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|pop = 145,274,019
|currency = Ruble (RUB)
|hitch = from {{average}} to {{very good}}<rating country='ru' />|BW = RU
}}
'''Russia''' is the largest country on Earth, and is a fantastic country for hitch hiking. There It is a large number of active hitchhikers, but compared to well ingrained within the total number of the population itcountry's not that much.It culture, and it is a great much more comfortable way to see the country , compared to hitchhiketaking the train. Some drivers expect moneyDespite the popularity of hitch hiking compared to other countries, but most of them notpeople will still be surprised by what you are doing. Especially if you are (and look like) a foreigner.
In spite of the country's size, there are very few roads, there is little ambiguity in where you could be going, when hitching from a given location. In areas about 50 km from cities you may just stay on the road and you will get rides with high success which other cities the roads go to. ===Maps===
In mostly all bigger book stores in Russia one can find the [http://www.allmaps.ru/avto_km_stolb/russia/ Автоатлас России] (''Auto Atlas Russia'') which is perfect for hitchhiking Russia. Including gas stations, DPS stations, even traffic lights along main roads. The atlas also includes city maps and maps of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and the Baltic states as well. Price is 377 RUB (July 2009).
Also, there are maps almost completely presenting full infrastructure of some cities including public transportation system at [http://www.2gis.ru/ 2gis.ru]. November, 1st 2009 there were 22 cities: Астрахань, Барнаул, Бийск, Екатеринбург, Иркутск, Казань, Кемерово ,Красноярск ,Курган, Нижневартовск, Нижний Новгород, Новокузнецк, Новосибирск, Одесса, Омск, Пермь, Самара, Тольятти, Томск, Тюмень, Уфа, Челябинск. U can use on-line version or download installer and use maps off-line. Also there is opportunity to use 2gis on Windows Mobile platform and even on usual cellphone with Java MIDP-2 engine (needs internet access). A more modern alternative is Maps.me, as it has offline maps and shows gas stations. (Most platforms) Another alternative Application to MapsMe is Yandex Maps. It's like Russian Goole maps. You can download offline maps there and find every address or public transport.(July 2019) == Hitching ==Also, there is a possibility to get a lift by talking to drivers on gas stations. You will not be misunderstood but since there are almost no highways and you can point your thumb anywhere, wasting time on a gas station waiting for cars is not preferred unless there is heavy raining, or the spot is bad etc. If there are two of you one can hitch on the road and the other one ask people on nearby gas station; that really might bring you a lift faster. But the “default” method of hitchhiking in Russia is still thumbing on the roadside. If you don't speak the language, thumbing is better - as people will just drive towards your direction and you can join them. Do not write places names on cardboards – nobody in this country cares to read them. Or, if you still want to use the paper, write a region number instead of the name (see below for a list of reg numbers). Because you can get dropped off and immediately hitch onwards on nearly all roads in Russia, using a sign is never necessary and in fact the community recommends against it. Again, in spite of the country's size, there are very few roads, there is little ambiguity in where you could be going, when hitching from a given location. You must take a raincoat (it sometimes rains in summer and very often in autumn), good shoes, a warm jumper for summer (the winter starts in October), some cash (and not credit cards or cheques), perhaps a tent with a sleeping bag. === Trains, Boats, etc ===taken from a post on squattheplanet forum: "In Siberia, it is apparently common and easy (and ALLOWED) to hitch-hiking on cargo ships and freight trains, in the unit. Trains are not manifested ahead of time, but instead are done on a day-to-day basis (CHAOS?!). This means that you show up at the 'yard' (really only a load/unload with a siding or two), and ask the workers or security for the engineer/brakeman lounge. Sometmes the security will hassle you, but if you simply explain that you are a traveler, it's totally allowed! So, ask around, find a train going your way, find out when it leaves, and ask if you can hop on. You ride in the unit, which while heated (Siberia is fucking cold), has no toilet, so don't drink too much, and take a pregame dump. Ride to where you're going, simple as that! Also, every yard has a cafe for the workers, and food is apparently wicked cheap.Boat-hitching is apparently similar. Ask around, get permission, get on, and go! The only significant problem would be the language barrier, but people are absolutely THRILLED to meet travelers, especially ones from foreign lands (remember, Russia is HUGE).Additionally, it's possible to stay for a night at monasteries all over Russia. If you want to stay longer, they will usually ask you to help out with chores. I REALLY want to try this!" == Language ==Hitchhiking in Russian is called ''автостоп'' (avtostop). It literally means “car stopping”, and is basically the only word understood as hitching (i.e. travelling by getting lifts for free). A more colloquial word for it is "попутка" (poputka). When people ask you anywhere in Russia: "куда ты едешь?" (Kuda TjIE edesh?)[where are you going to?] you should answer: "я еду автостопом" (ya yedu avtostopom), then they will ask you another question and this time you say the name of the city. It might be better and more polite to ask "Вы могли бы подкинуть меня в направлении ..." (Vy mogli by podkinut menya v napravlenii ...), which means "Could you give me a lift in the direction of ...". Level of speaking English is rather low especially among people older than 40 and even not all young people speak it with a sufficient level. You might ought to learn Cyrillic script for your own convenience. It is quite simple for a person familiar with English or Greek alphabet and is learnable in 2-3 days. People, their friendliness and mentality differ much from part of Russia they are from (there are many national republics and indigenous nations), and also from the type of town (for example, notorious "monogorod" - monotowns) and by their social status.
== Safety ==
[[File:2001 Hitch-hiking in Russia.jpg|thumb|280px|left|[[User:Sigurdas|Sigurdas]] hitch-hiking towards [[Murmansk]] from [[St. Petersburg]]. Winter 2001.]]
Some consider Russian roads are not among the safest on Earth; this might or might not be true. The concentrartion of dashing driving is higher than in Europe. Many drivers and their passengers do not fasten their belts outside cities, but you always may do it for yourself. Its common knowledge Russians like to drink vodka, but you will unlikely meet a drunken driver unless you go deep into some village area; driving drunk is heavily penalized in Russia so majority of people never wants don't want to run the risk if there is at least a single police checkpoint on the road (on all the major roads, there are many). But, just in case you encounter a car with a drunken driver inside – wave him away and wait for a sober one.
[[File:IMG 9652.JPG|thumb|200px|right|[[User:Lucysd|Lucysd]] 200 km from [[Mongolia]]]]
If the area feels unsafe you might want to hitchhike from police post to police post. The police posts situated on all highways with intervals of about 100 km. These posts, commonly called "ДПС" (Post DPS), are good places to hitchhike since cars will drive by slowly, and police is always close. Local hitchhikers swear on these police posts. You can also ask the police officers to help you get a ride which really might work. Be prepared to be asked for your ID or even run a cell-phone check (verification that your cell is not in the stolen cells database), though.
Many Russian girls do hitch alone, and still scary stories seldom hit the news lines. It does not at all mean that the country is free of perverts, and almost all of the solo-travelers (not necessarily girls) will tell you accounts of some sexual harassment they have encountered while hitching. 99% of such encounters end OK with nothing more serious then words but if you do not want to be asked for sex – or to hold a camera while somebody is masturbating – consider finding a travel buddy.
Somehow, Russians are still very amused by foreigners, and many report that solo traveling even extremely long distances, like Central and Eastern Russia, for a foreign girl who speaks some Russian is absolutely safe since she is treated like someone ‘from the outside’ by virtually everyone. Keep in mind that being a foreigner you are somewhat protected from some issues that Russian hitchhikers face on the roads.
===Police and formalities===Police in Russia just loves The Ultimate Guide to check IDs and you can get a hell lot of troubles if your papers are not in order €35 Russian Visa without an Agency for Most EU Citizens (being asked for a bribe is the least). You do have to have your passport with the visa except UK, Ireland and other papers you get while crossing the border handy. A good idea is to put them in some transparent waterproof bag – the immigration card is absolutely soviet styleCroatia, and will not survive even the light raining. among others) ==
== Cities ==
* [[Moscow]]
* [[St. Petersburg]]
* [[Cheboksary]]
* [[MoscowSamara]]* [[Irkutsk]]* [[Murmansk]]
* [[Novosibirsk]]
* [[Omsk]]
* [[Petrozavodsk]]
* [[Rostov-on-Don]]
* [[IrkutskSochi]]* [[Ufa]]
* [[Ulan-Ude]]
* [[UfaVoronezh]]* [[Yekaterinburg]]
Count about 5 days from [[Moscow]] to [[Novosibirsk]], and about 18 days from Moscow to [[Vladivostok]].
===Number plates===
Russian number plates contain a region code, that indicates the origin of the car and possibly the drivers destination.
You can write it on a cardboard instead of a place name and use while thumbing. See [[Russian plate numbers]] for a list.
== Border Crossing External links ==Citizens of most countries need a visa (notable exception* [http: most former Soviet states (apart from the Baltic states) and Israel)//010-vladok. Most visa types require an invitationreitsma.ru/ Story about hitchhiking from Rotterdam to Vladivostok] {{en}}* [http://no-planes.de/?p=76/ Story about hitchhiking from Hamburg to Lake Baikal] {{en}}=== *[http://youarealltourists.blogspot.de/search/label/Siberia Stories about hitchhiking around remote Siberian regions] {{en}}* [Georgiahttp://hike.ru/ Russian hitchhiking website]{{ru}}* [http://www.bpclub.ru/index.php Russian backpacker & hitchhiker's forum] ==={{ru}}The border is now closed* [http://avp.travel.ru/ Academy of Free Travel, and entering the country via territories in question might be extremely dangerous or even fatal (even if the territories themselves, like Moscow based hitchhiking club] {{ru}}* [[Abhasia]http://vpiska.livejournal.com Livejournal 'Vpiska' community], mostly {{ru}} but {{en}} speakers are safe)also welcome* [http://ru_autostop. The advice is to go to [[Turkeylivejournal.com Russian]] or to [[Azerbaijan]] first hitchhiking communities. {{ru}}, but you can ask questions and then to get replies in {{en}}* [[Georgia]]http://takemeeast. === [[Azerbaijan]] ===You will need a special premission to be allowed to cross the borderblogspot. Don't try to cross com/search/label/russia Hitchhiking in the border illegal.Russian far east] {{en}}
==Nomadwiki & Trashwiki =[[Latvia]]===It's no problem (at least for EU passport holders) to walk over the checkpoints in Latvia to Russia.
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