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Useful [[Spanish ]] words are "ride" and "aventonaventón", both meaning a lift. Near the [[Guatemala|Guatemalan ]] border the word "jalonjalón" is used.

However, if you're in an area with a lot of local traffic, it might be useful to make a sign that says "Siguiente Gasolinera" (next gas station).Then you can get a ride to a better hitchhiking spot. 

It is even less recommendable than in other countries to take drugs or weapons with you, especially as of 2010 since the Mexican government, backed by the US ADA who are actually present in Mexico (!!) have decided to crack down on narco and weapon trafficking. Therefore you likely will be checked at one of the numerous check points, especially in the north as you near the US border. But it's also good to know that the soldiers hardly ever search all the way through a large back-pack, unless you answer their questions really bad. If the vehicle you're riding in does get stopped just stay calm, show your passport, say the magic words "''turista''" ("tourist") and "''de paseo nada masmás''" ("just passing"), and if they ask to see your stuff open you bag and show them that it's all clothes and stuff.

In some mid-sized cities like [[Tampico]], Oaxaca, and [[Pachuca ]] there are no transit roads and you have to cross the city. Taking a bus makes things easier.

One of the great things of hitchhiking in Mexico is that even if you travel alone, you rarely have to hitch-hike alone, because hitchhiking is such a common activity among locals - joining locals hitching will not only add to the fun, but also your safety. This is especially handy as in certain areas - like in the North, around [[Chihuahua (City)|Chihuahua]] - men might take you for a prostitute (even if you have a large bag and totally look like a foreigner).

*It may be extremely easy to hitch in mainland Mexico, but in the Baja California peninsula, it's a completely different story! In [[Baja California]], there is only one road, the HWY 1, which isn't hell to hitchhike on but requires a lot of patience: there are often large distances in between cities (which are barely even cities, rather a few ranches and cactus farms) and even larger distances between petrol stations (example: El Rosario is the last one before Guerrero Negro, about 360 km further down in [[Baja California Sur]]). Getting stuck in the middle of the desert is NOT fun, and many people can only take you from town to town as it is local traffic or gringos doing one of the many races down in the Baja. Also, unless you are planning on staying in Baja and going back up towards the USA-Mexico border, you should hitchhike from [[Mexicali ]] south.. If you plan on heading to mainland Mexico from the Baja, you must take a ferry in either [[La Paz (Baja California Sur)|La Paz ]] or [[Cabo San Lucas]] towards Mazatlan[[Mazatlán]], which costs about 80$ USD.

*The Yucatan PenninsulaPeninsula ''([[Campeche]], [[Yucatán]], [[Quintana Roo]])'', on the other hand, outshines all Mexico for its ease and amiability of hitchhiking. You might not even fall victim to Moctezuma revenge eating old papaya slushies and bean burritos out of the trash in some of those tourist strips. Hey!

:''In 10 months and tens of thousands of km covered by thumb, my only "bad" experience was between Pto. Angel and [[Oaxaca (City )|Oaxaca City]] (a notorious drug route, as I later learned). The driver asked me to drive and once I was behind the wheel informed me that the van was full of Colombia's finest. I nearly shat myself, but the experience turned out to be quite interesting, as we were forced to make several detours to avoid police checkpoints, taking me through beautiful and remote parts of the [[Oaxaca|Oaxacan ]] mountains I otherwise never would have discovered. Be careful not to get set up. A very, very, rare occurance, but one that can happen.''

:''I traveled for 8 months in Mexico, all by thumb. I came down Baja California, hitched a sailboat from La Paz to MazatlanMazatlán, steamed over to [[Veracruz (City)|Veracruz]] for the carnival, went up and around the YucatanYucatán, then down into [[Chiapas]], Guatemala, and then back to Veracruz, across to all the big central cities, and down the Pacific coast to Oaxaca and Guatemala once more. I got picked up by plenty of self-proclaimed drug dealers. Whatever. Lovely country. --[[User:Chael777|Chael777]]

:''I hitched at exits and on-ramps and speed bumps (topes) and made excellent time from [[Matamoros ]] to [[Catemaco]]. As long as cars are going somewhat slow any place is really a good place to hitchhike. I rarely waited more than fifteen minutes. People were very hospitable. I was treated to lots of delicious food and given places to stay by those who picked me up. '''This is my favorite country to hitchhike thus far.''' --[[User:Eripson|Eripson]]

* [[Oaxaca (City)|Oaxaca]]