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'''Mexico''' is a country in [[North America]]. Despite its notoriety, hitchhiking in Mexico is not only possible but it can be a rather enjoyable experience. Due to its sheer size it´s it's impossible to give a general hitchability rating for this country: the experiences vary from state to state. As anywhere, you can go fast on highways and very slow on small less trafficky roads.

Usually it makes sense to hitchhike after traffic lights, especially on bus stops and the like, but '''in Mexico it is better to be among the cars, in Peculiarity of Mexican hitchhiking are the traffic lights, and directly ask rides from people who have open windows.''' Sometimes you can just jump in the back of a ubiquitous pick-up without even telling trucks where you are going and just tap jump in the window when you want to get off. You can catch long rides at back, hold onto your hat, kiss the gas stations (gasolineras) wind and at forget about communicating with the exits of the cities when driver. Many people will offer you travel on the highways. food and drinks, especially Coca Cola! On the small roads, however, hitchhiking can sometimes be time-taking - waits and walks of 2-3 hours are not unheard of. Be prepared routes with patience, water and sun cream. Although in many places locals hitch to get home from the grocery store for instancepoor public transportation, hitchhiking as a lifestyle or as a means of long-distance travel payment is not so common in Mexico sometimes expected and not everybody might immediately understand what you want. So, on the mountain paths for instance, your brain should be wired more to enjoy the magnificent views and eating the abundance of fruit the nature has on offer rather than making a lot of progressordinary pickups magically turn into ''collectivos'' (shared taxis).

Peculiarity On the small roads, however, hitchhiking can sometimes be time-consuming – waiting times of Mexican hitchhiking 2–3 hours are the ubiquitous pick-up trucks where you just jump in the back, hold onto your hatnot unheard of. Be prepared with patience, kiss the wind water and forget about communicating with sun cream. Although in many places locals hitch to get home from the driver. Many people will offer you food and drinksgrocery store for instance, especially Coca Cola! On routes with poor public transportation, payment hitchhiking as a lifestyle or as a means of long-distance travel is sometimes expected not so common in Mexico and ordinary pickups magically turn into collectivos (shared taxis)not everybody might immediately understand what you want. You can hitchhike pretty much everywhereSo, even on the highway (although pretty much no one stops at such high speeds). In generalmountain paths for instance, asking on your brain should be wired more to enjoy the gas station or even traffic lights can get you further pretty easily. You can also thumb up at magnificent views and eating the various border control and military checkpoints (just ask abundance of fruit the personnel for permission beforehand)nature has on offer rather than making a lot of progress.

The best place to get a ride is not You can hitchhike pretty much everywhere, even on the side of the road highway (although pretty much no one stops at such high speeds). In general, asking at gas stations (''gasolinera'') or an even traffic lights (''semáforo''), especially on-rampbus stops and the like, can get you far pretty easily. Sometimes it is better to be among the cars, like in many other countriesthe traffic lights, but at petrol stations or and directly ask rides from people who have open windows. Sometimes you can just jump in the back of a pick-up without even telling where you are going and just tap in the window when you want to get off.  Other good places include exits from shopping centers, in truck stops or at the restaurants where truckers eat. Some petrol stations in the north don't allow people to do that, but you can try to speak with the manager. It works sometimes. Otherwise, just stay by the cashier of the petrol station or at the door (they can't forbid you that) and ask. Nevertheless if you don Mexico also has many border control and military and police checkpoints (''retén'') in the middle of the highways throughout the country. These can be great for hitchhiking. It't s usually good practice to ask people the personnel for permission beforehand, and stick out oftentimes they'll be asking all the drivers where they're going, so they can even let you know if someone's going to your thumb destination. You can also catch long rides at the exits of the cities when you travel on the highways. Many cities have speed bumps (''tope'') where the highway begins at the edge of town. On smaller highways in more rural areas, there are often speed bumps at every little town, making it easy to move quickly with a number of shorter rides. Many of the larger, faster highways operate on a toll system. The tollbooths (''caseta'') can still make be good distanceplaces, too. However, you have to stand about 100m past the tollbooth, so traffic has often already picked up speed by the time they get to you, and it can be difficult for cars to pull over. Signs can come in really handy at tollbooths.

However, if you're in an area with a lot of local traffic, it might be useful to make a sign that says "Siguiente Gasolinera" (next gas station). Then you can get a ride to a better hitchhiking spot. Similarly, signs that say "reten" (checkpoint) or "caseta" (tollbooth) can be really useful, especially when cars are passing quickly and the checkpoint or tollbooth is only 10 or 20 km away.

It is even less recommendable than in other countries to take drugs or weapons with you, especially as of 2010 since the Mexican government, backed by the US ADA DEA who are actually present in Mexico (!!) have decided to crack down on narco and weapon trafficking. Therefore you likely will be checked at one of the numerous check points, especially in the north as you near the US border. But it's also good to know that the soldiers hardly ever search all the way through a large back-pack, unless you answer their questions really bad. If the vehicle you're riding in does get stopped just stay calm, show your passport, say the magic words "''turista''" ("tourist") and "''de paseo nada más''" ("just passing"), and if they ask to see your stuff open you bag and show them that it's all clothes and stuff.

* [[AcapulcoPuebla (city)|Puebla]]* [[GuadalajaraQuerétaro (city)| Querétaro]]* [[San Cristóbal]] de las Casas]]* [[San Luis Potosí (city)| San Luis Potosí]]* [[Tehuantepec]]* [[Tuxtla]]