3,747
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
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 . 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 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.
Useful tip: 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.
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]]).
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.
==== 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.
