You miss real adventures? You should definitely try hitchhiking. This is a type of travel when you travel by passing cars. And absolutely free! Interested? Then we advise you to familiarize yourself with our selection of useful tips. They will allow you to feel more confident on the road and not get into an awkward situation.
Tip one: Travel sober
If you are under the influence of alcohol, you should not travel. For two reasons. Firstly, this is not ethical towards the driver who agreed to give you a ride. Secondly, it is dangerous. Being drunk, you will not be able to assess the risks in the process of catching a vehicle and further travel. There may be drivers who are ready to take advantage of your condition for their own benefit.
Tip two: Think like a driver
If you want to catch a car that will take you to beautiful places, you need to learn to think like a driver. What does this mean? Choose places where it will be convenient for you to be picked up. Wear reflective elements on your clothing. Ask for a ride to a city that is located along the route of the car.
Tip three: Make sure you get a free ride
At first glance, this advice may seem stupid. But believe me, you will think differently if you find yourself in such an awkward situation. So don’t forget to remind the driver when you board that you don’t have any money. But promise him great company and sincere conversations. They love it.
Tip four: Try to stay awake and keep the conversation going
Drivers pick up travel companions not only out of the kindness of their hearts, but also in order to distract themselves from dozing. Be a diligent traveler and help the person driving to stay awake. Some people like to talk more, others like to listen more. You should be able to do both perfectly. If you and the driver do not have common languages. If this happens when you travel abroad, then memorize a short story about yourself in English and the local dialect.
Tip five: One traveler – one bag
Drivers don’t really like to pick up people with a huge number of suitcases. And they can be understood. Picking up a person and driving them to their destination is stressful. Nobody wants to make it worse by lugging around luggage and trying to carve out some space in their trunk.
Tip six: Make eye contact with the driver
When you catch the car, take off your sunglasses and put away your cap. You should look directly at the driver and try to make eye contact with him. It’s not a fact that everyone will stop, but it increases your credibility. This means you’ll have to wait fewer hours on the side of the road.
Tip seven: Smile
Communicating with a positive person infects you with energy. This is why cheerful people attract audiences so much. Believe me, the driver is not at all interested in your problems in your personal life and lack of career growth. He picked you up to hear interesting stories about adventures and meet a new extraordinary person. Comply! And he has plenty of personal problems too.
We hope these seven tips will make your hitchhiking trip more enjoyable and successful. However, don’t forget that sometimes getting from point A to point B can be much easier and faster. It’s enough to just buy train tickets or find an interesting offer from airlines.
Source: Mikhail Roskin
