What is Hitchhiking?

What you Need to Know about Hitchhiking?

If you love the adventure, it assumes that this content will get you on your way because we are going to talk about What is Hitchhiking.

What is Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is a type of travel on any passing transport without payment, but with the permission of the driver.

Traveling from point A to point B with a random companion has been practiced by people since ancient times. With the development of transport and the emergence of new destinations, this style of travel has become increasingly relevant and attractive to people.

In the 50s-60s of the twentieth century, hippies and beatniks played an important role in the development of culture; for them, hitchhiking became an opportunity to travel around the planet almost unhindered. They made new acquaintances and saved their money for other expenses.

In the USSR, hitchhiking was used very actively, and it was even encouraged by both the Komsomol and the traffic police. In 1960, they even created the Union of Hitchhikers.

Not for all
This type of travel is not for everyone. True fans of hitchhiking consider it a whole philosophy, lifestyle or sport, where success depends on many things: a developed skill in communicating with strangers, finding a voting place, choosing the right clothes, knowing foreign languages, and so on.

In addition, gender and the number of hitchhikers play a significant role: it is usually easier for girls to catch “rides” than for boys.

Benefits of Hitchhiking

Travel attracts young people with a sense of freedom and a spirit of adventure. Even in the morning at the gas station, you do not assume where you will end up in the evening. This brings its spoonful of extreme, and the trip becomes unpredictable.

You will meet and communicate with new people. There is an unspoken rule: the driver does not take money from the hitchhiker, but the passenger pays with a friendly and interesting conversation. This way you both will kill time on the road, learn a lot of new things and make new friends.

Life hack. In conversations, it is better to avoid topics about politics and religion. So you avoid unnecessary conflicts and maintain a friendly attitude.

If you are hitchhiking, you will have many intermediate stops. You can take a walk, go to a museum or take a photo for memory in a beautiful place.

Absolutely free hitchhiking can not be called. At the very least, you will need to eat. Moreover, no one is immune from unforeseen situations: a sudden overnight stay in a hostel or the need to buy a “one way ticket” for a bus. True, these expenses cannot be compared with the cost of a classic trip.

You don’t need to book a hotel six months in advance, you don’t need to book a ticket or not sleep at the computer while waiting for the sale of tickets with a 70% discount to open. Only you decide when, where and with whom to travel.

Guides and travel agencies take guests to classic and Instagrammable tourist spots. You also have the opportunity to see the country from the inside: get to know the locals, see their way of life or stroll through the narrow streets of cities.

Any driver lays his route in such a way as to arrive at the appointed place faster. He doesn’t brake on purpose or drive in circles. You can travel many kilometers by hitchhiking and quickly get to the desired city.