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=== Going South (I-5, fast route towards [[Los Angeles]] or [[Las Vegas]]) ===
'''Option 1'''<br>Take the I-5 if you want to get there fast. You might want to take the BART train to '''Dublin/Pleasanton''' (about $6). The BART station is located next to a highway onramp, but you freeway entrance which has a lot of traffic and a fairly decent spot to stop (after the 'freeway entrance' sign). You might have better luck if you walk further East east to the following onrampentrance which has less traffic, but a big bus stop to pull into a couple hundred meters before the entrance itself. (You're actually hitching onto I-580 here but it merges into I-5 further out; avoid getting a ride to Tracy or Stockton if you want to go south, it won't do you much good.)
[[[User:Zenit|Zenit]] followed this advice in November 2017 and found it extremely hard to get out of Pleasanton. He spent the whole day hitching at various on-ramps in the area, and all he got for his pains was a short ride to Livermore, and more of the same there. He would certainly try option number two next time.
There are a few dumpster-diveable supermarkets around, e.g. the Safeway and the Sprout's in Dublin (just west of I-680) and a Rancher's Market just west of the Santa Rita on-ramp.
'''Option 2'''<br>
This route worked really well for an anonymous user in 2009: Take Caltrain south to San Jose (about $9 from downtown SF, $7 from the BART transfer at Millbrae). Take VTA bus 68 to Gilroy from there, 1.5 hours, $2. Hitchhike east along the Pacheco Pass highway (152 east), which leads towards I-5; many cars here will be continuing south to Los Angeles on I-5. If heading towards Las Vegas, get off I-5 at exit 257, to get onto highway 58. Take that East, avoid getting stuck in Bakersfield. 58 goes all the way through, past Mojave and Barstow, towards Vegas.
A note regarding Caltrain: tickets often aren't checked, but fare inspectors do come through sometimes (if you ride end-to-end you have maybe a 1/3 chance of seeing one) and if caught without a ticket the fine is nearly $300, so think twice before risking it.(What happens if you're a foreigner and you don't pay your fine?)
If you're considering taking a bus: booking months in advance you can sometimes find Megabus tickets from San Francisco to Los Angeles for as little as $1.50, though it's usually at least $10. With less advance purchase, Megabus and Greyhound are typically in the $20-$40 range.