Autoput

Autoput is the Serbian word for "motorway", but it is also commonly used for the road going from Austria to Greece across all former Yugoslavian republics. The road leads from Villach through Ljubljana, Zagreb, Beograd, Nis and Skopje to Thessaloniki. Most parts are four lane motorways, with only a few missing parts, which are planed to be finished soon.

Essentials to hitchhike

 * 1) Even if it is a highway, it is possible to walk over all borders, and continue to hitch directly on the road
 * 2) If you are at one of the numerous borders, wait for a long distance lift, best to the next border. This is usually much faster than if you are stuck at a petrol station somewhere in countryside.
 * 3) The road has numerous toll stations in Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia. From there it´s perfectly possible to hitchhike. In Slovenia there are toll stations as well, but cars don´t have to stop there and tend to rush through very fast.
 * 4) If you are reaching a border by truck, go of at the end of the truck line and walk. Customs for trucks take many hours.

Heading north

 * 1) If you come from the south heading onwards to Munich or further, there is no real reason to get out of the car in Slovenia and Austria. Just walk over the border from HR to SLO and hitch there or go to the petrol station 1200 meters further, where almost all cars have to stop to buy a vignette for Slovenian motorways. It´s possible to find lifts to all parts of Northern Europe there.
 * 2) Don`t get out in Slovenia! Everybody fills up the tank at the border, nobody stops anywhere in Slovenia.

Heading south
Don´t go to the petrol station near Villach. Petrol is cheaper in Slovenia, so almost nobody stops there. As most international traffic starts in Salzburg or further north, you can find long distance lifts earlier.