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|pop = 145,274,019
|currency = Ruble (RUB)
|hitch = from {{average}} to {{very good}}<rating country='ru' />|BW = RU
}}
'''Russia''' is the largest country on Earth, and is a fantastic country for hitch hiking. It is well ingrained within the country's culture, and it is a much more comfortable way to see the country, compared to taking the train. Despite the popularity of hitch hiking compared to other countries, people will still be surprised by what you are doing. Especially if you are (and look like) a foreigner. It is possible to cover vast distances per day when hitching, greater than 1000 km if you are lucky, but generally only when using major M roads in Western Russia or Siberia through Trans-siberian railway mainline. == Roads ==Do not expect all M roads to be dual carriageways – sometimes even a major road is a narrow, unpaved muddy patch. Generally speaking, the further East you go, the worse the road condition gets. But even on main connections in less remote areas, for example from Moscow to Kazan, the road is not always in good shape in connection with the huge traffic, travelling will take much more time than in Western Europe. There are real motorways, though, marked with a green sign of an autobahn same as in Europe. Standards are improving too; there is an ongoing policy of funding the rebuilding many roads in Russia, which will bring standards to a much higher level. In spite of the country's size, there are very few roads, there is little ambiguity in where you could be going, when hitching from a large number given location. In areas about 50 km from cities you may just stay on the road and you will get rides with high success which other cities the roads go to. === Maps ===In mostly all bigger book stores in Russia one can find the [http://www.allmaps.ru/avto_km_stolb/russia/ Автоатлас России] (''Auto Atlas Russia'') which is perfect for hitchhiking Russia. Including gas stations, DPS stations, even traffic lights along main roads. The atlas also includes city maps and maps of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and the Baltic states as well. Price is 377 RUB (July 2009). Also, there are maps almost completely presenting full infrastructure of active hitchhikerssome cities including public transportation system at [http://www.2gis.ru/ 2gis.ru]. November, 1st 2009 there were 22 cities: Астрахань, Барнаул, Бийск, Екатеринбург, Иркутск, Казань, Кемерово ,Красноярск ,Курган, Нижневартовск, Нижний Новгород, Новокузнецк, Новосибирск, Одесса, Омск, Пермь, Самара, Тольятти, Томск, Тюмень, Уфа, Челябинск. U can use on-line version or download installer and use maps off-line. Also there is opportunity to use 2gis on Windows Mobile platform and even on usual cellphone with Java MIDP-2 engine (needs internet access). A more modern alternative is Maps.me, as it has offline maps and shows gas stations. (Most platforms) Another alternative Application to MapsMe is Yandex Maps. It's like Russian Goole maps. You can download offline maps there and find every address or public transport.(July 2019) == Hitching ==Also, there is a possibility to get a lift by talking to drivers on gas stations. You will not be misunderstood but compared since there are almost no highways and you can point your thumb anywhere, wasting time on a gas station waiting for cars is not preferred unless there is heavy raining, or the spot is bad etc. If there are two of you one can hitch on the road and the other one ask people on nearby gas station; that really might bring you a lift faster. But the “default” method of hitchhiking in Russia is still thumbing on the roadside. If you don't speak the language, thumbing is better - as people will just drive towards your direction and you can join them. Do not write places names on cardboards – nobody in this country cares to read them. Or, if you still want to use the total paper, write a region number instead of the population name (see below for a list of reg numbers). Because you can get dropped off and immediately hitch onwards on nearly all roads in Russia, using a sign is never necessary and in fact the community recommends against it. Again, in spite of the country's size, there are very few roads, there is little ambiguity in where you could be going, when hitching from a given location. You must take a raincoat (it sometimes rains in summer and very often in autumn), good shoes, a warm jumper for summer (the winter starts in October), some cash (and not credit cards or cheques), perhaps a tent with a sleeping bag. === Trains, Boats, etc ===taken from a post on squattheplanet forum: "In Siberia, it is apparently common and easy (and ALLOWED) to hitch-hiking on cargo ships and freight trains, in the unit. Trains are not manifested ahead of time, but instead are done on a day-to-day basis (CHAOS?!). This means that you show up at the 'yard' (really only a load/unload with a siding or two), and ask the workers or security for the engineer/brakeman lounge. Sometmes the security will hassle you, but if you simply explain that you are a traveler, it's totally allowed! So, ask around, find a train going your way, find out when it leaves, and ask if you can hop on. You ride in the unit, which while heated (Siberia is fucking cold), has no toilet, so don't drink too much, and take a pregame dump. Ride to where you're going, simple as that! Also, every yard has a cafe for the workers, and food is apparently wicked cheap.Boat-hitching is apparently similar. Ask around, get permission, get on, and go! The only significant problem would be the language barrier, but people are absolutely THRILLED to meet travelers, especially ones from foreign lands (remember, Russia is HUGE).Additionally, it's possible to stay for a night at monasteries all over Russia. If you want to stay longer, they will usually ask you to help out with chores.I REALLY want to try this!" == Language ==Hitchhiking in Russian is called ''автостоп'' (avtostop). It literally means “car stopping”, and is a great country basically the only word understood as hitching (i.e. travelling by getting lifts for free). A more colloquial word for it is "попутка" (poputka). When people ask you anywhere in Russia: "куда ты едешь?" (Kuda TjIE edesh?)[where are you going to?] you should answer: "я еду автостопом" (ya yedu avtostopom), then they will ask you another question and this time you say the name of the city. It might be better and more polite to hitchhikeask "Вы могли бы подкинуть меня в направлении ..." (Vy mogli by podkinut menya v napravlenii ... some drivers expect money), some which means "Could you give me a lift in the direction of ...". Level of speaking English is rather low especially among people older than 40 and even notall young people speak it with a sufficient level.Count about 5 You might ought to learn Cyrillic script for your own convenience. It is quite simple for a person familiar with English or Greek alphabet and is learnable in 2-3 days . People, their friendliness and mentality differ much from part of Russia they are from (there are many national republics and indigenous nations), and also from [[Moscow]] to [[Novosibirsk]]the type of town (for example, notorious "monogorod" - monotowns) and by their social status.
== Safety ==
[[File:2001 Hitch-hiking in Russia.jpg|thumb|280px|left|[[User:Sigurdas|Sigurdas]] hitch-hiking towards [[Murmansk]] from [[St. Petersburg]]. Winter 2001.]]
[[File:IMG 9652.JPG|thumb|200px|right|[[User:Lucysd|Lucysd]] 200 km from [[Mongolia]]]]
== Cities ==
* [[Moscow]]
* [[St. Petersburg]]
* [[Cheboksary]]
* [[MoscowSamara]]* [[Irkutsk]]* [[Murmansk]]
* [[Novosibirsk]]
* [[Omsk]]
* [[Petrozavodsk]]
* [[St. PetersburgRostov-on-Don]]* [[Sochi]]* [[Ufa]]* [[Ulan-Ude]]* [[Voronezh]]
* [[Yekaterinburg]]
== External links ==
* [http://010-vladok.reitsma.ru/ Story about hitchhiking from Rotterdam to Vladivostok]{{en}}* [http://no-planes.de/?p=76/ Story about hitchhiking from Hamburg to Lake Baikal] {{en}}*[http://youarealltourists.blogspot.de/search/label/Siberia Stories about hitchhiking around remote Siberian regions] {{en}}* [http://hike.ru/?newlang=eng Russian hitchhiking website about hitchhiking in Russia]{{ru}}* [http://www.bpclub.ru/index.php Russian Backpacker, Russian backpacker & hitchhiker's forum], in Russian{{ru}}* [http://avp.travel.ru/ Academy of Free Travel, Moscow based hitchhiking club] {{ru}}* [http://vpiska.livejournal.com Livejournal 'Vpiska' community], mostly {{ru}} but {{en}} speakers are also welcome* [http://ru_autostop.livejournal.com Russian] hitchhiking communities. {{ru}}, but you can ask questions and get replies in {{en}}* [http://takemeeast.blogspot.com/search/label/russia Hitchhiking in the Russianfar east] {{en}} == Nomadwiki & Trashwiki == {{nomadwiki}}
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{{IsIn|Eastern Europe}}
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