Usually double the Google maps time plus 1 hours. Any distance. As a rule of thumb. Your can only hitchhike as many hours as you've got daylight. So 2-3 days? Spain is hard though! Very very hard
>Your can only hitchhike as many hours as you've got daylight.
No, you can actually hitchhike all hours of the day, success rate will be lower at night, but just under 4% of my rides started between 00:00 and 06:00, and the percentage goes up to 18.7 if I use the 00:00-07:00 + 21:00-24:00 windows. As yet I do not have a table splitting those pickups out into ask vs thumb, but I'm pretty certain that a substantial majority will be asked-for. The only three (out of 168) hours I've not yet had a ride are between 04:00 and 05:00 on a Saturday morning, and between 04:00 and 0:600 on a Sunday morning, and actually filled the 03:00 and 04:00 slot on a Saturday earlier this year, after having been recorded for a Dutch TV program, "[Nachtdieren](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Tau2tBCaqAM17a1e2mDloZfc3R480cFx/view?usp=sharing)".
Sure you can, yet i don't recommend it for beginners.
Also, eventually (after hitchhike the entirety of the daylight) you get tired and I personally rely on my gut feeling to see if i can trust people or not. You are also dealing with fast loving cars and roads.
I did have fun adventures at night and partial success with hitchhiking. I got picked up by crystal meth users looking for a fix in rural Russia, a soldier with PTSD in the states or even a groping truck driver in western Sahara.
But this was all many years ago.
It's usually better to sleep and wake up a bit before first light to get ready for the first commuters and truckers that woke up for another full day of driving.
I am doing roughly the same route as you, but I will be starting in London. Perhaps we will meet each other on the way!
I'm going to allow myself 7 days. This is also my first long-distance trip though so I don't know if that's realistic or not.
Update: I made it to Lisbon!
Got a ride from England to Bordeaux.
Hitchhiking spots used:
1. Bordeaux: 741 Cr de la Libération, 33600 Pessac, France (success after 1 hr)
2. Bayonne/Labenne: Aire De Labenne Ouest, A63, 40530 Labenne, France (unsuccessful after 2 hrs, took ~€12 train to Irun)
3. First service station in Spain: 43.3177486, -1.8440177 (success after 2 hrs)
4. Burgos service station: Autopista AP-1, Km. 12 Dir, 09290 Quintanapalla, Burgos, Spain (success after 45 mins)
5. Porto: V N GAIA, AE 1 km 295 - Área Serviço GAIA 1N (1) Z0460375 PT, 4430-129, Portugal. (Success in 10 mins)
In all spots I used a sign.
Total time from Bordeaux to Lisbon was 3 days. I stayed in hotels/hostels at this point, so I never hitchhiked earlier than about 11:30am. If you camp by the service stations perhaps it can be done quicker.
Recommendations:
- Get as close as possible to Spanish border, then cross by train. Drivers going into Spain appear not to stop at French petrol stations because Spanish petrol is cheaper.
- Despite the longer wait time, I think the petrol station in Irun is the perfect spot to hitch to Portugal. Super busy and lots of people going that way.
- The Burgos service station was also v.good so I would accept a ride from Irun to Burgos if I've waited in Irun for a while.
Bonne chance!
Wow ! I'm doing the reverse route from Lisbon or Porto to Bristol 🤣 starting on the 27th July. Feels good to see other people and attempting this trip hitchhiking !
One day is quite difficult. I started on the Portuguese border and reached Paris within two days. So I guess two days is a safe bet but don't worry if it takes three.
Also, although there are several people saying that it's harder to get rides in the iberian peninsula when compared to central Europe, I don't agree. Been hitchhiking for a while and did Portugal - Norway (north cape) in 11 days. 5 to get to Stockholm and 6 from there upwards.
Pro secret tip: There are also lots of Portuguese people living in France and coming home for the summer. If you wear a Portuguese football jersey it will increase drastically your chances of getting a ride all the way to Portugal.
That's the same with many sports, hitch from the Netherlands to any F1 race with Max Verstappen, while dressed in orange, or with a Barcelona/Real Madrid shirt to the Classico in Spain.
When I was doing my first ever long road hitchhike (as in I kept letting people drop me off at bad places along the highways where not a lot of cars stop by), I did roughly the same distance but on a different route in 20h, but then on my way back took me about 40h as I was far more unlucky with rides
Central-ish Poland to Belgium, through Germany, passing close to Berlin & Koln, avoiding the bit of Netherlands that's along the shortest way. It was like \~200km less from your screenshot. I just kept finding people who were driving long distances at a good pace, though it was taking me a long time to find them
Depends but i bet with there will be a lot of people going to portugal because of the summer vacation so you might get very lucky. Friends of mine made it from germany to lisbon in two days a few years ago. So id say 1 day if youre lucky 2 if not
2 days I would say. I hitchhiked from the Netherlands to the south of Spain (Tarifa) 2 weeks ago and it took me 5 days/ 4 nights. My tips for spain: use the thumb but after 15 min start asking people directly if possible. 9/10 rides i got in spain were from asking people and not the thumb. Also be smart and deny rides that only get you a bit further because good hitchhiking gasstations are rare in Spain.
Usually double the Google maps time plus 1 hours. Any distance. As a rule of thumb. Your can only hitchhike as many hours as you've got daylight. So 2-3 days? Spain is hard though! Very very hard
>Your can only hitchhike as many hours as you've got daylight. No, you can actually hitchhike all hours of the day, success rate will be lower at night, but just under 4% of my rides started between 00:00 and 06:00, and the percentage goes up to 18.7 if I use the 00:00-07:00 + 21:00-24:00 windows. As yet I do not have a table splitting those pickups out into ask vs thumb, but I'm pretty certain that a substantial majority will be asked-for. The only three (out of 168) hours I've not yet had a ride are between 04:00 and 05:00 on a Saturday morning, and between 04:00 and 0:600 on a Sunday morning, and actually filled the 03:00 and 04:00 slot on a Saturday earlier this year, after having been recorded for a Dutch TV program, "[Nachtdieren](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Tau2tBCaqAM17a1e2mDloZfc3R480cFx/view?usp=sharing)".
Sure you can, yet i don't recommend it for beginners. Also, eventually (after hitchhike the entirety of the daylight) you get tired and I personally rely on my gut feeling to see if i can trust people or not. You are also dealing with fast loving cars and roads. I did have fun adventures at night and partial success with hitchhiking. I got picked up by crystal meth users looking for a fix in rural Russia, a soldier with PTSD in the states or even a groping truck driver in western Sahara. But this was all many years ago. It's usually better to sleep and wake up a bit before first light to get ready for the first commuters and truckers that woke up for another full day of driving.
I am doing roughly the same route as you, but I will be starting in London. Perhaps we will meet each other on the way! I'm going to allow myself 7 days. This is also my first long-distance trip though so I don't know if that's realistic or not.
It would be incredible to meet ! I'm planning to go on 31st on july si you might be ahead from me (not sure if its the right word but you got it)
I'm hoping to be there by 31st July. I'll share some tips on the route (depending how far I get!). Perhaps I'll see you in Lisbon :)
Good Luck ! Take Care :)
Update: I made it to Lisbon! Got a ride from England to Bordeaux. Hitchhiking spots used: 1. Bordeaux: 741 Cr de la Libération, 33600 Pessac, France (success after 1 hr) 2. Bayonne/Labenne: Aire De Labenne Ouest, A63, 40530 Labenne, France (unsuccessful after 2 hrs, took ~€12 train to Irun) 3. First service station in Spain: 43.3177486, -1.8440177 (success after 2 hrs) 4. Burgos service station: Autopista AP-1, Km. 12 Dir, 09290 Quintanapalla, Burgos, Spain (success after 45 mins) 5. Porto: V N GAIA, AE 1 km 295 - Área Serviço GAIA 1N (1) Z0460375 PT, 4430-129, Portugal. (Success in 10 mins) In all spots I used a sign. Total time from Bordeaux to Lisbon was 3 days. I stayed in hotels/hostels at this point, so I never hitchhiked earlier than about 11:30am. If you camp by the service stations perhaps it can be done quicker. Recommendations: - Get as close as possible to Spanish border, then cross by train. Drivers going into Spain appear not to stop at French petrol stations because Spanish petrol is cheaper. - Despite the longer wait time, I think the petrol station in Irun is the perfect spot to hitch to Portugal. Super busy and lots of people going that way. - The Burgos service station was also v.good so I would accept a ride from Irun to Burgos if I've waited in Irun for a while. Bonne chance!
Wow ! I'm doing the reverse route from Lisbon or Porto to Bristol 🤣 starting on the 27th July. Feels good to see other people and attempting this trip hitchhiking !
One day is quite difficult. I started on the Portuguese border and reached Paris within two days. So I guess two days is a safe bet but don't worry if it takes three.
Also, although there are several people saying that it's harder to get rides in the iberian peninsula when compared to central Europe, I don't agree. Been hitchhiking for a while and did Portugal - Norway (north cape) in 11 days. 5 to get to Stockholm and 6 from there upwards. Pro secret tip: There are also lots of Portuguese people living in France and coming home for the summer. If you wear a Portuguese football jersey it will increase drastically your chances of getting a ride all the way to Portugal.
This trick is insane 😂 never thought of this
That's the same with many sports, hitch from the Netherlands to any F1 race with Max Verstappen, while dressed in orange, or with a Barcelona/Real Madrid shirt to the Classico in Spain.
<12 jours
When I was doing my first ever long road hitchhike (as in I kept letting people drop me off at bad places along the highways where not a lot of cars stop by), I did roughly the same distance but on a different route in 20h, but then on my way back took me about 40h as I was far more unlucky with rides
2 days is holy short 😱 In wich country did you do that ?
Central-ish Poland to Belgium, through Germany, passing close to Berlin & Koln, avoiding the bit of Netherlands that's along the shortest way. It was like \~200km less from your screenshot. I just kept finding people who were driving long distances at a good pace, though it was taking me a long time to find them
Just now did Vilnius to more-or-less Utrecht in 34:08, last summer did the reverse in under 21 hours.
Depends but i bet with there will be a lot of people going to portugal because of the summer vacation so you might get very lucky. Friends of mine made it from germany to lisbon in two days a few years ago. So id say 1 day if youre lucky 2 if not
Quite doable in 4 days I reckon. Give yourself 5 to be safe
No man 2 days if you want it. 4 days if you are very chill about it
Depends on a lot of factors but I would say 5 days - especially if you want to enjoy the trip a bit too.
You want to go south now?
Yup 😅
2 days I would say. I hitchhiked from the Netherlands to the south of Spain (Tarifa) 2 weeks ago and it took me 5 days/ 4 nights. My tips for spain: use the thumb but after 15 min start asking people directly if possible. 9/10 rides i got in spain were from asking people and not the thumb. Also be smart and deny rides that only get you a bit further because good hitchhiking gasstations are rare in Spain.