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Spain

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== Language ==
The Comunidades are not only administrative destrictsdistricts; many of the regions have their own culture, language and some even don’t consider themselves as a part of Spain. For example the dominating language in [[Catalonia]] is Catalan, so be aware of that. Nevertheless, everyone speaks ''castellano'' (Spanish).
Aside from Spanish, obviously languages like Basque, Catalan, etc are spoken, and learning a handful of words even in local languages, may make the driver loosen up.
The Spanish phrase ''Vas a... ?'' (are you going to... ?) is an excellent starting point.
In Spain, hitching isn’t a very common concept and mostly done by foreigners. Though, the thumb will be understood. The best method definitely is, to ask peopel people directly, even if your Spanish is very poor. But be careful, many petrol stations, especially in the South, are deserted, if you are unlucky, only one or two non-local cars stop at the station every hour, and you might spend the night there.
Even if you hitchhike alone or in groups of two: be prepared to make much less kilometers than in Germany or France. 500 or 700 km a day may be a real challenge. First time in Spain it might be a good idea to only plan for 300 km a day.
Sometimes you will have to be patient possibly waiting for over an hour! Once, [[User:Latindane|Latindane]] had to wait 4 hours to get a 300 kilometers ride with lunch included towards [[Madrid]].
When entering the country from [[France]] you should try to get a lift as close to your destination as possible. On the mediteranean Mediterranean side, a good place for this is La Jonquera, one of the biggest truck stops in Europe. You’ll find plenty of international truck drivers all over the country, because Spain is a centre of the fruit industry, exporting their oranges and tomatoes. On the Atlantic side, there is another huge truck stop near Irun.
If you arrive by the ferry from [[Africa]] you should try to get a ride on the ferry or at the port. There are lots of people from [[Morocco]], who went to visit their families and now return. You’ll see number plates from many other European states.
 
 
 
 
== Road network ==
[[File:Hitchhiking_in_Salamanca_Spain_2010-05.JPG|thumb|right|[[User:Mikael|Mikael]] hitchhiking from [[Salamanca]] to [[Ávila]] in [[Spain]], May 2010.]]
The north of Spain has a well developed system of ''Autopistas''. Autopistas are very similar to Franch French ''Autoroutes'', and so similar rules can be applied when hitchhiking. Autopistas have two or more lanes in each direction, accessed after passing through a ''peaje'' (tollgate) and have large rest stops along the way.
When hitching at Peajes, usually people have great success, and can obtain long distance rides, even at night time. Usually the police and motorway staff do not interfere, but some stricter police may request that you leave. It is important to note that large peaje sections are usually split by a concrete wall; 2 or 3 lanes for cars, on the inside, and another 2 or 3 lanes for buses and trucks on the outside. The concrete walls usually carry on some distance after the peaje, and end once the vehicles are travelling traveling too fast to stop. It is up to the hitchhiker to decide which lanes to take, however sticking to the outside and waiting for a truck may attract less attention from the authorities than standing further inside waiting for a car.
When hitching long distances it is a good idea to stick to large peaje sections or rest stops. Bring water and food, since these ''áreas de servicio'' are expensive. It should be noted that hitching at small peaje sections, on motorway exits, is not reccommendedrecommended, as often there is one peaje for both directions, automatically ruling out many vehicles as possible rides.
In the Southern regions, the motorways are smaller and the petrol stations are usually further away from the road. It is best to be patient at these places. Be careful when people promise you to drop you at a "very busy" petrol station. Often the small petrol stations are deserted, it's possible that you won't see a single "non-local" car for an hour or two or three.
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