidstone services while trying to get to the North, as all drivers where going South, or just around the corner, so he just went back to Dover port. If you are in bad service station for your direction, don't hesitate going back to last good spot, or possibly good spot.<br />
*Try to look up service stations on maps or gps. A Collins road map of the UK (+ Ireland) can be found in book stores for ~£5 and is very useful here since you don't want to miss the last possible service sttation.<br />
*Go for the popular ones if you have a choice, like: Starbucks over Costa, as it is with petrol stations - Shell over BP.<br />
<br />
==== Climate ====<br />
The UK is infamous for its rainy [[weather]]. The oceanic climate makes the weather changeable from one day to the next and causes comparatively long but light phases of rain. This doesn't mean it's always raining, but it ''can'' always rain. Be prepared and always have waterproof clothes with you. The rainiest months are October−January. As a rule of thumb, one could say the further west and the higher the elevation, the greater the rainfall. Contradicting the cliché, some parts of south and west England are surprisingly dry and may even have drought problems in summer.<br />
<br />
An advantage of the mild oceanic climate is that it does not get extremely cold or hot.<br />
<br />
==== Hitchhiking towards [[Western Europe]] ====<br />
[[File:Carl Nai Maroc.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[User:Carl|Carl]] and his hitch partner Naomi leaving [[Cardiff]] for [[Morocco]].]]<br />
Hitchhiking ''from'' [[England]] to [[France]] is possible. Just hitchhike in direction of [[Dover]] along the ''M20'' in the [[South East England|South East]] to reach the ferries or [[Channel Tunnel|The Channel Tunnel]]. Once you're there, you could either try to find a lift in Dover or in a more relaxed atmosphere on one of the services along the M20, e.g. Maidstone Services (note however that a lot of people on this service station are locals, so you might be better off with a truck driver, they are parked behind the restaurant). <br />
<br />
Truckers who cross the channel through the Eurotunnel (train) cannot take an extra person, but those who go by ferry in Dover can. If you're lucky you can even eat for free in the truckers' restaurant on the ferry! On the parking lot where everyone's waiting to board the ferry, you can often find another lift that goes in your direction. Just show your sign to all the waiting truckers/cars. Don't do it too obvious though, because the port police could bother you for not having a proper ticket.<br />
<br />
You can also hitch from the Immingham docks near Grimsby to [[Zeebrugge]] on a truck ferry. Hitching from Scotland to [[Scandinavia]] is also possible, see [[Scrabster]]. Due to fears of terrorism and illegal immigration authorities may ask you not to wait near the docks.<br />
<br />
==== Hitchhiking from [[Western Europe]] ====<br />
Hitchiking ''to'' Great Britain is possible. When coming from [[France]], make sure you stay on the A26. Loads of truck drivers are heading from [[Switzerland]], [[Luxembourg]] and [[Germany]] to Great Britain. So if someone offers you a ride to [[Lille]], make sure you stay on the A26 or you might get stuck.<br />
<br />
If you're dropped off in Calais, you can start hitchhiking at the bottom of the bridge before the check-in. The price is the same for a car, no matter how many passengers (also in Dunkerque). People who booked in advance indicated how many passengers they would have, so it could be better not to mention at the check-in that you're a hitchhiker (?). A one way ticket as a foot passenger is € 40. On the parking lot where everyone's waiting to board the ferry, you can often find another lift that goes in your direction. Just show your sign to all the waiting truckers/cars. <br />
<br />
If coming from Zeebrugge note that the truckers usually can have two passengers on the manifest so if you travel this way you don't need to pay for a ferry ticket. You might be better off hitching with a car, because truck drivers are often more suspicious of people who want to be taken across the channel - their livelihood depends on it, as UK police tend to arrest anybody who knowingly or not help illegal immigrants to enter the UK.<br />
<br />
==== Hitchhiking from or towards [[Ireland]] ====<br />
<br />
There are ferries from [[Wales]] ([[Holyhead]] in the North and [[Fishguard]] in the South), from Scotland (Troon, Cairnryan, Stranraer) and from England (around Liverpool). Currently, it might only be possible to get across without paying if you can find a sympathetic driver who allows you to hide in their vehicle, as every passenger pays separately.<br />
<br />
From Birkenhead there is a ferry with DFDS seaways that goes either directly to Dublin or Belfast. Two ferries per day, one in the morning and one in the evening. If you can find a driver who has already paid for his car + 1, then it is possible to amend that ticket and check in with the driver for only 10 euros. It would still be paying, but on the ferry you get a dinner buffet and breakfast buffet. <br />
<br />
Your driver will also get a cabin with his ticket with four bunkbeds in it, so you will depending on wether your driver wants you in the cabin or not, get a night on real sheets. (Cheapest alternative I have been able to come across if you are still to do it in any legal way. Credit to SamanthaofTarth on the westeros internet forum for this initial info.)<br />
<br />
(If you decide to pay, consider getting a Megabus for 25 Pound from London to Rosslare, ferry included, as this is already cheaper then the foot passenger ticket for the ferry only. Alternatively, there sometimes are decent Rail & Sail offers from London to Dublin, via the Holyhead Ferry.)<br />
<br />
<br />
=== Useful travel information ===<br />
* Dumpster-diving/skipping: while it is quite possible and easy in many cities to live completely out of the bins (e.g. London), skipping on motorway service stations can be difficult. There are cameras everywhere, and security can be fast.<br />
* Cheap travel: if ever you do have to pay for transport, the cheapest option (by far) is megabus.co.uk They sometimes have special offers which allow you to travel for hundres of miles for 5 pound. (Not saying this to advertise for megabus, but sometimes it does make more sense to pay 5 quid for the whole journey, then to pay 4,50 quid on local transport to get to the hitchhiking spot.....)<br />
* Trains: trains are privatised, therefore expensive (unless you get a special offer). While checks on trains happen with a maybe 50% chance, most of the stations have barriers, and are usually staffed. Don't count on any solidarity when trying to travel for free.<br />
* Sleep/accomodation: Something to keep in mind is that the British government has threatened to deport (and ban from re-entry for a year) EU nationals who beg or "sleep in the street"/"sleep outside" in the UK. The exact application of this new rule isn't known yet, however. Squatting in England and Wales is still partly legal, there are squat scenes in London and Brighton, less so in Cardiff, Leeds, and Bristol. Yet, squats are often transient spaces, and difficult to run into if you don't have contacts. Note however, that squatting a commercial building is legal, so if you want to crash somewhere for a night, don't chose a residential building. For more information on squatting check http://www.squatter.org.uk/<br />
* Internet: In city libraries you can use Internet PCs for free after a short(ish) free registration (some want to see a passport, some aren't that strict). Legally this should be available to everyone, but in some localities, staff may say its only available to local residents or library members. In this case just ask to join the library.<br />
<br />
<br />
==== Countries ====<br />
For more specific information about the countries, islands and cities within the ''United Kingdom'', have a look at this overview of British constituent countries and affiliations: <br />
<br />
{{UK_constituent_countries}}<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* Wikipedia contains [[:wikipedia:Category:Motorway_service_stations_in_the_United_Kingdom|articles about service stations]] on the motorways in the UK!<br />
* [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/map/ Map of Services Stations] - Motorway Services Online<br />
* [http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/15000.htm Another (maybe better?) Map of service stations]<br />
* [http://www.liftshare.org Liftshare.org] is a UK based lift share website<br />
* [http://www.frixo.com Frixo Traffic Reports] – Live travel updates for UK roads / motorways<br />
* [http://www.motorwayservices.info/ Motorway Services Info] UK Motorway Services Information (Reader's Comments)<br />
{{hitchbase_country|203}}<br />
{{Template:Europe/countries}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
[[trash:United Kingdom]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom| ]]<br />
[[Category:Northern Europe]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Großbritannien]]<br />
[[es:Reino Unido]]<br />
[[fi:Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta]]<br />
[[fr:Royaume-Uni]]<br />
[[pl:Wielka Brytania]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Birmingham&diff=88271Birmingham2017-06-26T02:47:33Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Birmingham''' is a city in [[England]]. It is served by four motorways ‒ the [[M6 (GB)|M6]] comes from the [[M1 (GB)|M1]] to [[London]] at [[Rugby]] up to [[Liverpool]] and [[Manchester]], the [[M5 (GB)|M5]] heads to the south-west and [[Bristol]] and the [[M42 (GB)|M42]] goes to [[Tamworth]] and [[Leeds]] on the M1 north. The [[M40 (GB)|M40]] heads to London and Oxford. The M5, M6 and M42 all form a box around the city. The A38(M) (better known as the Aston Expressway) gets traffic in and out of the city centre and on to the M6 at the infamous Spaghetti Junction.<br />
<br />
Near to Birmingham are the cities of [[Coventry]], Wolverhampton, Walsall, Tamworth and Telford.<br />
<br />
If you are just passing by, '''don't go into the city!'' Instead, use the services stations scattered on the motorways to get to the right motorway. A lot of people will be going past Birmingham too.<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
<map lat='52.484452858289536' lng='-1.89239501953125' zoom='10' view='0' float='right'/><br />
Birmingham has two service stations in the city [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/frankley/ Frankley] to the west and [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/hopwood/ Hopwood Park] to the south. [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/hilton/ Hilton Park], [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/tamworth/ Tamworth] and [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/corley/ Corley] are not too far away.<br />
=== North towards [[Manchester]], South towards [[Bristol]] ===<br />
The Frankley Service station can be accessed easily, by taking the bus #22 (1.70£ from the center), getting off at the final destination (Kitwell). From there, it is only a short walk to the motorway, following the road you came on and turning right. There is a bridge, so you can get a lift to either northern and southern directions. On the service station, you can't ask around the petrol station (because of "health and safety"), so your best bet is asking people as they go into and out of the resting area.<br />
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Birmingham also has an airport and a railway station in the city centre. The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is another good place to hitch from, it is close to both the motorway and the airport and is widely visited by car drivers.<br />
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You might actually be able to hitch out of Birmingham on the M6 from the Spaghetti junction - there is a space where cars can pull over, although they are going quite fast and in two lanes, and police are going past quite frequently. This might be an option if you're really skint, as the junction is quite central. Another option are the petrol stations around Junction 2 on the M5, however there are two and the only reasonable spot for going South [[User:Atopia|atopia]] found is on the traffic lights from the ASDA petrol station that gets relatively little southbound traffic.<br />
[[Category:West Midlands]]<br />
[[Category:England]]<br />
[[Category:E5]]<br />
[[Category:E24]]<br />
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{{IsIn|West Midlands}}<br />
[[trash:Birmingham]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=London&diff=88268London2017-06-26T02:33:14Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
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<div>__TOC__<br />
{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}<br />
{{Infobox Location<br />
|country = England<br />
|pop = 8.623 million (2015)<br />
|motorways = {{Mgb|1}} {{Mgb|11}} {{Mgb|2}} {{Mgb|20}} {{Mgb|23}} {{Mgb|25}} {{Mgb|3}} {{Mgb|4}}<br />
|map = <map lat='51.500152' lng='-0.126236' zoom='11' view='3'/><br />
}}<br />
'''London''' is the capital of [[England]] and the [[United Kingdom]].<br />
It's worth knowing that London is HUGE (third biggest city in Europe). Traveling inside London takes much longer than reaching it from outside, especially during rush hour. <br />
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== Hitchhiking in ==<br />
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London has a motorway ring-road, the [[M25 (GB)|M25]]. <br />
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== Hitchhiking in ==<br />
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Your options are:<br />
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1. '''Get dropped off on or near the M25 and use the public transport to get wherever you need.'''<br />
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If you are coming from the west and your driver is heading south on the M25, ask to be dropped off at the first junction on the M25: Heathrow Terminal 5. Get off at the roundabout at the end of the motorway spur and walk to the terminal building. The Piccadilly Line Underground starts here. If they are heading north, see the description for getting to Uxbridge Underground station below.<br/ ><br />
If you are coming from the southeast on the M20, ask to be dropped off at the A20/M20/M25 roundabout. From here you can take the B2173 road 2km to Swanley train station. Alternatively, if they are heading further north, get dropped off at the M25/A12 junction and walk ≈3km west to Harold Wood station.<br/ ><br />
If you're coming from the north and your driver is heading towards the M4/M3 direction, try to persuade them to do a slight detour off the M25 to junction 1 of the M40 (roundabout with A40). From there, it's a ≈2km walk to Uxbridge Underground station. Otherwise, get off at the last services (Toddington) before the M25 and look for a lift going inside the ring road.<br/ ><br />
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2. '''Hitch into London from the last services on your motorway before the M25 (the driver will usually know which one this is).'''<br />
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Distances inside London are huge, so it's quite probable you'll be using public transport inside the city (if you manage to navigate inside London by hitchhiking, please tell us about it!) <br />
Public transport prices can be high and depends on the zones between which you're traveling, day of the week and time in the day. You can try to get as close to your zone as possible (distance is not important - only zone numbers matter). E.g if you're going to Bethnal Green in zone 2, it would be better to reach zones 1 or 3 than 4 or 5. If you're not just going in and out, '''get an Oyster card''' - it's much cheaper. Use [http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf|this map] or google the station to see which zone it's in. <br />
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See the transiting around the M25 section below if you just want to bypass London.<br />
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== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
* [http://www.hitchbase.com/ergebnisse.php?LANG=eng&abfrage%5Bstartort%5D=444 Hitchbase] has some information about hitchhiking out of London<br />
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Hitchhiking out of London is pretty tricky, but not impossible - the big problem is getting onto a motorway is a bit of a challenge, once you're on the motorway, stick to the petrol stations, hitching entrance ramp to entrance ramp is quite difficult, especially in the big cities.<br />
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=== West towards [[Reading]], [[Swindon]], ([[South West England|The South-West]]), [[Bristol]], [[South West England|Devon]], [[South West England|Cornwall]] [[South Wales]] {{Mgb|4}} ===<br />
<map lat='51.491738177580345' lng='-0.28118133544921875' zoom='16' view='0' float='right' /><br />
==== Option 1: M4 Motorway Junction 1 (Chiswick Roundabout) ====<br />
1. Take the District Line Underground to ''Gunnersbury'' (zone 3) or train to ''Kew Bridge''. (Alternatively, the Overground at ''South Acton'' doesn't have barriers, but is a kilometer further away.) Both stations are on the Chiswick High Road (A315 - one west and one east of the roundabout) along which you walk 500m to Junction 1 of the M4 where you will see the Esso petrol station that is on the corner of the slip road onto the motorway heading west. There is a bus lay-by nearby with a sign saying M4 west.<br />
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2. Take bus H91 from ''Hammersmith Bus station'' in the direction of Hounslow West and get off at ''Chiswick Roundabout/Gunnersbury'', and you are already at the bus lay-by hitching point.<br />
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'''Last verified''': October 2015 - hitched from this point twice recently - only waited approx. 15 minutes for a ride onto the M4.<br/ ><br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off peak) from Zone 1. (Bus fare £1.50)<br />
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==== Option 2: A4 leading to M4 (or M3) ====<br />
Heading for [[South West England|Cornwall]], it is much easier hitching the M4 and changing to the M5 in [[Bristol]] than trying to hitch the M3 through [[South West England|Dorset]].<br />
Take District Line Underground to ''West Kensington'' (zone 2). Turn right out of the station, there are traffic lights 10m away. Turn right and there is a lay-by where you can stand. The advantage of this spot is that all the traffic must stop here frequently for the lights and much of it is going to either of the motorways. (It's also cheaper to get to). I never normally wait more than 30 mins here.<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £2.40 (off peak) from Zone 1.<br />
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==== Option 3: Motorway service station Heston ====<br />
Take Piccadilly Line Underground westbound and get off at ''Hounslow West'' (zone 5). Turn right from the station exit and walk 800m west along Bath Road to just past Henleys roundabout where there is a BP petrol station. Right at the exit of the petrol station is a footpath heading north. Walk ≈650m and where it splits, turn right 20 metres until you reach Armytage Rd. Turn left onto this road and continue north for another ≈200m, cross over Cranford Lane and then continue north again for another ≈350m along Phoenix Way until it bends to the left. Just past the bend, you will see a short path on the right through the bushes/trees onto Heston service station.<br />
It's not an overly busy services but enough traffic to justify getting out here and cutting out all the local traffic in the centre. Use a sign as there is also traffic heading onto the M25 both south and north.<br/ ><br />
The public transport cost to get here is a few pence more expensive than the other option, but definitely worth the investment. <br />
'''Last verified''': January 2017<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £3.10 (off peak) from Zone 1<br />
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=== Southeast towards [[South East England|The South East]], [[Maidstone]], [[Folkestone]] ([[Channel Tunnel]]), [[Dover]] (Ferries to Europe) {{Mgb|20}} ===<br />
<map lat='51.43983124736507' lng='0.0528717041015625' zoom='15' view='0' float='right' /><br />
==== Option 1: Mottingham ====<br />
Take the train from ''Charing Cross Station'' (Zone 1) to ''Mottingham Station'' (Zone 4). It passes through ''Waterloo East'' (Zone 1), ''London Bridge'' (Zone 1), ''New Cross'' (Zone 2) and ''Lewisham'' (Zone 2) stations on its way to ''Dartford'' or ''Gillingham''. Alternatively, take the Jubilee line to North Greenwich, and from there, the 161 bus to Mottingham. When you come out of the train station, walk 100m south along Court Road to the intersection with Sidcup Road (A20). At the traffic lights turn left, where you will see a Shell petrol station.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': Cost of the train to Mottingham was £5. (edit- Prices must have gone down!) Me and and my girlfriend hitchhiked from Mottingham spot and a lorry picked us up in 15 minutes and took us to the start of M20. There we waited about 20 minutes in a motorway entrance, and got a drive by another lorry all the way to Folkestone service station. There a car picked us up after 5 minutes and took us with them on the ferry and all the way to [[Brugge]] in [[Belgium]].<br />
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The best ride to accept from Mottingham is one that brings you directly into the South-East along the M20 and past the M20/M25 junction, most likely to the [[Maidstone Services]]. Many drivers have said that many hitch-hikers happen to stand and hitch at the M20/M25 junction, but the police might be more likely to pick you up. <br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1. (Mottingham train station doesn't have barriers...)<br/ ><br />
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'''NOTE:''' The most classic method departing London in the direction of continental Europe begins in Mottingham. Most traffic is local, thus it is best to ask people whether they are going onto the M25 ring road. If yes, they will passby the BP @ Swanley as described in option 2. The next major service station after Swanley is after the M25 called Maidstone Services on the M20 Junction 8; be sure to find a ride that exits at junction 8 as the main exit for the town of Maidstone is junction 7. This is the last major service station located before Dover and it is recommended to find a ride directly onto the train or ferry from here. Edward101277 has hitched across the channel many times from Maidstone, with waits ranging from 30 seconds to as long as 6 hours.<br />
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==== Option 2: BP petrol station on Swanley Bypass (A20) ==== <br />
Take a train from ''London Victoria'' to ''Swanley''. Some trains will go directly there, otherwise change at Bromley South. (There is also a direct train from St. Pancras to Swanley, but it cost £8.80 (peak) in Nov 2015, so might as well just get a megabus if you're going to pay that much). From the station, cross the tracks with the pedestrian bridge to Everest Place, turn right on St. Mary's Rd to the roundabout at London Road. From here, turn left (north) along London Road/ Maidstone Road for 2.6kms. Here you'll find a hole in the fence on the left leading to a BP petrol station with a McD. It's a longer walk than to the Texaco mentioned below but managed to get a lift there in 15 minutes at 22:00 asking people (September 2013). It seemed most traffic was M20/M25, but might of been the time of night. This is perfect for getting to Maidstone.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': November 2015<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': One train ticket ''from zone 1'' (approximately £3.50 off-peak) or take the train from Elephant & Castle in central south-east (no barriers) towards Seven Oaks for a free ride.<br />
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==== Option 3: Texaco petrol station, Swanley ====<br />
Same directions as for Option 2 above, but this time, walk into town from the station, and head to the London Road going south towards M20. On the way there is a Texaco petrol station that seems quite busy. Further down (where I hitchhiked, August 2012) there is a big parking space, with a greasy spoon van if you're hungry or in need of a cup of coffee. The road takes you straight down to the motorway. <br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': [[User:TBF|TBF]] hitchhiked from the Texaco station in Nov 2015 and got a ride to Maidstone in about 20 minutes. Make sure that you get a ride going to Maidstone Service Station, because it's after the town so someone going to the town of Maidstone won't pass the service station. If you do get a ride just to the town of Maidstone, there is a good lay-by for hitchhiking on the roundabout that leads to the on ramp to the M20, but you'll have to thumb a ride because there is nowhere to ask people. It works with a sign saying "M20 4 miles" to get to the service station. <br />
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<map lat='51.3902018510923' lng='0.188269615173336' zoom='15' view='0' float='right' /><br />
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==== Option 4: Motorway service station Clackett Lane (M25) ====<br />
1. Take the train from ''London Bridge'' to ''Oxted''. Walk southeast along Station Road to Westerham Road (A25). Turn left (east) and walk 3.5km till the junction with Clackett Lane. Turn left here and walk 1.6km along Clackett Lane to the entrance to the service station (heading East) just after you pass over the M25 motorway bridge.<br />
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2. Take the train from ''Victoria'' to ''Bromley South''. Then take bus 246 south in the direction of Westerham Green and get off at ''Pilgrims Way''. Walk west along Pilgrims Way and then Pilgrims Lane for ≈1.4km until you reach Clackett Lane. Turn left (south) and walk for ≈1km until you reach the entrance to the service station heading East (before crossing over the motorway bridge).<br />
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'''Last Verified''': April 2015<br />
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'''Cost of Public Transport''': You can reach London Bridge by overground from a station without barriers and skip the fare.<br />
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=== Southeast towards [[South East England|The South East]], [[Hastings]], [[Royal Tunbridge Wells]] A21 ===<br />
{{infoneeded| Help providing the information with the one available for the M20}}<br />
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=== Northwest towards [[Oxford]], [[High Wycombe]], [[Warwick]], [[Birmingham]], [[North Wales]] {{Mgb|40}} ===<br />
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[[M40 (GB)|M40]] is different from other motorways originating from London, as it starts quite close to M25 as a continuation of the dual-carriageway A40.<br />
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==== Option 1: M40 Junction 1 ====<br />
Take a Piccadilly or Metropolitan Line to ''Uxbridge'' (Zone 6). Exit the station onto High Street and turn right. Walk until you reach Harefield Road - turn left there, and then right at the next big roundabout. From there follow signs to M40 - you will eventually get to junction 1 slip road, and you can hitch-hike from there (there's also a nice spot at the traffic lights). You might need to cross parts of the road where vehicle will already be flying at motorway speeds - stay safe!!! <br />
Confirm with the driver that he is going straight onto the M40, and does not turn onto M25 (London Orbital). Also beware that Junction 2 is not very easy to hitch-hike on (see M40 article).<br/ ><br />
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==== Option 2: A40 Junction (Hangar Lane) ====<br />
Take the Central Line tube (West Ruislip branch) to ''Hangar Lane'' (zone 3). As you exit into the main hall of the tube station, have a look at the local area map and find the exit for the westbound A40 slip road. Keep walking along the slip road, and then A40. There are two good places to hitch from:<br />
1. A bus stop just past the junction with Lynwood Rd. It has a long lay-by, which is a good place to hitch from as long as there's nothing parked there. Legally, it's a "non-stopping except buses" lay-by.<br />
2. The other place is half a mile further on, a little lay-by with no restrictions. I ([[User:Lnx|Lnx]]) have not personally hitched from there, but it looks like a good spot and has an advantage of being open to the entire A40 (the Lynwood Rd bus stop has a separation between the incoming slip road and the main carriageway, so you can only be picked up by traffic emerging from North Circular Road, or Lynwood Road). <br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 26th January 2008<br />
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==== Option 3: A40 Junction (Hillingdon) ====<br />
Take the Piccadilly or Metropolitan Line tube to ''Hillingdon'' (zone 6). As you exit the tube station and go to the end of walkway, turn right and walk until you reach the big traffic light-controlled crossroads of 'Long Lane' and 'Western Avenue' (NOT the A40 Western Avenue). Cross the road, then turn right and continue to the roundabout, whose primary exit is the slip-road to A40. Stand on the grass next to of the hatched area - the hatched area is a good and legal place for a vehicle to stop. The area is also well-lit which makes it a perfect place to hitch at night.<br />
It is advisable to have a sign saying "Oxford" or something, as a lot of traffic leaves [[M40 (GB)|M40]] at junction 1a to continue on [[M25 (GB)|M25]].<br />
There is also an Oxford Tube coach stop in Western Avenue/Freezeland Way nearby. If you happen to get really stuck (which I think you won't - I waited only about 12 minutes for a ride on an evening during a post-Christmas season) and only need to get to Oxford, this might be an alternative.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 28th October 2010. I took this advice to travel from London to Oxford in October 2010, and it worked very well: I didn't reach the roadside until 21:00, so the world beyond the streetlights was utterly dark, but still got a ride within half an hour. A good spot to travel Northbound from London.<br />
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=== North towards [[Luton]], [[Milton Keynes]], ('''''[[East Midlands|The East Midlands]]'''''), [[Northampton]], [[Leicester]], [[Derby]], [[Nottingham]], [[Sheffield]], [[Leeds]] {{Mgb|1}} ===<br />
==== Option 1: Motorway service station London Gateway ====<br />
Take Northern Line tube to Edgware, and then walk 2.5km: Turn right out of the station onto 'Station Road'. Follow the road along, it turns into 'Hale Lane', keep going, then turn left onto 'Selvage Lane' and keep going, you will then go over a bridge over the M1 and come to a big roundabout 'Apex Corner'. Go down into the subway under the roundabout, and come out on the A1 ('Barnet Way), just by the petrol station. Turn left just behind the petrol station onto 'Ellesmere Avenue', this road runs parallel to the high way. Keep walking until you come to a road on your left with a big sign with three symbols, one of which would translate as 'no access to anyone except authorised vehicles' and clearly goes under the motorway. Walk down it and you come to [https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/51.6136474,-0.2756824/51.6331801,-0.267389/@51.6234134,-0.28321,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m24!4m23!1m20!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2707532!2d51.6182613!3s0x487616bd30b5031d:0x8018c6fc46ad7c0a!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2601509!2d51.6168185!3s0x487616bf7b9c6b11:0x36592f73c8bb24ff!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2554027!2d51.6210173!3s0x487616ea6c84b413:0x4e9825452a0ab13a!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2661023!2d51.6315945!3s0x4876168dfd4886a1:0x9337096bd5773568!1m0!3e2?hl=en London Gateway Services].<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': March 2016 - Takes a long time to get there, but got a lift in 20 seconds past Luton. May 2016 - waited 30 minutes at the exit; good place to hitch. December 2016 - Took only about 20 minutes at the exit.<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £3.10 (off peak) from zone 1.<br />
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<map lat='51.572129' lng='-0.230595' zoom='16' view='0' width='400px' height='200px' float='right' /><br />
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==== Option 2: [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=51.572780,+-0.230950&ie=UTF8&z=12&iwloc=addr&om=1 Staples Corner] ====<br />
Take Northern Line tube to ''Brent Cross'' (zone 3). From there you follow the 'North Circular Road' westwards for about 1km (along Tilling Road), and you get to the bottom of the M1 (don't get confused with the A1 which also passes nearby, although if this road is more convenient for your destination, you can also hitch from here). After passing the shopping centre, you should see the M1. It is possible to hitch at the first entrance you see, which is the traffic coming off the 'Westbound North Circular' (there is a bus stop just after the slip road joins the North Circular, and a small lay-by further on - both adjacent to the lane for M1). You can also hitch at the traffic lights (see spot on the map to the right) or on the hard shoulder on the on-ramp that slopes up right after those traffic lights.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 18th August, 2014<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1.<br />
[[File:Staples_corner_m1.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Hitching Spot at Staples Corner for M1]]<br />
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*This place seems to work really well. I get the bus to brent cross and then its about a 10 min walk to this spot. However, it tends to go slightly quicker if you walk 2 minutes more around the roundabout ('''Staples Corner ''West'' '''). You'll see a railway bridge, go under it and there is a bus stop beside a car repair place (the bus stop itself is near Adrian Avenue and is by the ''Western'' side of the railway bridge). It doesn't look like such a great place, but it works quite well if you have a sign (worked for [[User:Lnx|Lnx]] - a 5-minute wait in the dark!). (Also worked for [[User:Boribariii|Boribariii]], took only 5 minutes with a sign at 1pm on 06/06/2017).<br />
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*This is a very good place, however one user recommends right next to the car repair center ( on the right of it )there is entrance for the M1 Motorway which is slightly going upwards before meeting the highway. You may go up and make sure to stand atleast 100 meters away from the point where cars enter on this road from the redlight behind, since they need some time to spot you and there is plenty of space for them to stop ,if you have a sign that says M1. Worked quite well on 18th Aug 2014. If you are too close to the entrance incline they will zoom past by you so ensure you walk up a bit and give them enough distance to see you and your sign.<br />
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*Important *** : If you are getting a lift from here, ensure that the driver is driving to at least the next service station (Toddington), which is approximately 50-60 miles from this spot. <br />
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*In case you are going to Edinburgh: once you are at any of the service stations on the motorway, you will find a lot of people going in that direction, i.e. going to Leeds and further. Somewhere north of Leeds, the M1 becomes the A1(M) highway; however, ensure that once you are on this highway going in the direction of Newcastle, and then Edinburgh, you do not get out at the last petrol station before Newcastle. Get out at the 2nd, 3rd or 4th last petrol station before Newcastle, but not the last one. The second last one has a huge McD and more long-distance traffic than the last one, which has a Burger King and Costa and is just a small petrol station with mostly local traffic from Newcastle coming for petrol. A hitchhiking couple got stuck here and could not find a ride for 13 hours beyond Newcastle. So the rule of thumb here is: do not get out at the last petrol station before the city, unless it is a McD. Ensure whoever is taking you drops you off only at a petrol station and not on a country road. After Newcastle, there is only one major/decent petrol station in a town called Alnwick (pronounced 'Annick'). Try finding someone who is going to Edinburgh directly from one of the earlier good McD stations. A better alternative route to Edinburgh is to take the M1, M6, A74(M), and A707; this way, you won't have to bother about McD and Newcastle.<br />
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=== North towards, [[Stevanage]], [[Peterborough]], [[East Midlands]], [[East of England|The East]], [[Newcastle]], [[North East England|The North East]] {{agb|1}} ===<br />
''(See information for M1, Option 2 - Staples Corner. Hold the sign saying "A1 North". There must be better places to get onto A1, though...)''* <br />
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This is untested, but should work. Take the tube (Northern Line) to High Barnet, here take the 84 bus to South Mimms services, at the junction between the M25 and A1(M). One user tried this, and thinks the junction is too big, and the traffic too fast, for this to be a good spot. Another user spent 5 unsuccessful hours at South Mimms trying to get the A1(M) North, most people aren't likely to stop at the first service station on their way out of the city.<br />
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=== Northwest towards [[Cambridge]], [[London Stansted]], [[Norwich]], [[East of England|The East]], East Coast {{Mgb|11}} ===<br />
Take the Central Line tube to ''Redbridge'' (zone 4). Once at the station, turn right and use the subways to cross under the A406. Once on the slip road for the A406 (extending Eastern Avenue), there is a great place for vehicles to pull over. The spot is located just next to the bridge over a canal or river. The traffic will not be coming from A406, but it really is a good place to hitch a ride. It is strongly recommended that you bring a M11 sign with you. Personal experience was that even with this sign, a few cars will stop heading towards other destinations.<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': March 2012<br />
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The M11 begins near Redbridge, so this is an ideal place to go to. [[User:Siinvincible|Simon]] and [[User:Whisperingofthestars|Jason]] managed to get a ride to Newmarket from the train to Redbridge, as someone noticed us making a sign.<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1.<br />
TIP: To get to the same part of london, you can also take the Central line to Roding Valley. Here there are no barriers as you exit so if you managed to get into the underground system for free, you can get out for free. It's about a half an hour walk to the start of the M11. For getting into the underground system, you can for example get in at Finsbury Park where there are no barriers either. There are also other stations.<br />
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=== Southwest towards [[South West England|The South West]], [[Basingstoke]], [[Salisbury]], [[Southampton]], [[Porstmouth]], [[South West England|Dorset]], [[Poole|Bournemouth]] {{Mgb|3}} ===<br />
M3 is not an easy motorway to get to, although the following worked for [[User:Lnx|Lnx]]:<br/ ><br />
==== Option 1: Lay-by on A316 near Kempton Park ====<br />
Take the train from ''London Waterloo'' in the direction of Shepperton and exit at ''Kempton Park'' station. Exit the station (do not go on the footbridge), cross the racecourse car park and turn right into Park Road, which goes into the slip road coming off A316. When you reach the A316 itself, walk on the pavement in the opposite direction to the traffic. You will immediately see a lay-by (chances are some lorries will be parked there). You can hitch from there. The position is not perfect, as the road is going downhill, and the traffic is traveling very fast (50-70mph).<br/ ><br />
'''Last verified''': 27 March 2008<br />
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'''Cost of public transport''': One ticket/travelcard to zone 6 + one ticket from ''Hampton'' to ''Kempton Park'' railway station. '''Kempton Park''' station is just outside London Transport Zones (''Hampton'', the previous station on the Waterloo-Shepperton line, is in zone 6), but it has no ticket barriers and the chances of meeting a ticket inspector between ''Hampton'' and ''Kempton Park'' should be quite remote.<br />
<br />
==== Option 2: A316 Junction with A312 ====<br />
Take the train on the same line as above, and get off at ''Fulwell''. Walk south on Wellington Road, and then turn right onto Park Road. Follow this road as it joins the A312 for about 1.5 km in total. Just below the A316 bridge, which you will see ahead of you as you follow the A312, there is a roundabout. The first left turn on this roundabout is an on-ramp for the A316. There is a bus stop and a pedestrian crossing here, and traffic is going uphill, and so is quite slow. One user waited here for about 30 minutes with a sign saying "M3".<br />
<br />
=== Southwest towards [[Woking]], [[Guildford]], [[Porstmouth]], [[Worthing]] A3/{{agb|3}}, & A24 ===<br />
''Possible site along the A3 would be located between Putney Heath/Roehampton and New Malden/West Wimbledon, New Malden offering the best opportunities''<br />
{{infoneeded|Information needed}}<br />
''The A24 is best reached directly in Leatherhead outside the M25, there is a on-ramp to the M25 as well''<br />
<br />
=== South towards [[Brighton]] {{Mgb|23}} ===<br />
Take a train from ''Victoria'', ''Clapham Junction'', or ''London Bridge'' station to ''East Croyden'' (zone 6). From here, take a train to ''Coulsdon South''. Turn left out of the station on Brighton Road and walk 600m to the roundabout. Nearly all the traffic goes to the M23 from here.<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £3.80 (off-peak) (£2.70 off-peak from Clapham Junction) (June 2016)<br />
<br />
=== East towards [[East of England|The East]], [[East of England|Essex]], [[Chelmsford]], [[Colchester]], [[Ipswich]], [[Southend-on-Sea]] A/12 ===<br />
Take Hammersmith & City Line or District Line to ''Bow Road'' (Zone 2). Walk east for ≈700m along the Bow Road to the roundabout junction with the A12. There are traffic lights here, and a McDonalds across the road. Hitch on the slip road heading north on the A12. You can get lifts from here to Ipswich or Colchester. I waited 20 minutes. It was OK. There is plenty of room for people to stop as there is a bus stop nearby.<br />
<br />
'''Cost of public transport''': £2.40 (off-peak from Zone 1)<br />
<br />
== Airports ==<br />
Paid transport to and from airports can be expensive. Hitching can be a good alternative. The exits to the airports can also be good places to get lifts to other places. For example, if you get stuck on the western part of the M25, try to get to Heathrow, from there people are going all over the country. If you are coming from Brighton, and trying to get around London, you may get a ride quicker to where you want to go if you get dropped at Gatwick Airport than at Pease Pottage services.<br />
* [[London Gatwick Airport|London Gatwick]]<br />
* [[London Stansted]]<br />
* [[London Heathrow]]<br />
* [[Luton|London Luton]]<br />
<br />
== Transiting Greater London ==<br />
Since nearly all the motorway networks lead towards London, you probably might have to go through that urban area somehow to reach your destination. The M25 is the ring motorway that surrounds the city and connects with every possible motorway network in all directions. It's recommended to find a lift past London as it's somewhat hard to find somebody going off the M25 in your direction from any of the service stations on the M25. Be careful: there are only 3 service stations, and the entire western section has none at all. It may also be possible to head around the M25 from junction to junction. However, the only problem is that a few of the junctions are really bad in the south, and you can get really stuck as a large part of the traffic is only going round the ring a short distance. If if you do get stuck, try making a sign M25 east or west. So consider waiting for a ride that actually takes you to the road you want to be on, rather than just stopping somewhere at random on the M25.<br />
<br/ ><br />
<br />
=== South Mimms Services ===<br />
South Mimms services are in Potters Bar in the northeast of London and are actually just off the M25 at the junction of the A1(M). For some reason, although it's a big services, you can get stuck here for hours. One option, as ever, is to ask people where they're headed... but there are so many directions possible that it could take a long time to find someone headed your way. Standing at the exit of the services is unlikely to work, for whatever reason. Several reports of hours of waiting here mean that you probably need to try something else. If you're going towards the west, you can stand at the ridiculous entrance to the west slip road onto the M25. Although insane, you should be able to get a fast ride out. Have a big sign and someone should be able to at least take you further down the M25 to a better junction, or directly to where you're going, be it to the west or down to Sussex. Any information on going east?<br />
<br />
=== Clacket Lane Services ===<br />
Clackett Lane services are located in the south of London and are possibly the best place to get lifts on the M25. There is a bridge here to cross from one side to the other, which can be useful to know if, for example, you are trying to hitch from the M4 to Brighton but get a lift with someone who is going to Dover.<br />
<br />
Take the train from ''Victoria'' to ''Bromley South''. Then take bus 246 ([http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/246Sum.htm timetable here]) south in the direction of Westerham Green and get off at ''Pilgrims Way''. Walk west along Pilgrims Way and then Pilgrims Lane for ≈1.4km until you reach Clackett Lane. Turn left (south) and walk for ≈1km until you reach the entrance to the service station (heading east). Continue walking along Clackett Lane for another 400m over the motorway M25 bridge to reach the entrance for the services heading west. <br />
You can see where you're going on a map [http://www.motorwayservices.info/clacket_lane_services_m25/googlemap here]. Where it says "Clacket Wood" is the service station. There is also a street view of this area on google maps.<br />
<br />
Clacket Lane is an excellent place to hitch to Brighton (Westbound) or Dover (Eastbound) and also fairly good for most other directions as it's a busy station. Best thing is to stand outside the main doors into the station and ask everyone that comes out if they are going your way ("excuse me, are you by any chance going to Bighton?")<br />
<br />
== Public Transport ==<br />
''See the specific article for [[nomad:Transport for London|Transport for London]] on nomadwiki.''<br />
<br />
There is a [http://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey journey planner] to find your route to all the hitching spots. <br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/fares/single-fare-finder?intcmp=1660 Here] is where you can find the fare between any two stations / bus stops / etc.<br />
<br />
== Sleep ==<br />
There are several options when it comes to finding a place to sleep. If the worst prevails and you're without a place, you're still not too bad off. Central London is relatively safe and you probably wont be bothered sleeping outside.<br />
<br />
=== [[Camping|Wild Camping]] ===<br />
Its quite possible to sleep out in London in considerable privacy despite its gigantic population of 10 million. Go North East to Trent Park (Piccadilly Line Northbound, second to last stop before Cockfosters - i.e. Oakwood Station). Find the directions for the university (Middlesex) campus and walk (or take the free bus) up the hill. Beside it and beyond the lake are quite a few miles of woodland and and it is incredibly beautiful. [[User:Whisperingofthestars|Jason]] lived here for 7 months during his final year of university. Be careful with park wardens, they eventually discovered him during the last few weeks of his studies. Build camouflage from ferns if staying for long. People are unlikely to be your greatest threat...dogs are. Dogs! A lot of people walk them here but you can find amazing places if you search hard enough. And if you search really really hard, you'll find a tree with the dates of the past dweller's residence...;) <br />
<br />
Also, outside this station (Trent Park), there is a Greek Bakery. Behind it lie huge sacks of bread every night. Please go. Its crazy that this could possibly be wasted every night.<br />
<br />
=== Squatting ===<br />
London used to have an abundance of [[squat]]s, but it has recently become more difficult. While it is still legal to squat commercial property (warehouses, offices, shops), it is illegal to squat residential buildings (if you admit you are doing this to the cops, you might be sentenced to jail time.) For all information on squatting in the UK: the '''[http://www.squatter.org.uk/ Advisory Service for Squatters]''' is helpful for people that are planning to find a place to live and cannot really help you find a place to crash. It's located at the Freedom Bookstore in Whitechapel and is another great place to meet squatters as well as get online for free. The address is Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street, Whitechapel, London, England, E1 7QX. (Tel. 020-32160099)<br />
That being said, there are still a good couple of squats all around London. Most squats are places where people live and go about their normal business, so don't expect too much from them. Perhaps it would be good to find some friendly squatters by word of mouth or on [http://www.couchsurfing.com couchsurfing] or similar. Don't worry about the negative connotations associated with squats. They generally aren't crackhouses or scabies-infested punk hangouts. People of all types squat in London and their homes are usually very nice. They are especially helpful if you're planning to stick around for a while, but can also be great if you're just passing through. [[User:Zac Stewart|Zac]]<small><sup>[[User talk:Zac Stewart|talk]]</sup></small> ended up with a squat to sleep in on his first night, and in [[Mayfair]] of all places! <br />
There are still some remnants of squatting communities in North London, North East London, and South London. If you want to meet some people, go to the practical squatting nights taking place every week (alternating): http://www.squatter.org.uk/for-new-squatters/practical-squatting-nights/<br />
For more info on social centers in London, check out [http://www.socialcentresnetwork.org.uk/ Autonomous London]. Generally though, it has become harder to track squats down or just pop up, as there are fewer, and more and more evictions, which means less space. This should in no way discourage you, however!<br />
<br />
<br />
== Eat ==<br />
Cheap and free food abounds in London. <br />
<br />
=== Free ===<br />
Hari Krishna offer free food from several locations in London at lunchtime: outside SOAS by Russel Square from 12:15 to 14:00(Monday thru Saturday), for example. Expect to queue for 30 minutes, arrive early to guarantee a fill - the food does run out. Otherwise...<br />
<br />
If you want a free, warm meal closer to the end of the day: from Thursday to Sunday there is a food market on Brick Lane, next to the vintage market (the one with the vinyl records store). Try going there about 18:00-19:00. Most vendors will be closing their booths and throwing food away. Just go up to them and ask(it's handy to have your own container). It's mostly Asian cuisine therefore delicious.<br />
<br />
In the UK, the term for eating food that would otherwise be thrown away, is called skipping. Lots of people do it, all from people that come from poor countries and see all the food that goes to waist, to people that are political in there way of living. Many people, especially in the squat scene live totally out of food from the bins...<br />
<br />
Plenty of places throw out food at closing time. Always check the bags out front of '''Pret a Mangers''' and '''Benjy's''' at 17:00-19:00. If you feel up to it, you can even go inside when they are closing shop and explain that you're homeless and pick out all the food you want instead of getting it off the sidewalk. Feel no shame, you're helping to curb wastefulness! (That being said, Pret a Mangers doesn't give any food to random people, just to "charity".)<br />
<br />
The '''Coffee Republic''' on Great Marlborough Street near the Oxford Circle and Carnaby Street is reported to put out garbage bags with totally normal food--boiled potatoes, sandwiches, etc. every evening around 20:00 on weekdays and 19:00 on weekends.<br />
The sandwich company "Eat" throw away lots of stuff everyday all over town. Have a look in there bins or outside the shops on the street.<br />
The bakery 'Paul' in Blackfriars and Paddington throw out a lot of cakes, all extremely luxurious and scrumptious. From Blackfriars station walk up the main road, and Paul's will be on your right after a few minutes.<br />
If you are into Sushi, try one of the many Wasabi places in the city when they close at 21:00 or 21:30. They always leave food outside, and there are always loads of people picking it up, but you'll get some if you're on time.<br />
<br />
The most luxurious place to skip is always Waitrose. Places like Sainsburys, Marks and Spencers (generally difficult to skip!), Tesco and so on have a marking system on their packed food that says when the food should be thrown away and when it should be eaten before. The gap between this days are often two days and you can still have it more or less a week more depending on what it is.<br />
Most bins are secured by fences, cameras, etc. Don't mind them too much, it is rare that they'll call the cops on you as long as you don't "destroy property".<br />
<br />
Good places to try in Hackney are E.A.T., Iceland, supermarket metros or locals and markets.<br />
<br />
=== Cheap ===<br />
If you're going to self cater, stick to '''Sainsbury's''' and '''Tesco''' rather than the convenient Off-Licenses for better prices. If you are a bit out of Central London, you might as well look for '''Lidl''', '''Morrisons''', '''Netto''' or '''Asda'''. Anyhow with a decent and wise grocery, you can get your grocery for nearly a week for about 10-15 pounds at any of the mentioned supermarket with decent, fresh and healthy food ''(to cook)''. Be aware though that these supermarkets are not in any sense "ethical". They are wiping out local shops, taking monopoly on feeding us, destroying the environment and throwing away food every day that could feed hundreds of people. It's better to eat out of their bins. <!-- Totally irrelevant information! --><br />
<br />
If you get tired of peanut butter sandwiches or want to fill up for the weekend, try one of the many £5 all-you-can-eat '''Thai Buffets''' which are always always totally vegan! (some good all-you-can-eat start at £3,50). Go early, they get more expensive in the evening. While downtown, you can also get a ''<nowiki>'</nowiki>6-inch sandwich of the day<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' at '''Subway''' for 2 pounds.<br />
<br />
The markets in Camden Town have cheap food around 17:00, especially in the Lock Market where, if you walk for a few minutes past all the initial food courts, you can easily find dishes of noodles for GBP 2.<br />
<br />
== Internet ==<br />
In Westminster, there's a public library which you can use for free Internet access. You might need to register yourself, though, and that process (and waiting for the next available computer) can take quite some time.<br />
<br />
Go to the Apple store (on Regent St. near Oxford Circus), ask any '''local''' around Piccadilly or Regent or Oxford street and they should be able to tell you the exact location.<br />
<br />
{{Template:Regions England}}<br />
{{Excellent}}<br />
[[trash:London]]<br />
[[nomad:London]]<br />
{{IsIn|England}}<br />
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[[Category:East of England]]<br />
[[Category:South East England]]<br />
[[Category:England]]<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom]]<br />
[[Category:E13]]<br />
[[Category:E30]]<br />
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[[fr:Londres]]<br />
[[pl:Londyn]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Aberystwyth&diff=88267Aberystwyth2017-06-24T11:53:23Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Aberystwyth]] is a town on the West Coast of [[Wales]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
=== North towards [[Snowdonia]] ===<br />
Walk up the hill along the A487 until you pass the university and find a spot - there are a few options since cars will be coming from town as well as out of the uni. Leaving Aber in this direction can take a while, even an hour or longer (which is way longer than usual waiting times in Wales), but traffic is high.</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Aberystwyth&diff=88266Aberystwyth2017-06-24T11:52:55Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Aberystwyth]] is a town on the West Coast of [[Wales]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
=== North towards [[Snowdonia]] ===<br />
Walk up the hill along the A487 until you pass the university and find a spot - tgere are a few options since cars will be coming from town as well as out of the uni. Leaving Aber in this direction can take a while, even an hour or longer (which is way longer than usual waiting times in Wales), but traffic is high.</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Aberystwyth&diff=88265Aberystwyth2017-06-24T11:52:20Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''{{Aberystwyth}}''' is a town on the West Coast of [[Wales]].<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
=== North towards [[Snowdonia]] ===<br />
Walk up the hill along the A487 until you pass the university and find a spot - tgere are a few options since cars will be coming from town as well as out of the uni. Leaving Aber in this direction can take a while, even an hour or longer (which is way longer than usual waiting times in Wales), but traffic is high.</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Switzerland&diff=88264Switzerland2017-06-24T11:43:30Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = Switzerland<br />
|language = German, French, Italian<br />
|capital = [[Bern]]<br />
|map = <map lat='46.927758623434435' lng='8.26171875' zoom='7' view='0' float='right'/><br />
|pop = 7,761,800<br />
|currency = Swiss Frank (''Schweizer Franken''), CHF<br />
|hitch = <rating country='ch' /><br />
|BW = CH<br />
}}<br />
'''Switzerland''' is a country in [[Western Europe]].<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
In '''Switzerland''' people speak three different languages, depending on the area you are hanging around: [[Germany|German]] in the north and east, [[Italy|Italian]] in the south and [[France|French]] in the western part of the country. There is a large percentage of foreigners, as well as many tourists. Most people will be able to understand some English.<br />
<br />
Hitchhiking works very well in '''Switzerland''', especially in the mountain regions and small country roads, where it is quite common to pick up wanderers and hitchhikers. It's also quite easy to get lifts with truck drivers from [[Germany]] to [[Italy]] and back. There are not that many service stations along the highways, and some are not open 24 hours.<br />
<br />
Since the mid-December 2008 Switzerland is officially part of the [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen Area]], and long existed cross-border passport checks are on a way to be abolished.<br />
<br />
I found it pretty hard on the main roads near big cities, I have been waiting for hours to be dropped out near Basel, getting out from Lugano was also challenging...the main signs lead you only to the motorway where is forbidden and even on the entrance the police didn't allow me to; the small roads didn't have directions to bigger cities, only to all possible villages around that say nothing to strangers without maps like me :) Only between the villages was easier though according to a driver hitchhiking is more difficult nowadays due to some theft cases - July 2015, Nadita<br />
<br />
== Hitching at the border ==<br />
Since in not legal to hitch on motorways (petrol stations are allowed though), you should avoid to get dropped at the border. If you're hitchhiking with a truck driver into Italy, he'll probably need to stop at the border before driving on - but ask him not to say that you're a hitchhiker since the border police might tell you to leave the truck and drive you to the bus station instead. <br />
<br />
Bikepunk got dropped at the border on the motorway close to [[Geneva|Geneve]] and the border staff asked him to get out of there (He just went a bit further and hid behind a wall (not the best to hitch) and finally someone picked him up).<br />
<br />
[[File:Lausanneswitzerland.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Anthony hitching in [[Lausanne]]]]<br />
<br />
== Cities ==<br />
<!-- Keep them in alphabetic order - capital always on top! --><br />
* [[Bern]] - the capital<br />
* [[Basel]]<br />
* [[Bellinzona]]<br />
* [[Biel/Bienne|Biel]]<br />
* [[Chiasso]]<br />
* [[Duedingen]]<br />
* [[Fribourg]]<br />
* [[Geneva|Geneve]]<br />
* [[Lausanne]]<br />
* [[Luzern]]<br />
* [[Marly]]<br />
* [[Neuchâtel]]<br />
* [[Solothurn]]<br />
* [[St. Gallen|St.Gallen]]<br />
* [[Winterthur]]<br />
* [[Zürich]]<br />
<br />
== Camping ==<br />
In Switzerland, everybody is legally allowed to use pasture and woods to a certain extent, including camping. The same goes for agriculturally not usable space such as public bodies of water, rock, snow or ice.<br />
<br />
== Highway petrol stations ==<br />
Here is a [http://www.acs.ch/ch-fr/pdf-public/Reisen/Autobahn-Restaurants_und_Tankstellen_in_der_Schweiz.pdf list of all the motorway petrol stations] of Switzerland. If you type the name of the petrol station in Google Maps you will find where exactly it is. This makes it much more comfortable to hitchhike.<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* [http://deu.anarchopedia.org/index.php/Schweiz:Trampstellen Anarchopedia's information about hitch spots], in German, under GFDL.<br />
* You can find a nice online map at http://map.search.ch, including zoom, service stations and integration with [http://www.sbb.ch the Swiss railways].<br />
* [http://www.autobahnen.ch/index.php?lg=001&page=018 Service Stations in Switzerland]<br />
<br />
{{hitchbase_country|186}}<br />
[[Wikipedia:Switzerland]]<br />
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{{IsIn|Western Europe}}<br />
{{Template:Europe/countries}}<br />
[[trash:Switzerland]]<br />
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[[Category:Switzerland| ]]<br />
[[Category:Western Europe]]<br />
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[[de:Schweiz]]<br />
[[es:Suiza]]<br />
[[fr:Suisse]]<br />
[[nl:Zwitserland]]<br />
[[tr:İsviçre]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Medyka-Shehyni_border_crossing&diff=88263Medyka-Shehyni border crossing2017-06-24T11:41:16Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Border Crossing one Of<br />
|country = Poland<br />
|country2 = Ukraine<br />
|map = <map lat='49.799217' lng='22.947' zoom='11' view='0' float='right' /><br />
|type = Road<br />
|motorway = {{E|40}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Medyka-Shehyni border crossing''' connects Poland (at the village of Medyka, near [[Przemyśl]]) with Ukraine (at the village of Shehyni, near [[Lviv]]). Walking across this border is allowed.<br />
<br />
Waiting times by car could go up to 8 or more hours, depending on the traffic, of course, so the best way is to take your backpack and walk over by foot. Unfortunately, depending on your nationality, waiting time can fluctuate pretty much. There will be most likely be a small/no queue for EU/EEA citizens and a very long one with "all other passports", even at 5 in the morning.<br />
<br />
Even if you're not a EU/EEA citizen, you might be able to pass through the EU queue. [[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] has done it with an Israeli passport (crossing from Ukraine to Poland), which saved her hours of waiting. It might only be possible if your PN (Passport Nation) has a visa-free policy with Schengen countries; either way, worth asking, <br />
<br />
* [[User:MaxHermens]] says: Even before you enter this queue, there is a big group of of people waiting outside. They're taking Vodka across the border as a job. They push and pull and will call you names. Be prepared and perhaps it's best not to know Ukrainian at this point.<br />
<br />
There's a 1 hour time difference between both countries, so don't forget to set your clock if you require one. <br />
<br />
Be prepared for controls of your luggage, the Polish guards do so with nearly everybody coming from Ukraine (cigarettes), on the other side the Ukrainians are most likely not that strict. <br />
<br />
There are minibusses and also a local city bus going from Medyka to Przemysl, and minibusses from Shegyni to [[Lviv|L'viv]]. The cigarettes selling babushkas will lead you the right way.<br />
<br />
== Hitchhiking out ==<br />
<br />
=== Into Poland (N28) ===<br />
<br />
After walking over the border by foot, follow the way for 250&nbsp;m until you see some people selling cigarettes and alcohol (or not), anyway at the end of the fence to your left there's a small muddy footpath along it. Use this one for 300&nbsp;m and you'll be on the starting highway just 50&nbsp;m behind the border. Best is to start hitching behind the entry to the supermarket, as quite some traffic coming from Ukraine just goes there and back. Also some locals might appear and try to hitch rides, who might not know that much about hitchhiking etiquette, so don't be irritated. Getting rides to Przemysl is pretty easy and might not take longer than 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
[[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]], 11/2016: At this spot (or what I though to be this spot) there were almost no cars and many people, so I took a bus to Przemysl for 2 zloty (~0.5 euro) and from there hitchhiked to Krakow rather quickly.<br />
<br />
=== Into Ukraine ===<br />
<br />
After crossing the border, walk down the road for a few hundred meters until the exit of the town. It is helpful to hitchhike with a sign "Lviv" from the petrol station or from in front of the local school.<br />
<br />
{{IsIn|Eastern Europe}}<br />
[[Category:Ukraine]]<br />
[[Category:Poland]]<br />
[[Category:Border crossings]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=United_Kingdom&diff=88262United Kingdom2017-06-24T11:35:31Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = United Kingdom<br />
|in = Northern Europe<br />
|map= <map lat='54.6992335284814' lng='-4.130859375' zoom='5' view='3' country='United Kingdom' height='420'/><br />
|language = English; recognized regional languages are Welsh, Irish, Ulster Scots, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish<br />
|capital = [[London]]<br />
|pop = 60,975,000<br />
|currency = Pound sterling (GBP)<br />
|hitch = <rating country='uk' /><br />
|BW = GB<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''United Kingdom''' is a member state of the [[European Union]] which forms the so-called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Travel_Area Common Travel area] with [[Ireland]] and is not part of the [[Schengen Agreement]]. Hitchhiking in the United Kingdom is feasible although the British are a little surprised (especially in [[England]]) to see people still doing it these days since it has become a dying trend largely due to the safety worries, insurance issues and very busy roads, but also extremely cheap coach fares . You will still manage a ride somehow but you really need to be '''at the right spot.''' Finding a safe spot where drivers can pull over easily can be crucial here - British people usually don't like to stop in bad places, so make it easy for them to pick you up!<br />
<br />
Hitching in [[Scotland]] or [[Wales]] tends to be more easy than in southern [[England]] although this depends from county to county. For example, the rural mentality in the [[South West England|South West]] makes it a lot more easier than trying to hitch in the [[South East England|South East]]. It seems the closer you are to big cities, especially London, the harder it is. Furthermore, especially in the South of England, people have some kind of you-only-get-what-you-merit-(equals: work for)-attitude, which is why they sometimes react unfriendly to the idea of hitching. On the other hand, very many students hitched in the 70s and 80s and they often give lifts now they are rich and 50plus.<br />
<br />
'' [[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] has hitchhiked over 5000 km in the UK (Mid/North England, Wales and Scotland). She was initially apprehensive due to this page, but has found out that UK is great for hitchhiking, often with low waiting times, people offering rides even before you officially start hitchhiking, and very helpful drivers. ''<br />
<br />
Like anywhere else, it is illegal to walk on motorways, and so hitchhiking is best done from the bottom of [[slip road]]s and at [[rest area|service stations]] (at discretion of the owner). Highways Agency officials may question you if you hitch from sliproads on motorways as technically you are not allowed to do this, but the police will not pay any interest; the Highways Agency staff are more pedantic than the police regarding that.<br />
<br />
When traveling a long distance on the motorways it is best to stick to the service stations as getting a lift on a slip road will take an exceptionally longer time. Don't get dropped at any motorway intersection junctions (''M25/M4'', ''M4/M5'' etc.) as traffic will be going too fast to stop and you will probably be picked up by the police. In case you ''do'' get dropped there your best option is probably to start walking a bit away from the motorway, and if you're a foreigner, attach a sign to your backpack saying e.g. ''from Holland''.<br />
<br />
Apart from motorways, you can also hitch on the so-called A-roads, where - legally - you can stand on the side lane. As A-roads, however, are a replacement for motorways in more rural areas, people basically go at the same speed, and it is quite difficult and dangerous to flag somebody down. <br />
<br />
British people don't like stopping in unsafe places! Try to find a stop where it's easy to stop, even at the cost of lower traffic.<br />
<br />
Also, here rides are lifts and trucks are lorries :) <br />
<br />
If you're hitchhiking long distances and considering making a sign, in general people use the motorway names rather than the city names. For example, from [[London]] to [[South West England|Cornwall]] have a sign saying ''M4''. But if you are hitching on a motorway with multiple cities (i.e. ''M1'') it is an idea to use a sign with the city name (e.g. [[Nottingham]], [[Sheffield]]).<br />
<br />
Most people in the United Kingdom seems to be afraid of terrorist attacks, criminals or whatever. You can easily notice that junctions, stations, supermarkets and sometimes even pubs are video-monitored. They have naked scanners at the airports and so on. If you ask unknown people in cities in the dark for the way or for something, they can be terrified or anxious.<br />
<br />
'''Insights about service stations method'''<br />
*As it is mentioned above, try to stick to motorway services, as lot of traffic is passing, filling up their tanks.<br />
*TALK with drivers who are filling up their tanks in petrol station. <br />
*It will help if you will have a sign, or if you don't have one, have some kind of paper map, because you will look more trustable from distance.<br />
*As they are afraid of terrorists, try to be as polite as possible, sometimes you'll encounter chatty people, chat a little bit for their pleasure, and for you to calm down if you are trying to get a ride for longer time. Also you can even get job offers (Strazdas007 got offer from driver to work as roofpainter or smth like that in service station near Leeds).<br />
*If there are a lot of traffic coming through petrol station, or in general, don't waste time going to speek to drivers in rest area, they will pass you at some point. <br />
*Try asking drivers if you are in good place for heading that direction, for example: Strazdas007 was stuck on Maidstone services while trying to get to the North, as all drivers where going South, or just around the corner, so he just went back to Dover port. If you are in bad service station for your direction, don't hesitate going back to last good spot, or possibly good spot.<br />
*Try to look up service stations on maps or gps.<br />
*Go for the popular ones if you have a choice, like: Starbucks over Costa, as it is with petrol stations - Shell over BP.<br />
<br />
==== Climate ====<br />
The UK is infamous for its rainy [[weather]]. The oceanic climate makes the weather changeable from one day to the next and causes comparatively long but light phases of rain. This doesn't mean it's always raining, but it ''can'' always rain. Be prepared and always have waterproof clothes with you. The rainiest months are October−January. As a rule of thumb, one could say the further west and the higher the elevation, the greater the rainfall. Contradicting the cliché, some parts of south and west England are surprisingly dry and may even have drought problems in summer.<br />
<br />
An advantage of the mild oceanic climate is that it does not get extremely cold or hot.<br />
<br />
==== Hitchhiking towards [[Western Europe]] ====<br />
[[File:Carl Nai Maroc.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[User:Carl|Carl]] and his hitch partner Naomi leaving [[Cardiff]] for [[Morocco]].]]<br />
Hitchhiking ''from'' [[England]] to [[France]] is possible. Just hitchhike in direction of [[Dover]] along the ''M20'' in the [[South East England|South East]] to reach the ferries or [[Channel Tunnel|The Channel Tunnel]]. Once you're there, you could either try to find a lift in Dover or in a more relaxed atmosphere on one of the services along the M20, e.g. Maidstone Services (note however that a lot of people on this service station are locals, so you might be better off with a truck driver, they are parked behind the restaurant). <br />
<br />
Truckers who cross the channel through the Eurotunnel (train) cannot take an extra person, but those who go by ferry in Dover can. If you're lucky you can even eat for free in the truckers' restaurant on the ferry! On the parking lot where everyone's waiting to board the ferry, you can often find another lift that goes in your direction. Just show your sign to all the waiting truckers/cars. Don't do it too obvious though, because the port police could bother you for not having a proper ticket.<br />
<br />
You can also hitch from the Immingham docks near Grimsby to [[Zeebrugge]] on a truck ferry. Hitching from Scotland to [[Scandinavia]] is also possible, see [[Scrabster]]. Due to fears of terrorism and illegal immigration authorities may ask you not to wait near the docks.<br />
<br />
==== Hitchhiking from [[Western Europe]] ====<br />
Hitchiking ''to'' Great Britain is possible. When coming from [[France]], make sure you stay on the A26. Loads of truck drivers are heading from [[Switzerland]], [[Luxembourg]] and [[Germany]] to Great Britain. So if someone offers you a ride to [[Lille]], make sure you stay on the A26 or you might get stuck.<br />
<br />
If you're dropped off in Calais, you can start hitchhiking at the bottom of the bridge before the check-in. The price is the same for a car, no matter how many passengers (also in Dunkerque). People who booked in advance indicated how many passengers they would have, so it could be better not to mention at the check-in that you're a hitchhiker (?). A one way ticket as a foot passenger is € 40. On the parking lot where everyone's waiting to board the ferry, you can often find another lift that goes in your direction. Just show your sign to all the waiting truckers/cars. <br />
<br />
If coming from Zeebrugge note that the truckers usually can have two passengers on the manifest so if you travel this way you don't need to pay for a ferry ticket. You might be better off hitching with a car, because truck drivers are often more suspicious of people who want to be taken across the channel - their livelihood depends on it, as UK police tend to arrest anybody who knowingly or not help illegal immigrants to enter the UK.<br />
<br />
==== Hitchhiking from or towards [[Ireland]] ====<br />
<br />
There are ferries from [[Wales]] ([[Holyhead]] in the North and [[Fishguard]] in the South), from Scotland (Troon, Cairnryan, Stranraer) and from England (around Liverpool). Currently, it might only be possible to get across without paying if you can find a sympathetic driver who allows you to hide in their vehicle, as every passenger pays separately.<br />
<br />
From Birkenhead there is a ferry with DFDS seaways that goes either directly to Dublin or Belfast. Two ferries per day, one in the morning and one in the evening. If you can find a driver who has already paid for his car + 1, then it is possible to amend that ticket and check in with the driver for only 10 euros. It would still be paying, but on the ferry you get a dinner buffet and breakfast buffet. <br />
<br />
Your driver will also get a cabin with his ticket with four bunkbeds in it, so you will depending on wether your driver wants you in the cabin or not, get a night on real sheets. (Cheapest alternative I have been able to come across if you are still to do it in any legal way. Credit to SamanthaofTarth on the westeros internet forum for this initial info.)<br />
<br />
(If you decide to pay, consider getting a Megabus für 25 Pound from London to Rosslare, ferry included, as this is already cheaper then the foot passenger ticket for the ferry only. Alternatively, there sometimes are decent Rail & Sail offers from London to Dublin, via the Holyhead Ferry.)<br />
<br />
<br />
=== Useful travel information ===<br />
* Dumpster-diving/skipping: while it is quite possible and easy in many cities to live completely out of the bins (e.g. London), skipping on motorway service stations can be difficult. There are cameras everywhere, and security can be fast.<br />
* Cheap travel: if ever you do have to pay for transport, the cheapest option (by far) is megabus.co.uk They sometimes have special offers which allow you to travel for hundres of miles for 5 pound. (Not saying this to advertise for megabus, but sometimes it does make more sense to pay 5 quid for the whole journey, then to pay 4,50 quid on local transport to get to the hitchhiking spot.....)<br />
* Trains: trains are privatised, therefore expensive (unless you get a special offer). While checks on trains happen with a maybe 50% chance, most of the stations have barriers, and are usually staffed. Don't count on any solidarity when trying to travel for free.<br />
* Sleep/accomodation: Something to keep in mind is that the British government has threatened to deport (and ban from re-entry for a year) EU nationals who beg or "sleep in the street"/"sleep outside" in the UK. The exact application of this new rule isn't known yet, however. Squatting in England and Wales is still partly legal, there are squat scenes in London and Brighton, less so in Cardiff, Leeds, and Bristol. Yet, squats are often transient spaces, and difficult to run into if you don't have contacts. Note however, that squatting a commercial building is legal, so if you want to crash somewhere for a night, don't chose a residential building. For more information on squatting check http://www.squatter.org.uk/<br />
* Internet: In city libraries you can use Internet PCs for free after a short(ish) free registration (some want to see a passport, some aren't that strict). Legally this should be available to everyone, but in some localities, staff may say its only available to local residents or library members. In this case just ask to join the library.<br />
<br />
<br />
==== Countries ====<br />
For more specific information about the countries, islands and cities within the ''United Kingdom'', have a look at this overview of British constituent countries and affiliations: <br />
<br />
{{UK_constituent_countries}}<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* Wikipedia contains [[:wikipedia:Category:Motorway_service_stations_in_the_United_Kingdom|articles about service stations]] on the motorways in the UK!<br />
* [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/map/ Map of Services Stations] - Motorway Services Online<br />
* [http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/15000.htm Another (maybe better?) Map of service stations]<br />
* [http://www.liftshare.org Liftshare.org] is a UK based lift share website<br />
* [http://www.frixo.com Frixo Traffic Reports] – Live travel updates for UK roads / motorways<br />
* [http://www.motorwayservices.info/ Motorway Services Info] UK Motorway Services Information (Reader's Comments)<br />
{{hitchbase_country|203}}<br />
{{Template:Europe/countries}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
[[trash:United Kingdom]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom| ]]<br />
[[Category:Northern Europe]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Großbritannien]]<br />
[[es:Reino Unido]]<br />
[[fi:Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta]]<br />
[[fr:Royaume-Uni]]<br />
[[pl:Wielka Brytania]]</div>OlcheMaithhttps://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=United_Kingdom&diff=88235United Kingdom2017-06-22T00:32:55Z<p>OlcheMaith: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{infobox Country<br />
|country = United Kingdom<br />
|in = Northern Europe<br />
|map= <map lat='54.6992335284814' lng='-4.130859375' zoom='5' view='3' country='United Kingdom' height='420'/><br />
|language = English; recognized regional languages are Welsh, Irish, Ulster Scots, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish<br />
|capital = [[London]]<br />
|pop = 60,975,000<br />
|currency = Pound sterling (GBP)<br />
|hitch = <rating country='uk' /><br />
|BW = GB<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''United Kingdom''' is a member state of the [[European Union]] which forms the so-called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Travel_Area Common Travel area] with [[Ireland]] and is not part of the [[Schengen Agreement]]. Hitchhiking in the United Kingdom is feasible although the British are a little surprised (especially in [[England]]) to see people still doing it these days since it has become a dying trend largely due to the safety worries, insurance issues and very busy roads, but also extremely cheap coach fares . You will still manage a ride somehow but you really need to be at the right spot. Hitching in [[Scotland]] or [[Wales]] tends to be more easy than in southern [[England]] although this depends from county to county. For example, the rural mentality in the [[South West England|South West]] makes it a lot more easier than trying to hitch in the [[South East England|South East]]. It seems the closer you are to big cities, especially London, the harder it is. Furthermore, especially in the South of England, people have some kind of you-only-get-what-you-merit-(equals: work for)-attitude, which is why they sometimes react unfriendly to the idea of hitching. On the other hand, very many students hitched in the 70s and 80s and they often give lifts now they are rich and 50plus.<br />
<br />
'' [[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] has hitchhiked over 5000 km in the UK (Mid/North England, Wales and Scotland). She was initially apprehensive due to this page, but has found out that UK is great for hitchhiking, often with low waiting times, people offering rides even before you officially start hitchhiking, and very helpful drivers. ''<br />
<br />
Like anywhere else, it is illegal to walk on motorways, and so hitchhiking is best done from the bottom of [[slip road]]s and at [[rest area|service stations]] (at discretion of the owner). Highways Agency officials may question you if you hitch from sliproads on motorways as technically you are not allowed to do this, but the police will not pay any interest; the Highways Agency staff are more pedantic than the police regarding that.<br />
<br />
When traveling a long distance on the motorways it is best to stick to the service stations as getting a lift on a slip road will take an exceptionally longer time. Don't get dropped at any motorway intersection junctions (''M25/M4'', ''M4/M5'' etc.) as traffic will be going too fast to stop and you will probably be picked up by the police. In case you ''do'' get dropped there your best option is probably to start walking a bit away from the motorway, and if you're a foreigner, attach a sign to your backpack saying e.g. ''from Holland''.<br />
<br />
Apart from motorways, you can also hitch on the so-called A-roads, where - legally - you can stand on the side lane. As A-roads, however, are a replacement for motorways in more rural areas, people basically go at the same speed, and it is quite difficult and dangerous to flag somebody down. <br />
<br />
British people don't like stopping in unsafe places! Try to find a stop where it's easy to stop, even at the cost of lower traffic.<br />
<br />
Also, here rides are lifts and trucks are lorries :) <br />
<br />
If you're hitchhiking long distances and considering making a sign, in general people use the motorway names rather than the city names. For example, from [[London]] to [[South West England|Cornwall]] have a sign saying ''M4''. But if you are hitching on a motorway with multiple cities (i.e. ''M1'') it is an idea to use a sign with the city name (e.g. [[Nottingham]], [[Sheffield]]).<br />
<br />
Most people in the United Kingdom seems to be afraid of terrorist attacks, criminals or whatever. You can easily notice that junctions, stations, supermarkets and sometimes even pubs are video-monitored. They have naked scanners at the airports and so on. If you ask unknown people in cities in the dark for the way or for something, they can be terrified or anxious.<br />
<br />
'''Insights about service stations method'''<br />
*As it is mentioned above, try to stick to motorway services, as lot of traffic is passing, filling up their tanks.<br />
*TALK with drivers who are filling up their tanks in petrol station. <br />
*It will help if you will have a sign, or if you don't have one, have some kind of paper map, because you will look more trustable from distance.<br />
*As they are afraid of terrorists, try to be as polite as possible, sometimes you'll encounter chatty people, chat a little bit for their pleasure, and for you to calm down if you are trying to get a ride for longer time. Also you can even get job offers (Strazdas007 got offer from driver to work as roofpainter or smth like that in service station near Leeds).<br />
*If there are a lot of traffic coming through petrol station, or in general, don't waste time going to speek to drivers in rest area, they will pass you at some point. <br />
*Try asking drivers if you are in good place for heading that direction, for example: Strazdas007 was stuck on Maidstone services while trying to get to the North, as all drivers where going South, or just around the corner, so he just went back to Dover port. If you are in bad service station for your direction, don't hesitate going back to last good spot, or possibly good spot.<br />
*Try to look up service stations on maps or gps.<br />
*Go for the popular ones if you have a choice, like: Starbucks over Costa, as it is with petrol stations - Shell over BP.<br />
<br />
==== Climate ====<br />
The UK is infamous for its rainy [[weather]]. The oceanic climate makes the weather changeable from one day to the next and causes comparatively long but light phases of rain. This doesn't mean it's always raining, but it ''can'' always rain. Be prepared and always have waterproof clothes with you. The rainiest months are October−January. As a rule of thumb, one could say the further west and the higher the elevation, the greater the rainfall. Contradicting the cliché, some parts of south and west England are surprisingly dry and may even have drought problems in summer.<br />
<br />
An advantage of the mild oceanic climate is that it does not get extremely cold or hot.<br />
<br />
==== Hitchhiking towards [[Western Europe]] ====<br />
[[File:Carl Nai Maroc.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[User:Carl|Carl]] and his hitch partner Naomi leaving [[Cardiff]] for [[Morocco]].]]<br />
Hitchhiking ''from'' [[England]] to [[France]] is possible. Just hitchhike in direction of [[Dover]] along the ''M20'' in the [[South East England|South East]] to reach the ferries or [[Channel Tunnel|The Channel Tunnel]]. Once you're there, you could either try to find a lift in Dover or in a more relaxed atmosphere on one of the services along the M20, e.g. Maidstone Services (note however that a lot of people on this service station are locals, so you might be better off with a truck driver, they are parked behind the restaurant). <br />
<br />
Truckers who cross the channel through the Eurotunnel (train) cannot take an extra person, but those who go by ferry in Dover can. If you're lucky you can even eat for free in the truckers' restaurant on the ferry! On the parking lot where everyone's waiting to board the ferry, you can often find another lift that goes in your direction. Just show your sign to all the waiting truckers/cars. Don't do it too obvious though, because the port police could bother you for not having a proper ticket.<br />
<br />
You can also hitch from the Immingham docks near Grimsby to [[Zeebrugge]] on a truck ferry. Hitching from Scotland to [[Scandinavia]] is also possible, see [[Scrabster]]. Due to fears of terrorism and illegal immigration authorities may ask you not to wait near the docks.<br />
<br />
==== Hitchhiking from [[Western Europe]] ====<br />
Hitchiking ''to'' Great Britain is possible. When coming from [[France]], make sure you stay on the A26. Loads of truck drivers are heading from [[Switzerland]], [[Luxembourg]] and [[Germany]] to Great Britain. So if someone offers you a ride to [[Lille]], make sure you stay on the A26 or you might get stuck.<br />
<br />
If you're dropped off in Calais, you can start hitchhiking at the bottom of the bridge before the check-in. The price is the same for a car, no matter how many passengers (also in Dunkerque). People who booked in advance indicated how many passengers they would have, so it could be better not to mention at the check-in that you're a hitchhiker (?). A one way ticket as a foot passenger is € 40. On the parking lot where everyone's waiting to board the ferry, you can often find another lift that goes in your direction. Just show your sign to all the waiting truckers/cars. <br />
<br />
If coming from Zeebrugge note that the truckers usually can have two passengers on the manifest so if you travel this way you don't need to pay for a ferry ticket. You might be better off hitching with a car, because truck drivers are often more suspicious of people who want to be taken across the channel - their livelihood depends on it, as UK police tend to arrest anybody who knowingly or not help illegal immigrants to enter the UK.<br />
<br />
==== Hitchhiking from or towards [[Ireland]] ====<br />
<br />
There are ferries from [[Wales]] ([[Holyhead]] in the North and [[Fishguard]] in the South), from Scotland (Troon, Cairnryan, Stranraer) and from England (around Liverpool). Currently, it might only be possible to get across without paying if you can find a sympathetic driver who allows you to hide in their vehicle, as every passenger pays separately.<br />
<br />
From Birkenhead there is a ferry with DFDS seaways that goes either directly to Dublin or Belfast. Two ferries per day, one in the morning and one in the evening. If you can find a driver who has already paid for his car + 1, then it is possible to amend that ticket and check in with the driver for only 10 euros. It would still be paying, but on the ferry you get a dinner buffet and breakfast buffet. <br />
<br />
Your driver will also get a cabin with his ticket with four bunkbeds in it, so you will depending on wether your driver wants you in the cabin or not, get a night on real sheets. (Cheapest alternative I have been able to come across if you are still to do it in any legal way. Credit to SamanthaofTarth on the westeros internet forum for this initial info.)<br />
<br />
(If you decide to pay, consider getting a Megabus für 25 Pound from London to Rosslare, ferry included, as this is already cheaper then the foot passenger ticket for the ferry only. Alternatively, there sometimes are decent Rail & Sail offers from London to Dublin, via the Holyhead Ferry.)<br />
<br />
<br />
=== Useful travel information ===<br />
* Dumpster-diving/skipping: while it is quite possible and easy in many cities to live completely out of the bins (e.g. London), skipping on motorway service stations can be difficult. There are cameras everywhere, and security can be fast.<br />
* Cheap travel: if ever you do have to pay for transport, the cheapest option (by far) is megabus.co.uk They sometimes have special offers which allow you to travel for hundres of miles for 5 pound. (Not saying this to advertise for megabus, but sometimes it does make more sense to pay 5 quid for the whole journey, then to pay 4,50 quid on local transport to get to the hitchhiking spot.....)<br />
* Trains: trains are privatised, therefore expensive (unless you get a special offer). While checks on trains happen with a maybe 50% chance, most of the stations have barriers, and are usually staffed. Don't count on any solidarity when trying to travel for free.<br />
* Sleep/accomodation: Something to keep in mind is that the British government has threatened to deport (and ban from re-entry for a year) EU nationals who beg or "sleep in the street"/"sleep outside" in the UK. The exact application of this new rule isn't known yet, however. Squatting in England and Wales is still partly legal, there are squat scenes in London and Brighton, less so in Cardiff, Leeds, and Bristol. Yet, squats are often transient spaces, and difficult to run into if you don't have contacts. Note however, that squatting a commercial building is legal, so if you want to crash somewhere for a night, don't chose a residential building. For more information on squatting check http://www.squatter.org.uk/<br />
* Internet: In city libraries you can use Internet PCs for free after a short(ish) free registration (some want to see a passport, some aren't that strict). Legally this should be available to everyone, but in some localities, staff may say its only available to local residents or library members. In this case just ask to join the library.<br />
<br />
<br />
==== Countries ====<br />
For more specific information about the countries, islands and cities within the ''United Kingdom'', have a look at this overview of British constituent countries and affiliations: <br />
<br />
{{UK_constituent_countries}}<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* Wikipedia contains [[:wikipedia:Category:Motorway_service_stations_in_the_United_Kingdom|articles about service stations]] on the motorways in the UK!<br />
* [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/map/ Map of Services Stations] - Motorway Services Online<br />
* [http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/15000.htm Another (maybe better?) Map of service stations]<br />
* [http://www.liftshare.org Liftshare.org] is a UK based lift share website<br />
* [http://www.frixo.com Frixo Traffic Reports] – Live travel updates for UK roads / motorways<br />
* [http://www.motorwayservices.info/ Motorway Services Info] UK Motorway Services Information (Reader's Comments)<br />
{{hitchbase_country|203}}<br />
{{Template:Europe/countries}}<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
[[trash:United Kingdom]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom| ]]<br />
[[Category:Northern Europe]]<br />
<br />
[[de:Großbritannien]]<br />
[[es:Reino Unido]]<br />
[[fi:Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta]]<br />
[[fr:Royaume-Uni]]<br />
[[pl:Wielka Brytania]]</div>OlcheMaith