Talk:Italy

I'm Italian and I never heard that hitchhiking is not allowed in Italy. What it is surely true is that it is forbidden on highways, in fact you can read the sign "NO AUTOSTOP" at the entrance. Well, I guess nobody would hitchhike on a highway anyway..

Thanks a lot for pointing that out! Guaka 21:22, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I hitchhiked from Switzerland to Italy and all the way to Croatia and had no problem as long as we just stayed on the gas stations. Longest wait maybe an hour. Only getting out of Venice was a drag (had to go back to Padova and only then head east towards Trieste). --Astikain 20:12, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

Harder in the North?

My few experiences in Italy left the impression that it essentially gets harder and harder to catch rides the farther north you are. If some can verify this trend then it probably warrants inclusion.

Hitchhiking on petrol station is illegal, few month ago, police come to us when we was hitchhiking on the exit of the station, he said petrol station is part of the hightway so according to Italian law it's forbiden here. He was quite agressive, i said i will only ask poeple who are taking gas and don't use my thumb, he reply that if i ask people for a lift he will arrest me because it's against the law, he tell me to call a taxi and go to the next train station. After 15 minutes talking where i explain we don't hav any money, he finaly let us, but we had to wait they leave the station to start to ask people. So, the fact you will be allow or not to hitchhike on highway will depend if the policeman you meet like to aply the law to 100% or not, but it's officialy forbidden. Like in France where hitchhiking on highway is forbidden and on petrol stations also, but policeman there don't apply this law (only in one area close to Lyon, where 1 hichhiker die 1 year ago crashed on petrol station exit, so local police dont let hichhikers on petrol station.)

From what I've done in Italy (only two days), I found the same - it got harder the further north we got. As for petrol stations, I also got approached by the police who said that it wasn't allowed there, after about 20 seconds they left me alone and drove off. It doesn't make sense that petrol stations are still part of the motorway - that way it would also be illegal for people to park their cars and walk around, also on maps the petrol station roads aren't shown in the 'autostrada-colour' - but I don't know for sure. --Tom 12:26, 15 July 2007 (CEST)

Hi guys. It simply doesn't make sense to scare away hitchhikers in a country governed by maffia. The polizia should have better things to do. And indeed, service areas are not part of the motorway in a strict sense. --Fverhart 13:26, 15 July 2007 (CEST)

I dont want to scary anyone, only to say what can happen if you meet police who want to aply the law, they won't arrest you but they will make lost your time only to prove they have the power. But Italy it's so hard to hitchhike, waiting time it's almost the same like everywhere in Europe, you only have to show your are a travel (show your backpack} and to smile.... unsigned, 15 July

In Italy, on the highway gas stations it's best to avoid anything remotely looking like police and to stay friendly with the people working at gas stations. By the way, talking about the North; let me know if you are close to Trento :) Guaka 11:58, 16 July 2007 (CEST)

Frank please, don't be stereotyped!!! --Tiziano 14:30, 26 August 2007 (CEST)

I wish

...that please somebody can add an hitchiking related italian phrasebook in this article. can YOU? quarim 15:10, 8 June 2009 (UTC)