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|language = English; recognized regional languages are Welsh, Irish, Ulster Scots, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish
|capital = [[London]]
|pop = 6067,975081,000
|currency = Pound sterling (GBP)
|hitch = <rating country='uk' />
|BW = GB
}}
The '''United Kingdom''' is a country in [[Nothern Europe]] which forms the so-called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Travel_Area Common Travel area] with [[Ireland]] and is not part of the [[Schengen Agreement]]. It is connected to mainland Europe via the [[English channel]]. As of 2020, it is no longer part of the [[European Union]].
Hitching in [[Scotland]] or [[Wales]] tends to be more easy than in southern [[England]] although this depends from county to county. For example, the rural mentality in the [[South West England|South West]] makes it a lot more easier than trying to hitch in the [[South East England|South East]]. It seems the closer you are to big cities, especially London, the harder it is. Furthermore, especially in the South of England, people have some kind of you-only-get-what-you-merit-(equals: work for)-attitude, which is why they sometimes react with unfriendliness to the idea of hitching. On the other hand, very many students hitched in the 70s and 80s and they often give lifts now that they are rich and 50plus. '' [[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] has hitchhiked over 5000 km in the UK (Mid/North England, Wales and Scotland). She was initially apprehensive due to this page, but has found out that UK is great for hitchhiking, often with low waiting times, people offering rides even before you officially start hitchhiking, and very helpful driversolder. ''
Like anywhere else, it is illegal to walk on motorways, and so hitchhiking is best done from the bottom of [[slip road]]s and at [[rest area|service stations]] (at discretion of the owner). Highways Agency officials may question you if you hitch from sliproads on motorways as technically you are not allowed to do this, but the police will not pay any interest; the Highways Agency staff are more pedantic than the police regarding that.
Apart from motorways, you can also hitch on the so-called A-roads, where - legally - you can stand on the side lane. As A-roads, however, are a replacement for motorways in more rural areas, people basically go at the same speed, and it is quite difficult and dangerous to flag somebody down.
The UK is infamous for its rainy [[weather]]. The oceanic climate makes the weather changeable from one day to the next and causes comparatively long but light phases of rain. This doesn't mean it's always raining, but it ''can'' always rain. Be prepared and always have waterproof clothes with you. The rainiest months are October−January. As a rule of thumb, one could say the further west and the higher the elevation, the greater the rainfall. Contradicting the cliché, some parts of south and west England are surprisingly dry and may even have drought problems in summer.
An advantage of the mild oceanic climate is that it does not get extremely cold or hot.
[[File:Carl Nai Maroc.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[User:Carl|Carl]] and his hitch partner Naomi leaving [[Cardiff]] for [[Morocco]].]]
[[English channel|Hitchhiking the English Channel]] ''from'' [[England]] to [[France]] is possible. Just hitchhike in direction of [[Dover]] along the ''M20'' in the [[South East England|South East]] to reach the ferries or [[Channel Tunnel|The Channel Tunnel]]. Once you're there, you could either try to find a lift in Dover or in a more relaxed atmosphere on one of the services along the M20, e.g. Maidstone Services (note however that a lot of people on this service station are locals, so you might be better off with a truck driver, they are parked behind the restaurant).
You can also hitch from the Immingham docks near Grimsby to [[Zeebrugge]] on a truck ferry. Hitching from Scotland to [[Scandinavia]] is also possible, see [[Scrabster]]. Due to fears of terrorism and illegal immigration authorities may ask you not to wait near the docks.
Hitchiking [[English channel|across the English Channel]] ''to'' Great Britain is possible. When coming from [[France]], make sure you stay on the A26. Loads of truck drivers are heading from [[Switzerland]], [[Luxembourg]] and [[Germany]] to Great Britain. So if someone offers you a ride to [[Lille]], make sure you stay on the A26 or you might get stuck.
If coming from Zeebrugge note that the truckers usually can have two passengers on the manifest so if you travel this way you don't need to pay for a ferry ticket. You might be better off hitching with a car, because truck drivers are often more suspicious of people who want to be taken across the channel - their livelihood depends on it, as UK police tend to arrest anybody who knowingly or not help illegal immigrants to enter the UK.
There are ferries from [[Wales]] ([[Holyhead]] in the North and [[Fishguard]] in the South), from Scotland (Troon, Cairnryan, Stranraer) and from England (around Liverpool). Currently, it might only be possible to get across without paying if you can find a sympathetic driver who allows you to hide in their vehicle, as every passenger pays separately.
== Links ==
{{nomadwiki}}
* [http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/map/ Map of Services Stations] - Motorway Services Online
* [http://www.frixo.com Frixo Traffic Reports] – Live travel updates for UK roads / motorways
* [http://www.motorwayservices.info/ Motorway Services Info] UK Motorway Services Information (Reader's Comments)
== Personal Experiences ==
'' [[User:OlcheMaith|Roaming Pencil]] has hitchhiked over 5000 km in the UK (Mid/North England, Wales and Scotland). She was initially apprehensive due to this page, but has found out that UK is great for hitchhiking, often with low waiting times, people offering rides even before you officially start hitchhiking, and very helpful drivers. ''
==Nomadwiki & Trashwiki == Countries ====For more specific information about the countries, islands and cities within the ''United Kingdom'', have a look at this overview of British constituent countries and affiliations:
{{nomadwiki}}
{{UK_constituent_countries}}
{{hitchbase_country|203}}
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[[Category:United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Northern Europe]]