Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hitch-hiking
Hitch-hiking more or less died out after its heyday in the late 1960s and 1970s - partly out
of safety concerns and partly as more and more young people became car owners. But with
the onset of the recession it's become a regular feature of the travel pages in many national
newspapers.
It costs nothing, except being a friendly and courteous passenger, and losing a bit of time
waiting around for a ride, but you need to know what you're doing - and you need to know
that in some countries it's illegal and that the usual sticking-your-thumb-out signal used in
the UK is considered extremely rude in some countries.
There are no hard and fast rules about getting a lift, but above all you do need to think about
your safety if you're going to try it - we wouldn't advise hitching alone for either men or
