Europe

Hitchhiking in Europe is fun. There are many small countries to enjoy hitching through, motorways in the Western parts can be exceptionally good, and overall hitchhiking is safe.

Some countries such as Germany are quite easy to hitch around, for example, for the large distances in a single lift, or with the possibility to go really fast (especially where driving speed is not limited). Most countries are at the average or rather easy hitchability level, e.g. the Netherlands, Belgium and East European countries. Some other countries are considered bad for the long waiting times (like Spain and Italy) but even there you might get a ride if you are patient enough.

Note: In France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland and Italy trucks are not allowed to use motorways on Sundays and on public holidays. In Germany this is also the case on the first Saturday of the school summer vacations, meaning the trucks will not drive for almost 48 hours! (Any other countries?) However, these restrictions do not apply to those granted an exception, such as trucks transporting perishable goods and fuel supplies.

For crossing the borders have a look at the Schengen Agreement. With a Schengen visa you can travel within a bunch of European countries.

When hitching longer distances it's generally good to stick to petrol stations on the motorway. People there go long distances and it's not uncommon to find rides of 500 km and longer.

Maps

It is more convenient to take a map on your trip but if you don't do so it is no big deal - some people actually prefer to get a feeling of lost nomads and to trust their own senses. For Western Europe the Marco Polo Euro Atlas is a great hitchhikers's choice: It contains a detailed information about petrol stations situated on motorways, and excludes less useful for hitch-hiking trips stuff like the index pages or city maps. For online usage: