Difference between revisions of "Ireland"
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Hitchhiking is the easiest and fastest way to travel in the countryside and in the less inhabited regions, where public transportation such as train or bus is not available or it is not as frequent as a traveler might expect (one or two buses per day). You can easily get multiple lifts from one village to another for really short distances, and people are very welcoming. You can get a lift virtually anywhere, even on the smallest roads. | Hitchhiking is the easiest and fastest way to travel in the countryside and in the less inhabited regions, where public transportation such as train or bus is not available or it is not as frequent as a traveler might expect (one or two buses per day). You can easily get multiple lifts from one village to another for really short distances, and people are very welcoming. You can get a lift virtually anywhere, even on the smallest roads. | ||
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| + | Most people are very happy to see foreign backpackers hitchhiking. Even if they don't pick you up, many will motivate you by waving, honking, showing thumbs up and so on. | ||
Long distance travelling can be a little slow, but the country isn't big. It's possible to get from one coast to the other in one day, as long as you stick to the national (N) roads. These roads connect any city or bigger towns in the country. Usually lead directly into the town centers, so all the long-distance-traffic has to pass them. This makes in very easy to hitch a ride at the end of a town. Some bigger towns have bypasses, which make it more difficult, but it's usually possible to hitch a ride to the bypass. | Long distance travelling can be a little slow, but the country isn't big. It's possible to get from one coast to the other in one day, as long as you stick to the national (N) roads. These roads connect any city or bigger towns in the country. Usually lead directly into the town centers, so all the long-distance-traffic has to pass them. This makes in very easy to hitch a ride at the end of a town. Some bigger towns have bypasses, which make it more difficult, but it's usually possible to hitch a ride to the bypass. | ||
Revision as of 15:26, 30 July 2007
Ireland is very great for hitchhiking. The recent economic upsurge has changed this situation a little bit though.
Hitchhiking is the easiest and fastest way to travel in the countryside and in the less inhabited regions, where public transportation such as train or bus is not available or it is not as frequent as a traveler might expect (one or two buses per day). You can easily get multiple lifts from one village to another for really short distances, and people are very welcoming. You can get a lift virtually anywhere, even on the smallest roads.
Most people are very happy to see foreign backpackers hitchhiking. Even if they don't pick you up, many will motivate you by waving, honking, showing thumbs up and so on.
Long distance travelling can be a little slow, but the country isn't big. It's possible to get from one coast to the other in one day, as long as you stick to the national (N) roads. These roads connect any city or bigger towns in the country. Usually lead directly into the town centers, so all the long-distance-traffic has to pass them. This makes in very easy to hitch a ride at the end of a town. Some bigger towns have bypasses, which make it more difficult, but it's usually possible to hitch a ride to the bypass. Some national roads have a dual carriageway, so they are similar to motorways, except that it is allowed to stand on the side of the road - perfect for you. Don't bother too much about good places for cars to pull over. Irish people don't mind stopping for you in the middle of a road.
Showing your thumb is the common way to hitchhike, but using a sign reduces waiting times a lot. It is recommended to put the name of the next town on a cardboard, as many people work in neighbour cities.
