Open main menu

Changes

United Kingdom

35 bytes added, 02:22, 8 October 2011
m
no edit summary
}}
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. 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]] or [[East (England)|East Anglia]]. It seems the closer you are to big cities, especially London, the harder it is.
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 stationstations]]s (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.
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''.
==== Hitchhiking towards [[Western Europe]] ====
[[File:Carl Nai Maroc.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[User:Carl|Carl]] and his hitch partner Naomi leaving [[Cardiff]] for [[Morocco]].]]
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, especially the Maidstone Services.
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.
[[trash:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:East (England)|East Anglia]]
[[Category:United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Northern Europe]]
5,983
edits