Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you're on an extreme budget and want to make your parents worried sick, then you might
want to consider hopping in a car with a stranger. Your two best options are good ol' hitchhik-
ing or an organized rideshare. I'm not going to lecture you on the potential dangers of these
two options but use your best judgment, and, if possible, travel with someone else.
Hitchhiking can be hit or miss in terms of success. In Germany, for example, hitchhiking is
popular and you can probably get a ride without much effort. On the other hand, hitchhikers
in Italy and Spain complain about having to wait a few hours before anyone will give them a
ride. It's always important to have a backup plan in case you can't find a ride. A great resource
for hitchhiking is Hitchwiki (
hitchwiki.org/en/europe
). It covers everything you need to know
about this form of transportation, so I highly suggest reading through the entire site.
Ridesharing is another option for traveling across Europe inexpensively. It does take a little
bit of searching to find people taking the same route as you, but it is usually simple to find a
ride—especially if you're traveling between popular destinations. The good thing about ride-
shares is the added predictability since the trip is prearranged with the driver. However, you
will have to pay for the ride. Do look into bus travel if you're considering this option, as the
bus fare could be similarly priced.
The most popular ridesharing site is the German website Mitfahrgelegenheit—which trans-
lates to “drive-with-opportunity” (
mitfahrgelegenheit.de
)
. A lot of the listings are in German
but it's still pretty easy to navigate. Bla Bla Car (
blablacar.com
)
is another great ridesharing
site and it is in English. Other less popular websites are
hitchhikers.org
,
myrideboard.eu
,
and
