https://hitchwiki.org/en/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=206.220.40.8&feedformat=atomHitchwiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T22:49:33ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.32.3https://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Signs&diff=22481Signs2008-07-14T15:14:54Z<p>206.220.40.8: </p>
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<div>ccagetriccna<br />
[[Image:Sheffieldbedroomwall.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[User:Tmoon|Tmoon]]'s collection of [[signs]]]]<br />
[[Hitchhikers]] often debate about whether to use a '''sign'''. If you decide to use one there are several important things:<br />
* Think well about what place or text to put on it: use well known places, and sometimes also road names can be used or more humorous phrases (''"I don't stink"'').<br />
* Use the same font as the route directions<br />
* Use contrasting colors: black on brown cardboard is not very good readable for passing drivers, black on white is far more readable<br />
* Write only the initial letters in capitals. The human brain detects a word not only by combining a few letters, but also by recognizing the different ascenders and descenders (the heights of the different words). When writing only in capital letters you lose this advantage. That's why street signs respect the upper and lower case.<br />
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''Tip #1'':<br />
Make a sign of a large sheet of brightly colored paper glued to a sheet of cardboard. Cover this with self adhesive transparent book wrap. Now you made yourself a re-usable sign wich you can use with a whiteboard marker and clean again with a small towel.<br />
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''Tip #2'':<br />
Make use of waterproof, dustproof document bags. There you can store many sheets of paper and signs you can reuse. Nothing falls out, you could hang them somewhere and you can use both sides of the folder to have two signs at once. Ortlieb is one company that produces good ones.<br />
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''Tip #3'':<br />
Buy a pad of A4 plain paper, and use it inside a waterproof, dustproof transparent plastic folder that you can find in most stationary shops. When writing, insert something under the page to stop the pen ink running through to the page underneath (a document bag is good for this). With a pad of paper, you can quickly flip through pages to find the sign you need. Also, the pad can be a great souvenir of your journey.<br />
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[[Image:Img_l_1306483.jpg|thumb|180px|right|[[User:MayaCova|MayaCova]] using was using a white board with considerable success.]]<br />
''Tip #4'': If you have a chance to plan a long hitchhiking trip in advance, some find using an erasable white board as a sign to be very useful for making big, clear and reusable signs.<br />
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[[Image:Smileycardboard.jpg|thumb|200px|Even this can work great]]<br />
[[Image:Signs.JPG|thumb|200px|Some more examples]]<br />
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==When not to use==<br />
Some hitchhikers think it could be better not to use signs at big crowded gas stations where it's up to you to ask people, like in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Germany]] on highway [[gas station]]s (and speaking fluent English/German). It's not very likely that holding a sign will help if you can already clearly state where you want to go and that you are hitchhiking.<br />
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Others always have a sign. To show it to people while their still in the car and then ask them when they pass by to pay for their gas. If they don't understand what's written on it they also ask. And I already have it with me when getting out of a car, so people sometimes ask me right away if they can take me... So it's definitely good to have it. It doesn't have any negative effects so why not use it?<br />
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In conflict with the above, a sign only makes sense when you stand next to the road. At the petrol station you could better show the driver on a map where you want to go and so he can show you where he can take you. You even donât need to speak his language for that. The big problem with signs is that the driver must read it, then he must wonder if goes the same direction, than he wants to know if he likes your face and if he can stop somewhere...but than he realises that he passed you, he is now 500m away from you ...so he will decide to drive on!<br />
[[Image:Guaka my bithday2.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Sometimes you can use special signs]]<br />
If you just use your thumb the driver only has to decide if he likes you and if he can stop his car in this place. <br />
If he is going the right way, you can find out when he stops. <br />
Another bad idea is the use of shortcuts, because only locals know them (like HH for Hamburg). <br />
Also, the driver can see your faraway destination city and although he doesn't want to go there, he could take you for the next 200km. Most drivers don't realise how helpful they could be with these 200km, so they drive on.<br />
I always have enough baggage with me. So I really donât need another square meter of waterproofed cardboard in my backpack.<br />
Use what you find and what you can put in the next garbage can!<br />
I only use sometimes funny signs or at some crossroads they could be helpful and when I am not the only hitchhiker who is standing next to the motorway. <br />
...but it's like religion, everybody has his own idea of it!<br />
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[[Category:General info]]<br />
[[Category:Signs]]<br />
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[[fi:Kyltti]]<br />
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[[de:Schilder]]<br />
[[fr:Signes]]</div>206.220.40.8https://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Germany&diff=22306Germany2008-07-10T19:26:26Z<p>206.220.40.8: </p>
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<div>taracel<br />
{{infobox Country<br />
|country = Germany<br />
|language = German<br />
|capital = [[Berlin]]<br />
|pop = 82,314,900<br />
|currency = Euro (â¬)<br />
|hitch = {{good}}<br />
}}<br />
<map lat='51.39920565355378' lng='9.9755859375' zoom='5' view='0' height='320' width='260' float='left' country='Germany' /><br />
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'''Germany''' is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]]. It is a great country for [[hitchhiking]]. Just make sure you get on the ''Autobahn'' (motorway)! There it is best to get to a ''Raststätte'' ([[service area]]) where drivers can legally stop and get from one to another. You will often find [[maps]] with the motorways and the service areas along them. On most on ramps you will get also reasonably fast a ride. Just make sure not to end up on a "Schnellstrasse" (leading to the on ramp), where cars go fast and cannot stop.<br />
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In Germany there are no speed limits on many highways. So you might first want to try to get a ride with fast cars before asking truck drivers! Trucks are great during nighttime, but like in [[France]], there are restrictions to when they might drive. In Germany, most trucks aren't allowed to drive on Sundays or public holidays until 22:00.<br />
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If you are traveling specific highways, have a look at the '''[[Template:Highways DE|highways]]''' page or at the bottom of this article. There you'll find specific information about the ramps and hints along the highways, currently especially for the route [[Amsterdam]]â[[Berlin]] along the [[A2 (Germany)|A2]] and [[A30 (Germany)|A30]]!<br />
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== License plates ==<br />
In Germany license plates start with an abbreviation of the region where the car is registered. So look out for number plates starting with '''B''' if you're hitching to [[Berlin]]! Have a look at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_car_number_plates German car number plates] and [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Kfz-Kennzeichen_in_Deutschland List of abbreviations used] (in German) on Wikipedia for more information.<br />
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{{Template:Cities Germany}}<br />
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== Border crossings ==<br />
Germany implemented the [[Schengen Agreement]]. This means, that the border to other Schengen countries are open. Since December 21th 2007, [[Poland]] and [[Czech Republic]] are also part of the Schengen area and only at the border to [[Switzerland]]) there are still checkpoints and German custom officers or sometimes police might control your luggage. If you want to hitchhike from a border check point, it might be better, to stand a little bit away from the check point, so you are out of the custom officers' sight.<br />
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== Carpooling ''(Mitfahrgelegenheit)'' ==<br />
Germany has a national carpooling website that gives the opportunity to the driver to post their journey in search of passenger to share the cost of the ride. The website, called [http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/ Mitfahrgelegenheit] is sadly exclusively in german. Although, its system is pretty basic as you can scroll search from your departure point ''(von)'' to a destination ''(nach)'' with a date and # of passengers. If you search for a ride going outside Germany or to Germany from another [[Europe|european]] country, you can simply click the ''Europa'' link. Then you simply have to contact the driver yourself (most of the time through email, some does leave their phone number) and agree to a price and a departure point and time. This system can reveal a low expense alternative to hitching, a similar system also exists in [[Belgium]].<br />
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Experience showed that sometimes hitchhiking is even faster than ''Mitfahrgelegenheit'', because drivers sometimes drive in each city they pass to get in new passengers or load them off. <br />
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''Note: Abfahrt = Departure / Ankunft = Arrival''<br />
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== Maps ==<br />
[[Image:IMG 5392.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[Tiziano]] hitching from [[Berlin]] to [[Munich]]]]<br />
If you're not staying very long in Germany you can make it with any map of Germany showing you the gas stations on the highway. Go to any gas station along the highways and ask for a "Autobahn-Guide". This "Autobahn-Guide" is for free! You'll get a booklet describing all Services and including a map with an overview of all gas stations along the highways. More Information you can find here: [http://www.tank.rast.de/standorte/servicenetz/index.php tank.rast.de]. You can also find more detailed maps there for ~5 Euro.<br />
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Very good maps for hitchhiking are '''Michelin Regional''', the orange ones with the numbers 541-546. There are six of them, each covering a different part of Germany.<br /><br />
They are very detailed, on the motorway they show every single gas station, hotel, restaurant, or parking place and they also have town maps for any bigger town within the covered area.<br /><br />
Ratio is 1:350000. You can usually get them in local bookstores for about EUR 8.<br />
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[[User:Platschi|Platschi]] suggests the ''Aral StraÃen-Atlas Deutschland & Europa''. It contains a detailled map of '''Germany''' and bordering countries, with city maps of the biggest German cities and all service stations along the highway. Costs EUR 7,95. Available at all ''Aral'' service stations and bookstores.<br />
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== Eat ==<br />
Try to avoid eating on service stations on the motorways. They are very expensive (you even have to pay for the toilets) and the food is usually very bad.<br />
At some service stations with a ''Sanifair'' system you get a EUR 0,50 bill for the toilet. You can buy things for EUR 0,50 with it at the petrol station shop and at the restaurant.<br />
You can drink water from the tap nearly everywhere in Germany.<br />
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Keep in mind that most shops (including supermarkets) are not allowed to open on Sundays. There are ''no'' 24h-shops, but gas stations often offer a limited food section.<br />
In bigger cities you can usually get the cheapest food at the various Turkish and Italian Restaurants.<br />
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{{States Germany}}<br />
{{Highways DE}}<br />
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== Practical links ==<br />
* [http://deu.anarchopedia.org/index.php/Deutschland:Trampstellen Hitchhiking spots in Germany], in German, on a GFDL wiki<br />
* [http://www.hitch-hiking.org www.hitch-hiking.org - Information all about hitchhiking (English and German language)]<br />
* [http://www.liftershalte.info/?country=DE world map with good places to hitch]<br />
* [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Autobahn_1-999.png Overview of highways in Germany]<br />
* [http://www.best-restaurants.de/aurade.htm Highway restaurants in German]<br />
* [http://www.tank.rast.de/standorte/servicenetz/index.php/ Service stations on highways in Germany]<br />
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<!--* [http://www.linksundrechts.com/karten/u_oesterreich.gif Autobahnübersicht Ãsterreich]<br />
* [http://www.autostrade.de/ Autobahnübersicht Italien]<br />
* [http://stuenings-nt.stuenings.de/LuR/karten/01519.gif Autobahnübersicht Italien]<br />
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* [http://www.bibione.com/index_de.html Bibione - Offizielle HP]<br />
* [http://www.bibione.com/vetrina/images/mappa_dintorni.jpg Bibione Ãbersichts Karte]<br />
* [http://www.bibione.com/upload//sito_bibione/162sito_bibione.jpg Bibione Strand]<br />
--><br />
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{{Hitchbase_country|73}}<br />
{{IsIn|Western Europe}}<br />
[[Category:Germany| ]]<br />
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[[de:Deutschland]]<br />
[[es:Alemania]]<br />
[[fr:Allemagne]]<br />
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__NOTOC__</div>206.220.40.8